Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Office and administrative support / 43-4151.00

Order Clerks

Receive and process incoming orders for materials, merchandise, classified ads, or services such as repairs, installations, or rental of facilities. Generally receives orders via mail, phone, fax, or other electronic means. Duties include informing customers of receipt, prices, shipping dates, and delays; preparing contracts; and handling complaints.

US jobs
75,200
Median wage
$46,170 a year
Job family
Office and administrative support

Can agents do the work of order clerks?

We read the evidence for the whole job family, Office and administrative support: Most tasks (no change in 12 months)

Agents complete 60% or more of the tasks (or projects) on two direct benchmarks from independent institutions.

Evidence: OSWorld-Verified, 90.2% of tasks completed; SpreadsheetBench, 83.1% of tasks completed.

27% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 10%Communicate with others about operational plans or activitiesMeasured
  • 8%Respond to customer problems or inquiriesMeasured
  • 7%Collect data about consumer needs or opinionsNot measured
  • 7%Evaluate the quality or accuracy of dataNot measured
  • 7%Inspect characteristics or conditions of materials or productsNot measured
  • 6%Explain technical details of products or servicesNot measured
  • 6%Inspect completed work or finished productsNot measured
  • 6%Provide information to guests, clients, or customersNot measured

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in office and administrative support, not always this occupation's tasks.

Direct evidence

Work benchmarks mapped primary to this family. They set the step when they report how many tasks agents complete.

Also relevant

These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.

Context only

These benchmarks span many occupations, or they test how agents behave. They give context but do not set the step.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Review orders for completeness according to reporting procedures and forward incomplete orders for further processing.
  • Obtain customers' names, addresses, and billing information, product numbers, and specifications of items to be purchased, and enter this information on order forms.
  • Recommend merchandise or services that will meet customers' needs.
  • Inspect outgoing work for compliance with customers' specifications.
  • Receive and respond to customer complaints.
  • Check inventory records to determine availability of requested merchandise.
  • Verify customer and order information for correctness, checking it against previously obtained information as necessary.
  • Compute total charges for merchandise or services and shipping charges.
  • 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.
  • Notify departments when supplies of specific items are low, or when orders would deplete available supplies.
  • Prepare invoices, shipping documents, and contracts.
Other job titles for this occupation (63)

Hub Associate · Materials Specialist · Order Analyst · Order Clerk · Order Entry Administrator (Order Entry Admin) · Order Entry Representative (Order Entry Rep) · Order Processing Clerk · Order Taker · Warehouse Clerk · Warehouse Person · Ad Taker (Advertising Taker) · Advertising Clerk (Ad Clerk) · Advertising Space Clerk (Ad Space Clerk) · Back Order Clerk · Blood Bank Credit Clerk · Blood Bank Order Control Clerk · Catalogue Clerk · Classified Ad Clerk (Classified Advertisement Clerk) · Classified Ad Taker (Classified Advertisement Taker) · Clerical Order Filler · Compliance Clerk · Contact Clerk · Contact Worker · Film Rental Clerk · Food and Beverage Order Clerk · Fulfillment Associate · Fulfillment Center Associate · Fulfillment Clerk · Fulfillment Specialist · Gas Distribution and Emergency Clerk · Mail Order Clerk · Merchandise Processor · New Order Clerk · Omni Fulfillment Outfitter · Order Administrator (Order Admin) · Order Associate · Order Booker · Order Builder · Order Caller · Order Desk Clerk · Order Editor · Order Entry Clerk · Order Entry Specialist · Order Filler · Order Fulfillment Associate · Order Make Up Clerk · Order Processor · Order Puller · Order Selector · Order Specialist · Order Tracer · Receiver · Reordering Clerk · Routing Clerk · Service Order Clerk · Shipping Coordinator · Subscription Clerk · Telephone Ad Taker (Telephone Advertisement Taker) · Telephone Order Clerk · Want Ad Clerk (Want Advertisement Clerk) · Want Ad Receiver (Want Advertisement Receiver) · Warehouse Order Picker · Warehouse Order Puller