An order clerk is the person who works at a place of business processing orders on goods and services. The clerk will generally receive and process orders for consumers. Some clerks are hired by businesses to order merchandise solely for the use of that company. Often, an order clerk may be employed by a warehouse, supply company or retail store, however, any place of business can have a potential need for this type of clerk. In most cases, a high school diploma is all that is required to become an order clerk.
In addition to obtaining a high school diploma, most people seeking to become an order clerk will also need good math skills. He or she will typically spend a great amount of time totaling order sizes and prices. Often, this may need to be done on a rapid basis and without the assistance of a calculator or cash register. For this reason, being good at math can be an important element of this job. Although, a college degree is not typically required, an associate's degree in business may help to perform this job more proficiently.
When hired by a company to be an inside order clerk, the individual will generally order products that will only be used by that company. If hired to be an order clerk for an office, the person may spend a great deal of time ordering office supplies such as computer paper, pens and notepads. He or she may also be responsible for ordering office machines. To become an order clerk for a retail store, such as an appliance store, the clerk may be required to order spare parts and appliances.
Often, order clerks will be required to work with a variety of different personalities. Some may also have the difficult task of handling customer complaints. Under these circumstances, good customer service skills will also be important to become an order clerk. Even if direct facial contact is eliminated from the order taking process, it will still be relevant to be customer-friendly at all times. In preparation for this job, an individual may have to undergo on-site training before assuming the position.
There are some additional requirements which may be needed to become an order clerk. Basic computer skills are typically necessary to properly take and process orders. In an effort to cut down on the amount of work the clerk will manually have to do, many establishments rely on a type of computer software program to input orders into their system. One may also be required to read and interpret spreadsheets, as they are commonly used in this area of business. Additionally, being able to learn quickly may make doing this job easier.
