The Roadside Service Call

The Basics of a Roadside Call

Here is some basic information about placing a Roadside Service Call.

If you are in an accident or in a dangerous location on the road CALL 911
Make sure you have the correct local area phone number
( Carry the membership card and enter the membership number & local number in the “contacts area” on your cell phone )
Take a couple of minutes to locate a local address and if a tow is necessary obtain the address of the destination location.
Some companies have apps you can down load.
( This should be done prior, don’t try to use a new system at this critical time )
( Choose to talk to person in the Road Side Services department
Make the call, you will be talking to a Roadside Service Representative who will be entering all of the important information about your call.

When the call is finished the Roadside Service Representative will pass your Work Order on to the truck dispatchers.
( This will take a few minutes so don’t expect an immediate ETA to be given )
How long do to service calls take? Plan on at least 60 to 90 minutes
( If the truck can make it earlier GREAT but, don’t plan on it. )
A service company will have an office address but the trucks are not there, they are in the field preforming service calls.
Roadside Service Companies will dispatch the closest truck that is capable of helping you with your particular needs.
There are light duty (Pickup Trucks that handle flat tires and battery problems )
There are specialty tow trucks for cars that have transmission problems or the car is stuck in park
There are several sizes of Flat Bed ( Roll Back ) trucks
There are heavy duty tow trucks for large vehicles and road trips

So a Roadside Service Company could have a truck near by but it’s the wrong truck for your needs.

Anticipating Service Arrival

Roadside Service consumers have to have a REALISTIC EXPECTATION for arrival times. Times have changed and just the shear volume of everyday traffic impedes the travel commuters and the performance of service vehicles. The service vehicles heavier and slower.
Service people realize it’s very stressful to breakdown. It’s dangerous, time consuming and expensive.
There is a trade off, some private companies have a much shorter response time but the Rates are much higher.

Here are some facts about service call response times:

Everyone expects service quickly ( Some Expect 15 to 20 Minutes )
Everyone believes their situation is more important that others
( Some Are – Interstate calls, Kids and Pets Locked in the car and medical )
There are not as many Roadside personnel in rural areas

The fact is your car has broken down and it’s one of those life events we all endure.
It’s and interruption to your day and we all have to adjust to the situation.
Learn and Be Prepared is the fastest way to deal with car breakdowns