Learning to take orders - News - Brief Article

Concrete Producer, The, Nov, 2003

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association's (NRMCA) Dispatcher Training Forum will be held Nov. 11-13 at the association's Research Foundation Education Center in Silver Spring, Md.

The course teaches how to take orders, schedule, and deliver concrete that meets all the requirements as agreed to with customers. It begins with a discussion of ready mixed concrete's technical standards as they specifically relate to dispatchers' jobs, including why ASTM C 94 is critical to their job requirements. The course then hones in on job skills, including, dealing with priority customers, using advanced notices to ease scheduling and delivery, callbacks, clean tips, add-on orders, will calls, small load charges, excessive unloading times, scheduling math, plant versus central dispatch, and managing the dispatch office and personnel.

Technical job performance is addressed and also rapid problem solving skills, including value selling, expert phone listening skills, and maintaining a proper attitude under stress.

The course fee is $995 for NRMCA members and $1250 for nonmembers. NRMCA will host another session Feb. 24-26 in Phoenix. For more information, contact Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165, or jjenkins@nrmca.org, or visit www.nrmca.org.