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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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14101.04 – Telephone operators

Telephone operators operate telephone systems to advance and complete customers’ telephone calls.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Telephone operator
  • Toll operator

Core competencies

  • Social Perceptiveness to adapt communication style to the callers' mood or urgency
  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving to assess requests or unexpected issues, think on their feet, find solutions and escalate issues appropriately
  • Speech Recognition to understand what callers are saying to route calls correctly, provide appropriate information, or assist with issues
  • Verbal Ability and Speech Clarity to communicate clearly and professionally, making sure the information provided is easily understood by callers, reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings
  • Social Orientation to provide excellent service, be courteous and address callers' needs promptly, contributing to a positive caller experience
  • Knowledge in Client Service to be familiar with support and assistance protocols, leading to properly handled calls that are focused on customer needs and adhere to a high level of professionalism

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Operate telephone systems to advance and complete customers' telephone calls such as long distance, pay telephone, mobile radio/telephone and person to person calls, arrange teleconferences, provide relay phone service to persons with disabilities, and may calculate and record billing information.

Additional information

  • Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Dispatchers (14404)
  • Other customer and information services representatives (64409)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

1 – Business, finance and administration occupations

TEER

4 – Occupations usually require a secondary school diploma; or several weeks of on-the-job training

Major group

14 – Administrative and financial support and supply chain logistics occupations

Sub-major group

141 – Office, court, and data support occupations

Minor group

1410 – Office support and court services occupations

Unit group

14101 – Receptionists

Occupational profile

14101.04 – Telephone operators

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.