Your role
Order desk clerk
Your day at a wholesaler's order desk, taking customers' orders by phone and WhatsApp at their own prices and pack sizes, and taking in returns and empties at the depot.
As the order desk clerk you take the customers’ orders: by phone, on WhatsApp, or when they call in. Kila describes the role as: “Takes customers’ orders at the order desk and builds quotations; takes in returns and empties at the depot. No refunds or discounts beyond the limit.” At Mombasa Road Distributors, Mercy Atieno runs the order desk at Syokimau.
When you sign in
Link to this section: When you sign inKila opens the Order desk (Sell › Order desk) on Find the customer. Orders come out of the depot you work in: with All branches chosen in the header, the desk takes them from your own depot, so choose the warehouse there when the stock is in the warehouse, as at Mombasa Road.
Your day
Link to this section: Your day- Take the orders. Find the customer, check their credit left and price list, type the lines by pack size and tap Take order: Take an order at the order desk.
- Repeat the regulars. A customer who orders the same every week: start from one of their last orders, or paste their WhatsApp message: Repeat a customer’s last order.
- Leave the over-limit orders to credit control. An order over the customer’s credit left is held for the credit controller: Approve an order over the credit limit.
- Take in returns and empties. When a shop brings goods or crates back to the depot: Take back a market return and Take back crates and empties.
What you can do
Link to this section: What you can do- Take orders for customers at their own price lists and pack sizes.
- Repeat a customer’s last order, or read one from their message.
- Take market returns in at the depot, and take crates and empties back from a shop.
Everything the role is allowed to do
- General
- View dashboard
- Point of sale
- Sell at the till; View sales; Create quotations; Apply discounts; Open and close own shift
- Catalog
- View products and services
- Stock
- View stock
- Customers
- View customers
- Credit
- View credit and agreements
- Distribution
- Take in market returns from outlets on the road, on delivery or at the depot; Record empties and crates out and back, and container deposits
What needs a manager
Link to this section: What needs a manager| Approval limit | Up to |
|---|---|
| Discounts | 2% |
Needs a manager
- An order over the customer’s credit left. Kila warns you before you take it, and holds it for someone whose credit limit covers it, such as the credit controller.
- A customer on hold. Kila takes no new orders on account for them until the hold is lifted: take payment first, or ask the credit controller.
- Crediting a market return. You take it in; the credit controller inspects it and credits the shop.
Common questions
Link to this section: Common questionsWhy did the order come out of the order desk depot, not the warehouse? With All branches chosen in the header, the desk takes orders from your own depot. Choose the warehouse under Working in first. See Take an order at the order desk.
Kila says only a few are free to reserve. Why? Stock is reserved when the order is taken, so what is on other orders is not free, such as “Only 3 of Drinking water 18.9L refill free to reserve at this branch. Lower the quantity, or transfer stock here first.” Lower the quantity, or ask the store to move stock to the depot first.
The customer sends the same order every week. Do I type it each time? No: open one of their last orders and take it again, or paste their message. See Repeat a customer’s last order.
- Wholesale and distribution: how the whole business works in Kila.
- Credit controller: who decides the orders held for credit.
- Dispatcher: who sends your orders out.