Customer orders are reviewed by a merchandise order filler, who then either ships the products to the customer or arranges for customers to pick up their purchases from a pick-up location. Retailers, wholesalers, and product manufacturers are the most common employers of order fillers. A merchandise order filler may be required to lift heavy objects, so these jobs require both physical and administrative abilities.
Employers do not typically require order fillers to have college degrees or specific vocation qualifications. However, many companies only hire candidates who have completed high school to fill merchandise order filler positions. Firms usually provide on-the-job training for new employees, and the length of the training process is determined in part by the variety of products that the order filler must handle.
Many companies allow customers to order products online, over the phone, or through the mail. The orders are either received directly by the employees who dispatch the products or by administrative staff who relay the information to the back office order filling crew. The merchandise order filler must locate the requested items after receiving a client request. In many cases, goods are stored in warehouses, and order fillers must locate the requested item by comparing the order code to codes printed on packaged goods. When the items are found, the order filler can either send the merchandise to the client via postal service or arrange for express delivery.
Some manufacturers only produce goods when clients place orders. In these cases, the order filler must forward the order’s details to the manufacturing department, who will then arrange for the completed merchandise to be delivered to the client. Merchandise order fillers are also in charge of ordering supplies for companies that keep stock on hand. When inventory falls below a certain level, the order filler usually notifies the manufacturing department or the product supplier.
The majority of the time, a merchandise order filler has no direct contact with the company’s customers. Customers are occasionally contacted by order fillers to verify information such as the delivery address. When merchandise supplies are depleted, an order filler may contact clients directly to offer alternative types of merchandise or to provide an estimate of how long it will take the firm to obtain additional supplies of the requested merchandise. Clients can pick up goods directly from order fillers at some wholesalers and retailers’ warehouse pick up locations. Order fillers who deal directly with the public are usually expected to have excellent customer service skills.