A sales attendant provides customer service, and performs clerical and administrative activities in support of a sales team. Attendants allow the operations to run smoothly for existing customers and help bring in new customers. Sales attendants work in small- to large-sized establishments. They work directly under department and branch managers and are part of a cohesive sales team.

Function

Sales attendants provide customer service to existing or potential customers when they answer questions, provide information and act as cashiers to customers. They retrieve supplies and merchandise from the stockroom and set up displays. Tickets and prices are marked by the sales attendant. They take inventory and order supplies, materials and merchandise for restock. In retail shops, the sales attendant escorts and directs customers to fitting or dressing rooms. In this position, the individual receives and handles customer complaints.

Education

Attendants usually have a high school diploma, although some employers prefer them to have an associate or bachelor’s degree. Coursework for these degrees includes sales, management and college level English and math classes.

Personal Attributes

A sales attendant is a cooperative individual since she works as part of a team. She understands customer needs and wants after a brief discussion with the customer. People in this profession are convincing and have a positive influence on the customer or client.

Skills

In this position, the candidate is well-informed about particular materials and resources used in serving clients. Workers also possess data entry skills to enter merchandise, inventory and client orders into a database system. This calls for sales attendants to be computer literate in relation to database management and word processing. They have excellent telephone skills when talking to clients, vendors or prospective customers. Persons in this profession are well-organized and detailed-oriented.

Salary

Sales attendants working in the United States earn an average annual salary of $22,000, as of June 2010, according to Indeed.com. Salary is based on experience and type of sales industry.