Order Clerks Occupation Details

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Order Clerks

The main tasks and work activities of Order Clerks are to obtain personal or financial information about customers or applicants, prepare documentation for contracts, transactions, or regulatory compliance, provide notifications to customers or patrons, respond to customer problems or complaints. In general, for the Order Clerks, active Listening, speaking, reading Comprehension, service Orientation and other 12 skills are required.

Order Clerks Job Description
Education	These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related Experience	Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job Training	Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Example	These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.

The following chart shows the education/training levels for Order Clerks jobs. 47.88% of Order Clerks have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 8.26% of Order Clerks have Post-Secondary Certificate.

Less than a High School Diploma

0.77%

High School Diploma (or the equivalent)

47.88%

Post-Secondary Certificate

8.26%

Some College Courses

24.03%

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)

15.80%

Bachelor's Degree and Above

3.26%

Tasks and Work Activities of Order Clerks

Obtain customers' names, addresses, and billing information, product numbers, and specifications of items to be purchased, and enter this information on order forms.
Prepare invoices, shipping documents, and contracts.
Inform customers by mail or telephone of order information, such as unit prices, shipping dates, and any anticipated delays.
Receive and respond to customer complaints.
Verify customer and order information for correctness, checking it against previously obtained information as necessary.
Direct specified departments or units to prepare and ship orders to designated locations.
Check inventory records to determine availability of requested merchandise.
Review orders for completeness according to reporting procedures and forward incomplete orders for further processing.
Attempt to sell additional merchandise or services to prospective or current customers by telephone or through visits.
File copies of orders received, or post orders on records.
Compute total charges for merchandise or services and shipping charges.
Confer with production, sales, shipping, warehouse, or common carrier personnel to expedite or trace shipments.
Recommend merchandise or services that will meet customers' needs.
Adjust inventory records to reflect product movement.
Collect payment for merchandise, record transactions, and send items, such as checks or money orders for further processing.
Inspect outgoing work for compliance with customers' specifications.
Notify departments when supplies of specific items are low, or when orders would deplete available supplies.
Recommend type of packing or labeling needed on order.
Calculate and compile order-related statistics, and prepare reports for management.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Performing Administrative ActivitiesPerforming day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
Communicating with Persons Outside OrganizationCommunicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsMonitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsUsing relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersHandling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Obtain personal or financial information about customers or applicants.
Prepare documentation for contracts, transactions, or regulatory compliance.
Provide notifications to customers or patrons.
Respond to customer problems or complaints.
Inspect shipments to ensure correct order fulfillment.
Manage clerical or administrative activities.
Monitor inventories of products or materials.
Verify accuracy of financial or transactional data.
Promote products, services, or programs.
File documents or records.
Calculate costs of goods or services.
Calculate shipping costs.
Confer with coworkers to coordinate work activities.
Discuss goods or services information with customers or patrons.
Maintain inventory records.
Send information, materials or documentation.
Collect deposits, payments or fees.
Inspect items for damage or defects.
Provide information to coworkers.
Recommend packing or shipping methods.

Skills and Abilities for Order Clerks

Active ListeningGiving 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.
SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
PersuasionPersuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
MathematicsUsing mathematics to solve problems.
Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
NegotiationBringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Perceptual SpeedThe ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Number FacilityThe ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Flexibility of ClosureThe ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Speed of ClosureThe ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.

Package stopse.g. Belt diverters
Belt conveyorse.g. Conveyer belts
Photocopierse.g. Copy machines
Point of sale payment terminale.g. Credit card authorization software
Cash registerse.g. Electronic cash registers
Laser fax machinee.g. Laser facsimile machines
Special purpose telephonese.g. Multiline telephone systems
Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
Printer calculatore.g. Printing calculators

Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge 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.
ClericalKnowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Computers and ElectronicsKnowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Sales and MarketingKnowledge 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.
TelecommunicationsKnowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Production and ProcessingKnowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Order Clerks Occupation Detailed Description

Tasks and Work Activities of Order Clerks

Skills and Abilities for Order Clerks