Job Description for a PBX Operator
Ever since its invention, businesses have been using the telephone to communicate with customers. As telephone technology began to expand and employee began to get their own phone lines and extensions, a new type of business position was created. The private branch exchange (PBX) operator is the person responsible for the overall operation of a company's private telephone system.
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Answering calls
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The PBX operator's main duty is to answer all incoming calls to the company and then route them to the appropriate person. In a small company, this is a relatively easy task due to the small number of extensions, but in a large company where there may be hundreds of employees; this seeming simple task becomes one of epic proportions. The PBX operator must be able to quickly get callers to the person they are looking for without losing them or leaving them on hold too long.
Customer Service
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Customer service is also a very important part of the PBX operator's job. They need to have a pleasant phone voice and be able to take care of some basic customer service issues. As they are the first line for any incoming complaint calls, many times people will just begin explaining their issues to the operator--or worse yet, start screaming at them. The PBX operator must take these calls, calm the customer down, and make sure they are directed to the appropriate department to get their issue resolved.
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Tracking
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Many companies use the information regarding who is calling for various things like sales and marketing. The tracking of these calls falls to the PBX operator. Many times the operator will keep a log of call frequency, which employees are being called, and what the calls are regarding. If there are multiple divisions that one PBX operator is responsible for, they track which divisions each call was for and the volume for that division.
Administrative Work
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The operator's duties aren't just limited to the phone. Many times, managers of other departments will use the PBX operator as an administrative assistant. The operator may be required to retype or proofread documents to take some work off of the operational staff. They may be assigned various business projects to assist the company's efficiency.
Mailings
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The PBX Operator acts as the mailroom in many companies. They are responsible for the sending out and receiving of mail and packages, the tracking of those packages, and ensuring that incoming packages get to the person they need to. This "mailroom" function means that they are responsible for knowing postage rates, shipping costs, and being an expert in any freight rules and regulations.
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References
- Photo Credit operator image by Dmitri MIkitenko from Fotolia.com
