How Tara Keeps LEADER Moving
At LEADER, our commitment to providing safe, on-time, and comfortable travel experiences hinges on the seamless coordination of our talented team. Leading that effort is our Dispatch Manager, Tara, whose expertise and passion ensure every ride runs smoothly, whether in Kansas City or across over 600 cities worldwide. In this Q&A, we get to know Tara a bit better—her background, approach to dispatching, and what drives her to deliver exceptional service every day. Let’s dive in!
Q: First, what is your go-to karaoke song when no one’s watching (or even when they are)?
A: WEAK – By SWV
Q: What’s one movie or TV show you could watch over and over without getting tired of it?
A: Seinfeld – I can watch runs everyday!
Q: What’s your favorite local Kansas City spot for a bite to eat or to hang out?
A:I have 2! Eddie V’s and Classic Blends Cigar and Coffee Lounge
Q: What made you interested in working in dispatch? What do you enjoy most about it?
A: After working in sales for many years I wanted to switch things up a bit and crossover to operations. Dispatch offers a different type of challenge and sense of accomplishment like completing a complex puzzle with moving pieces. What I enjoy most is that there Is never a dull day. Each day presents its own unique scenario I get to figure out.
Q: How do you describe the job of a Dispatch Manager to your friends?
A: I am responsible for making sure Kansas City’s most influential residents and visitors receive superior on-time transportation service 24/7/365!
Q: In your opinion, what are the most important traits someone in this role should have to help everything run smoothly?
A: In order to be successful in this role you must have great attention to detail, patience, ability to be flexible, able to multitask, excellent communication skills, good time management skills, able to anticipate possible challenges, and the ability to think outside the box. Basically, be a unicorn.
Q: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work? Do any of your hobbies or interests help you in your role as a Dispatch Manager?
A: Ironically, I love traveling and organizing events to create moments and memories with my family and friends. This requires some of the same skills I use as a Dispatch Manager, so it gives me the opportunity to keep my skills sharp by managing the logistics around multiple people schedules, wants and needs.
Q: Punctuality is key for LEADER. How do you plan out trips to make sure everything stays on time, even when things like traffic or weather pop up?
A: I make sure everyone on my team maps the distance between each pickup and drop off point, plan for possible delays unique to each location/venue/passenger, monitor traffic trends, roads closures, etc. As a best practice, scheduling is based on arriving at each pick up 15 minutes before scheduled pickup time. We also take the time to schedule each chauffeur one at a time making sure to allow a minimum of 2 hours between each trip to allow for passenger flexibility and the chauffeur the ability to take add on’s if routing and time permits. There is someone always on duty monitoring “the board” as well. That’s the short answer.
Q: If you could describe your job using only emojis, which ones would you choose?
A: 🧐🤔🤓🤩🥳
Q: If you could give your 10-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
A: Take care of yourself first baby girl and the rest will fall into place!
We hope you enjoyed this fun dive into Tara’s world and gained some insight into what makes her such an incredible Dispatch Manager. Her passion for problem-solving and ensuring seamless transportation service is just one piece of what makes LEADER Worldwide exceptional. Want to learn more about the amazing people behind the scenes? Explore the rest of our team—each member brings their unique expertise to help us provide the best service possible!
