WHAT DOES A DISPATCHER DO?

Updated: Mai 28, 2025 - The Dispatcher handles customer trouble reports and inquiries within defined time frames by dispatching issues to appropriate repair teams and maintaining accurate records. This position monitors and coordinates cable repair activities while ensuring timely updates on service orders to maintain customer satisfaction. The dispatcher also operates computer systems to access multiple databases, screens trouble reports and refers unresolved issues to appropriate teams.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Dispatcher

1. Dispatcher Responsibilities

  • Safety Management: Promote a culture of safety with an objective of “zero” incidents.
  • Workplace Safety: Ensure that work areas and surrounding areas are kept safe, presentable, and functional.
  • Safety Meetings: Participate in monthly safety meetings with personnel, supervisors, and visitors.
  • Incident Reporting: Report all safety incidents (PPE, near misses, etc.).
  • Communication: Act as a key person in communicating with and receiving feedback on topics of safety, logistics, and service.
  • Dispatch Supervision: Supervise day-to-day dispatch activities.
  • Log Management: Maintain event order daily log, manage COD pricing and sales, and manage the GPS platform.
  • Customer Relations: Assist the central order desk in taking orders and maintaining customer relations.
  • On-Time Delivery: Ensure on-time delivery of material to customers.
  • Order Accuracy: Ensure order/ticket information is accurate.
  • Issue Resolution: Proactively communicate customer, delivery, and system issues with dispatch, sales, and back-office to ensure timely resolution.

2. Dispatcher Job Description

  • Conflict Resolution: Provide solutions to conflicts and make key decisions on time.
  • Root Cause Analysis: Perform root cause analysis on issues and provide solutions.
  • Fleet Coordination: Coordinate Lafarge truck fleet, brokers, and external rentals across Eastern Ontario.
  • Daily Operations Participation: Participate in the HNS Ops/Sales daily CFOM.
  • Tracking Tool Management: Take responsibility for maintaining the tracking tool.
  • Administrative Support: Assist in various administration tasks as directed by management.
  • Order Taking: Take orders over the phone and with the application.
  • Order Scheduling: Schedule orders for the next day.
  • COD Order Assistance: Assist with COD orders, using product knowledge, pricing, and upselling.
  • On-Time Delivery: Ensure on-time delivery of material.
  • Team Collaboration: Work with Sales, QC, and the operations team to maximize the usage of the fleet.

3. Dispatcher Details and Accountabilities

  • Trailer Coordination: Coordinate moves of 65+ trailers between several sites.
  • Prioritization: Prioritize loading/offloading of trailers between P1 and P2.
  • Yard Management: Perform daily yard checks and record trailer numbers and locations around the facility.
  • Trailer Tracking: Continuously track trailers – ensuring trailers are returned and available on time to meet production requirements.
  • Drop-Switch Monitoring: Monitor drop-switch programs ensuring targeted turnaround times.
  • Documentation Preparation: Prepare documents, such as customs paperwork, material transfers, bills of lading, and shipping orders to route materials.
  • Shipping Method Recording: Record shipping method for materials on sales orders, using freight routings provided by External Supply Chain.
  • Freight Calculation: Calculate freight rates and fuel surcharges to be applied to orders when applicable.
  • Order Shipment Communication: Contact the Supply Chain and Customer Service in the event an order is not available for shipment on the scheduled day.
  • Warehouse Coordination: Work daily with the 3PL warehouse to ensure RPLs and orders flow smoothly.

4. Dispatcher Additional Details

  • Driver Monitoring: Monitor driver hours to ensure they are being dispatched efficiently.
  • Maintenance Oversight: Monitor maintenance reports, quarterly inspections, etc., and notify drivers when due.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all drivers are following all DOT regulations.
  • Revenue Enhancement: Increase revenue daily by ensuring there is enough work by interacting with CSR.
  • Driver Pre-dispatch: Pre-dispatch driver daily to ensure the driver is busy moving freight.
  • Division Support: Help cover other divisions.
  • Service Delivery Oversight: Oversee service delivery that is assigned to various access-a-ride service providers.
  • Performance Tracking: Track trip performance measures, route start time, service delivery and performance, safety incidents, etc.
  • Customer Support: Provide customer support by responding to questions and concerns regarding customer trips including no-shows, cancellations, and missed trips.
  • Emergency Management: Manage emergencies for vehicle operators, and act as the liaison between the carrier and emergency services.

5. Dispatcher General Responsibilities

  • Food Safety Reporting: Report food safety and quality problems to their immediate supervisor or the supervisor in charge during their shift.
  • Delivery Dispatch: Dispatch fruit deliveries to the plant.
  • Management Communication: Meet routinely with plant management to advise them of delivery schedules, problems, and issues.
  • Fruit Procurement: Implement the fruit procurement plan and assist the Manager of Fruit Procurement in the negotiation of fruit contracts with fruit suppliers.
  • Relationship Building: Establish positive relationships with growers and co-ops for the purpose of ascertaining fruit availability, picking schedules, and open and honest communication.
  • New Source Identification: Continually seek new sources of fruit by calling upon growers and packing houses that do not currently supply Ventura Coastal LLC.
  • Quality Control Collaboration: Meet routinely with quality control to determine the quality of incoming fruit and advise growers of quality-related issues.
  • Fruit Projections: Assist in the preparation of fruit projections for budgeting purposes.
  • Safety Adherence: Adhere to all safety regulations including the wearing of personal protective equipment.
  • Hygiene Practices: Adhere to all food safety and personal hygiene practices.
  • Professionalism: Act professionally toward customers, vendors, and visitors.

6. Dispatcher Role Purpose

  • Driver Management: Manage company drivers and owner-operators.
  • Daily Planning: Create a plan for each driver daily, and adjust as necessary.
  • Dispatch Coordination: Dispatch drivers and obtain confirmation of acceptance of loads.
  • Movement Monitoring: Monitor the movement and pace of company drivers.
  • Owner-Operator Supervision: Ensure owner-operators are completing the work assigned.
  • Issue Assistance: Assist drivers with day-to-day issues such as truck issues, chassis issues, rail billing, empty returns, etc.
  • Delivery Communication: Communicate any delays with deliveries or other issues affecting the deliveries to the CSR or directly to the customer.
  • Equipment Timeliness: Ensure that equipment is picked up from the rail and returned to the rail on time, avoiding additional costs to customers or Forward Intermodal.
  • Operational Response: React quickly and accordingly to day-to-day operational challenges.
  • Problem Resolution: Contact rails, chassis pools, CYs, and other equipment providers to resolve immediate problems.

7. Dispatcher Essential Functions

  • Service Response: Respond to requests for service via telephone and/or email in a prompt and professional manner.
  • Information Evaluation: Obtain and evaluate all relevant information to handle inquiries and requests accurately.
  • Request Direction: Direct requests and inquiries to the appropriate resource.
  • Order Processing: Process orders, forms, invoices, credits, etc.
  • Call Organization: Organize call orders for technicians in assigned territories.
  • Technician Support: Assist technicians in closing calls.
  • Situation Escalation: Identify and escalate situations requiring urgent attention to the appropriate Manager, Service Manager, or Supervisor.
  • Customer Service: Always provide and utilize excellent customer service.
  • Time Management: Responsible for clocking in and out correctly and making sure the time card is accurate before electronically signing off.
  • Task Responsibility: Take responsibility for management reserves the right to add or delete duties as deemed appropriate.

8. Dispatcher Key Accountabilities

  • Trouble Report Handling: Receiving trouble reports, complaints, or inquiries from customers in a defined time frame.
  • Dispatch Coordination: Dispatching troubles/orders to appropriate inside and outside repair forces and receiving close-out information.
  • File Maintenance: Maintaining computerized and manual files of trouble reports pending further action.
  • System Operation: Operating a PC to access multiple systems.
  • Activity Documentation: Keep detailed written records of work activities including names, times, and dates of contact.
  • Report Screening: Screening trouble reports, retesting if necessary, and using a job aid to determine the steps and actions to be taken in routing the trouble.
  • Repair Coordination: Monitoring and coordinating cable transfer and cable repair activities.
  • Technician Interaction: Interact with Repair and Installation technicians to help maintain customer service while monitoring workload to account for commitment time to the customer.
  • Service Order Updates: Providing updates on pending service orders.
  • Order Management: Changing due dates on pending service orders and making referrals to offline groups to resolve customer complaints.

9. Dispatcher Roles and Details

  • Phone and Email Management: Answer technician and customer phone calls and email requests.
  • Email Routing: Manage the shared email inbox and route emails to the correct recipient.
  • Call Handling: Answer all incoming calls and transfer them to the appropriate team members.
  • Service Call Entry: Enter service calls into the database.
  • Customer-Focused Environment: Operate in a fast-paced, high call volume, customer-focused office environment.
  • Service Delivery Management: Manage all aspects of daily service delivery.
  • Issue Response: Respond to service issues as they occur.
  • Email Monitoring: Monitor and reply to group dispatch emails when appropriate.
  • KPI Achievement: Drive KPIs set forth by the Operation Manager including driver productivity.
  • Safety Oversight: Oversee safety-related items for assigned drivers such as hours of service, truck inspections, E-logs, etc.
Relevant Information
What Does A Dispatch Manager Do?