Customer Service and Dispatch

The soft skills that are needed in the trades

Customer Service and Dispatch

The soft skills that are needed in the trades

Why CSR and Dispatch

The Importance of CSR and Dispatch in the Skilled Trades

The customer service and dispatch roles are ESSENTIAL in the ecosystem of a home service company! Without the soft skills side of the trades, there would be no technicians showing up at customer’s homes to fix any issues in the first place. Each position at a residential service company is vital and is a spoke in a larger wheel that keeps the entire business moving forward.

Understanding the Role of Dispatch

What does a dispatcher do?

The dispatcher is responsible for pairing service calls with technicians in a way that maximizes opportunity while delivering exceptional customer service. The dispatcher is an integral part of operations and needs to know the business.

These individuals are responsible for dispatching the calls to the service technicians, recording and reporting outcomes of service calls, and maintaining customer relationships by updating customers throughout the day on the technician’s progress.

The dispatcher is responsible for matching technicians to specific jobs that aligns with their technical expertise. This is not only beneficial for the homeowner, but also the business.

There is continual growth and learning on how to prioritize the most urgent customer calls and ensure a quality customer experience by relaying detailed and accurate information to the technicians in the field.

What would make you a successful dispatcher?

Those who work as dispatchers are highly organized, enjoy working with data, and are skilled in service call coordination.

The dispatcher knows each technician in the business and knows the types of service calls where each technician is going to be successful. They are the matchmaker between the customer and the technician and understand all the different aspects of the service call to make the situation successful and maximize the opportunity.

Understanding the Role of a Customer Service Representative (CSR)

What does a customer service representative do?

A customer service representative (CSR) is the first line of offense in building and maintaining customer relationships on behalf of the service company. An organization’s success begins in the call center.

The CSR is responsible for promoting customer satisfaction by converting customer calls into booked service appointments.

The CSR needs to be empathetic to the customer’s needs and an excellent note taker, recording the details of the call, including the age of the equipment, the severity of the issue, how urgently the customer needs the issue fixed, and any other pertinent information.

The CSR is also responsible for passing this information along to the dispatcher so the dispatcher can then pair the proper technician to service that call.

What would make you a successful CSR?

Are you someone who enjoys creating a positive experience for customers? Are you someone who enjoys helping others?

Then you would be fantastic in a customer service role!

The customer service representative is the first person a customer interacts with at a business. Individuals working as a CSR have excellent communication skills and serve as the first touchpoint between a customer and the service business

What is the best way to get started in customer service or dispatch?

The first step in becoming either a customer service representative or a dispatcher is to earn your high school diploma or GED. Any experience working with customers will prepare you well for these roles, from your first job as a babysitter to your high school job at the local movie theater! A basic class in computer technology and typing will also prepare you incredibly well for the customer service and dispatch career paths.

What is the career path in customer service and dispatch?

The career paths available in customer service and dispatch are varied and can be a springboard to leadership positions.

You can begin your career as a dispatcher, and in a few short years move your way up to the position of installation coordinator, managing large equipment installations for the entire company.

After mastering inbound and outbound calling and handling customer concerns as a CSR, you can move on to a lead CSR position and train other CSR team members. Lead CSR positions coordinate daily sales goals and write and edit call scripts to increase booked appointments. 

Photo credit to the team at Beyond Wow Plumbing

Customer Experience and Dispatch Jobs

A career in customer service and dispatch offers great pay, benefits, job security, and professional satisfaction. Explore The Trades is your complete resource for everything you need to get started and advance your career. Connect with the right people, the right information and get the right answers to get your career in gear!