CLERICAL - Clerical Duties & Responsibilities

By Mary Ylisela, eHow Contributor


The clerical staff in an office helps the office run smoothly by taking care of the tasks that others don't have the time to accomplish due to their own job duties. These time-consuming tasks are a vital part of the office environment, even if they are often tedious in nature. Basic computer skills and a willingness to participate in on-the-job training are all that's needed to become a clerical worker. According to Payscale.com, as of May 2010, clerical staff members earned between $9.83 and $13.95 per hour.

Greet Visitors

• Greeting visitors, customers, vendors and job applicants is an important part of the clerk's job. Since he is likely to be the first person in the company a visitor meets, the clerk must provide a good first impression by greeting the visitor in a friendly and professional manner. The clerk will check people in for appointments, provide directions to other departments, accept and sign for deliveries and provide paperwork or information for potential job applicants. The clerk has the opportunity to represent the company for which he works in a manner that will make the guest want to return. This first impression is an important part of building and developing a business.

  
  

Maintain Records

• Record keeping and maintenance is a task that needs to be accomplished on a daily basis and can often take several hours to complete. Filing, data entry, putting documents in the proper place and retrieving necessary documents for other workers are all a part of the record maintenance a clerk handles. Depending on the type of business the company operates, the clerk may update sales records, input customer payments and keep records of visitors and appointments. As the clerk maintains and updates records, she must use organizational skills and attention to detail to ensure accuracy.

  
  

Client Communication

• Many businesses deal with customers or clients either directly or indirectly. When customer satisfaction is involved, the clerk will participate in communicating with customers and clients. This communication may take place in the form of phone calls, face-to-face communication, written correspondence or emails. The clerical staff must be able to maintain a professional and polite demeanor no matter how the client speaks or behaves. This part of the job can often be stressful, because disgruntled customers can be rude and verbally abusive. While the clerk should always seek support or help of management in this situation, he will have to be able to effectively communicate with both satisfied and dissatisfied customers.