Description

Today's dispatcher plays a far greater role than assigning technicians and scheduling service calls. Every day, dispatch professionals make decisions that influence customer trust, technician effectiveness, operational performance, and organizational reputation.

Our dispatcher program has been reimagined

We're pleased to introduce a redesigned Dispatcher Development Program that reflects the evolving role of today's dispatch professional. Developed and facilitated by Steve Horwood, the program emphasizes professional judgment, communication, leadership, in a highly interactive learning environment designed to strengthen both operational performance and the customer experience.

This interactive two-day program challenges participants to think differently about the role they play in designing the service day. Through facilitated discussion, practical workplace scenarios, and collaborative exercises, participants will strengthen their professional judgment, communication, and decision-making while exploring the broader impact of every dispatch decision.

Participants will explore topics such as:

• Building shared customer and dispatch understanding before organizing the response.
• Strengthening customer confidence through thoughtful communication.
• Managing electronic and verbal communication effectively.
• Responding to increasing customer and operational expectations.
• Matching people to moments—not simply assigning technicians.
• Making sound operational judgments under changing conditions.
• Developing leadership and influence without formal authority.
• Understanding the human side of dispatch to maximize technician and customer effectiveness.

Participants will leave with practical frameworks they can immediately apply while gaining a broader appreciation of the significant role dispatch plays in designing exceptional service experiences.

Your instructor: Steve Horwood

Steve Horwood brings 40 years of experience across the mechanical and electrical service and construction industry, with leadership responsibilities spanning service operations, general management, sales, business development, customer experience and organizational development.

Throughout his career, Steve has worked with business owners, senior leaders, sales and service teams, technicians, dispatchers and customers across North America. This broad perspective has shaped his belief that strong service organizations are built not simply through good processes, but through sound professional judgment, effective communication, trusted relationships and people who understand the significance of the role they play in building customer loyalty.

For more than 25 years, Steve has been actively involved in the development of sales and operations professionals. His highly participative approach to training and facilitation uses guided discovery, practical industry experience and collaborative discussion to help participants broaden their perspective, strengthen their judgment and apply their own realizations more intentionally in their work.

Since 1997, Steve has also contributed to industry associations including BOMA, MSCA, MCAC and CanSIA as a Board or Committee member, author, speaker, trainer and facilitator.