Effective dispatching can make or break a community transportation organization. In its mission to ensure the effectiveness and viability of community transportation organizations, this two-day training program designed for demand response operations. The PDS training program provides skills to increase expertise in developing improved communication and working relationships between the reservations, scheduling and dispatching functions. The workshop covers service to people with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act, customer service skills, best practices of the Reservationist, Scheduler and Dispatcher as they work together to build efficient trips and meet customer needs, and the central role of the Dispatcher in any emergency situation. The certification is valid for three years.

Day One

• Relationship Among Reservationists, Schedulers and Dispatchers
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Service to People with Disabilities
  • Recent revisions to the ADA
• Customer Driven Service
  • Six truths of effective customer service
  • Responding to angry customers
  • Customer complaint process
• The Role of the Reservationist
  • Effective trip reservation best practices

Day Two

• The Role of the Scheduler
  • Effective trip scheduling best practices
  • Scheduling problem solving
  • Computer Aided Dispatch and Scheduling Software
• The Role of the Dispatcher
  • Dispatcher Responsibilities
  • Role of technology for the Dispatcher
• Dispatch Emergency Policies and Protocols
  • Dispatcher as the leader in emergency situations
  • Evaluating real life Dispatcher policies and protocols in emergencies
    • Fire
    • Dangerous Person on Transit Vehicle
    • Vehicle Accident