This is the kind of perspective that can’t be trained; it has to be lived. In this next part of our conversation, Amanda shares how her dispatching background helps her advocate for better workspaces, smarter design, and a more human approach to a job that asks everything of its people.
Q: What surprised you most about moving into dispatch furniture sales?
So much! First, how fun it is. I didn’t expect to enjoy selling something tangible this much. With furniture, you get to show people the product, let them touch it, and understand it. That’s incredibly satisfying.
Q: How does your background as a dispatcher shape your work with clients today?
There’s an immediate sense of trust. When I say, “I was a dispatcher,” people respond with, “So you get it.” That familiarity matters. I spent ten years in that seat. This isn’t just sales, it’s personal. I want to offer real solutions to a community that shaped me.
Q: Has your experience affected how you see space design?
During our center’s remodel, I didn’t realize how much hinges on details like equipment sizing, monitor layout, or whether you’re working with a raised floor or power poles. Those choices have a big impact.
Now I get to ask those questions, and for many people, it’s the first time they’ve considered them. Seeing that lightbulb moment is one of the best parts of the job.
You can tell quickly which vendors understand what matters in dispatch: comfort, ergonomics, environmental control, and personalization. When you’re in the chair for 8+ hours, those details aren’t minor.
Q: You've said a console is a dispatcher’s “home.” Can you expand on that?
Dispatchers spend 8+ hours a day at their console. It’s where they take calls they’ll never forget, give directions, repeat call notes for the fifth time, or carry the weight of something someone should never have said.
Walk into any center and you’ll see photos, comfort items, and mementos. These are signs that people are making the space feel safe, personal, and under control. They need it to feel like home.
Q: How does that understanding affect how you talk about product?
It changes everything. I’m not just listing specs, I’m thinking about how a console supports someone on their hardest day. My time in the chair taught me what matters. My role now helps me deliver it.
Q: What’s one feature dispatchers notice that decision-makers sometimes miss?
Work surface space. It might seem small, but it makes a big difference. Even in today’s digital world, dispatchers still need space to write, organize, and spread out. You don’t want them balancing things on their lap or pulling over a side table. A well-sized surface helps them stay comfortable, confident, and ready.
Q: What small detail do people tend to underestimate?
Monitor layout. Getting the sizing and configuration right makes a huge impact. It helps with posture, reduces visual clutter, and makes it easier to focus. At conferences, people always stop at our booth to talk about the monitor setup. They notice the clean lines and how intuitive it feels. It’s one of those design elements that says: we get it.
Q: Is there a moment when you saw a product and thought, “This is it — this is what dispatchers have been waiting for”?
Yes. Apollo! Watson’s newest console design checks every box. When I first saw it during early development, I could already tell we were on the verge of something special. But seeing it out on the floor at conferences confirmed it, it’s everything I wish I had in the chair.
