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Before the advent of [[telephone exchange|automatic exchanges]], an operator's assistance was required for anything other than calling telephones across a shared [[Party line (telephony)|party line]]. Callers spoke to an operator at a Central Office who then connected a cord to the proper circuit in order to complete the call. Being in complete control of the call, the operator was in a position to listen to private conversations. Automatic, or Dial systems were developed in the 1920s to reduce labor costs as usage increased, and to ensure privacy to the customer. As phone systems became more sophisticated, less direct intervention by the telephone operator was necessary to complete calls.
As well as those employed by the public networks, operators were required at [[private branch exchange]]s to answer incoming [[telephone call]]s and connect them to the correct [[extension (telephone)|extension]]. Today, most large organizations have direct-dial extensions. Smaller workplaces may have an automated system which allows callers to enter the extension of the called party, or a [[receptionist]] who answers calls and performs operator duties. Depending on the employment setting, the roles and level of responsibilities of a PBX operator can vary greatly, from performing [[Wake-up call (service)|wake-up calls]] in a hotel to coordinating emergency responses, dispatching, and overhead paging in hospitals. Operators employed in healthcare settings have other duties, such as [[data
[[File:Bureau téléphonique parisien vers 1900.jpg|thumb|Paris telephone exchange, 1900]]
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