Information centre worker: we handle almost 400 visitors a day with a smile

There are over 350 of them almost every day. It seems to me that in the past seasons you could pick out the weaker days, but this year it's really hard from Monday to Sunday. There's not a moment when there's not a person standing in the tee. On a weekend when only one of us is at work, it's very exhausting.

What do people ask about most?

Mostly culture, transportation, parking and souvenirs. We sold over 300 tourist cards over the long weekend in July. We sell 500 postage stamps in 10 days, and then people don't write... (smile). Selling parking passes and explaining the best place to park is sometimes quite challenging. But we always try to make sure the customer leaves with the right answer and, most importantly, a smile.

But do you advise on other things as well?

I would say we advise on everything. We often fix phones, find people tips for trips, even if they've really been everywhere in the area. Last week a lady came running in saying she'd lost her escort, what should she do.

You already came up with a successful activity offer last year called Hurrah Out, and that successful project has been expanded for this year. Can you explain it?

This project not only for children was invented by my colleague Terka, the first idea came at home while ironing (laughs). The basis is a game full of activities for children in various places in Luhačovice and at the dam. The completion of the activities is confirmed on a card and after the correct completion and collecting at least a few stamps, the contestant receives a small prize. We have managed to involve hotel and restaurant businesses in the project, for example by placing chalkboards for chalk painting or arranging a range of activities. Our colleague, the great graphic designer of MěDK Elektra Gabča Gergelová realized the whole design of the project. Not only the card with the map, but also the bouncy dummy near the cinema and the form of bouncy rubbers and throwing plates for activities for families with children.

What about the other options that were added this year?

Because there was a great interest in the project, we continued and extended it more to adults. We wrote down tips on where and how to enjoy Luhačovice in a different way. So there is a leaflet inviting you to buy picnic baskets, rent an electric bike, visit the reconciliation crosses or play pétanque.

You are now forming a team of tribal workers at the information centre together with Terka and her new colleague Maruska. But she's only half new, isn't she?

Maruška was at the centre before me. She was a trainee years ago, then a temporary worker and worked in other positions at Elektra. The fact that she knows the work at íček was a very big advantage. The season is in full swing and she made our job a lot easier by remembering a lot.

At íčko you also offer promotional items in the new identity of the city. What all is available and what is the interest?

We have T-shirts in two versions - white and blue with the words Tady sprení Luhačovice and Tady sprení pohoda. Then there are trendy socks, buttons, magnets. But also limited edition spa wafers, Vincentka, teas and coffee. There is a lot of interest from tourists and spa guests, but also from Luhačov residents.

Why do locals most often go to íčko?

Luhačov residents most often use the service of copying and finding connections. Like our guests, they also buy tickets to the cinema or theatre performances. But we also still have local visitors who come to see what's new and want to chat. Over the years, I've been asked a lot what we actually do, that we come to work just to talk. All it took was for the person to stop, listen for a while and never ask another question like that again. These days, colleagues and visitors often tell us that they admire our patience and that they could not do it. This appreciation pleases us.

In addition to information about accommodation or where to eat, you also offer tourists a variety of activities. What is the main interest in?

The main interest is in treatments, which are more difficult now year-round, and cannot be provided to people who are not staying at the spa. There is also interest in wellness and bike and scooter hire. Classical dancing and brass bands are popular.

Tour guided tours are also available. How does that work?

We have regular guided tours of the town on Tuesdays usually from April to October. Anyone can book, but the requirement is that at least 10 people turn up. The route goes through the baths, most of the springs and the time is about an hour and a half. Mostly done by my colleague Terka. If she's chatty or people ask more questions, it can stretch to two hours. Tours are booked a lot by tours, seniors, various clubs, as well as students and pupils.

Íčko has joined the project for children with ČT Déčko for several times. What does it consist of this year?

The creators of the game choose the partners for the project. We consider it a great success that we have applied 3 times and have always been selected. In order to participate in the competition, you need to register on the CT Déčko website and collect codes in nature and at monuments across the country. Using the app, you have to find a hidden box, called a cache, at the given coordinates. This year we placed it near the playground in Radostov so that people could get out of the centre and get to know the immediate surroundings.

What are the prerequisites to become a good íčko worker?

Our work can only be done by a person who is not afraid of communication and people. Alacrity, assertiveness and a human approach are probably other qualities we have. It also helps that I have a university degree in tourism, so experience in the industry comes in handy.

There are also foreign tourists coming here, so you must be good with foreign languages, right?

Of course, we have to speak English without any problems. I also use German and Russian, which is a bit harder, but we always get along with visitors. My colleagues and I are trying to improve our Russian further.

What do you enjoy most about working in the Czech Republic?

Over the years, I don't think I've been asked any more questions. I enjoy it when a person comes in who knows at least a little bit about where they've come, knows what's around and has at least a little bit of an idea of how they want to spend their holiday with us. I'm then happy to advise them on what will suit them best.

You work closely with hotels too, even doing meetings for receptionists. Can you explain them?

We've been thinking about them for a long time and with our action-oriented colleague Terka we finally managed to make them happen for the first time last year. We approached them with the offer of a meeting of representatives from all the hotels, and whoever wanted to attend signed up for the event. During the meeting at Elektra we presented our work to the receptionists. What we do, what we can offer them and that we would like them to inform us what is happening at their hotel. The meeting has already taken place several times and it is a great space to improve cooperation. We always have folders with basic information about Luhačovice ready for the representatives of the accommodation facilities. However, this service is still only used by some people.

Sometimes people ask questions that you are not really qualified to answer. How do you deal with these situations?

We are constantly dealing with parking and the fact that people do not respect the signs. We call the city police almost daily. People also often address with us the fact that there are some stores in town that are not there, like home improvement stores or mobile phone company stores. We have to refer them to Zlín or other nearby towns.

Can you give an example of a really curious question or request that even amused you?

Last year, the winner was a question about the Janáček and Luhačovice festival. Years ago, a lady was looking for tickets to the Olympics. Another time a gentleman came to ask if I could take his blood pressure, why don't we have a blood pressure monitor here, since we are a spa. People often confuse us with a pharmacy or a newsagent. And what to answer the question: "What you have running here is the Bata Canal, isn't it?"

How has the info centre changed in the years you've been working here

I think we are more visible now. We are trying to do things that make the info centre and Luhačovice more visible and give visitors new interesting options. Whether it's inventing new projects or other souvenirs in a new design.

Luhačovice is one of the few in the Czech Republic with class A certification.

Information centres have their own association and it classifies the information centres into categories. Class A corresponds to language facilities, wheelchair access, service offer and opening hours. We are only closed 3 days a year! Twice a year a national meeting of information centre staff takes place and last year we managed to successfully organise such a meeting in Luhačovice.

The information centre did not slack off even during the emergency. What was going on in the centre?

The government closed the information centres to visitors right from the start. We tried to give information through the window at first, but even that didn't work after that. During the time that the state of emergency was declared, the íčko became a sort of distribution point for cloth drapes. I was at work all the time, even when it was closed. The phones were constantly ringing, emails were coming in about ticket refunds, new dates, rescheduling. There were people knocking on the window asking for drapes. I myself was surprised how automatically they came to us. We gave out hundreds of drapes.

Many people decided to spend their holidays in the Czech Republic this year because of the epidemiological situation. Is this also visible in the visit to the Luhačovice resort?

We really can't complain about the lack of visitors. A long weekend, a fair, but also an ordinary sunny Sunday attracts thousands of people. In this we are lucky compared to other spa towns. We are not so dependent on the clientele from abroad, who cannot come freely yet.

You are an expert on Luhačovice. What would you recommend to a person who has never been here before and what would you recommend to a person who knows it?

To a person who has never been here I would recommend the classics, a walk around Jurkovic's house, the colonnade, one of the springs. We who are in Luha every day probably don't find it anymore, but those places have their own charm and I don't blame people for coming back. I would send a person who is familiar with the classics to my favourite cafes, to the park above Aloisca, to Obětová, to the White Cross, simply to the surrounding forests. It's beautiful here.

You can support our Luhačovice clerks by voting for the best information centre in the country at this link...

http://www.kampocesku.cz/informacni-centrum/342/mestske-turisticke-a-informacni-centrum-luhacovice

Categories: Tourism, Luhačovice, Info Centre, Interview