Operator[]
While you and I ring our friends on a 'station' or device such as the classic desk set, payphone, or mobile and in doing so operate them. This page is exclusively about the providers staff position charged with directing calls - the "Telephone Operator," persons seated at a console with headset or director station which switch; inbound, outbound, local, private business exchange (PBX), long-distance and emergency routing. Way back in the 1920's labor cost made telephone access affordable only to corporate, commerce and professionals and, besides the payphone, beyond the economic reach of ordinary folk. Direct dial has all but replaced the station-to-station "What number please?" operator and technology continues to improve automated switching: "Siri, dial Mom." and have experienced drastic reduction in employment when compared to the hundred years since throngs of operators made connections manually with patch cord plugs. Other improvements in switching efficiency have reduced subscriber cost such that the coast to coast or international call is well within reach of the common man.