Dispatching and Scheduling
With the costs of fuel and maintenance for your vehicles, efficient scheduling will minimize these costs and add to your bottom line. One method that helps is dividing your service area into quadrants.
One Dispatcher Is A Necessity
Whether you are a one or multi-truck operation, one person should handle the scheduling of your service appointments. This will leave little chance for errors or confusion when it comes to dispatching.
Routing Your Work
Routing should be done the night before; this allows a chance to re-evaluate the upcoming days’ work. It also affords an opportunity to make adjustments and therefore maximize your service vehicle(s)’ schedule. Double check the work loads and, if you are a multi-truck operation, make sure no crew is overbooked.
One Truck Operations
While having one truck may seem to make scheduling a no brain-er, there are some things to consider. If possible, only schedule your truck in one quadrant a day. Obviously, traveling from one side of your service area to another each day defeats the idea of minimizing costs. Also, you only make money when that vehicle is cleaning carpet not traveling.
Multi-Truck Operations
Having a multi-truck operation would seem to make scheduling and dispatching easier. While that is true, it also multiplies your daily expenses for travel and maintenance. Whether you have your scheduling on a computer or do it by hand, booking them is the first step to an efficient system. The dispatcher/scheduler should book them originally based upon whatever system you have set up. Once again a quadrant system works well. Then, when it comes time to lay out the actual jobs for that day, they should fit into those quadrants.
Driving Directions And Maps
We always suggest getting either directions or at least main cross street coordinates for your driver(s). This will minimize the time spent in getting to the service location. Google maps can also help but caution them not to look at their phones while they are driving. Also Google maps may not “map” out the most efficient route. Some companies rely on the voice assisted travel instructions available on various phones, but they do have limitations.
The Customer Comes First
This is a major rule for all service companies. Sure, we want to save time and money in our dispatching and scheduling. However, there are times when a customers’ needs outweigh that intention. Never turn down a job because it doesn’t fit into your schedule.
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The Bane-Clene® Team.
