DispatcherDame's Diatribes

"Your call is very important to us..."

11/23/2014

2 Comments

 
First public complaint that was lodged against me was unfounded, and nothing happened. But I thought it was hilarious.

Dear, sweet citizen called in a non-injury traffic collision, where Party 1 and Party 2 pulled into a parking lot and exchanged information for the paint transfer that had happened. I took the call, told them the normal spiel - An officer will respond out when possible, but takes calls in order of priority, so he may be extended, blah blah blah. Citizen acknowledges, and hangs up.

Unlike other departments, mine takes these reports unless it's a super busy day or there's something huge going on.

Dear, sweet citizen calls innate even 5 minutes later demanding that the officer needs to get there now, and the citizen advises he has places to be, he pays my salary, don't I know who he is, this is what's wrong with society, all laced with very colorful language. I calmly listen to his rants, and advise him of the same sentiment I previously expressed - An officer will respond out when possible, but takes calls in order of priority, so he may be extended - and that he will just have to wait patiently for the officer. He continues ranting about something (honestly, I put him on mute and was half listening) for another minute. I tell him in my normal voice that my officer hasn't quite figured out teleportation, so he'll have to wait until he gets there, but in the meantime, I have *real* 911 calls to answer, so if he wants further discussion, he can call back on a non-emergency line. He asked for my badge number (gasp! oh no! I'm so scared! /s), which I advise him I don't have a *badge* number, but my ID number is this, and I drop line him (send him to a recording about how his call has been deemed a non-emergency and so on).


He didn't like that very much. He did call back on a non-emergency line, asked for my supervisor to lodge a formal complaint. Meanwhile, my unit goes 97 with him while he's on the line with the supe, and tells the officer he doesn't want a report, he's doing something more important now. The supe tells him he will look into it, and will take appropriate action.

What was that appropriate action you ask? He came out to the floor and gave me a high-five.
2 Comments
Officer Cynical link
11/28/2014 01:10:00 am

I, or one of my dispatchers, could have written exactly the same post. I guess it's the same all over. "I want it and I want it now. Emergency? What's that???"

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DispatcherDame
11/28/2014 01:15:31 am

For how different the whole nation is, one thing remains the same. There's always the select few that will complain even when everything is done exactly right due to entitlement.

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    A twenty-something dispatcher taking 911 calls, yapping on the radio, and dealing with the general public - with a mad case of headset hair. Not quite so jaded yet, but not naive as I once was. Losing my soul one call at a time.

    This reflects my views and not the view of my employer, etc.  If you have a problem with this, I suggest using the back button.

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