A telephone operator career can be a great way to get started in the communications industry. It’s a stable job with plenty of growth opportunities, and it offers a chance to work with people from all walks of life.

Telephone operators perform directory assistance, providing customers with telephone numbers and offering to complete the call for them. A telephone operator’s time on the system and the number of calls handled are monitored and telephone operators are held to certain performance standards.

File Name: Telephone operators – Office

Alt-Text: Receiving incoming calls and routing them to the appropriate department or individual

 

Telephone operators occasionally work in hotels or other industries. These telephone operators handle guest services like taking messages, wake-up calls, pages, emergency calls, and connecting callers to the appropriate party. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that telephone operators face a substantial 28% drop in job growth from 2019-to 2029, primarily due to voice recognition systems, outsourcing to cheaper overseas labor markets, and consolidation of phone company operations into fewer offices.

Telephone Operator’s Interview: the Basics

 

Telephone operators don’t usually complete formal schooling beyond a high school diploma or its equivalent. Telephone operators attend employer-provided training, either in a classroom setting or with a mentor. A telephone operator studies computers, customer service, company policies, and guidelines for customer interactions and typing.

Usually, employers look for candidates with some customer service experience. Proper knowledge of computer skills, data entry, and word processing is a must. The candidate must be familiar with Microsoft and Excel. Most of the employees will learn on the job from experienced colleagues.

List of Topics to Prepare

Telephone operators work for the telephone company, in what’s often considered an entry-level job. Telephone operators work in a central call center and help customers to complete person-to-person or emergency phone calls where breaking into the line is warranted. There are many concepts that the interviewer can question you about, it usually revolves around these topics:

  • Knowledge of bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as business or communications
  • Knowledge of computer skills, data entry, and word processing as well as Microsoft and Excel
  • Knowledge of Handling incoming calls to answer questions, refer callers to other departments or transfer them to specialists
  • Knowledge of Receiving incoming calls and routing them to the appropriate department or individual
  • Knowledge of Responding to incoming calls in an appropriate manner, based on call type and content
  • Knowledge of Helping customers use the phone system by providing information about rates and services offered by the company
  • Knowledge of Performing clerical tasks such as filing or data entry
  • Knowledge of Providing information about products or services over the phone, including ordering items or scheduling appointments
  • Knowledge of Assisting with internal communications by answering phones and relaying messages within the organization
  • Knowledge of Providing post-call follow-up to ensure that customers have been satisfied with the experience
  • Knowledge of Processing incoming faxes and email messages and forwarding them to the appropriate person

The level of the interview will directly depend on the experience you have, followed by your qualification and work skills. However, if the candidate is an experienced person, the process can tricky and technical to test the applicant’s true abilities.

File Name: Telephone operators – Office

Alt-Text: Providing information about products or services over the video call, including ordering items or scheduling appointments

 

Learn More about the Job                         

Anyone serious about landing a job or acing Telephone operator’s job interview should have adequate knowledge about the concepts mentioned above. More importantly, the applicant should know what kind of institutions they are applying to and the nature of the job to prepare accordingly.

 

However, if you feel overwhelmed, get in touch with Pritish Kumar Halder to help you nail the interview. With his expertise in Telephone operator’s interview preparation, from core Telephone operator’s interview questions to  Telephone operator’s interview questions, you’ll have brilliant responses ready.

Get in touch with us today!

 

Composed by: Suma Sarker

Reference:

  1. https://bestaccreditedcolleges.org/articles/telephone-operator-employment-info-and-requirements-for-becoming-a-telephone-operator.html