The bookstore clerk is a professional who works under the direct supervision of the bookstore supervisor or bookstore manager and is responsible for carrying out clerical tasks assigned by the management group. He may work in a college, institution, university, government or privately owned libraries of bookstores.
He may operate as a retail clerk who may execute the job of recording the general sales and organizing the records of the materials of the bookstore. He may also perform primary levels of housekeeping work and offer excellent customer service to the consumers. At times, he may even take up the job of the cashier and perform accounting or finance related tasks. He makes sure that the work performed by him is in right concordance with the previously constituted regulations and policies.
Job Responsibilities of a Bookstore Clerk
The bookstore clerk assists the students, faculty members, staff members, and other proprietors with the various procedures that take place in the bookstores. He is responsible for undertaking the job of maintaining the payment registry. It includes maintaining the account of the customers for the funds received and properly registering these funds in the payment registry. He also accepts the monetary funds payed by the customers on behalf of their purchase of the products in the bookstore.
He attends to the inquiries made by the customers that are associated with the price, location, and description of the merchandise products, books and miscellaneous services available for sale in the bookstore. He takes care of the credit transactions that take place during the payment done by the consumers. He does this by completing and recording the billing slips.
He keeps a track of the products and services returned by the customers with the help of inventory maintenance forms or computer software. He makes sure that the customers return the books and other merchandise products within the stipulated time assigned to them. He follows all the legal processes that take place during the acceptance of the books.
If the merchandise products and books are not available in the bookstore, then the bookstore clerk may accept a special order on behalf of the customer and make certain that the product is received by that customer. He takes due care of the merchandise products and bookstore premises and property. He makes sure that the bookstore is free from illegal activities like shoplifting and pilfering.
Other duties of a bookstore clerk can be cleaning, dusting, and maintaining of the bookstore including the management and organization of the books in a systematic manner. He also makes sure that the bookstore has the latest stock of books and other merchandise products. Besides, he does the regular work of inventory and record maintenance and other related chores.
He is responsible for resolving discrepancies with the vendors and takes care of the disagreements in a well-timed manner. He calculates and supplies the cash required for the development of fund raising projects and additional activities of the bookstore. He credits and accepts the finances that are related to the extra-curricular tax credits. He sustains the privacy of the data of the customers including the staff members. He provides useful assistance in the procedures of the replacement of locks, emptying lockers, and removal of lock chambers present in the bookstores.
He makes daily and monthly reports for the management level personnel and audits the merchandise products of the bookstores. He shoulders the responsibility of logging and tagging of fixed possessions. He helps in the work of the registration of the customers entering the bookstore for reading and purchasing the books and takes care of the check-out processes of these customers. He is accountable for the disbursement of the monetary funds received from the customers and fixing of bank deposits so as to gain maximum interest possible. Additionally, he modifies the payroll and sanctions the time sheets.
Requirements of a Bookstore Clerk
The bookstore clerk should have the ability to document the bookstore transactions and other legal proceedings of the bookstore. He should be quite familiar with the management and recording of cash receipts and related practices and processes used in the general bookstores. He must possess the capability to manage the potential and existing customers in a gracious and ministering manner, so as to ensure customer satisfaction and increased sale of the merchandise products.
He must be acquainted with the marketing patterns and procedures that take place in the bookstores. Besides, he should have sound knowledge about the functionalities related to perpetual inventory. He must be able to operate the online software and applications, calculators and cash registers in an effective way. He must be physically strong, as bookstore clerks are required to lift, push or pull weights that weigh 50 pounds approximately.
In order to get placed in a developed firm, one must have a sufficient amount of work experience in this field with a formal education through an accredited institution. The candidate should be a high school graduate with good knowledge about bookkeeping and sales.
Bookstore clerk responsibilities is a good way to make yourself stand out in the contest of acquiring your desired job.