Position Overview
Working under the broader category of first-tier services, telephone operators maintain telephonic contact with callers to provide them with information that they are looking for.
They operate telephone exchanges to take, make and transfer calls to specific departments and individuals.
Also, they operate intercoms, two-way radios, and public address systems to perform the duties outlined in their job descriptions.
Where do telephone operators work?
Telephone operators work in a variety of settings.
Any organization that has the need for handling incoming and outgoing calls will require the services of a telephone operator.
In some organizations, they may also be required to perform clerical duties such as filing, record keeping, and appointment scheduling.
Skills and Abilities
People looking for positions as telephone operators need to possess great communication skills.
Since they are in touch with people all day, they need to be able to exercise tact and patience, especially when communicating with irate callers.
They also need to possess good analytic skills as they often have to make critical decisions – executives may not always want to take calls from people and it is up to telephone operators to decide and handle situations when telephone calls are not acceptable.
Job Description for Telephone Operator Resume
• Operate telephone exchanges, PBX machines, intercoms, and public address systems.
• Take telephone calls from visitors and customers and provide them with the required information.
• Ensure that information provided to callers is precise and within the boundaries set by company protocols.
• Make telephone calls to people upon instructions from company executives.
• Transfer telephone calls to concerned departments and individuals.
• Enquire as to the nature of incoming calls and exercise judgment to determine the importance of the call.
• Make calls to executives to determine if a particular executive wants to take a phone call.
• Operate fax machines to send and receive messages.
• Receive messages from callers and relay them to appropriate recipients.
• Provide paging services for individuals when requested.
• Report any problems or operating issues with telephone equipment.
• Perform minor troubleshooting activities on telephone equipment.
• Ensure that appropriate telephone equipment maintenance is scheduled.
• Keep records of calls and record any calls that are deemed important by the company.
• Make sure that irate callers are dealt with in a polite manner.
• Update directory information and provide relay services for people with hearing impairments.
• Perform filing and record-keeping activities and ensure that work areas are kept clean and maintained.