Customer Service Representative Dispatcher

1. INTRODUCTION

Dispatchers must have excellent interpersonal skills and should also be able to maintain good relationship with customers, drivers, and co-workers to be effective in carrying out the work description of the position. Excellent planning skill, good sense of judgment, and ability to prioritize effectively is also very essential. The Dispatcher job involves receiving orders from customers or the manager and making necessary arrangement for the driver and vehicle to convey the freight to the assigned destination. It is the Dispatchers responsibility to chart the route to be taken by the driver and ensure that they adhere to the predetermined route. Dispatchers must be able to track the movement of the driver and report appropriately to the manager and clients. All these require in-depth knowledge of routes within the regions in which they operate, map reading skill and ability to track vehicles using GPRS, vehicle tracker and other such devices.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Working as a Dispatcher involves performing various duties, tasks, and responsibilities on daily basis. Dispatchers duties and responsibilities include but are not limed to the following:

• Receive orders for shipment, or pick from customers or senior managers;
• Make necessary arrangement for the appropriate driver and vehicle to be employed for each run;
• Keep track of the movement and progress of each driver and vehicle;
• Receive complaints about driver, vehicle, and goods in transit;
• Receive report about vehicle or freight damage, accident, and emergency situations;
• Chart routes to be taken by drivers and ensure compliance to the predetermined routes;
• Modify predetermined routes when the need arises;
• Maintain a friendly relationship with customers to ensure continuous patronage;
• Maintain a friendly relationship with drivers and have a comprehensive understanding of standard service hours of drivers to ensure steady compliance whenever they are called for work even in emergency situations;
• Maintain up-to date Department of Transportation (DOT) knowledge of rules and regulation; and
• Maintain a dispatch log to record all details of pickup and delivery orders.

REQUIREMENTS, SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND ABILITIES

To be a top performer on the job, Dispatchers should strive to develop the following skills and qualities, which are also part of the major requirements for the Dispatcher role:

• Dispatchers must have excellent listening and communication skills. Being able to listen attentively to customers orders and pass same information across to drivers is imperative to the success of deliveries. Dispatchers must also be able to sustain an open line of communication with the parties involved in the run;
• Dispatching involves a lot of work at the same time such as receiving calls from different drivers, customers, and managers, tracking the drivers progress, and arranging for dispatches. Therefore, Dispatchers must be able to multitask and prioritize effectively without making mistakes;
• Good map reading skills and ability to use GPRS devices to chart routes for the movement of the drivers is particularly important. In addition, an expansive knowledge of routes plied by the drivers is also essential;
• Dispatchers must be able to work in high pressure environment;
• Dispatchers must be willing to work flexible schedules including working on weekends, holidays, and over time to meet the demands of clients;
• Dispatchers must exhibit a high level of emotional maturity and calmness to handle the stress associated with the position well;
• Experience in a leadership position is very essential so as to be able to coordinate the drivers under his/her supervision; and

Dispatchers must be educated at least to the level of high school diploma. Additionally, since the position involves the use of computer software for scheduling and monitoring of vehicles/drivers Dispatchers must be computer literate.

OTHER DUTIES

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.