Clerks gather customer details, product specs, and billing information and enter it onto order forms, then verify everything for accuracy against prior records. Part of the job is proactive communication, informing customers of prices, shipping dates, or delays, and handling complaints when something goes wrong. The role is fast-paced and tightly procedural, with orders filed and tracked carefully in paper or electronic systems.
Pros
Low barrier to entry, just a high school diploma and on-the-job training
Desk-based, structured work with clear, repeatable procedures
Pay can reach over $63k with experience despite modest entry requirements
Cons
Employment in this field is projected to shrink over the next decade (-17.2%), a sharp decline for a clerical role
Fast-paced work with real time pressure to process orders quickly and accurately
Regularly handles customer complaints about shipping delays or order errors
A typical day
The order queue refreshed overnight, so 8am starts with triage: web orders verified and released, a fax order (they still exist) keyed in manually, and a voicemail from a contractor needing fifty units by Friday — checked against inventory before promising anything, because a promise here is a commitment the warehouse has to keep. The morning phone rhythm is steady: pricing questions answered from the current sheet, a backordered item's new ETA delivered along with an alternative that ships today, and a purchase order matched carefully against the catalog numbers the customer actually meant, not the ones they typed. After lunch a big account's standing order gets its monthly update, a credit-hold order routes to accounting, and shipping confirmations go out with tracking numbers. Accuracy is the whole job: every error the clerk catches is a return that never happens.
Tasks at the job
Obtain customers' names, addresses, and billing information, product numbers, and specifications of items to be purchased, and enter this information on order forms.
Inspect outgoing work for compliance with customers' specifications.
Receive and respond to customer complaints.
Verify customer and order information for correctness, checking it against previously obtained information as necessary.
Inform customers by mail or telephone of order information, such as unit prices, shipping dates, and any anticipated delays.
File copies of orders received, or post orders on records.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors in a climate-controlled setting, and most of the day is spent sitting at a desk. Noise levels can be distracting or uncomfortable.
The pace is often fast, with real time pressure to meet deadlines. The work is highly structured, following set procedures.
Education necessary or common
High school diploma; some on-the-job training or apprenticeship