SOUTH AFRICA · SALARY IN RANDS

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers

What the work involves, the skills employers want, and how to get started in South Africa.

  • Barback
  • Buffet Attendant
  • Bus Boy
  • Bus Person
  • Busser
  • Dining Room Attendant
  • Food Service Aide
  • Food Service Helper
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What do Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers do?

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers are essential support roles in the hospitality sector, primarily focused on ensuring a pleasant dining experience for guests. These professionals assist in various tasks within dining establishments, including restaurants, cafeterias, and bars. Their duties often encompass setting up dining areas, clearing tables, serving food and beverages, and maintaining cleanliness. They may also aid bartenders by preparing ingredients, garnishing drinks, and managing stock supplies. These roles require strong interpersonal skills, as attendants interact closely with customers to provide service, take orders, and handle inquiries while ensuring a welcoming atmosphere. The position is vital to the operational efficiency of dining venues, directly contributing to customer satisfaction and the overall success of food service establishments.

What the work actually is

  • Run cash registers.
  • Serve ice water, coffee, rolls, or butter to patrons.
  • Scrape and stack dirty dishes and carry dishes and other tableware to kitchens for cleaning.
  • Wipe tables or seats with dampened cloths or replace dirty tablecloths.
  • Set tables with clean linens, condiments, or other supplies.

Skills employers expect

Skills

  • Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Coordination Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Service Orientation Actively looking for ways to help people.

Abilities

  • Trunk Strength The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Manual Dexterity The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Stamina The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
  • Extent Flexibility The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Knowledge

  • Customer and Personal Service Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Food Production Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
  • Sales and Marketing Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

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How people get into it

Education of new hires

High school diploma or equivalent
or: GED, High School Equivalency Certificate
Less than high school diploma
Post-secondary certificate
Awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in Personnel Services, Engineering-related Technologies, Vocational Home Economics, Construction Trades, Mechanics and Repairers, Precision Production Trades)

A normal week

  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  • Getting Information
  • Assisting and Caring for Others

Tools used on the job

Technology

  • Spreadsheet software Microsoft Excel
  • Point of sale POS software Cafe Cartel Systems · Plexis Software Plexis POS · RestaurantPlus PRO
  • Operating system software Microsoft Windows
  • Web page creation and editing software Facebook

Tools

  • Commercial use dishwashers Commercial dishwashers · Glass washing machines
  • Commercial use food warmers Steam tables
  • Commercial use blenders Blenders
  • Carbonated beverage dispenser Carbonated beverage dispensers
  • Commercial use cutlery Chefs' knives

Who it suits

Realistic

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Conventional

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Social

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

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Questions people ask

How much do Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers earn in South Africa?

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salaries in South Africa vary by experience, province and employer.

What do Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers do?

Run cash registers, Serve ice water, coffee, rolls, or butter to patrons and Scrape and stack dirty dishes and carry dishes and other tableware to kitchens for cleaning.

How do I know if this career fits me?

Take the free Assessify career assessment. It matches your answers to careers and shows the South African salary next to each one.