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.

The occupation of "Order Clerks" faces a high automation risk of 80.7%, closely aligning with its calculated base risk of 81.6%. This high likelihood of automation is largely due to the repetitive and structured nature of the core job functions. For example, the top three most automatable tasks—reviewing orders for completeness and forwarding incomplete ones for processing, entering customer information and order details into forms, and recommending suitable products or services—can all be efficiently managed by advanced data-processing systems, chatbots, and AI-driven recommendation engines. These tasks typically follow clear procedures and involve predictable decision-making, making them highly amenable to automation technologies. However, not all aspects of the order clerk role are equally vulnerable to replacement by machines. The most resistant tasks, such as attempting to upsell to customers via telephone or personal visits, recommending specific packing or labeling solutions, and preparing detailed management reports based on order statistics, require a higher degree of human judgment, communication, and adaptability. These activities often involve interpreting nuanced information, responding to customer cues, or exercising sales techniques that are difficult for AI to replicate with the same effectiveness as a skilled human. While automation can assist with data collation and basic analysis, the interpersonal and situational aspects of these tasks still demand human involvement, slowing the overall automation process for the occupation. A major barrier to complete automation for order clerks is their reliance on bottleneck skills like originality, although the demand for these is relatively modest—measured at only 2.3% and 2.0% for originality, respectively, in relevant tasks. Originality is necessary when handling unique order situations, resolving unexpected customer requests, or devising novel solutions for challenging packaging and labeling requirements. Even though these skills are not the dominant part of the job, they represent critical components that are not easily replicated by algorithms. Consequently, while the vast majority of "Order Clerks" responsibilities are susceptible to automation, the need for occasional creative and interpersonal problem-solving will ensure a continued, albeit diminished, role for human workers in this occupation.