Hiring, Coaching and Compensating Concrete Dispatchers CC-002

Hiring, Coaching and Compensating Concrete DispatchersCC-002 James Wagner jwagner@commandalkon.com Cell 612-991-5912

Hiring, Coaching & Compensating Concrete Dispatchers This session is designed to assist those who manage the concrete dispatch function in improving dispatcher performance. We will help you identify the correct dispatcher skills, goals, and responsibilities in the office as well as discuss how to compensate your dispatch staff.

How To Hire Dispatchers James Wagner jwagner@commandalkon.com Cell 612-991-5912

Hiring Dispatchers • Wait until the current dispatcher(s) die or quit. • Throw a current employee into the office. • Assume they know what they are doing. • Train them by second guessing their decisions. • Let them sink or swim. • Some will learn to cope. • Most will quit. • Repeat from 1 above. The old way How To Hire Dispatchers

Hiring Dispatchers Before hiring; • Decide what they will be doing. • What are the most important aspects of the job? • How will they be measure? • How they will be compensated? • What skills and personality traits are needed? • How much training will be provided? • What areas of training will be covered? • Where is the best place to look for recruits? How To Hire Dispatchers

Hiring Dispatchers You may have someone like this in mind. How To Hire Dispatchers

Hiring Dispatchers The object is to avoid someone like this. How To Hire Dispatchers

Hiring Dispatchers Or a team like this. How To Hire Dispatchers

Hiring Dispatchers Requirements differ depending upon: • Batchman / dispatch offices • Single dispatch person offices • Two person offices • Three person offices • Multiple person offices How To Hire Dispatchers

Dispatching is 3 functions Each requires different skills and personality. • Customer Service Representative (CSR) or order taker. • Scheduler or planner and manager. • Shipper/ allocator or “dispatcher”. How To Hire Dispatchers

CSR job responsibilities • Takes the order. • Gets all required information. • Updates schedule immediately. • Explains “rules” and procedures • Sells customer on your company. How To Hire Dispatchers

Schedulers job responsibilities • Keeps schedule available • Keeps schedule accurate • Determines driver clock-in times • Coaches CSRs • Responds to salespersons questions & needs. • Learns from past experience • Informs plants of upcoming requirements How To Hire Dispatchers

Shippers job responsibilities • Ensures drivers clock-in on time • Tickets on time • Matches equipment to requirements • Reacts to changing jobsite conditions • Tracks trucks • Gets all status times • Washes out as soon as not needed. How To Hire Dispatchers

Job details How To Hire Dispatchers

CSR job responsibilities • Taking the order • Selling the customer on your company. • Must have the authority to accept an order without checking with someone else first. • Customers want to talk to someone in charge and don’t want to deal with a “go-between”. • Needs to know how to get to the jobsite or get directions from the customer. • Can’t say “I thought you knew how to get there!” • Special instructions or situations need to be ferreted out. How To Hire Dispatchers

CSR job responsibilities • Explains to the customer your company’s policies. • Needs to understand customer’s requirements and limitations. • Expected to sell value added products. • Need to know how to say “NO”. • Offer options and alternatives, without irritating the customer. • Responsible for keeping the schedule demand graph flat and current. • The CSR is really the one who is responsible for on-time service by avoiding gross overbooking. • Motto should be; “no surprises”. How To Hire Dispatchers

CSR skills and personality • A “People Person” who actually enjoys working with people. • Tolerating people is not the same as enjoying them. • A phone call should not be viewed as an interruption. • Detail oriented to get the correct information. How To Hire Dispatchers

CSR skills and personality • Empathetic to the customers needs • Tough and decisive. • Customers don’t want to listen to someone hem and haw or state that they will probably be able to deliver. • Good listeners • Good questioner or prober. • Good telephone skills. • Persuasive in selling products, time. How To Hire Dispatchers

CSR skills and personality • Unflappable and thick skinned when dealing with angry customers. • Avoiding personalizing the problem. • Feels “equal” to customers and is not fearful of them. • Know how to calm them down and win over customers. • Ability to think “ on their feet”. How To Hire Dispatchers

CSR skills and personality • Need to know your customers, products and the territory. • This can be learned. • Familiar with your fleet and plants. • Adequate keyboard and computer skills. How To Hire Dispatchers

Scheduler job responsibilities • In a multi-person dispatch office, they will keep the CSRs apprised about open spots in the schedule before the customer calls. • They will identify where trouble is brewing • They will have the final say on who gets service and how to do it. • Generally sets the driver clock-in times each evening. How To Hire Dispatchers

Scheduler job responsibilities • They manage office • Promote teamwork • Act as a buffer between disp. and sales. • They measure and post Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s). • May order raw materials for plant or advise plants of material needs. How To Hire Dispatchers

Scheduler skills and personality • Will assist with order taking at peak times. • Analytical • Strategic thinker. • “Big Picture” types. • Detail oriented. • Proactive problem solvers. • Someone who does home budgets. How To Hire Dispatchers

Scheduler skills and personality • Good with math. • Management skills. • Communicator of company goals. • Promote teamwork. • Sensitive yet firm. • Realistic • When jobs will finish • How many orders to accept How To Hire Dispatchers

Shipper job responsibilities • Executes the plan by generating delivery tickets and managing drivers. • Responsible for accurately capturing all status times. • Getting the driver to press buttons • Radios drivers who have not statused • Edits the times manually. • Reacts to the constantly changing jobsite conditions. How To Hire Dispatchers

Shipper job responsibilities • Informs scheduler of deviations to the jobs. • Original plan so the schedule is up-to-date and customers can be notified ahead of time about impending delays. • Keeps plant informed of changes to the orders • Keeps plant informed of raw materials needs. How To Hire Dispatchers

Shipper skills and personality • “Doer” type personality. • Good tactical thinker. • Looks ahead several hours. • This is the other “Schwarz” position. • Scheduler is “General Schwarzkopf” the planner • Shipper is Arnold Schwarzenegger, action hero (as The Terminator, not the governor) How To Hire Dispatchers

Shipper skills and personality • A good game player who can react readily to change. • Good communicator over radio. • Forceful yet fair with drivers. • they are drivers manager, not friend. • Knows the territory, the industry, equipment and be familiar with site conditions. How To Hire Dispatchers

Where to look for dispatchers • Wouldn’t a driver be the best candidate as they already know the city, concrete and the contractors? • Knowledge of the city, concrete and contractors is handy but not initially important. • If this was the most important facet, this driver could not take a job in another city with another company and another customer base. How To Hire Dispatchers

Where to look for dispatchers • Drivers are often the expedient choice, but not necessarily the best. • The expedient choice is placed in dispatch to cover an emergency and remain there long after the crisis has passed. How To Hire Dispatchers

Fear CSRs and Dispatchers should not fear customers. They are equals and must be to negotiate with them. A fearful dispatcher is an ineffective dispatcher. Don’t increase the fear by criticizing the dispatcher for past judgments.

Hiring Drivers • The driver has local knowledge. • Driving has not trained them for; • Positive Attitude • Keen interest in learning • Open-mindedness • Skilled Probing • Attentive listening • Selling and persuading • Planning ahead instead of reacting How To Hire Dispatchers

Hiring Drivers • Drivers have had no management training • Drivers have been treated as underlings. • They came from a position of servitude • They are often told what to do. • They are often told when and how to do it. How To Hire Dispatchers

Hiring Drivers • Often the driver brings to the job, a fear of customers • One cannot negotiate well with a feeling of inferiority. • Customers need to be treated as equals. • Some cannot make the transition to probing and persuading customers and directing drivers. How To Hire Dispatchers

Hiring Drivers • If they drove under the direction of a tyrant they may manage by tyranny. • Others may still want to maintain friendships with their old driver buddies. • This causes many a driver to have mixed feelings about where their allegiances lie. How To Hire Dispatchers

Hiring Drivers • Some drivers make this advancement in stride and do very well. • The point is that a candidate can learn the city, concrete and the customers. • Teaching planning, probing, selling and other soft skills is more difficult. How To Hire Dispatchers

Hiring Drivers • Sometimes it is better to look for the skills and personalities desired and train on the knowledge, than it is to try to change attitude and outlook. • I have often had better success hiring from outside the industry. • Perhaps from the service segment. How To Hire Dispatchers

Steal from competition • Why did this dispatcher quit? • Was he/she let go and why? • Will you be acquiring their bad habits? • Will they try doing things your competitors way? How To Hire Dispatchers

Hire from outside the industry? • Trained customer service people • Service attitude. • Keyboard and computer skills • Headset wearing employees • Telephone skills • Angry customer skills How To Hire Dispatchers

Anecdote • Retired Policeman CSR and stress • Telemarketer CSR and workload How To Hire Dispatchers

The bottom line • Realistic people don’t. • Play the lottery and think. • “It could happen” • While smoking and thinking. • “It won’t happen” • Fact, • Chance of winning Powerball 1:199,000,000 • Deaths from smoking 440,000 How To Hire Dispatchers

The bottom line • Realistic people don’t. • Avoid flying while thinking. • “I could die” • But drive after drinking, unbelted thinking. • “I’ll be safer” • Fact in 2004 in the US • deaths from airliner crashes 240 • deaths from cars 42,636 • Chances of dying in plane crash 1:7,000,000 How To Hire Dispatchers

The Point • Hire a manager/Scheduler who is realistic, practical and has common sense. • The candidate should react to facts not solely on “gut feel”. How To Hire Dispatchers

Staffing

Averages 1 order = 18 cy (2 loads) 1 trip = 7 statuses 1 truck = 4 loads (2 orders) 3.5 calls = 1 order CC-002 Managing Concrete Dispatch

Single Person batch/dispatch offices • Takes orders • Schedules and plans • Tickets and tracks trucks (ships) • Batches • Produces reports and analysis How To Hire Dispatchers

Single Person batch/dispatch offices • Takes orders • Schedules and plans • Tickets and tracks trucks (ships) • Has batchperson help with phones • Produces reports and analysis How To Hire Dispatchers

Single Person batch/dispatch offices • The ideal candidate simply does not exist. • If they did, they would be overqualified and not want the job of dispatch. • This unique group of personality traits would equip this person fit for a much higher paying job requiring fewer hours and less stress. How To Hire Dispatchers

Single Person batch/dispatch offices How To Hire Dispatchers

Single Person batch/dispatch offices For a 10 truck fleet, this person will; • Take 20 orders on average. • Answer 70 phone calls. • Batch 40 loads of concrete. • Print 40 tickets. • 40 tickets = 280 statuses. How To Hire Dispatchers

Hiring, Coaching and Compensating Concrete Dispatchers CC-002