Dispatch chaos checklist
A quick checklist for reviewing call-offs, late techs, emergency jobs, and customer ETA updates.
Morning, before the trucks roll
- Every job on the board has a tech, a time window, and a confirmed address.
- Yesterday's unfinished work is rescheduled on the board, not floating in your head.
- Parts for today's installs are on the right trucks.
When a tech calls off
- Pull their stops up by promise window, tightest first.
- Cover the morning calls before you touch the afternoon.
- Text every affected customer a new window before they call you.
When an emergency no-cool lands
- Find the tech who is closest and can close it: right skills, right parts.
- Bump the most movable job, not the next one on the list.
- Tell the bumped customer first, then dispatch the emergency.
When a job runs late
- Update the customer the moment you know, not when the tech finally leaves.
- Give a new arrival window, not an apology.
- Note why it slipped so the same job type gets a longer slot next time.