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Telephonist
Alternative Titles:
Switchboard Operator, Telephone Operator
Telephonists operate public and private telephone
switchboards to assist callers to make telephone connections
and to relay incoming, outgoing and inter-office calls.
Telephonists working for a private or public organisation
may perform the following tasks:
- operate telephone switchboards and consoles to connect,
hold, transfer and disconnect telephone calls
- determine the nature of inquiries and provide general
information
- connect calls to the required extension, re-direct them
to another number or place them in a waiting queue if the
desired number is busy
- provide external connections for staff and answer
internal queries directed to the switchboard
- carry out other clerical, secretarial or receptionist
duties as required (e.g. keyboarding and data entry or
photocopying) during quieter periods on the switchboard.
Telephonists who are employed by large telecommunications
providers are often known as operator service or customer
service consultants and may perform the following tasks:
- provide information to customers who call and, if
necessary, check computerised listings of phone numbers
- provide wake up or reminder calls to people who have
booked them
- accept incoming and outgoing calls to and from countries
on the international and long-distance network. These calls
may be reverse-charge or credit card calls. They may also be
telephone connections to ships in port or special emergency
communications
- answer queries from callers about the cost of calls,
call duration and provide advice about time differences
between countries
- provide connections to mobile phones
- provide connections to police, ambulance or fire brigade
when emergencies are reported
- provide a paging service for customers
- provide a personalised answering service
- provide a message-handling service (i.e. answer calls on
a switchboard involving regional and corporate directories)
- answer calls on faults and carry out automated
diagnostic tests
- provide a directory assistance service for overseas
numbers.
Telephonists employed by large telecommunications providers
may be required to work rostered shift work, including public
holidays, as services are provided over 24 hours.
Required Skills - Telephonist
- good communication skills
- a good understanding of the English language, both
written and spoken
- able to work quickly and accurately
- able to help customers in a friendly and efficient
manner
- quickly develop rapport with callers
- keyboard skills are an advantage, as is proficiency in a
second language for some positions
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