5 Ways Super Heroes Use Hotline Providers

Over the past year and a half, many people used their time at home to start a new hobby or learn a new trade. Me? I saw an opportunity to potentially turn 50+ hours of movie watching into a blog post. To that end, I spent my time getting entangled in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At night, I’d binge watch until my eyes dried out, and during the days I’d google whatever I could about these characters and their storylines. Nerd alert and work tie-in (thank you work at home): I couldn’t help but wonder how much more successful the Avengers would be if they utilized a multi-faceted superhero hotline that can help with emergency dispatching and scheduling service repairs for civilians, among others. Here are 5 ways super heroes can use hotline services:

#1. Insurance Claims & Appointment Scheduling Hotline

When The Avengers get involved in fighting crime, property usually gets destroyed (we’re looking at you, Hulk). Designating a central hotline channel for processing insurance claims due to property damage is a great way for citizens to get the assistance they need, while maintaining a positive relationship between civilians and the heroes doing the dirty work. After customers finish having their insurance claims processed, they can call or be transferred to an appointment scheduling hotline to schedule their service repairs. Here are some examples of mega fighting scenes and the damage that ensued:

• The Avengers: New York City was severely damaged after Loki opened a portal that allowed the Chitauri to run rampant in exchange for the Tesseract.
• The Avengers Age of Ultron: After Tony Stark creates Ultron, a global defense program that turns against the team, the whole country of Sokovia gets demolished.
• Captain America Civil War: Wanda Maximoff telekinetically deflects a biological weapon into a building, totally destroying it.

#2. Tip Hotline

If you’ve traveled using any sort of public transportation, you’ve probably seen the  “see something, say something” signs plastered about, encouraging passengers to report any suspicious activity they may see on the subway, train station, airport, etc. For citizens who spot a mischievous looking Loki, or happen to stumble upon a mysterious looking gemstone, they can call the tip hotline to report their findings. Below are some of the tip lines for the areas where The Avengers have been spotted:

• Los Angeles, California: Home of the Stark Industries HQ. The Los Angeles Crime Stoppers Tip Line is (800) 222-TIPS
• Santa Fe, New Mexico: Thor lands after being banished from Asgard by his father. The Santa Fe Crime Stoppers Tip Line is (505) 955-5050
• New York: In addition to fighting in New York City, The Avengers have been spotted throughout many of the boroughs of New York including Manhattan and Brooklyn. The New York Crime Stoppers Tip Line is (800) 577-TIPS
• Washington DC: Home of the National Mall, where Captain America and Black Widow were in hiding. The Washington DC Anonymous Tip Line is (202) 727-9099.
• Willowdale, Virginia: Bruce Banner works at Culver University studying nuclear physics and gamma radiation. The Virginia Crime Stoppers Tip Line is (888) Lock-U-Up
• Missouri: Where Peter Quill was born. The Missouri Crime Stoppers Tip Line is (417) 869-TIPS
• Inglewood, California: Where Tony Stark was spotted at Randy’s Donuts. The Inglewood Anonymous Crime Line is (888) 41-CRIME

#3. Employee Call Out Hotline

Everyone needs a day off here and there, even super heroes. With an employee absentee line, call out requests are streamlined through one communication channel, and supervisors are able to be notified immediately. Absence reporting can also be combined with a substitute calling system. When one employee calls out, the next staff member on your roster can be contacted to fill in, which ensures there’s always someone to cover. Here are some reasons the Avengers crew may need to call out:

• Vision – Has a throbbing headache that he can’t seem to get rid of.
• Bruce Banner – Currently having an existential identity crisis.
• Thor – Needs to visit the ophthalmologist to have a glass eye fitting.
• Scott Lang – Dealing with an ant infestation.

#4. Emergency Hotline

Calling 911 when you have an emergency is an already established form of  communication in the United States. However, the police and other first responders have enough on their plate without throwing evil masterminds like Thanos or the Dark Elves into the mix. When it comes to emergencies of the earth-saving kind, having a streamlined channel to call out to the big guns is crucial. A solid emergency hotline would include:

• 24/7 Coverage: Emergencies can happen any time of day, any day of the year, which means a super hero hotline needs to be available 24/7/365. Emergencies take no days off, and neither does the emergency hotline.
• Automatic reach on-call dispatching: When it comes to emergencies, there is no room for error. With automated dispatching, urgent messages can get delivered instantly to on-call staff the moment the call ends.
• Emergency call screening: Not every emergency will require the whole Avengers squad. Setting up an emergency screening hotline can help determine how many team members need to be dispatched. For example, a level 1 emergency could dispatch 1 Avenger, a level 2 emergency could dispatch 3 Avengers, and a level 3 emergency  could dispatch the whole squad.

#5. Whistleblower Hotline

Every work place has it’s share of drama and animosity, and the same goes for The Avengers. Coworkers butt heads, personalities clash, and sometimes they just need a place they can go to vent about their problems. Whistleblower hotlines offer employees a safe place to talk about their issues, either anonymously or not, which will make them more inclined to stick around and perform better. And without the fear of retaliation, employees are more likely to report wrongdoing sooner, creating a safer workplace for everyone. Here are a few whistleblower hotlines the Avengers could have used:

• Human Resources: Peter Quill and Thor had a power struggle over who’s the real captain of Quill’s ship.
• DOD: Tony Stark and Steve Rogers fought over the Sokovia Accords leading to the Avengers’ Civil War.
• OSHA: Tony Stark recruited an underage Spiderman to fight in the aforementioned Civil War.