Description:
Receive and process incoming orders for materials, merchandise, classified ads, or services such as repairs, installations, or rental of facilities. Duties include informing customers of receipt, prices, shipping dates, and delays; preparing contracts; and handling complaints.
Tasks
- 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.
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge 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.
- Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge 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.
- Clerical
- Knowledge 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.
- Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
- Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
- English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Active Listening
- Giving 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.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension
- The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression
- The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Speech Clarity
- The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Near Vision
- The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Speech Recognition
- The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Problem Sensitivity
- The 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 Comprehension
- The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression
- The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Selective Attention
- The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Inductive Reasoning
- The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Work Activities
- Interacting With Computers
- Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Getting Information
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Performing Administrative Activities
- Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
- Processing Information
- Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
- Communicating 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.
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Work Context
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
- How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
- Contact With Others
- How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
- Deal With External Customers
- How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People
- How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
- Telephone
- How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
- Structured versus Unstructured Work
- To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
- Face-to-Face Discussions
- How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Interests
- Conventional
- Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- Enterprising
- Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
- Social
- Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Realistic
- Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Investigative
- Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Artistic
- Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Work Style
- Dependability
- Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Integrity
- Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Attention to Detail
- Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Persistence
- Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
- Cooperation
- Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Self Control
- Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
- Initiative
- Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
- Independence
- Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
- Stress Tolerance
- Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
- Achievement/Effort
- Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Work Value
- Support
- Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
- Independence
- Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
- Working Conditions
- Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
- Relationships
- Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
- Achievement
- Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
- Recognition
- Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Related Occupations
- Counter and Rental Clerks
- Insurance Sales Agents
- Bill and Account Collectors
- Library Assistants, Clerical
- Loan Interviewers and Clerks
- New Accounts Clerks
- Receptionists and Information Clerks
- Insurance Claims Clerks
- Insurance Policy Processing Clerks
Common Lay Titles
- Ad Taker
- Administrative Assistant
- Advertising Clerk
- Advertising Space Clerk
- Auto Locator
- Back Order Clerk
- Blood Bank Credit Clerk
- Blood Bank Order Control Clerk
- Catalogue Clerk
- Classified Ad Clerk
- Classified Ad Taker
- Clerical Order Filler
- Clerk
- Contact Clerk
- Contact Person
- Contact Worker
- Customer Care Representative (CCR)
- Customer Service Representative
- Electrotype Servicer
- Film Rental Clerk
- Food and Beverage Order Clerk
- Gas Distribution and Emergency Clerk
- Hub Associate
- Mail Order Clerk
- Materials Scheduler
- Materials Specialist
- New Order Clerk or Taker
- Order Analyst
- Order Booker
- Order Caller
- Order Clerk
- Order Desk Clerk
- Order Editor
- Order Entry Administrator
- Order Entry Clerk
- Order Entry Representative
- Order Make Up Clerk
- Order Processing Clerk
- Order Taker
- Order Tracer
- Receiver Dispatcher
- Reordering Clerk
- Routing Clerk
- Service Order Clerk
- Shipping and Receiving Clerk
- Shipping Coordinator
- Stock Clerk
- Subscription Clerk
- Telephone Ad Taker
- Telephone Order Clerk
- Want Ad Clerk
- Want Ad Receiver
- Warehouse Clerk