Handle the Unexpected
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Deal with an absent mobile worker.
- Reschedule appointments in an emergency.
- Communicate with mobile workers in an emergency.
What If Someone Calls in Sick?
A well-running schedule is a dispatcher's best friend. You've dispatched your morning appointments, your mobile workers are out in the field, and everything is moving along smoothly. Then the phone rings. A mobile worker is sick and can't finish their shift. Just like that, a portion of your carefully planned day is up in the air.
Fortunately, the dispatcher console gives you the tools to handle this situation efficiently. There's a clear process to follow, and once you know it, you can move quickly and confidently whenever an absence catches you off guard. The first thing to do is record the absence, so the system knows the mobile worker is unavailable for the rest of the day. Then, go ahead and reassign their remaining appointments to other workers who have the right skills and availability to cover the work.
Getting the absence recorded first is important. Once it's in the system, you can turn your attention to redistributing the workload. Here’s how you do that.
- Open the dispatcher console, and hover over the absence dropdown above the Gantt.
- Use the dropdown arrow to set the duration of the absence.
- You can also change the type of absence and add a Gantt label to better describe it in the chart.
- Drag the absence dropdown to the location of the absence on the Gantt.
Now, the only thing that remains is to reschedule the service resource’s remaining appointments for the day. You can do that by simply right-clicking the appointment and selecting Reschedule.
And just like that, the absence is handled. The dispatcher console takes care of the heavy lifting by automatically rescheduling the affected appointments into the most optimized time slots, so you can get back to managing the rest of your day with minimal disruption.
Handle an Emergency
Your schedule is set, your appointments are dispatched, and your mobile workers are out serving customers. You feel good, and start to think ahead to tomorrow's workload. Then the phone rings with an emergency.
A customer has an urgent issue that can't wait. Maybe it's a leak that’s causing property damage, a critical system failure, or a safety hazard that needs immediate attention. Whatever the specifics, the message is clear: someone needs to get there now.
When an emergency call comes in, the first step is usually already done for you. Your customer service team or intake process creates a work order and marks it as high priority or emergency status. That work order flows into your service appointment list, where you can see it immediately.
Now it's your turn to take action. Let's walk through how to handle an emergency dispatch from start to finish:
The classic dispatch console looks at geographic data to send the closest worker to respond to your emergency. Since we haven’t set up specific addresses for your resources or territories, these steps may not work in your trailhead environment.
- From the App Launcher, search for and select Field Service, then select the Classic Dispatch Console tab to open the dispatcher console.
- In the service appointment list, select an appointment to view more details.
- Select the Parent Record ID.
- In the Feed tab, select Emergency, then Emergency Dispatch.
- The dispatcher console displays the closest available mobile workers who can help out. Select Dispatch, then Confirm and Dispatch.
Once you dispatch the emergency appointment, the assigned mobile worker receives an immediate notification on their device. They can wrap up what they're working on and head to the emergency site as quickly as possible.
As for their other scheduled appointments, they’ll reflect as violations on the Gantt as the system flags what's been disrupted. But that's OK. You already know how to handle rule violations. Take a moment to review the Gantt, identify any conflicts the emergency created, and reschedule or reassign appointments as needed to get everything back on track. Emergency dispatches are disruptive by nature, but with the right tools and a methodical approach, you can manage the ripple effects and keep your operations running smoothly.
Wrap Up
You did it, Trailblazer! In this badge, you explored the world of field service dispatching. From getting to know the key players and tracing the full lifecycle of a service appointment, to navigating the Dispatcher Console with confidence, you gained the knowledge to set yourself and your team up for a productive, well-organized day.
You also learned how to read the Gantt, work with the map view, and customize your console to surface the information that matters most. From there, you leveled up by managing real-world challenges like filtering for jeopardy appointments, resolving rule violations, handling unexpected absences, and dispatching emergency jobs on the fly. With these skills under your belt, you are ready to keep a field service operation running smoothly, no matter what the day throws at you.
And the real impact goes far beyond the console itself. When you can quickly identify issues, resolve violations, and respond to the unexpected without missing a beat–customers get faster resolutions, mobile workers get better support, and the whole organization runs more smoothly. Becoming proficient in these skills doesn't just make you a better dispatcher, it makes your entire field service operation stronger.
Check the Challenge
To complete this badge, you’ll need to follow the instructions in the HOC section to create an absence. When you’re done select Check Challenge to Earn 500 points.
Resources
- Salesforce Help: Create Service Resource Absences for Field Service
- Salesforce Help: Schedule Emergency Appointments