Ducatista
11-10-12, 09:30 PM
A slightly different plea from Freewheelers (Bristol/Bath area).
we are really short of co-ordinators [aka despatchers].
These need not be bike riders (although an interest is preferable) - key attributes are some availability, a fairly organised nature and good communications/customer-facing skills, good under occasional pressure.
Freewheelers runs 3 duty bikes - one based around Bath, one Bristol, one [Weston to Taunton]. We have one "divertable" oncall number, used by units or neighbouring groups wanting to use the service. That is diverted to a number of choice. We have a volunteer co-ordinator during our service hours [7pm to 7am weeknights, all day weekends and Bank Holidays] to take incoming calls, despatch them [txt or voice calls] to the 3 duty riders, monitor their progress , and ensure all 3 riders get home safely at some point (we can't have our precious motorcycles rusting in a ditch overnight, now, can we ? ). We're short of those volunteer telephone despatchers at the moment, and they are a vital part of the service.
Also , being - generally - in a nice, well-lit, dry, centrally-heated house with a glass of Chianti in one hand*, the duty co-ord is ideally placed to provide support on those rare occasions when things don't go according to plan - be that a rider delayed, or unable to attract the attention of a locked-down maternity unit at 11pm, or whatever. The co-ordinators are also responsible for filtering calls, and telling units we won't deliver items not medically-related [slippers, handbags], or calls to private addresses after 21:00, or calls outside our area, etc etc***. Co-ordinator training, including "shadowing" an experienced co-ordinator, is given, plus advice always readily available from experienced members.
*this is a serving suggestion only - glass of chianti (and for that matter, centrally-heated house) are not included in the package being sold. You could of course do co-ord from a tent on a moorland at 1500' in the snow as long as you have mobile reception and a good mobile battery...
Shifts are currently split into 2/week, so [Mon thru Thursday evenings] and [Fri evening thru Sunday evening]. Last year we averaged about 45 jobs per weekend shift and 25 a 'week' shift. Each job involves a call in from the originator ; a call/text to the rider ; maybe a call/txt when they collect ; a call/txt back from the rider when delivered ; and then a call or text each time the rider gets home. Most calls weekdays are in by about 20:30, with typically a sprinkling through to maybe 2230, and maybe a couple of calls per shift (ie 4 a week) in the wee small hours [but averages are misleading as the call profile is very unpredictable].
** so in an "average" week our 2 duty co-ords probably handle about 250 inbound or outbound calls or texts and track 70 jobs across 3 regions and maybe 40 different units.
At the moment call recording is paper-based (which means you need at least mobile reception but not access to a PC).. We have trackers on most of the duty bikes which require a PC [or maybe smart-phone?] to access, but that is optional. So it is possible to co-ord whilst visiting the parents for dinner or whatever, but the call numbers make it difficult.
Last year Freewheelers did around 3,700 calls across our region. We charge the NHS nothing, and the usual alternative is a taxi, at an average of about £50 a call, so we saved the NHS around £180,000 . We also did around 50 emergency calls, where our volunteers have a genuine opportunity , by delivering urgent blood or drugs or samples, to help save somebody's life. As a co-ord you have the opportunity to play a key role in this , from the comfort of your nice dry armchair. That's the payback.
If you're interested - or if you know somebody competent who would be - please contact FW directly via the website. http://www.freewheelers.org.uk/index.php/contact-us
l
we are really short of co-ordinators [aka despatchers].
These need not be bike riders (although an interest is preferable) - key attributes are some availability, a fairly organised nature and good communications/customer-facing skills, good under occasional pressure.
Freewheelers runs 3 duty bikes - one based around Bath, one Bristol, one [Weston to Taunton]. We have one "divertable" oncall number, used by units or neighbouring groups wanting to use the service. That is diverted to a number of choice. We have a volunteer co-ordinator during our service hours [7pm to 7am weeknights, all day weekends and Bank Holidays] to take incoming calls, despatch them [txt or voice calls] to the 3 duty riders, monitor their progress , and ensure all 3 riders get home safely at some point (we can't have our precious motorcycles rusting in a ditch overnight, now, can we ? ). We're short of those volunteer telephone despatchers at the moment, and they are a vital part of the service.
Also , being - generally - in a nice, well-lit, dry, centrally-heated house with a glass of Chianti in one hand*, the duty co-ord is ideally placed to provide support on those rare occasions when things don't go according to plan - be that a rider delayed, or unable to attract the attention of a locked-down maternity unit at 11pm, or whatever. The co-ordinators are also responsible for filtering calls, and telling units we won't deliver items not medically-related [slippers, handbags], or calls to private addresses after 21:00, or calls outside our area, etc etc***. Co-ordinator training, including "shadowing" an experienced co-ordinator, is given, plus advice always readily available from experienced members.
*this is a serving suggestion only - glass of chianti (and for that matter, centrally-heated house) are not included in the package being sold. You could of course do co-ord from a tent on a moorland at 1500' in the snow as long as you have mobile reception and a good mobile battery...
Shifts are currently split into 2/week, so [Mon thru Thursday evenings] and [Fri evening thru Sunday evening]. Last year we averaged about 45 jobs per weekend shift and 25 a 'week' shift. Each job involves a call in from the originator ; a call/text to the rider ; maybe a call/txt when they collect ; a call/txt back from the rider when delivered ; and then a call or text each time the rider gets home. Most calls weekdays are in by about 20:30, with typically a sprinkling through to maybe 2230, and maybe a couple of calls per shift (ie 4 a week) in the wee small hours [but averages are misleading as the call profile is very unpredictable].
** so in an "average" week our 2 duty co-ords probably handle about 250 inbound or outbound calls or texts and track 70 jobs across 3 regions and maybe 40 different units.
At the moment call recording is paper-based (which means you need at least mobile reception but not access to a PC).. We have trackers on most of the duty bikes which require a PC [or maybe smart-phone?] to access, but that is optional. So it is possible to co-ord whilst visiting the parents for dinner or whatever, but the call numbers make it difficult.
Last year Freewheelers did around 3,700 calls across our region. We charge the NHS nothing, and the usual alternative is a taxi, at an average of about £50 a call, so we saved the NHS around £180,000 . We also did around 50 emergency calls, where our volunteers have a genuine opportunity , by delivering urgent blood or drugs or samples, to help save somebody's life. As a co-ord you have the opportunity to play a key role in this , from the comfort of your nice dry armchair. That's the payback.
If you're interested - or if you know somebody competent who would be - please contact FW directly via the website. http://www.freewheelers.org.uk/index.php/contact-us
l