How to Choose a Towing Company - First Don't Panic It Is Not The End Of The World |
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Chad Eisenhart
March 9, 2013
My car is "broken" what should I do? The first thing to do is mentally go to your "happy place" and realize Armageddon is not here. The Bible describes Armageddon as the final battle at the end of the world between the forces of good and evil. Yes, you are facing a few challenges some good and well…some not so good, but this definitely is not the final battle.
Your first challenge is to find a quality towing company. Unfortunately, like most industries, the towing industry has entities that practice less than desirable business practices. However, great towing companies do exist, so let's go find one! The first source to help you identify a quality towing company should be your mechanic. By working backwards from your ultimate goal of having your car back on the road, the challenge of finding a towing company can become much easier. You will be entrusting the mechanic to make sound decisions while fixing your vehicle, so why not start the process by asking for a towing company recommendation.
"Birds of a feather flock together" or in other words, most reputable garages have long standing relationships with reputable towing companies. Also, your garage may have an account with the towing company and your towing charges can be placed on the repair bill for your vehicle. So, give your trusted neighborhood mechanic a call and ask for a recommendation. Your favorite internet search engine is another resource that can help you find a quality towing company. Once you search towing in your hometown, do not make the mistake of just calling the first company listed. Look closely at a hand full of websites and your decision should become easier. Look to see what garages the towing company associates itself with. Also, does the website show the companies' actual equipment or are "stock" photos being used? Go with the company showing actual trucks that are well-maintained and have a professional appearance.
Towing companies may tow for motor clubs, however in most cases this is not a definitive sign of ensured quality. In fact, most all towing companies perform some work for motor clubs. Once you judge the overall quality of the various information presented on the sites, you should be able to identify the towing company to entrust your vehicle with. Some may say a call to their motor club should be the first call, however I beg to differ. I just would not suggest it be your first call. Once you have talked with your mechanic and reviewed some websites, you can make the call to the motor club as an informed customer.
What do I mean? Most motor clubs place a high-premium on customer service, so they will try to accommodate your wishes. Simply ask the motor club to dispatch the towing company your mechanic suggested or you identified through website reviews. In the event your towing company of choice is not part of your motor club network, ask for the names of companies in the network and see if a name is familiar from your website reviews.
Lastly, do not accept an extended estimated time of arrival (i.e., several hours) before a motor club tow truck will arrive. When a good motor club cannot provide a truck within a reasonable time frame, the motor club may reimburse you for charges incurred using a towing company not in the club network. So remember, your mechanic and favorite search engine are two resources to help you on your way to choosing a quality towing company. Also, be informed before you call the motor club and remember the motor clubs are there to serve you, not make you wait an unreasonable amount of time before your vehicle can be repaired.