UTB Crisis Call Centre
8. February 2021Volunteers from among UTB students participated in commendable work, assisting staff at the Regional Public Health Authority in Zlín in handling the surge of contact tracing for individuals who tested positive for Covid-19. The work, which involved making phone calls and communicating with people who had come into contact with Covid-19 positive individuals or were themselves positive (so-called “priority calls”), took place at the call centre established in the library premises at U13 every day, including weekends and public holidays. A total of 164 students participated in this effort (including the Uherské Hradiště headquarters), with a significant portion of the team comprising FHS students.
Their reward for carrying out this work alongside their studies included special scholarships, hours counted towards practical training, but most importantly, the satisfaction of knowing they were able to help. Bc. Markéta Sovišová, a student of the follow-up Master’s programme in Social Pedagogy (ÚPV), is also employed during her studies at the Centre for Students with Special Needs. Since 22 September 2020, from the very beginning, she has served as the coordinator of the UTB Crisis Call Centre. QUESTIONS FOR MARKÉTA What does this work involve? Markéta: The role of coordinator involves ensuring that everything runs smoothly. This means ensuring that students are well-informed, that everything operates as it should, and – importantly – that students’ attendance is properly recorded so they can receive the reward they are entitled to for their work. I would say it is important to know who to approach with a particular “problem” or question and to solve it together. During the first few days, it was necessary to devise and fine-tune how everything would function: how students would be able to book shifts, how they would access the library, ensuring everyone had a working connection and, above all, headsets, and that there were enough printed materials necessary for the job. It was also important to help students log into the Daktela system (and even into PCs, as some first-year students were in the library for the very first time). Answering the large number of questions sent via email was demanding. During the second wave of recruitment, for example, I received 200 emails in one week, which was truly challenging because I wanted to respond to everyone as quickly as possible. I also feel like my phone has become part of me – I’ve never made so many calls in my life. Each day, I had to keep two sets of attendance records – one for excusing students from classes and the other 20 INTERVIEW for processing their stipend payments. At the start, we were trying to recruit as many students as possible to fill all available slots. Now, we are cancelling their shifts because the epidemiological situation in the region seems to be improving, and fewer tests are being conducted. As a result, there are fewer contacts, and students have fewer people to call. On one hand, this is inconvenient, but we have to recognise that it is a positive sign – hopefully, life will soon return to normal. My role is truly diverse. I dare say that everything almost runs itself now, as we have a relatively stable group of students rotating through. However, emails, phone calls, and shift coordination remain part of my daily routine. There are many people behind the entire call centre, and I am in constant contact with them – they help ensure that everything runs as it should. You’re about to graduate – what’s the topic of your thesis? Does the topic relate to your current activities? Markéta: I had been thinking about my thesis topic since the summer but couldn’t decide, as I needed to find something that would genuinely interest me. By September, I had settled on a different topic, but in the end, I decided to combine my responsibilities at the call centre with something useful. So: The Motivation of Students to Volunteer at the UTB Crisis Call Centre. I will mainly focus on exploring the intrinsic motivation and personality types of students who participated in the call centre’s activities. Coordinating such a team must not be easy – can you recall any course in the Social Pedagogy programme that prepared you for this? Markéta: The truth is, it’s really not easy. We have call centres in Zlín and Uherské Hradiště, and we have recorded a total of 164 students who have worked with us at least once. And no matter how hard you try, you can’t please everyone. Throughout nearly five years of study, I can’t recall any course that specifically prepared us to lead a team. As part of her coordination role at the call centre, Markéta interacts with students from across the university. Let’s hear from a few of them who are studying at the Faculty of Humanities at UTB in Zlín. But first, let’s briefly introduce Nela, Bára, and David. Nela Uhříčková – a friendly, short-haired blonde whose face can be seen on almost all UTB social media channels. She studies at the Institute of Health Sciences and has been at the call centre since day one, when she and her colleagues were sent there by Vice-Dean Snopek as part of their professional training. She says about herself: I spend my free time with my dog and friends, go to the cinema, rollerblade, cycle, work part-time at the hospital, and currently help at the call centre. In the future, I would definitely like to work in healthcare – either in a hospital, outpatient clinic, or as a dental nurse. Barbora Stávková – a ray of sunshine full of energy, also studying at the Institute of Health Sciences in the Midwifery programme. She is writing her bachelor’s thesis, helping at KNTB on the Covid ward, and also works at the call centre. From day one, she has performed remarkably well and is among the students who manage to make the highest number of calls. She says about herself: As I am in my third year of Midwifery, I am mainly working on my bachelor’s thesis, which is titled The Public’s Opinion on Induced Termination of Pregnancy. In the future, I would like to work in the delivery room and hope to lead antenatal classes for expectant mothers. INTERVIEW 21 David Kurjan works at the call centre for Komerční banka, bringing valuable experience and a professional approach. He is currently working on his bachelor’s thesis and preparing for his final state exams. He says about himself: I study English for Managerial Practice, and my bachelor’s thesis is on The Language of the World of Warcraft Community. After my finals, I plan to continue my studies at FaME in Design Management, and in the future, I’d like to combine my passion for drawing with my studies at UTB by working in a graphic design studio. QUESTIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS – CALL OPERATORS What led you to join the volunteer team? Nela: Initially, it was our placement supervisor, Dr Snopek, who introduced us to this. We did it as part of our placement, but I stayed on voluntarily because I found the work exciting and surprising. Bára: During our midwifery seminar with Dr Vránová, she mentioned that volunteers were being sought to assist the Regional Public Health Authority in Zlín with contact tracing. A few days later, we received an email with more details about the volunteering opportunity. After reading the email, I decided to go for it. After all, who better to help than a healthcare student? David: I joined mainly for the new experience and because it’s something that looks good on a CV. Did you ever feel like quitting? Nela: I haven’t thought about it at all. I enjoy my work very much and I’m glad I can help. Bára: The thought of giving up volunteering never crossed my mind. Some calls were more challenging, but most of the time, people were ready to answer all our questions and were polite to us. David: Honestly, I never thought about quitting. I went into the call centre expecting phone calls with hostile people who wouldn’t want to share information or would be rude to someone practically putting them in quarantine – but the reality was the complete opposite! The vast majority of people I encountered through contact tracing were pleasant, cooperative, and understanding of our work.
Is this job suitable for everyone? Nela: I’m sure it is. Bára: I think so. The work isn’t physically or mentally demanding. You just need to listen to the more experienced colleagues next to you and observe how they communicate with people. Then, it’s just a matter of having the confidence to dial the numbers on the list. David: I wouldn’t say it’s suitable for everyone, but I would definitely say it’s something everyone should try. Working in a call centre helps you understand a lot of things that might not occur to you otherwise. It boosts your confidence in phone communication and improves your communication skills overall. What is the hardest part of being a call operator? Nela: Staying calm and keeping a cool head. Bára: I think the most important thing is communication with people and being able to listen to them. And then having a bit of patience, because sometimes it was really necessary. David: For me, the hardest part is the same as with any other job – getting out of bed and making it to work. Can you briefly describe what your job involves? Nela: At first, I handled what we call “category three” calls – these are people who have come into contact with a Covid-positive individual. We place them in quarantine, ask for detailed information such as their address, GP, health insurance provider, and so on. Then, we issue a request for testing and send them for a test. Later, I started making “category one” calls – these are to positive cases, where we fill out forms with their details and trace the people they’ve been in contact with. Bára: I handled category three, four, and one calls. Category three calls involved contacting people who had been in close contact with someone Covid-positive. We quarantined them, issued them with an e-sampling request and instructed them on how to proceed. When I made category four calls, I contacted GPs to inform them which of their patients had been placed in quarantine and required testing. After about three weeks, I was trusted to make category one calls. These were to people who had tested positive for Covid-19. We collected detailed information from them and traced their contacts together. David: At first, the work was much simpler – calling people who had been in contact with someone infected and arranging for their tests. Later, I started calling people who had tested positive, which is a bit more complex. We need to find out who they had been in contact with in the past few days to minimise the chance of further spread. Is it possible to balance this important work with remote learning? Nela: You just have to want to. It’s difficult for me because we have classes every day, but if you want to do it, you can find the time. Bára: It’s definitely possible to balance it with remote learning. The key is to plan shifts properly in advance and not cancel them at the last minute. INTERVIEW 23 Is it difficult to keep the person on the other end focused and get the information you need? Nela: I wouldn’t really say that – it’s more that some people aren’t interested in talking because they disagree with the quarantine or the regulations. Bára: Most of the people I contacted didn’t have any issues. Many were expecting our call and had all the information we needed ready. David: I’d say I haven’t encountered anyone who had trouble staying on topic. Most people have no issue providing information – if anything, I end up learning more than I need! Have you encountered rejection or negative reactions to your questions? Nela: Yes, definitely – but it’s a small number of people. There are always a few individuals. They think quarantine is unnecessary, disagree with the regulations, and certainly don’t want to get tested. Bára: Yes, I have. Usually, about twice per shift, I had a more difficult call. Some of the people I contacted were reluctant to share their personal identification number, permanent address, or accept that they had to be sent for testing. There were times when, after I introduced myself and explained the reason for the call, the person hung up and didn’t respond to further attempts to contact them. David: Although I did encounter such reactions, mainly from parents who didn’t want to send their young children for testing, these cases were very rare. Most people were very cooperative. To lighten the mood – do you have any 24 INTERVIEW funny stories or interesting observations? Nela: I’m sure there were a few, but nothing comes to mind right now… One interesting call was to a family of four – or so I thought. During the call, I found out that there were actually eight of them, almost all with different surnames and addresses. A 10-minute call turned into 20, but they were incredibly cooperative and kind. Bára: Not so much funny, but there were a few times when, at the end of the call, I thanked the person for their cooperation and time, asked if they had any other questions I could answer – and I often got: “So, where exactly are you calling from?” I’d explain that I was calling from Zlín, from the UTB library. And the reply would be: “You don’t sound like you’re from Zlín.” I’d say no, I’m not – I study here and I’m helping the health authority in Zlín during this difficult time. Then I’d add that I’m from a small village near Hodonín. That was usually followed by laughter and: “I thought so – I could tell by your accent.” Sometimes they’d even ask if we had a wine cellar, a vineyard, or if I take part in folk festivals. What do you enjoy most about this work, and what do you enjoy the least? Nela: I enjoy communicating with people – everyone reacts differently to the situation. The least enjoyable part is dealing with negative people who won’t cooperate, but that’s part of the job too. Bára: I enjoy talking to people – the communication was usually smooth, and sometimes we’d even share a laugh during the call. I also like the great atmosphere among the volunteers in the library. The less pleasant part was when I could feel that the person on the other end was annoyed by the call. In those cases, I’d just ask for the essential information, wish them a nice day, and head to the vending machine for hot chocolate. David: The best part is definitely the calls with people who have a good attitude and sense of humour. I never expected to laugh during contact tracing, but some people are genuinely funny and can brighten your day. The worst experience was dealing with relatives of deceased individuals. Not that they were unpleasant – quite the opposite – but I felt helpless because I couldn’t do anything to help them.