電話客服人員的嗓音自覺症狀調查及實施嗓音訓練成效探討

一般人在工作上過度使用或濫用嗓音的情況下，極易導致喉嚨疼痛、嘶啞、聲音疲乏等症狀，嚴重者甚至會導致聲帶結節。在工作族群中，因嗓音問題至醫院求診的職業別，最常見的是歌手、諮詢顧問、老師、銷售人員等，這些族群皆為大量用聲者，尤其是對在電話客服中心工作的人員而言，嗓音是其主要謀生工具，倘若長期用聲失當或無法得到充足休息，導致失聲或嗓音異常，不但影響工作成效，甚至需要更換工作。國外對上述族群的嗓音問題已有豐富探討和研究，但國內針對電話客服工作人員嗓音問題的進一步探討卻付之闕如。估計目前國內從事電話客服工作的人口約有5到6萬人，占總人口的比重約0.2％，且有日益增加之趨勢。因此本研究目的在探討電話客服人員的嗓音自覺症狀及嗓音誤用行為，並藉著對有嗓音異常症狀的電話客服人員施予嗓音訓練，探討嗓音訓練介入之影響，以作為電話客服產業日後預防相關嗓音疾病的參考。本研究針對國內一家大型電話客服公司，約1,800名員工使用問卷調查嗓音症狀，發現94.2%的客服人員至少有一個以上的嗓音症狀，而非客服人員則有73.9%；客服人員平均發生4.2項的嗓音症狀，發生的嗓音症狀以喉嚨乾為最多；其他的症狀也皆是非客服人員的3倍以上。有97.6%的客服人員及81.9%非客服人員有一個以上嗓音誤用行為，客服人員平均有5項的嗓音誤用行為發生，而非客服人員只有3.2項。顯示客服人員的嗓音問題，不管在嗓音症狀、嗓音誤用行為以及嗓音自覺評估等方面，皆比一般人嚴重。其次，由接受問卷調查的人員中，隨機篩選出48名自覺嗓音異常並有嗓音誤用行為的電話客服人員，分為4組，每組12人，參與為期一個月，每週一次兩小時的嗓音訓練和教育。訓練前後，所有受試者均接受問卷調查、嗓音聽知覺、氣體動力學、聲學分析評估。對48名人員的受訓前後聲學分析中發現，其頻率變動率(Jitter)及噪訊比(NSR)皆達到統計上顯著差異。且在受訓後的問卷中，也顯示客服人員自覺嗓音症狀及嗓音誤用行為有明顯改善，用聲時間也有效延長。由此可見，嗓音訓練對於嗓音問題之改善具有一定的幫助，所以，對電話客服人員實施嗓音訓練實有其必要性。因此，為了減輕電話客服人員嗓音問題，並預防職業性嗓音疾病，建議電話客服產業應提供員工適當的休息時間；於勞工安全衛生教育中，教導嗓音的保健方法；並定期實施相關的耳鼻喉科特殊健康檢查，以期有效預防並及早發現嗓音疾病加以治療。

關鍵字

嗓音症狀；嗓音訓練；職業性嗓音疾病；客服人員

並列摘要

Overuse or abuse of the voice at work can lead to vocal symptoms of soreness, hoarseness, and fatigue. The worst even result in serious vocal diseases such as vocal nodules. Among all the occupations, singers, counselors, teachers, lawyers, and telemarketers are at great risk of voice problems to attending voice clinics. Of particular interest is the subgroup of telemarketer, ‘customer service receptionist’ (CSR) in call center, as their working environment requires excessive use of voice. With heavy vocal loading, if afflicted with dysphonia or aphonia, the customer service receptionists would generally be discouraged and sometimes cannot stand it but giving up their jobs and seek other occupations. There are plenty of researchers on the vocal problem of the mentioned occupations; while the relative discussions focus on CSR are quite rare. The estimated population which is engaging in call center is 50 to 60 thousands; make up 0.2% of total population of Taiwan, and it is getting increasing. This study therefore aims to survey the voice problem among customer service receptionist in call center and evaluated effects of vocal training. In order to investigate of voice problems in an over 1800 employees of call-center company by questionnaire. Of those surveyed, a total 94.2% of the 992 CSR and 73.9% of the 326 non-CSR reported 1 or more symptoms of vocal attrition. Every CSR had average 4.2 vocal problems and the most common problem was dry throat. As for the other vocal problems, CSR were three times than the non-CSR. 97.6% of CSR and 81.9% of non-CSR had more than one voice misuse. Meanwhile, the average of CSR’s vocal misuse was 5 and non-CSR’s was only 3.2. The results revealed that the vocal problems of CSR were more serious than non-CSR, no matter in vocal symptoms, vocal misuse behavior, or vocal self-evaluation. Then, forty-eight CSR were selected by random. They were separated into four groups, and joined in two-hour voice training course weekly a month. All subjects received questionnaire evaluation, acoustic analysis, aerodynamic analysis, and perceptual judgment before and after the intervention of voice training. After the training, the acoustic analysis revealed that Jitter and NSR of the subjects had statistically significant. Moreover, the questionnaire self-evaluation proved that vocal training surely enabled to improve the vocal problems and misuse of CSR and stretch the use time of their voices. Voice training on CSR is effective and should be set for CSR. In order to reduce and prevent occupational vocal disease of CSR, we recommend call center companies to arrange appropriate rest in between duty, to strengthen vocal hygiene and training, the followed by periodic physical examination of larynx.