# Telephone Operators > 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. - Code: 43-2021.00 (O*NET-SOC; SOC 2018 43-2021) - Family: [Office & Administrative Support](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations#family-43), one of its 55 occupations - Tasks: 14 tasks (7 core and 7 supplemental) - Page: https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-2021.00 - JSON: https://foundation.org.ai/data/tasks/43-2021.00.json ## What the work is made of 1. Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections. Core task · Task 13246 · Rated by 55 people who do the job, August 2024 2. 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. Core task · Task 13247 · Rated by 55 people who do the job, August 2024 3. Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information. Core task · Task 13243 · Rated by 55 people who do the job, August 2024 4. Update directory information. Core task · Task 13257 · Rated by 56 people who do the job, August 2024 5. Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information. Core task · Task 13244 · Rated by 54 people who do the job, August 2024 6. Perform clerical duties such as typing, proofreading, and sorting mail. Core task · Task 13251 · Rated by 54 people who do the job, August 2024 7. Offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations. Core task · Task 13245 · Rated by 55 people who do the job, August 2024 8. Operate paging systems or other systems of bells or buzzers to notify recipients of incoming calls. Supplemental task · Task 13256 · Rated by 55 people who do the job, August 2024 9. Monitor automated systems for placing collect calls and intervene for a callers needing assistance. Supplemental task · Task 13250 · Rated by 55 people who do the job, August 2024 10. Interrupt busy lines if an emergency warrants. Supplemental task · Task 13253 · Rated by 54 people who do the job, August 2024 11. Provide assistance for customers with special billing requests. Supplemental task · Task 13248 · Rated by 55 people who do the job, August 2024 12. Provide relay service for users who are deaf or hard of hearing. Supplemental task · Task 13254 · Rated by 54 people who do the job, August 2024 13. Keep records of calls placed and received, and of related toll charges. Supplemental task · Task 13258 · Rated by 55 people who do the job, August 2024 14. Promote company products, services, and savings plans when appropriate. Supplemental task · Task 13255 · Rated by 54 people who do the job, August 2024 ## More in Office & Administrative Support - [Bill and Account Collectors](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-3011.00): 15 tasks - [Billing and Posting Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-3021.00): 28 tasks - [Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-3031.00): 28 tasks - [Brokerage Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4011.00): 10 tasks - [Cargo and Freight Agents](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-5011.00): 24 tasks - [Communications Equipment Operators, All Other](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-2099.00): no tasks listed - [Correspondence Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4021.00): 17 tasks - [Couriers and Messengers](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-5021.00): 15 tasks - [Court, Municipal, and License Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4031.00): 30 tasks - [Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4041.00): 16 tasks - [Customer Service Representatives](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4051.00): 13 tasks - [Data Entry Keyers](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-9021.00): 9 tasks - [Desktop Publishers](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-9031.00): 18 tasks - [Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-5032.00): 12 tasks - [Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4061.00): 17 tasks - [Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-6011.00): 22 tasks - [File Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4071.00): 19 tasks - [Financial Clerks, All Other](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-3099.00): no tasks listed - [First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-1011.00): 28 tasks - [Freight Forwarders](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-5011.01): 31 tasks - [Gambling Cage Workers](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-3041.00): 17 tasks - [Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4081.00): 20 tasks - [Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4161.00): 19 tasks - [Information and Record Clerks, All Other](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4199.00): no tasks listed - [Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-9041.00): 25 tasks - [Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4111.00): 16 tasks - [Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-6012.00): 14 tasks - [Library Assistants, Clerical](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4121.00): 32 tasks - [Loan Interviewers and Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4131.00): 18 tasks - [Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-9051.00): 26 tasks - [Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-6013.00): 15 tasks - [Meter Readers, Utilities](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-5041.00): 12 tasks - [New Accounts Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4141.00): 15 tasks - [Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-9199.00): no tasks listed - [Office Clerks, General](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-9061.00): 20 tasks - [Office Machine Operators, Except Computer](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-9071.00): 18 tasks - [Order Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4151.00): 19 tasks - [Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-3051.00): 21 tasks - [Postal Service Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-5051.00): 19 tasks - [Postal Service Mail Carriers](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-5052.00): 21 tasks - [Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-5053.00): 14 tasks - [Procurement Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-3061.00): 19 tasks - [Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-5061.00): 17 tasks - [Proofreaders and Copy Markers](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-9081.00): 11 tasks - [Public Safety Telecommunicators](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-5031.00): 18 tasks - [Receptionists and Information Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4171.00): 18 tasks - [Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-4181.00): 21 tasks - [Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-6014.00): 31 tasks - [Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-5071.00): 11 tasks - [Statistical Assistants](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-9111.00): 14 tasks - [Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-2011.00): 19 tasks - [Tellers](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-3071.00): 28 tasks - [Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-5111.00): 18 tasks - [Word Processors and Typists](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/43-9022.00): 19 tasks ## Where this comes from Quoted from O*NET 29.0, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0: free to copy and reuse, with credit. Nothing on this page is written by the Org.AI Foundation.