Communicate by telephone

Liaise via telephone by making and answering calls in a timely, professional and polite manner.

communicate through telephone
use the telephone
communicate by phone
interact using the telephone

skill/competence

cross-sector

Communicate by telephone is an essential skill of the following occupations:

Legal administrative assistant:
Legal administrative assistants carry out the daily administrative activities of firms, offices of notaries public, and companies. They perform activities such as writing mails, phone-answering and typing/keyboarding. They combine these activities with specific knowledge and understanding of the procedures and codes managed in legal business affairs.
Medical administrative assistant: Medical administrative assistants work very closely with health professionals. They provide office support such as correspondence, fixing appointments and answering queries of patients.
Recruitment consultant: Recruitment consultants provide the suitable candidates to employers according to the specific job profile requested. They perform testing and interviewing with job seekers, shortlist few candidates to present to the employers and match candidates to appropriate jobs. Recruitment consultants maintain relationships with employers to offer their services on a more long-term basis.
Telephone switchboard operator: Telephone switchboard operators establish telephone connections by using switchboards and consoles. They also answer customer inquiries and service problem reports.
Call centre agent: Call centre agents handle incoming or outgoing customer calls for a business. They call existing and prospective customers to promote goods and services. They also obtain sales and arrange sales visits.
Fact checker: Fact checkers make certain that all the information in texts that are ready for publishing is correct. They research the facts thoroughly and correct errors.
Front line medical receptionist: Front line medical receptionists greet clients and patients as they arrive at the medical facility and check them in, collect patient notes and make appointments work under the supervision and direction of healthcare institution manager.
Car leasing agent: Car leasing agents represent businesses involved in financing vehicles, offering appropriate leasing schemes and additional services related to the vehicle. They document transactions, insurances and instalments.
Employment agent: Employment agents work for employment services and agencies. They match job seekers with advertised job vacancies and provide advice on job search activities.
Education administrator: Education administrators organise and manage the administration, support systems and (student) activities of an education institution. They perform a range of administrative, secretarial, financial and otherwise supportive tasks to enable the efficient and cost-effective running of the school. They may assist in student recruitment, alumni relations, funding, work on committees including academic boards and quality insurance.
Secretary:
Secretaries perform a variety of administrative tasks to help keep an organisation run smoothly. They answer telephone calls, draft and send e-mails, maintain diaries, arrange appointments, take messages, file documents, organise and service meetings, and manage databases.
Taxi controller: Taxi controllers take bookings, dispatch vehicles, and are responsible for coordinating drivers while maintaining customer liaison.
Office clerk: Office clerks are responsible for performing clerical and administrative duties in an office setting and support of business operations within a department. They assist all the administrative staff, secretaries, and assistants by sorting mail, filing forms and documents, answering phones, greeting clients, scheduling meetings, and serving drinks.
Domestic butler: Domestic butlers serve at official meals, monitor meal preparations and table setting and manage the household staff. They may also offer personal assistance in booking travel arrangements and restaurants, valeting and clothing care.
Pharmacy technician: Pharmacy technicians, under the supervision of a pharmacist, check incoming goods, control stock, handle and store pharmaceuticals properly. Where permitted by national rules, they dispense medication and provide advice on their appropriate use.
Waiting list coordinator: Waiting list coordinators guarantee the day to day management of waiting list time. They plan when operation rooms are available and call patients in to be operated. Waiting list coordinators make sure to optimise the use of rescources.
Crisis helpline operator: Crisis helpline operators provide advice and support to distraught callers via the telephone. They have to deal with a diverse range of issues such as abuse, depression and financial problems. Helpline operators maintain records of the phone calls according to regulations and privacy policies.
Customer contact centre information clerk: Customer contact centre information clerks provide information to customers via the telephone and other media such as email. They answer inquiries about a company’s or oganisation’s services, products and policies.
Pharmacy assistant: Pharmacy assistants perform general duties, such as stock management, serving at the cash desk, or performing administrative duties. They deal with the inventory within the pharmacy under the supervision of a pharmacist.
Property assistant: Property assistants perform several duties including administrative tasks in the real estate sector. They provide clients with financial information about properties and advise them, they schedule appointments and organise property viewings, they prepare contracts and assist in property valuation.
Human resources assistant: Human resources assistants provide support in all the processes and efforts carried by human resources managers. They help in the preparation of recruitment processes by scanning CVs and narrowing the selection to the most suitable candidates. They perform administrative tasks, prepare communications and letters, and perform the tabulation of the surveys and assessments carried out by the department.
Employment and vocational integration consultant: Employment and vocational integration consultants offer assistance to unemployed individuals in finding jobs or vocational training opportunities, according to their educational or professional background and experience.They advise them on how to market their skills in the job-hunting process. Employment and vocational integration consultants help job-seekers write CVs and cover letters, prepare for a job interview and indicate where to search for new job or training opportunities.
Veterinary receptionist: Veterinary receptionists provide reception and office/administrative support in a veterinary practice, scheduling appointments and receiving clients, sale and advice on animal related products, in accordance with national legislation. 
Receptionist: Receptionists are responsible for the reception area of a business. They answer the phone, greet guests, pass information, respond to inquiries and instruct visitors. They are the first point of contact for clients and customers.

Communicate by telephone is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this skill may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Presenter: Presenters host broadcast productions. They are the face or voice of these programs and make announcements on different platforms such as radio, television, theatres or other establishments. They ensure that their audience is entertained and introduce the artists or persons being interviewed.
Interpreter: Interpreters understand and convert spoken communication from one language to another. They retain considerable amounts of information, often with the aid of note-taking, and communicate it immediately after whilst keeping the nuances and stress of the message in the recipient language.
Rental service representative: Rental service representatives are in charge of renting out equipment and determining specific periods of usage. They document transactions, insurances and payments.
ATM repair technician: ATM repair technicians install, diagnose, maintain and repair automatic teller machines. They travel to their clients’ location to provide their services. ATM repair technicians use hand tools and software to fix malfunctioning money distributors.
Social worker: Social workers are practice-based professionals who promote social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. They interact with individuals, families, groups, organisations and communities in order to provide various forms of therapy and counselling, group work, and community work. Social workers guide people to use services to claim benefits, access community resources, find jobs and training, obtain legal advice or deal with other local authority departments.
Foreign correspondent: Foreign correspondents research and write news stories of international importance for newspapers, journals, magazines, radio, television and other media. They are stationed in a foreign country.
Social work assistant: Social work assistants are practice-based professionals who promote social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. They interact with individuals, families, groups, organisations and communities in order to assist in providing various forms of therapy and counseling, group work, and community work. Social work assistants assist guiding staff, helping clients to use services to claim benefits, access community resources, find jobs and training, obtain legal advice or deal with other local authority departments. They assist and work together with social workers.
Aquaculture biologist: Aquaculture biologists apply knowledge gained from research about aquatic animals and plant life and their interactions with each other and the environment, in order to improve aquaculture production, prevent animal health and environmental problems and to provide solutions if necessary.

Astrologer: Astrologers analyse constellation and motions of celestial objects and specific stellar and planetary alignments. They present this analysis together with their own interpretations about clients’ temperament, predispositions related to their health, love and marriage issues, business and job opportunities and other personal aspects.
 
Sports journalist: Sports journalists research and write articles about sport events and athletes for newspapers, magazines, television and other media. They conduct interviews and attend events.
Ground steward/ground stewardess: Ground stewards and ground stewardesses assist rail passengers before they board. They check in passengers and also perform customer service duties such as booking train tickets and helping passengers to apply for refunds after a delay or cancellation.
Market research interviewer:
Market research interviewers strive to collect information on the perceptions, opinions, and preferences of customers in relation to commercial products or services. They use interview techniques to draw as much information as possible by contacting people via telephone calls, by approaching them face-to-face or by by virtual means. They pass this information to experts for drawing analysis.
Gate guard: Gate guards control the access and exit to buildings, warehouses or other type of property to prevent unauthorized presence and unwanted incidents. They prevent and identify theft of corporate property, investigate suspicious activities and write reports. Gate guards may assist employees or visitors with requests or indications. They use handheld radio stations to communicate and operate alarm systems and computers.
Aquatic animal health professional: Aquatic animal health professionals diagnose, prevent and treat diseases, injuries and dysfunctions of aquatic animals by implementing appropriate sampling protocols. They supervise the use of medicines, including vaccines, and collect data on fish health, making regular reports to the appropriate personnel. They may provide care to a wide range of aquatic animals or specialise  in the treatment of a particular group or in a particular speciality area. They may provide advice, support and training to farm staff on best practice with regard to the health and welfare of the cultured organisms.
Intercultural communication consultant: Intercultural communication consultants specialise in social interaction between parties of different cultures, advise organisations on international interactions in order to optimise their performance, and facilitiate cooperation and positive interaction with organisations and individuals from other cultures.
House sitter: House sitters move in the house of their employers in order to maintain security of the property during their absence. They monitor entrance areas and prevent unauthorized persons from entering the house, inspect conditions of the facility such as plumbing and heating and contact repairers if necessary. House sitters may also do some cleaning activities, forward mail and pay bills.
Veterinary technician: Veterinary technicians provide the technical and administrative support to the veterinarian in accordance with national legislation.
Survey enumerator: Survey enumerators perform interviews and fill in forms in order to collect the data provided by interviewees. They can collect information by phone, mail, personal visits or on the street. They conduct and help the interviewees administer the information that the interviewer is interested in having, usually related to demographic information for governmental statistical purposes.
Fortune teller: Fortune tellers claim to foretell future events about a person’s life and provide clients with their interpretation. They often use various techniques such as card reading, palm reading or tea-leaves reading.
 
Journalist: Journalists research, verify and write news stories for newspapers, magazines, television and other broadcast media. They cover political, economic, cultural, social and sport events. Journalists must conform to ethical codes such as freedom of speech and right of reply, press law and editorial standards in order to bring objective information.
Aquaculture husbandry manager: Aquaculture husbandry managers specialise in the husbandry of ongrowing aquatic species, especially in the feeding, growth, and stock management processes.
Aquaculture hatchery worker: Aquaculture hatchery workers are active in the production of aquatic organisms in land-based hatchery processes. They assist in the process of raising organisms throughout the early stages of their life cycle and the release of organisms when necessary.
Water-based aquaculture worker: Water-based aquaculture workers carry out manual activities in the ongrowing processes of cultured aquatic organisms in water-based suspended systems (floating or submerged structures). They participate in extraction operations and the handling of organisms for commercialisation. Water-based aquaculture workers maintain and clean facilities (nets, mooring ropes, cages)..
Office equipment repair technician: Office equipment repair technicians provide services to businesses related to installing, maintaining and repairing new or existing equipment such as printers, scanners and modems, on the clients’ premises. They keep records of performed services and return equipment to a repair centre if needed.
Computer hardware repair technician: Computer hardware repair technicians install, examine, test and repair computer hardware and peripheral components. They test computers’ functionality, identify the problems and replace damaged components and parts.
Billing clerk: Billing clerks create invoices and credit memos, issuing them to customers by all necessary means, and updating customer files. They issue invoices to customers and monthly customer statements, update customer files, process credit memos, enter and submit invoices, etc.
Aquaculture husbandry worker: Aquaculture husbandry workers are active in the production of aquatic organisms in land-based on-growing processes. They assist in the process of raising organisms through all stages of their life cycle.
Babysitter: Babysitters provide short-term care services to children on the premises of the employer, depending on the employer’s needs. They organise play activities and entertain children with games and other cultural and educative activities according to their respective age, prepare meals, give them bathes, transport them from and to school and assist them with homework on a punctual basis.
Foreign language correspondence clerk: Foreign language correspondence clerks read and reply to a company’s correspondence in foreign languages. They also perform clerical duties.
Entertainment journalist: Entertainment journalists research and write articles about cultural and social events for newspapers, magazines, television and other media. They conduct interviews with artists and celebrities and attend events.
Crime journalist: Crime journalists research and write articles about criminal events for newspapers, magazines, television and other media. They conduct interviews and attend court hearings.
Human resources officer: Human resources officers develop and implement strategies that help their employers select and retain appropriately qualified staff within that business sector. They recruit staff, prepare job advertisements, interview and short-list people, negotiate with employment agencies, and set up working conditions. Human resources officers also administer the payroll, review salaries and advise on remuneration benefits and employment law. They arrange for training opportunities to enhance employees’ performance.
Beauty salon attendant: Beauty salon attendants schedule clients’ appointments, greet clients on the premises, give detailed information on the salon’s services and treatments and gather clients’ complaints. They clean the salon regularly and ensure all products are in stock and well deposited. Beauty salon attendants take payments from clients and may sell various beauty products.
Aquaculture harvesting technician: Aquaculture harvesting technicians operate the harvesting process of aquatic organisms’ production, managing the complex equipment and machinery used in the harvesting of specific cultured species.
Business journalist: Business journalists research and write articles about economy and economic events for newspapers, magazines, television and other media. They conduct interviews and attend events.
Political journalist: Political journalists research and write articles about politics and politicians for newspapers, magazines, television and other media. They conduct interviews and attend events.
Biologist: Biologists study living organisms and life in its broader extent in combination with its environment. Through research, they strive to explain the functional mechanisms, interactions, and evolution of organisms.
Mobile phone repair technician: Mobile phone repair technicians run tests to assess the mobile phones’ functionality, install and update phone software, troubleshoot wiring problems, and replace damaged parts and components such as batteries, LCD screens, keypads, buttons. They also advise their clients on warranty issues and recommend products based on their expertise.
Household appliances repair technician: Household appliances repair technicians use electrical equipment to test resistance or voltage and to identify appliances’ malfunctions. They repair small and large electrical or gas home appliances such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, dishwashers, air conditioners and refrigerators.
Consumer electronics repair technician: Consumer electronics repair technicians use electrical equipment to diagnose malfunctions and test functionality of consumer electronics such as TVs, video and audio systems and digital cameras. They read manufacturers’ instructions and conduct the necessary repairs or replacements.
Aquaculture harvesting worker: Aquaculture harvesting workers work in the harvesting of those aquatic organisms cultured in land-based on-growing processes.
Psychic: Psychics claim to have extra-sensory talents to gather information and insight into people’s lives, events or situations. They offer advice to clients about topics of importance to their clients such as health, money and love. Psychics often work with traditional practices such as tarot card reading, palm reading or using astrological charts.
 

References

1. Communicate by telephone – ESCO