9-1-1 Call Dispatcher
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From: Eugene, OR
9-1-1 Call Dispatcher
okay, so here's my situation...
i've been working at the local newspaper here for almost 2 years. i like my co-workers and it's a really good company to work for. i have good benefits... the pay is OKAY for someone my age. i get paid a little over $11/hour +commission. on a good month i make $500-$600 extra per month on commission (after taxes), bad months (such as february... bleh) i make about $250 after taxes. all in all, i'm really not making as much as i'd like to. but there is room to grow in the company, my managers are awesome, and like i said, it's a really good company to work for. the turnover here is almost non-existent and people stay here for 20-30 years.
the job itself... i'm an advertising sales assistant. the best way to explain it is that i'm the "jack (or jill...) of all trades" for the advertising dept. i have the least seniority out of the 4 sales assistants, so most of what i've been doing is covering desks and filling in for sales reps who are out sick or on vacation. this is where the really shitty part of my job comes in... every couple weeks or so, i'll end up filling in for a sales rep. who only does classified private party advertising, i.e. "$3 for 3 lines for 3 days!" the kind of ads where people sell their washer/dryers, old lawnmowers, crap that's been sitting in their garage.
these people are extremely difficult to deal with. think about it like this, these are the people who are either TOO OLD, or TOO STUPID, to realize they can just put this shit on craigslist.com and not pay a dime, so they actually PAY to put it in the newspaper. plus, these are the people who are such frick'n tightwads that they'd rather sit on the phone with you for half an hour trying to cut an ad down from 4 lines to 3 lines just so they can save $2.
then they want you to "bill" the ad to them. when you try to explain to them that they have to actually pay for it with a debit card they get all confused and angry. mostly, it's just REPETITIVE. you say the same thing over and over and over again. at the end of the day, i just want to rip my frick'n hair out. the worst part about it... i make hardly any commission on this crap. i'm paid commission by the line, so while i'm spending 30 mins. with ONE person trying to whittle their ad down to 3 lines so they can save $2, i'm making about .15 cents commission off this dumb ass.
okay, so that was really long... bear with me please. recently, a family friend told me the police dept. is hiring for 9-1-1 call dispatchers. they start you out at $16.50/hour +really good benefits. i know i could easily land the job. but do i really want to have that stressful of a job? i also wonder if the fact that i get so annoyed with people just putting thrifty classified ads in the paper will only be worse if i'm trying to respond to distraught people in emergency situations? or would it be totally different? i think the thing that i hate most about doing classifieds is it's slow paced and repetitive. 9-1-1 calls seem like they'd be the exact opposite. it's 4 10 hr. shifts, but they expect you to work weekends sometimes, and evenings. right now i'm working 8:30-5:30 weekdays. it's been okay, it kind of makes me feel like an old person working those hours, but at least they're really steady. i'd hate to work weekends.
what do you guys think? is a 9-1-1 dispatcher job too stressful? does it seem like a dead end job? i'm going to some informational meeting tomorrow evening... have any of you guys ever done this job?
i've been working at the local newspaper here for almost 2 years. i like my co-workers and it's a really good company to work for. i have good benefits... the pay is OKAY for someone my age. i get paid a little over $11/hour +commission. on a good month i make $500-$600 extra per month on commission (after taxes), bad months (such as february... bleh) i make about $250 after taxes. all in all, i'm really not making as much as i'd like to. but there is room to grow in the company, my managers are awesome, and like i said, it's a really good company to work for. the turnover here is almost non-existent and people stay here for 20-30 years.
the job itself... i'm an advertising sales assistant. the best way to explain it is that i'm the "jack (or jill...) of all trades" for the advertising dept. i have the least seniority out of the 4 sales assistants, so most of what i've been doing is covering desks and filling in for sales reps who are out sick or on vacation. this is where the really shitty part of my job comes in... every couple weeks or so, i'll end up filling in for a sales rep. who only does classified private party advertising, i.e. "$3 for 3 lines for 3 days!" the kind of ads where people sell their washer/dryers, old lawnmowers, crap that's been sitting in their garage.
these people are extremely difficult to deal with. think about it like this, these are the people who are either TOO OLD, or TOO STUPID, to realize they can just put this shit on craigslist.com and not pay a dime, so they actually PAY to put it in the newspaper. plus, these are the people who are such frick'n tightwads that they'd rather sit on the phone with you for half an hour trying to cut an ad down from 4 lines to 3 lines just so they can save $2.
then they want you to "bill" the ad to them. when you try to explain to them that they have to actually pay for it with a debit card they get all confused and angry. mostly, it's just REPETITIVE. you say the same thing over and over and over again. at the end of the day, i just want to rip my frick'n hair out. the worst part about it... i make hardly any commission on this crap. i'm paid commission by the line, so while i'm spending 30 mins. with ONE person trying to whittle their ad down to 3 lines so they can save $2, i'm making about .15 cents commission off this dumb ass.okay, so that was really long... bear with me please. recently, a family friend told me the police dept. is hiring for 9-1-1 call dispatchers. they start you out at $16.50/hour +really good benefits. i know i could easily land the job. but do i really want to have that stressful of a job? i also wonder if the fact that i get so annoyed with people just putting thrifty classified ads in the paper will only be worse if i'm trying to respond to distraught people in emergency situations? or would it be totally different? i think the thing that i hate most about doing classifieds is it's slow paced and repetitive. 9-1-1 calls seem like they'd be the exact opposite. it's 4 10 hr. shifts, but they expect you to work weekends sometimes, and evenings. right now i'm working 8:30-5:30 weekdays. it's been okay, it kind of makes me feel like an old person working those hours, but at least they're really steady. i'd hate to work weekends.
what do you guys think? is a 9-1-1 dispatcher job too stressful? does it seem like a dead end job? i'm going to some informational meeting tomorrow evening... have any of you guys ever done this job?
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From: Connecticut
I've known one police and one 9-1-1 dispatcher in my life, both of which were trying to get into the police academy. I wouldn't call it a dead end job if you were interested in moving to another job in criminal justice.
I also would not think this job would be the complete opposite of what you are currently dealing with. I imagine a majority of calls to 9-1-1 are not emergency related and will probably get repetitive. 9-1-1 is now basically the phone number for all 'emergency' services. Fender bender? 9-1-1. Neighbor being too loud? 9-1-1. catch my drift?
I also would not think this job would be the complete opposite of what you are currently dealing with. I imagine a majority of calls to 9-1-1 are not emergency related and will probably get repetitive. 9-1-1 is now basically the phone number for all 'emergency' services. Fender bender? 9-1-1. Neighbor being too loud? 9-1-1. catch my drift?
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: MAHT-O-MEDI
For the most part, it won't be that stressful because it is not like emergency calls come in every second. Most of it is routine stuff. Once in a while you will have to be on your toes, and there will be a supervisor present until you get up to speed.
The downside is, for most new people means wierd hours. Someone needs to staff the phone 24/7.
The pay is much better than you are making now it sounds like.
WOrking for a good company and liking who you work with are very important, but at the end of the day, everyone around you would pick up and leave if given a good opportunity to advance. The dispatcher job probably does not have promotional opportunities, but do you have them now? At the very least, it is more money until you figure out what you really want to do.
Give it some thought. If it is $16.50 to start, it probably goes into the mid $20 range which would be mid forties per year with beneifts. If you do not have a degree, that is a lot better than some other things. And you would have training that would be marketable in any area of the country if you decide to pack up and go somewhere.
A friends wife does the dispatching thing, and she likes it but gets an overnight shift quite regularly.
Good luck with your decision. Maybe if it is late night hours to start with you could keep the current gig part time until you see how you like it. But you probably can't post to the board on the job at the 911 place.
The downside is, for most new people means wierd hours. Someone needs to staff the phone 24/7.
The pay is much better than you are making now it sounds like.
WOrking for a good company and liking who you work with are very important, but at the end of the day, everyone around you would pick up and leave if given a good opportunity to advance. The dispatcher job probably does not have promotional opportunities, but do you have them now? At the very least, it is more money until you figure out what you really want to do.
Give it some thought. If it is $16.50 to start, it probably goes into the mid $20 range which would be mid forties per year with beneifts. If you do not have a degree, that is a lot better than some other things. And you would have training that would be marketable in any area of the country if you decide to pack up and go somewhere.
A friends wife does the dispatching thing, and she likes it but gets an overnight shift quite regularly.
Good luck with your decision. Maybe if it is late night hours to start with you could keep the current gig part time until you see how you like it. But you probably can't post to the board on the job at the 911 place.
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 17,288
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From: Nashville
holy shit you have big posts.... can you put that in summary form? Cliff notes? something....i didn't bring my medication to work with me so i cannot stay focused...
if you are a 911 dispater, I am gonig to find some reason to have an emergency and call you..
(this is where I normally insert a picture of your ass)
if you are a 911 dispater, I am gonig to find some reason to have an emergency and call you..
(this is where I normally insert a picture of your ass)
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Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Albuquerque, NM
Originally Posted by Scot,Feb 5 2007, 01:50 PM
holy shit you have big posts.... can you put that in summary form? Cliff notes? something....i didn't bring my medication to work with me so i cannot stay focused...
if you are a 911 dispater, I am gonig to find some reason to have an emergency and call you..
(this is where I normally insert a picture of your ass)
if you are a 911 dispater, I am gonig to find some reason to have an emergency and call you..
(this is where I normally insert a picture of your ass)
to tell you the truth i would stay where your at. working all day long on the phones suck! thats why they pay that much is it really worth all the money for all the stress that comes along with it?
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From: Erock's my boat!
Originally Posted by C_Unit,Feb 5 2007, 03:29 PM
okay, so here's my situation...
i've been working at the local newspaper here for almost 2 years. i like my co-workers and it's a really good company to work for. i have good benefits... the pay is OKAY for someone my age. i get paid a little over $11/hour +commission. on a good month i make $500-$600 extra per month on commission (after taxes), bad months (such as february... bleh) i make about $250 after taxes. all in all, i'm really not making as much as i'd like to. but there is room to grow in the company, my managers are awesome, and like i said, it's a really good company to work for. the turnover here is almost non-existent and people stay here for 20-30 years.
the job itself... i'm an advertising sales assistant. the best way to explain it is that i'm the "jack (or jill...) of all trades" for the advertising dept. i have the least seniority out of the 4 sales assistants, so most of what i've been doing is covering desks and filling in for sales reps who are out sick or on vacation. this is where the really shitty part of my job comes in... every couple weeks or so, i'll end up filling in for a sales rep. who only does classified private party advertising, i.e. "$3 for 3 lines for 3 days!" the kind of ads where people sell their washer/dryers, old lawnmowers, crap that's been sitting in their garage.
these people are extremely difficult to deal with. think about it like this, these are the people who are either TOO OLD, or TOO STUPID, to realize they can just put this shit on craigslist.com and not pay a dime, so they actually PAY to put it in the newspaper. plus, these are the people who are such frick'n tightwads that they'd rather sit on the phone with you for half an hour trying to cut an ad down from 4 lines to 3 lines just so they can save $2. then they want you to "bill" the ad to them. when you try to explain to them that they have to actually pay for it with a debit card they get all confused and angry. mostly, it's just REPETITIVE. you say the same thing over and over and over again. at the end of the day, i just want to rip my frick'n hair out. the worst part about it... i make hardly any commission on this crap. i'm paid commission by the line, so while i'm spending 30 mins. with ONE person trying to whittle their ad down to 3 lines so they can save $2, i'm making about .15 cents commission off this dumb ass.
okay, so that was really long... bear with me please. recently, a family friend told me the police dept. is hiring for 9-1-1 call dispatchers. they start you out at $16.50/hour +really good benefits. i know i could easily land the job. but do i really want to have that stressful of a job? i also wonder if the fact that i get so annoyed with people just putting thrifty classified ads in the paper will only be worse if i'm trying to respond to distraught people in emergency situations? or would it be totally different? i think the thing that i hate most about doing classifieds is it's slow paced and repetitive. 9-1-1 calls seem like they'd be the exact opposite. it's 4 10 hr. shifts, but they expect you to work weekends sometimes, and evenings. right now i'm working 8:30-5:30 weekdays. it's been okay, it kind of makes me feel like an old person working those hours, but at least they're really steady. i'd hate to work weekends.
what do you guys think? is a 9-1-1 dispatcher job too stressful? does it seem like a dead end job? i'm going to some informational meeting tomorrow evening... have any of you guys ever done this job?
i've been working at the local newspaper here for almost 2 years. i like my co-workers and it's a really good company to work for. i have good benefits... the pay is OKAY for someone my age. i get paid a little over $11/hour +commission. on a good month i make $500-$600 extra per month on commission (after taxes), bad months (such as february... bleh) i make about $250 after taxes. all in all, i'm really not making as much as i'd like to. but there is room to grow in the company, my managers are awesome, and like i said, it's a really good company to work for. the turnover here is almost non-existent and people stay here for 20-30 years.
the job itself... i'm an advertising sales assistant. the best way to explain it is that i'm the "jack (or jill...) of all trades" for the advertising dept. i have the least seniority out of the 4 sales assistants, so most of what i've been doing is covering desks and filling in for sales reps who are out sick or on vacation. this is where the really shitty part of my job comes in... every couple weeks or so, i'll end up filling in for a sales rep. who only does classified private party advertising, i.e. "$3 for 3 lines for 3 days!" the kind of ads where people sell their washer/dryers, old lawnmowers, crap that's been sitting in their garage.
these people are extremely difficult to deal with. think about it like this, these are the people who are either TOO OLD, or TOO STUPID, to realize they can just put this shit on craigslist.com and not pay a dime, so they actually PAY to put it in the newspaper. plus, these are the people who are such frick'n tightwads that they'd rather sit on the phone with you for half an hour trying to cut an ad down from 4 lines to 3 lines just so they can save $2.
then they want you to "bill" the ad to them. when you try to explain to them that they have to actually pay for it with a debit card they get all confused and angry. mostly, it's just REPETITIVE. you say the same thing over and over and over again. at the end of the day, i just want to rip my frick'n hair out. the worst part about it... i make hardly any commission on this crap. i'm paid commission by the line, so while i'm spending 30 mins. with ONE person trying to whittle their ad down to 3 lines so they can save $2, i'm making about .15 cents commission off this dumb ass.okay, so that was really long... bear with me please. recently, a family friend told me the police dept. is hiring for 9-1-1 call dispatchers. they start you out at $16.50/hour +really good benefits. i know i could easily land the job. but do i really want to have that stressful of a job? i also wonder if the fact that i get so annoyed with people just putting thrifty classified ads in the paper will only be worse if i'm trying to respond to distraught people in emergency situations? or would it be totally different? i think the thing that i hate most about doing classifieds is it's slow paced and repetitive. 9-1-1 calls seem like they'd be the exact opposite. it's 4 10 hr. shifts, but they expect you to work weekends sometimes, and evenings. right now i'm working 8:30-5:30 weekdays. it's been okay, it kind of makes me feel like an old person working those hours, but at least they're really steady. i'd hate to work weekends.
what do you guys think? is a 9-1-1 dispatcher job too stressful? does it seem like a dead end job? i'm going to some informational meeting tomorrow evening... have any of you guys ever done this job?
are you not able to find some kind of employment within your "field"?
based on your post, it seems like the telephone is your biggest pet-peeve (not so much what's being said on the phone).....
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From: Eugene, OR
sorry! i didn't know how to shorten it up... i talk a lot. it's a character flaw.
JanNov... i think you missed my point of why i hate my job. every couple weeks or so i have to be on the phone all day anyway with a bunch of idiots who are too dense to figure out craigslist.com. so i don't really mind being on the phone soo much, just the people i have to speak with.
JanNov... i think you missed my point of why i hate my job. every couple weeks or so i have to be on the phone all day anyway with a bunch of idiots who are too dense to figure out craigslist.com. so i don't really mind being on the phone soo much, just the people i have to speak with.
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From: Albuquerque, NM
Originally Posted by C_Unit,Feb 5 2007, 02:08 PM
sorry! i didn't know how to shorten it up... i talk a lot. it's a character flaw.
JanNov... i think you missed my point of why i hate my job. every couple weeks or so i have to be on the phone all day anyway with a bunch of idiots who are too dense to figure out craigslist.com. so i don't really mind being on the phone soo much, just the people i have to speak with.
JanNov... i think you missed my point of why i hate my job. every couple weeks or so i have to be on the phone all day anyway with a bunch of idiots who are too dense to figure out craigslist.com. so i don't really mind being on the phone soo much, just the people i have to speak with.
well had i mean you have to think of it was what kind of oppurtunites (sp) they have to offer and how can you move up in the company
im sure the managers must get paid decent since they start off at 16.50 but ya thats a tough move expecially if you have been somewhere long enough. have they ever talked to you about moving up soon?