As the first point of contact with customers and clients, a Switchboard Operator must demonstrate strong customer service and communication skills to make a good impression on behalf of a business. Handling enquiries and dealing with complaints is central to most switchboard roles, requiring an awareness of the processes, procedures and personnel within their company. Being polite, friendly, efficient and able to multi-task goes without saying in this line of work.
A Switchboard Operator should expect to command a salary of between £10,000 and £18,500 a year depending on hours of work, size of the employer and level of responsibility. Higher rates of pay are usually to be found in London and the South East of England. Full-time roles within a large company can include standard 9-5 working hours, while some businesses use teams of Switchboard Operators in shift patterns.
In addition to having excellent written and verbal communication skills, candidates applying through recruitment agencies may be required to demonstrate knowledge of basic IT such as web, email, word processing, databases and spreadsheets. While Switchboard Operating vacancies are often advertised as entry level roles, previous experience in customer service or similar client-facing jobs can be desirable in more high-pressured roles.