Courtesy Clerk Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

A Courtesy Clerk, or Bagger, is responsible for ensuring customers have a positive shopping experience. Their duties include checking out and bagging items, carrying purchased goods to customers’ cars and keeping the store tidy, clean and organized.

Customize this courtesy clerk job description sample from Indeed with specific information for your company’s post. 

Build a Job Description

Are you a Job Seeker? Find Jobs

Courtesy Clerk duties and responsibilities 

The main responsibility of a courtesy clerk is to attend to customer complaints, needs and questions throughout the day, either face-to-face or over the phone. Clerks may also have administrative duties, depending on the location. They can assist customers in locating products in the store, search for product availability online, check prices or arrange carry-outs to customers’ cars. During busier hours, a courtesy clerk may assist with bagging groceries or fill in as a cashier. 

Other duties may include ordering cashier supplies, training new clerks, stocking and cleaning shelves and updating a store’s databases. Some courtesy clerks may also be expected to organize and clean register counters, retrieve shopping carts from parking areas and assist in other departments. Additional duties include: 

  • Greet and welcome the customer in a polite and friendly manner.
  • Monitor the supply of bags at cash registers and replenish as needed. 
  • Move misplaced items to their correct place and tidy shelves.
  • Gather returned items from customer service or check-out counters and return to their appropriate places.

What does a Courtesy Clerk do?

Courtesy Clerks work in a grocery or retail store providing a great customer service experience and positive shopping environment to customers. They keep all areas of the store tidy by sweeping, mopping and scrubbing areas like bathrooms, grocery carts and store shelves. Courtesy Clerks are expected to have extensive knowledge about the store’s products to provide specific and helpful answers to customers. They may also act as cashiers and perform price checks on certain items.

Courtesy Clerk skills and qualifications

A job description for a courtesy clerk should require the following skills and qualifications:

  • Excellent oral communication skills for listening to questions and responding appropriately.
  • Stamina and strength to walk and stand for extended periods of time.
  • Knowledge of store layout and product location on the sales floor.
  • Basic math and literacy skills for such tasks as counting items and reading labels.
  • Good customer service skills.
  • Persuasive and warm personality for guiding customers in choosing products to purchase.
  • Willingness to attend occasional staff meetings and on-the-job training. 
  • Prior customer service or sales experience.

Courtesy Clerk salary expectations 

Salary expectations for a courtesy clerk can range from $7.25 to $19.35 per hour, with the average US Salary being $10.12 per hour. This information is based on 828 anonymously submitted salaries to Indeed from employees and users along with past and present courtesy clerk job postings on Indeed within the last 36 months. 

Courtesy Clerk education and training requirements

Most employers provide on-the-job training for a courtesy clerk since duties can vary from store to store. While there is no formal experience or educational requirements for a courtesy clerk position, many employers prefer candidates with a high school diploma or equivalent or a minimum of one year of retail experience. Candidates should possess a strong work ethic and be willing to participate in continuing education opportunities. 

Courtesy Clerk experience requirements 

Most people hired for this job are high school students or people who’ve been out of work for years and are looking for a way to ease back into the workforce. This job can serve as a stepping stone to a higher position, whether as a checker or, further down the road, a store manager.

Job description samples for similar positions

If you’re looking for a similar job description, check out the options below:

Frequently asked questions about Courtesy Clerks

 

What makes a great Courtesy Clerk?

Effective Courtesy Clerks are friendly and have positive attitudes, since they’re regularly greeting customers and providing a great customer service experience. They should be hard working and motivated to regularly answer customer questions and find solutions to any of their problems. Many Courtesy Clerks are responsible for filling shopping bags, then carrying these items out to customers’ cars, so they should be physically healthy and able to complete these tasks. 

 

Who does a Courtesy Clerk report to?

Courtesy Clerks typically work on a team and all report to the Store Manager. The Store Manager oversees the productivity and efficiency levels of the store and ensures it’s running smoothly and customers are happy.  If the Courtesy Clerks are having any issues with customers or if customers have comments about a Courtesy Clerk’s work performance, the Store Manager addresses and resolves the issue. 

Courtesy Clerks often receive their shift schedules and training from Store Managers as well. Many employees who gain extensive hands-on experience working in a Courtesy Clerk role can potentially earn a promotion to a Store Manager role. 

 

What's the difference between a Courtesy Clerk and a Cashier?

Courtesy Clerks and Cashiers have similar job responsibilities, but some key differences. Courtesy Clerks can work all over the store, from stocking supplies to bagging items to greeting customers. Cashiers typically only have a single job of working at the register ringing up customer’s purchases. Sometimes Cashiers will bag items as well. Courtesy Clerks often complete an abundance of responsibilities around the store, including cashier duties, while Cashiers often work primarily behind the counter at the register.

 

Do Courtesy Clerks work in different industries?

Courtesy Clerks often work in grocery stores, but they can also work in other retail settings. The tasks they complete often depend on the setting they work in. Courtesy Clerks who work at a clothing store may be responsible for selling specific items to customers and receiving a commission, or they may work primarily behind the counter ringing items up. Courtesy Clerks may also work in other retail settings like pet stores, hardware stores or an electronics store. They’re often expected to have advanced knowledge of the industry they work in to better answer customers’ questions.

Job Description Examples

Need help writing a job description for a specific role? Use these job description examples to create your next great job posting. Or if you’re ready to hire, post your job on Indeed.

No search results found

    *Indeed provides this information as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your career or legal advisor, and none of the information provided herein guarantees a job offer.