Dealing with unexpected car troubles on the road is not a fun experience to say the least. What’s worse, breakdowns usually happen at the worst possible time.
On these occasions it’s a good idea to call a reliable, trustworthy towing service that can quickly help you get back on your way. While it’s easy to simply call the first towing company on the web, it quite literally pays to take a moment or two to think about questions to ask prior to the call.
The goal is to connect with a qualified service provider that can help you out of your jam in the fastest, most affordable way possible. Below, we will be going over some of the key questions to ask the towing service on the other end of the line.
Reputation
Before calling anyone, take a few minutes to research the reputation of service providers in the area.
Finding a towing service with a stellar reputation within the marketplace is going to set you up to have a much better experience than if you were to hire one that has a spotty reputation. Take care to avoid any companies that have been reported for scams.
You should be able to find this information easily by searching online to see what people are saying about the towing service that you are considering. You can visit various review websites to find the best option.
Service Cost
Obviously one of the key things that you want to consider prior to hiring one would be the cost of the service, but make sure the company is absolutely clear on the call about what their rates are, as well as any additional costs you may be expected to pay. Are their any taxes involved with the final charge?
Once a price has been agreed to, take at your credit card benefits to see whether or not you have a benefit for roadside assistance and towing services. That way, you can minimize the amount of money that you can expect to pay out of pocket for the service.
If you have no way of reducing the total amount that you will have to spend, you will need to factor in the service cost to find the best value.
Availability
You also want to consider the towing services available to ensure that you are going to get prompt service when you need it.
After all, you don’t want to hire a tow truck for service that is going to force you to wait for extended periods of time due to a lack of availability.
Territory Coverage
Closely linked to “Availability”, you need to be certain that they are going to be offering you the right territory coverage that will meet your needs. If they are operating outside of their “home base”, they may not be able to give you feedback on reputable auto service or repair shops in the area.
Insurance
You want to be certain that you are hiring a towing service that has the appropriate insurance and that they are going to be able and willing to offer compensation for any damages that might occur during the process of transporting your vehicle. This is very important unless you want to be liable for any potential damages that occur from the moment your vehicle is picked up to the moment it is dropped off at the shop.
Bottom Line
Overall, there is a lot that you want to think about when you are trying to identify the right towing service to hire. Hiring a tow service can be a difficult process given the heightened levels of stress you will be dealing with at the moment.
Therefore, take your time to research your options and you should be able to identify the right one to hire for the job.
Always look at your credit card benefits and any other memberships you might have that can reduce the price of the towing service. That way, you can leverage the existing benefits that you have to find a good and affordable towing service.