Counter and Rental Clerks

Receive orders, generally in person, for repairs, rentals, and services. May describe available options, compute cost, and accept payment.

The occupation "Counter and Rental Clerks" has a high automation risk of 72.6%, closely aligned with its base risk of 73.4%. This elevated vulnerability is primarily due to the routine and predictable nature of much of the work involved. Many of the essential tasks, such as processing transactions, recording orders, and handling straightforward customer services, are well within the current capabilities of automated systems and artificial intelligence. As businesses increasingly adopt self-service kiosks, online reservation platforms, and digital payment systems, the demand for human clerks to perform these standardized tasks continues to diminish. These technological trends have made the clerical aspects of counter and rental work particularly susceptible to replacement by automation. The three most automatable tasks in this occupation further emphasize this risk. First, "Compute charges for merchandise or services and receive payments" is a task already widely performed by automated checkouts and digital payment platforms. Second, "Receive orders for services, such as rentals, repairs, dry cleaning, and storage" can easily be handled by online booking systems and mobile applications. Third, "Explain rental fees, policies, and procedures," while requiring some communication, is increasingly managed through responsive FAQs, chatbots, and automated customer interfaces. As these processes become more advanced and user-friendly, the need for human interaction in these areas is reduced, driving up the automation risk for the occupation. On the other hand, some aspects of counter and rental clerk work remain more resistant to automation. Among these, "Allocate equipment to participants in sporting events or recreational activities" requires real-time judgment, physical dexterity, and adaptability. Similarly, "Recommend and provide advice on a wide variety of products and services" relies on nuanced understanding, active listening, and sometimes creative problem-solving—skills that are not yet easily replicated by machines. The task "Prepare merchandise for display or for purchase or rental" often involves physical setup and a degree of creativity or aesthetic judgment, further impeding automation. These resistant tasks are associated with so-called bottleneck skills like originality, though their levels (2.3% and 2.1%) are relatively low in this occupation, doing little to offset the overall automation risk. Thus, while some specialized or interactive duties provide a buffer, the preponderance of repetitive, easily programmed activities places counter and rental clerks at substantial automation risk.