Would appreciate any thoughts from FD on dispatchers in general.
The biggest probiem that dispatchers appear to face is the way services are provided at modern airports. Each and every one is provided by greedy facilities management organisations who cut margins to the bone, pay peanuts and take pride in being under resourced to perform their contractural obligations. Organising this rabble is no easy task.
As for Dispatchers, the majority do a superb job, even when the system tries its hardest to make their job impossible. The best make sure normal turnarounds remain normal by anticipating the things that will slow the process down and will take medial action in a timely fashion. They will also keep you informed as the turnaround progresses.
The crap ones are unable to predict failures, fail to observe them and do nothing when it does. To cap it all, they either don't tell you that the handling it not going as expected or worse, lie about what it happening. These people are in a small minority.
Generally, I find the highest standards of handling in Scandinavia. What sets them apart? Firstly, the stations charge three to four times of what we pay in the UK. Secondly, the staff enjoy their jobs. Possibiy because they generally perform more than one function which may lead to more job satisfaction. Lastly, I think they are well educated and that allows them to perform better.