EXTRA OPERATORS

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 7, 19 July 1983, Page 7

EXTRA OPERATORS

The Ohakune telephone exchange is providing additional operators on the ^^witchboard during the-ski ^Bason to handle the extra volume of traffic, said Postmaster Sam Swarbrick last week as the season got into gear with hundreds of visitors in town. The additional operators, particularly over the weekends, are drawn from the existing staff and in this way it is hoped to avoid the delays that could be caused both on the local circuit and toll exchanges with so many extra people wanting to use the telephone to call friends, check on the weather, arrange functions and organise activities associated with the ski season. Mr Swarbrick reports that during the ski season the toll operators at the

Ohakune exchange have to handle between 250 - 300 extra calls each weekend. Another feature of the additional workload for telephone exchange staff is the number of directory service enquiries . . . many people arrive in town not knowing the telephone number to call in order to contact persons or businesses in the Waimarino and ask for the local directory service. This takes up the operators time, he said.