Telephone operator keying arrangement

A method of generating and transmitting a series of commands to a telephone operator assistance system from an operator position, comprising the ordered steps of:

• responsive to entry of data into said operator position for assignment to a specific macro key, said data for defining a series of commands, each of said commands comprising at least one of a machine directive or alphanumeric data, and the defined series comprising a command for displaying a prompt to request entry of an additional command, storing in said operator position a definition of said series of commands in a macro definition table, said series of commands comprising a first subset, said prompt, and a second subset, the format and function of said additional command not being defined in said macro definition table;
• subsequently, an operator receiving a request for service at said operator position;
• responsive to receipt of said request for service, said operator operating said specific macro key;
• responsive to detecting operation of said specific macro key, said operator position transmitting a first subset of said series of commands to said operator assistance system;
• displaying said prompt at said operator position;
• responsive to seeing said prompt, said operator entering said additional command into said operator position;
• said operator position transmitting said additional command to said operator assistance system;
• and
• said operator position subsequently transmitting said second subset of said series of commands to said operator assistance system;
• wherein said additional command comprises at least one of a machine directive or alphanumeric data;
• and
• wherein machine directives comprise operator commands for requesting performance of telephone switching actions by said operator assistance system.