CreditCall Stories: survey operators Miroslava Škumatová and Jozef Baláž

For a successful and effective survey, it is essential to have a great team of people – interviewers who like to make phone calls, know how to conduct interviews with different types of respondents, are consistent, reliable and have organizational skills. Our operators are trained before each new survey, as all topics are unique and require a specific approach. Ideally, our operators are also personally interested in the survey topics, knowledgeable about them, and have a good feel for how to communicate with respondents.

Operators Mirka Škumatová and Jozef Baláž from the Žilina branch will tell us about their work and their favourite topics, as well as what to watch out for when calling surveys.

Miroslava Škumatová lives and works in Žilina, where she moved from Spiš. She has been working at CreditCall since October 2019. She is fascinated by telephoning and surveys, and the closest to her is political issues.

Mirka, how long have you been working in the call centre? Did you have experience as an operator before joining CC?

On October 5, it will be the fifth year since Joseph and I joined together. Until then, I had not worked in a call centre or had any experience of working in this sector. The first few days were a bit of a shock for me, but I quickly discovered that I enjoy this job. Before coming to CreditCall, I had worked in administration for my ex-husband’s company for years, with no communication with the general public.

What types of surveys do you call and which are your favorite?

Surveys are variedfocusing on politics, the banking and IT sectors, parking policy, urban transport and environmental issues. I enjoy political surveys the most. People seem to be most interested in and want to be respondents to these surveys. I also like to follow politics privately, listening to discussions with politicians almost every evening.

What to watch out for when calling surveys?

It is important not to comment on respondents’ answers, not to push them into any opinions, and not to debate with them beyond the set questions. We must always stick to the questionnaire and maintain a professional approach.

How would you describe your typical working day as an interviewer at CreditCall?

I mostly work from home, starting around 9am and I’m on the phone for about 5-6 hours a day. I also like to go to the branch in Žilina, where we have a great team and nice relationships. Working in peace and quiet is essential for me.

How do you gain the trust and cooperation of respondents during a telephone interview?

After five years, I can sense at the beginning of a phone call what the respondent is like on the other end. If I sense that he or she is concerned, I start with the sentence that our conversation is not complicated and he or she is just going to choose from the options. This has worked well for me and respondents are more relaxed and cooperative after such an introduction.

In your opinion, are there any key qualities that a successful interviewer should have?

A successful interviewer should not beg the respondent for answers. He or she should conduct the interview in a mildly authoritative manner in such a way that the respondent feels proud or happy to be involved in the survey and that his or her answers are important.

Over the years, have you come across any interesting stories or respondents whose answers have made a significant impression on you?

Most of the memorable stories are just the funny ones. For example, during an IT survey, a gentleman asked me if I understood the questions he was being asked. Of course I answered him – yes, I understand. Another gentleman in another survey replied that he would recommend his job to his offspring because his daughter or granddaughter would be sitting in the heat :). People are different and sometimes communicating with them is very fun.

What do you do in your free time? Can you tell us something about your family?

I have two grown-up children, my daughter is a general practitioner and my son runs a business in Germany. I am very proud of them. In my spare time I do sports, I work out every day and go for brisk walks. I also like to walk around town and go shopping.

Jozef Baláž has been working in CreditCall’s Žilina branch since October 2019. Prior to joining CreditCall, he worked in four other call centres.

Jožko, where did you study and what was your path to the call centre?

I graduated from an industrial engineering high school, and I worked in the mechanical engineering industry where bearings were manufactured. Then I changed my focus, trained as a cook/waiter and worked in that segment for about 4 years. Later on, I also tried my hand in the insurance industry. Along with my job, I also took up studies in college, majoring in Railways – Traction, I graduated with a B.Sc. I did not return to continue my studies because of my family and children.

After a serious accident, I was looking for a job that would be less physically demanding due to my health. Gradually I got employed in the two call centres mentioned above. Such work was a kind of redemption for me. And also finding happiness and inner peace :). CreditCall has also accommodated me with adjusted working hours and the campaigns they work on are great for me as well.

How would you describe your normal working day?

Mostly I work at the branch, I’m a collective creature. I work on one topic a day. Now it’s mainly opinion polls, the so-called “catiny”. I also enjoy surveys from the B2B sphere. Conversations with respondents of such surveys are more relaxed and dynamic. I think of these phone calls as “hunting”, I enjoy arousing interest in the respondent so that we can successfully complete the call. And I think I’m mostly successful in doing that :).

What does the Best Operator award for the Surveys division mean to you?

Award Best Exploration Operator for 2023 makes me very happy and I appreciate it. From my point of view, it is just a recognition from the company that my work and efforts are not going to waste, that CreditCall’s management can appreciate my efforts. I’m very happy about it, it’s so reassuring. At the same time, it is an encouragement for the future. After all, I’m not the youngest anymore and I’m glad that I’m useful and that my work is meaningful.

What is a challenge for you when you are on the phone?

My goal is to persuade the respondent to participate in the survey. Maybe it’s my free style, I want to engage the respondent in the first place, not just to answer the questions strictly, but to open up to me in a human way, to tell me their opinions. Then the interview goes better. I believe that there is something good in every person. And eventually, if the interview doesn’t start out entirely positively, I’m glad that at the end of it we are both satisfied, and my interviewee also feels he or she has had a good and important interview, as well as time well spent.

What are the most common public misconceptions or misunderstandings about the work of an interviewer?

Most people see surveys as a nuisance, an intrusion into their personal zone, forcing them to do something they don’t want to do, and they often don’t believe surveys. They are worried that their answers will be manipulated. I prefer to use the word interview instead of survey.

Jožko, are there any key qualities you think a successful interviewer should have?

A successful interviewer needs to be patient, have a willingness to work with the voice and be human. I’m sure it’s also the operator’s approach, being human and more personal, that pays off for me. It has not been rare for me to have an interviewee thank me at the end of an interview without even agreeing to it at the beginning. Stamina and a constant drive to improve are also important. This work is not to be feared.

Can you edit the questions you ask?

No way, the only thing that is allowed is to paraphrase the answer in a so-called open question. People are talking and their point needs to be captured correctly, but the point of the answer must be preserved. I have to stick strictly to the call script for political polls.

How does the survey system work?

I interview the respondent, read the questions to them and record their answers as best I can. The answers are either spontaneous, i.e. we wait for an answer, or assisted, i.e. we read out options from which the respondent chooses one or more options. Sometimes the answers are open-ended, where I record complete sentences.

Do you exchange call experiences with colleagues?

Rather, we sift through the success or failure of our calls. We have a training session before each survey.

What do you enjoy/dislike most about calling surveys? Is the work of an operator tiring?

I enjoy this work 100%. I’m communicative, I’m happy to talk on the phone and talk to anyone. I feel that this is the right activity for me and as I mentioned before, it fills me with happiness. Our job can also be said to be tiring, like any other job. But it’s really true, we come from work mentally tired. Communicating with people is sometimes difficult.

You often work in the office, is that more convenient than working from home?

I like to call the branch in Žilina. I also used to work from home, during covid, but after three months I gave it up. In a one-room apartment it was a big sub for me. I packed my things and went back to the branch, I am a collective and social person. Now I’m testing out the fit ball, it’s really good stuff, with sitting all day it helps a lot for my wrecked spine.

Tell us something from your private life.

I live in a housing estate in Žilina. I have grown up children, eight in total :), four sons and four daughters. We are always in contact with the children. The oldest daughter is 36 years old, the youngest is 23 years old and still studying.

I like sports, although I watch more on TV, but I like to swim and work out for an hour here and there. I have become very interested in investments, and I regularly watch various investment experts on TA3. I must boast that I have been successful in my investment attempts. And I am looking forward to enjoying my invested money on holidays.

Read more of our stories and you can start with the first one: CreditCall Stories: Juraj Balogh, Managing Director

And how are surveys created? Find out in the article: Ethics and anonymity in surveys: how CreditCall protects respondent data and ensures independence in the data collected