Customer Assistant - Hospitality - Milton Keynes

Marks & Spencer Plc; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company in Milton Keynes is seeking passionate individuals to join their café team. In this fast-paced role, you’ll deliver five-star service, handle customer orders efficiently, and ensure high food safety standards. Key responsibilities include engaging with customers, teamwork, and maintaining a clean environment. Ideal candidates will be digitally confident, flexible, and ready to work in a busy café setting. This position offers the opportunity to develop skills in a rewarding environment.

Qualifications

• Ability to handle high-pressure situations effectively.
• Experience in delivering warm customer service.
• Flexibility to adapt quickly to changing circumstances.

Responsibilities

• Serve customers efficiently and ensure smooth operations.
• Maintain food safety and quality standards.
• Engage with customers to understand their needs and make recommendations.

Skills

Digital confidence

Teamwork

Efficiency

Attention to detail

Tools

Digital ordering tools

Job description

Working Pattern

Monday 10.00-18.00

Tuesday 10.00-18.00

Thursday 09.00-17.00

Friday 08.00-16.00

Due to operational requirements, all successful Candidates will be asked to work up to full time during the weeks commencing 14th and 21st December.

Join our team in the M&S Café – the heart of our store and a place where customers come to recharge. This is a hands‑on, high‑pressure role for those who can handle pace, stay calm under pressure, and still deliver warm, five‑star service.

You’ll be a brand ambassador, making great food and drink recommendations while ensuring the café operates smoothly, even during the busiest periods.

• Being digitally confident is essential. You’ll use our tools to take and fulfil orders fast, keeping customers moving and satisfied.
• Efficiency and effectiveness are key aspects of your role. You’ll maintain impeccable food safety standards while juggling orders and queues.
• At M&S, our customers don’t wait. You’ll be fast and relentlessly focused on delivering quality under pressure while focusing on delivering five‑star service.
• Teamwork matters. You’ll support colleagues and contribute to a high‑performance culture that meets customer needs – no matter how hectic it gets.
• Flexibility is also vital. You’ll adapt quickly, working where needed with pace.

It’s intense but, for the right person, incredibly rewarding. Are you ready for it? Take Your Marks and apply today.

Purpose

• To deliver a great shopping experience for their customers, putting customers before task every time
• Champion new ways of working within stores through an open mindset and positive attitude
• Complete tasks and processes that deliver ‘best in town’ standards
• Serve and sell across all channels brilliantly well
• Be the voice of our customer to help us continually improve

Key Accountabilities

• Serve our customers efficiently and brilliantly well – on the shop floor and at service points
• Deliver ‘best in town’ standards through presentation standards, availability and keeping the store clean and tidy
• Skilled to utilise all digital tools and communication channels to do the job
• Share customer and colleague feedback to help us do things better
• Share knowledge and experience with colleagues to support others in building skill and confidence
• Own their own learning & development and proactively access digital learning solutions
• Know the daily sales targets, priorities, promotions & selling opportunities
• Have great product knowledge to sell and recommend our products and services
• Proactively engage with customers to understand their needs and make recommendations
• Understand the store priorities and their part to play
• Complete tasks with pace and in line with SOPs
• Minimise cost and waste through good process practice
• Follow safe and legal working practices

Key Capabilities

• Understands how M&S operates, it’s strategy, future and the role they play
• Committed to delivering excellent work fast with great attention to detail
• Open to and acts on feedback, asking for this regularly
• Sets performance objectives for self in conjunction with line manager and in line with business plans
• Takes accountability for planning and managing own work efficiently to ensure objectives are met
• Is curious and asks questions to challenge the status quo – ask why the company does things the way it does things
• Effective at communicating their intentions to others; ensures communication is clear and simple
• In control of their own reactions and considers how to share their perspective to create better reaction for team
• Copes well with change and work challenges and recovers quickly from its impact
• Builds positive relationships by being a good listener and getting to know people by establishing a connection

Technical Skills/ Experience

• Contributing to store sales and cost control
• Work across the store to get things done right first time within timescales
• Comprehensive knowledge of customer shopping channels
• Good level of product knowledge and services across the store
• Up to date knowledge of the commercial operation and brilliant basics
• Good level of digital capability and use of digital tools and applications
• Understand customer needs and spot selling opportunities
• Adapting to change
• Good Knowledge of VM principles

Key Relationships and Stakeholders

• Customers
• Colleagues
• Store Leadership
• BIG