How do they match: Telephone Operators

  • Central Office Operator

  • Provide information by accessing alphabetical, geographical, or other directories. Assist customers with special billing requests, such as charges to a third party and credits or refunds for incorrectly dialed numbers or bad connections. May handle emergency calls and assist children or people with physical disabilities to make telephone calls.

  • Consult charts to determine charges for pay-telephone calls, requesting coin deposits for calls as necessary.
  • Keep records of calls placed and received, and of related toll charges.
  • Monitor automated systems for placing collect calls and intervene for a callers needing assistance.
  • Operate paging systems or other systems of bells or buzzers to notify recipients of incoming calls.
  • 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.

  • Answer telephones to direct calls or provide information.
  • Maintain call records.