Day in the life
A Day in the Life of an Order Clerk
What order clerks actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for an order clerk?
Process overnight online orders. From there, the day usually includes take customer orders, enter orders, and check stock and pricing. Full-time business hours.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for an order clerk working full time.
- Process overnight online orders.
- Take phone orders.
- Check stock for a large order.
- Fix a pricing error.
- Track a late shipment.
- Process a return.
- Send confirmations.
Where order clerks work
Order clerks work in offices and call centers for manufacturers, distributors and retailers.
Hours and schedule
Full-time business hours.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Take customer orders
- Enter orders
- Check stock and pricing
- Confirm details
- Track shipments
- Handle changes and returns
- Answer status questions
Tools you’ll use every day
- ERP systems
- Order management systems
- CRM
- Shipping trackers
- Phone systems
- Excel
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Short training
- Steady office work
- Customer contact
- Entry to sales support
What’s hard
- Steep decline
- Repetitive
- Upset customers
- Low pay
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I’m accurate
- I like customers
- I’m organized
- I like steady work
- I want short training
- I want a path to sales support
Not sure? Take the free Order Clerk fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Protect customer data
- Follow payment security rules
- Use ergonomic setups
- Take breaks