Occupation information for Telephone Operators District Of Columbia

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Typical education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical work experience needed for a job in this occupation: No work experience

Typical on-the-job training once you have a job in this occupation: Less than 1 month on-the-job training

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• Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information.
• Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections.
• Operate telephone switchboards and systems to advance and complete connections, including those for local, long distance, pay telephone, mobile, person-to-person, and emergency calls.
• Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information.
• Provide assistance for customers with special billing requests.
• Calculate and quote charges for services such as long-distance connections.
• Monitor automated systems for placing collect calls and intervene for a callers needing assistance.
• Perform clerical duties such as typing, proofreading, and sorting mail.
• Consult charts to determine charges for pay-telephone calls, requesting coin deposits for calls as necessary.
• Interrupt busy lines if an emergency warrants.

Tools:

• Alarm systems
• Desktop calculator
• Digital telephones
• Premise branch exchange PBX systems
• Special purpose telephones

Technology:

• Electronic mail software
• Helpdesk or call center software
• Office suite software
• Operating system software
• Word processing software

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