Meaning & use
order taker
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person whose job is to write down or enter what customers ask to buy, such as at a restaurant or on a phone line.
Grammar: Plural is order takers: the order takers answered calls.
Patterns
- an order taker at something
The order taker at the pizza shop repeated my address twice.
She works as an order taker at a catalog company.
The restaurant hired two order takers for the lunch rush.
nouncountabledisapproving
A salesperson who only records what customers ask for and does not try to persuade them or find new buyers.
Grammar: Often contrasted with order getter: a consultative seller, not an order taker.
Patterns
- an order taker rather than a seller
A good salesperson is more than an order taker.
He saw himself as an order taker and rarely suggested anything extra.
The company wants advisers, not order takers.
Word forms
| plural | order takers |
|---|
Common combinations
- phone order taker
- The phone order taker confirmed the total before ending the call.
- more than an order taker
- She is more than an order taker; she solves problems for clients.
- hire an order taker
- The diner hired an order taker for weekends.
- mere order taker
- Do not become a mere order taker in this job.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cashier
- A cashier handles payment, whereas an order taker records what the customer wants.
- server
- A server brings the food to the table, while an order taker may only write down the request.
- sales clerk
- A sales clerk helps with products in a store, so the role is wider than an order taker.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: order taker or order giver?
order taker vs order giver
An order giver commands others, but an order taker only records customer requests, though it can also mean someone who follows commands.
Practice
The manager told the new hire to be a problem solver, not just an ___ who writes down what clients ask for.
Choose one answer.
An order taker only records requests. An order picker collects goods, and an order giver issues commands, so neither fits the contrast.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “order taker”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.