1C32
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER OPERATOR

This is customer service and communications work providing a variety of telephone information services to municipal employees and the general public. An employee in this class operates automated telephone communications equipment in order to answer, receive and transmit messages to appropriate parties in city government and other public agencies. Work includes receiving calls of an emergency nature and routing them to the appropriate authorities. The employee works on an assigned shift and provides customer information services by appropriately and professionally answering inquiries and connecting callers to the appropriate authority.

Familiarity with City departmental organization and function as well as the functions of other public agencies is significant to the work. Work is performed under the close supervision of communications supervisor.

• The position must be responsible for providing customer service and communications work to municipal employees and the general public.
• The position must be responsible for utilizing automated telephone communications equipment to answer, receive, and transmit messages to appropriate parties in city government and other public agencies.
• The position must be responsible responding to customer calls by answering questions in a professional and customer-service oriented manner.

• Provides customer service to the general public utilizing automated telephone communications equipment in order to answer, receive and transmit messages to appropriate parties in city government and other public agencies; receives calls and ascertains their nature; asks a variety of questions from callers in order to obtain enough information to direct them to the appropriate recipient; utilizes communications equipment to route callers to the appropriate parties; connects long-distance calls; places outgoing toll and long-distance calls; receives emergency calls requiring action by police or other City departments and notifies proper authorities; takes messages for City officials; maintains records and logs of selected calls.
• Gives out general information regarding such items as special events; elicits information concerning the nature of calls concerning a variety of subjects from the public and routes calls to the proper office; receives emergency-type phone calls and follows appropriate protocol in routing the call and notifying relevant parties when necessary; performs information retrieval services when it is not clear where a call should be routed.
• Calls persons to obtain necessary information as needed; connects incoming telephone calls.
• Performs related work as required.

• Performs duties listed above with members of the English language speaking and designated non-English language speaking populations.

KNOWLEDGE OF:
• customer service principles and practices
• correct English usage and grammar
• record keeping and clerical procedures
ABILITY TO:
• provide timely and appropriate services to callers in a customer-service oriented manner
• learn to operate automated communications and information systems equipment
• utilize a computer terminal
• speak clearly and distinctly, using good diction
• react quickly when receiving and routing calls and messages
• follow instructions and standard procedures involved in communications and information systems
• learn the use of a computer keyboard
• learn and remember the names, locations and functions of various municipal and public agencies
• maintain routine records of center activities
• speak and understand the designated non-English language for the bilingual specialty

EDUCATION

BOTH SPECIALTIES

• Education equivalent to the completion of the twelfth school grade.
AND
SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE
• One year of experience performing customer service work giving information to or eliciting information from the public or receiving and answering complaints and utilizing computer information system to obtain and elicit information.

Customer service experience typically includes work in the capacity of a retail sales clerk, service representative, or a hospitality provider. Clerical experience simply screening phone calls does not qualify one for this position.

Any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Personnel Department.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR THE BILINGUAL SPECIALTY

Sufficient training and/or experience to be able to converse effectively in the designated non-English language.

• Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.