Dispatch Calls the Right Way

I need everyone to take a look at how their company dispatches calls to technicians. I’m not talking about your technology, or whatever fancy system you have come up with that includes a map to the customer and aerial shots of the property, etc. I am talking about how the calls are distributed to your team. In most businesses I visit, customer problems are assigned to techs when the call is booked following a general set of guidelines. Something as sophisticated as plumbing calls go to plumbers, HVAC calls go to HVAC techs, and electrical calls go to electricians. While that is the right way to divide work, it is only a baby step in the dispatch process.

You need to be sure that the right technician is being sent to every opportunity. For example: If you have all the calls divided correctly and one of them is a leaking water heater, the initial assignment might have put that call on your best repairman. It seems like a good fit because the guy can fix anything, but a good dispatcher would know that part of the reason he can fix anything is because he is afraid to present the cost of replacement even if that is the best solution for the consumer.