Order clerks process customer orders, checking inventory, prices, and resolving complaints. They need good customer service and math skills, and often work with computer software. Salaries vary, and benefits are common.
An order clerk processes customer orders. He or she might work in a retail store or wholesale warehouse. Typically, a high school diploma or equivalent is required, as well as good customer service and math skills to work as an order filler. Order workers often need to understand computer spreadsheet programs and work with different types of processing software.
Customer orders can be received by the employee by telephone, computer or mail. Alternatively, a supervisor can distribute orders to the employee for processing. Order clerks or supervisors first check the account of the person or company placing the order to ensure there are no outstanding invoices and credit approval has been authorized.
On-hand inventory checklists are routinely made by ordering clerks. If the order clerk cannot complete everything on a customer’s order due to something being out of stock, company policy in this situation should be followed. At some companies, the clerk must notify the customer, while at others, order clerks add a polite note apologizing for the item being out of stock and advising a backorder. A backorder is an industry term for delivering a customer’s currently out-of-stock order at a later date. If too many customer purchase orders require backorders, inventory management is considered poor and customer service often suffers.
Checking prices is another responsibility of most order workers. The employee must ensure that each customer’s invoice contains accurate prices, as some customers may have special discounts for bulk purchases. An invoice is a company document that lists the price and quantity of products purchased. Includes taxes as well as shipping or other charges. Unless a business is small, the order fulfiller usually passes invoices to an order clerk; in smaller companies, order workers can process each invoice using a computer system.
Handling customer complaints and following up on orders are necessary tasks for an order filler. For this reason, order workers must have excellent customer service skills. They need to calmly and efficiently resolve issues like missing shipments, inaccurate pricing, or the customer receiving the wrong item. An order clerk’s job can become hectic as he or she may have to resolve numerous customer issues during the course of a typical work day.
Order workers work in most industries. Their salaries vary greatly depending on their duties and years of experience. Some order workers are promoted to warehouse managers or technical experts in their industry. For the most part, an order filler works regular business hours and receives benefits such as medical insurance, retirement plan, and vacation.
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