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How exposed to AI is a Retail Salesperson?

Of the 24 tasks O*NET lists for retail salespersons, 7 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 12 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Car SalesmanCustomer AssistantRetail SalespersonSales AssociateSales ClerkSales ConsultantSales PersonSales RepresentativeSalesman
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
24
tasks rated for this occupation
4%
hold a degree, from a survey of 30
3693k
people do this job in the US
21 of 22
least protected in sales

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Reachable with a chat window today

7
  • Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise
  • Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers
  • Place special orders or call other stores to find desired items
  • Prepare sales slips or sales contracts
  • Help customers try on or fit merchandise
  • Estimate quantity and cost of merchandise required, such as paint or floor covering
  • Rent merchandise to customers

Only with software built on top

5
  • Compute sales prices, total purchases, and receive and process cash or credit payment
  • Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices
  • Maintain records related to sales
  • Sell or arrange for delivery, insurance, financing, or service contracts for merchandise
  • Estimate cost of repair or alteration of merchandise

Cannot be sped up

12
  • Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs
  • Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires
  • Prepare merchandise for purchase or rental
  • Demonstrate use or operation of merchandise
  • Ticket, arrange, and display merchandise to promote sales
  • Inventory stock and requisition new stock
  • Exchange merchandise for customers and accept returns
  • Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts and know how to prevent or handle these situations
  • Clean shelves, counters, and tables
  • Open and close cash registers, performing tasks such as counting money, separating charge slips, coupons, and vouchers, balancing cash drawers, and making deposits
  • Estimate and quote trade-in allowances
  • Bag or package purchases and wrap gifts
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.