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  • Pound Sand, Sucky Motor Club

    Okay, look motor club. You have tried 4 times. FOUR TIMES. To give us this call, and each time we have refused to take it.

    You'd think that after twice, you would have given up.

    But how many times do we have to say it?

    The town you are trying to send us to is 75 MILES AWAY.

    All on back-roads.

    It will take a driver 2 and a half hours at best to get there, and then 2 and a half back, he'll essentially burn 80% of his shift on one call that will net us about $10 when the costs of fuel and labor are deducted from your payout to us. We just can't/won't do that.

    Oh yes, we understand that person "really needs" help, but, when someone's drowning at the pool, don't call the Coast Guard, by the time they get there, the person will be as bloated and colorful as a beach ball. Call someone closer, and if you haven't got coverage in that area, well, shame on you. In fact, this could be seen as karma coming home to roost seeing as how often you've put the thumbscrews to us and retroactively refused to pay us for services rendered.

    Yes, you, in an effort no doubt to increase profit margins, will refuse to pay us for anything if we, say, submit paperwork to you on a towed vehicle and don't include the odometer reading. Even if it's a digital one, like just about every car in the last 12 years has, and the owner took off before we got there and didn't leave the keys. Exactly how are we supposed to get mileage then? Or when they wreck hard enough to smash the battery terminals and cut the juice? Doesn't seem to matter to you, no odometer means we don't get paid. Yes, we're aware what the contract stipulations say, but, we physically cannot meet them in these situations. Oh, you don't care? Great.

    Or when you show us that, according to your GPS, if our driver had taken an extra 40 minutes and made an absolutely byzantine amount of lefts and rights through that city instead of taking the freeway around it, he could have shaved .43 miles off the tow distance, so we're not getting paid our tow mileage because we "padded it out"? Have you considered the fact that the big ol' rollback truck DOESN'T FIT through some of those side streets? You might as well ask us to drive through someone's living room, in the front door and out the back? That we aren't keen on taking it down 10% grades in winter so we'll take a longer flatter way around? Or that in at least one occasion, we had to detour, on account of that tipped-over semi that managed to block EVERY SINGLE LANE? Oh, that doesn't matter? No pay for us?

    Should it really be a surprise we aren't willing to bend over backwards for you in return? Looks like your practices have caused every other available tow company in the area to figure out how you work, and they've dropped you like a hot potato, so now you're down to us. Well, Bugger off.

    Why did you keep calling back? Well, I know why, your automated system just brings up the *next* towing company once the current one turns you down and once the options are expended it just wraps around to the beginning, obviously. But really, after two turn-downs, what makes you think the third or fourth will work? We aren't a slot machine, we don't pay out if you just get enough yanks on the handle.

    Unless that town is on a different tectonic plate than us, it ain't gettin' any CLOSER! (in which case, it may be getting FURTHER AWAY). 75 miles is still too far to go when we have local calls that we need to be ready for.

    The cops don't like it when you can't send a truck out to clean wrecks of roads because you sent them out of town, and people who live locally don't LIKE waiting 2 hours for service from a garage 10 miles away because all the trucks have been sent to OTHER CITIES 50 miles away.

    (This actually used to happen frequently under the old owner who accepted EVERYTHING under the annoying credo "Don't step over a quarter on your way to pick up a dollar!" Seemingly unaware that other people were racing FOR the dollar and would beat you to it. He'd even call people in and pay them overtime to drive 150 miles round trip to unlock someone's car, meaning he probably LOST money. Guess he expected to make it up in volume.)

    That has mercifully stopped now that we're under new management, but I feel that's how we got on all these lists that have us as "available" for areas that have different PHONE EXCHANGES, much less zip codes. Yes, I guess it's partially our fault, but the MC's seem to be real slow on the uptake that we aren't doing it anymore.

    And to the person who needed the service. It was a TIRE CHANGE.

    Now, assuming you didn't throw away your owner's manual or that goofy stuff in the trunk you had no idea what it was for, except taking up space for you to stuff it with ceramic dancing bear figurines from that last flea market trip, you had with you EVERYTHING needed to do the tire change yourself.

    If you DID throw that stuff out, then shame on you for calling your motor club and asking for a tire change and not a tow. Because you probably assumed we'd bring a spare with us. We don't do this. I'm willing to be a paycheck that if we had taken this call, we'd have gotten on scene and found out that we'd have to take even LONGER for a tow somewhere even FURTHER away because there was no spare. If I made the rules around here, I would flat-out *bwahahahaha! see whut I did thar?!* refuse to do tire changes and only offer tows to the nearest garage/tire shop. If you want that tire changed, do it yourself, if you cannot/will not, suffer the inconvenient consequences foolish mortal.

    (You may recall I've ranted about this before. Calls for tire changes assume you have a spare, they even ASK you, and if you answer in the affirmative when not sure if you do, or even certain that you don't but assume we psychically know things we don't and will bring our own spare, well, shame on you. Your remains should be fed to hyenas, after being eaten and partially-digested by lions, who ran you down after we finished beating you to a pulp. Yes, I HATE people like this.)

    So, I really don't feel quite as bad for that person in retrospect. Having never met you, I'm certain you could do it in under 4 hours. Yes, they waited 4 hours for service, assuming they got it. The first request for this call came in at 6pm, the last attempt was just after 10pm. So let this be a lesson for you as well, do not become willfully helpless! And I hope your motor club eventually either found someone closer or gave you a generous refund for THEIR willful helplessness.
    - They say nothing good happens at 2AM, they're right, I happen at 2AM.

  • #2
    Is there a motor club you do like and support? That way I can join that one? Also what is the name of this sucky one so I can cancel my subscription if that's the one I have. XD

    Comment


    • #3
      Not going to disclose, because it may not be typical of their service in your area, and most of the problems are on OUR end, not YOUR end, you still get your tow, you just don't see the tow truck driver get the shaft a week later. But, if I had to suggest one, go with the three-lettered one that's been around as long as we've had cars. They know what they're doing.

      Generally, try to avoid anyone who outsources the call-centers to other countries. A person half-a-world away relying on frequently out-of-date google maps isn't a good way to find a "close" service. Especially when they really don't have an idea how flippin' BIG the N. American continent is.

      I think they've finally wised up, but one MC went that route, and within days of going overseas, we started getting calls for help in New York and one in CHICAGO. We are in CENTRAL PENNSYVLANIA!

      Or the ones who don't realize that there are repeating city names in this country.....

      "Yes, customer... need .... help.... is...at... airport... in Podunk"

      "Uh, Podunk? Podunk Pennsylvania doesn't have a TRAFFIC LIGHT, much less an airport"

      "Traffic light? No... they are AT AIRPORT!"

      "Uh, they may be at an airport, but they aren't in Podunk"

      "YEs! PODUNK AIRPORT! WHY YOU REFUSING TO HELP?!"

      *click*
      Last edited by Argabarga; 12-27-2013, 05:25 PM.
      - They say nothing good happens at 2AM, they're right, I happen at 2AM.

      Comment


      • #4
        Boy, sounds like this auto club is going to be answering to it's members and soon!

        Quoth Argabarga View Post
        Now, assuming you didn't throw away your owner's manual or that goofy stuff in the trunk you had no idea what it was for, except taking up space for you to stuff it with ceramic dancing bear figurines from that last flea market trip, you had with you EVERYTHING needed to do the tire change yourself.
        There's one case I would give the owner a pass on. I can change my own tire except when the last idiots who changed my tires ignored my explicit instructions and used an _air hammer_ to put the lug nuts back on. When they do that my short tire iron can't get nearly enough torque to get the @#$*#&^$ things off and I'm pretty much screwed...

        And yes, I made them pay for my tow...

        Comment


        • #5
          Quoth eltf177 View Post
          There's one case I would give the owner a pass on. I can change my own tire except when the last idiots who changed my tires ignored my explicit instructions and used an _air hammer_ to put the lug nuts back on. When they do that my short tire iron can't get nearly enough torque to get the @#$*#&^$ things off and I'm pretty much screwed...

          And yes, I made them pay for my tow...
          I've had the similar problem of simply being unable to budge the lugnuts. I'm a small person, and if putting my entire body weight on the tire iron won't turn them (I literally stood on it once), I'm SOL.

          Comment


          • #6
            Quoth eltf177 View Post
            Boy, sounds like this auto club is going to be answering to it's members and soon!



            There's one case I would give the owner a pass on. I can change my own tire except when the last idiots who changed my tires ignored my explicit instructions and used an _air hammer_ to put the lug nuts back on. When they do that my short tire iron can't get nearly enough torque to get the @#$*#&^$ things off and I'm pretty much screwed...

            And yes, I made them pay for my tow...
            my current car doesn't even HAVE a spare... but it does have runflat tires. better believe i'll be going back to regular tires and getting a kit with a spare wheel once these tires are done.

            also, air tools are for REMOVAL only (some exceptions can be made for suspension pieces that require a higher torque spec than most wrenches can achieve).

            Comment


            • #7
              Quoth manybellsdown View Post
              I've had the similar problem of simply being unable to budge the lugnuts. I'm a small person, and if putting my entire body weight on the tire iron won't turn them (I literally stood on it once), I'm SOL.
              I once changed a tire where one of the lug nuts had frozen. Luckily I'm a fairly burly guy and just kept twisting the nut until the wheel lug itself broke off. But I can also see people who drive vehicles being physically unable to change a tire.

              You mentioned you recommended the three-identical-letter car club (who I'm a member of). I wanted to know if you had any opinion of the "good" auto club, the one who tries to tie in with RVs?

              Comment


              • #8
                Quoth Argabarga View Post
                you had with you EVERYTHING needed to do the tire change yourself.
                Out of curiosity, would the tow truck be usable in place of the jack as a way to lift up the car? I've wondered about that due to seeing towing companies advertise tire changes (and jump starts and lockout service).

                Comment


                • #9
                  You know, every time you mention a town named Podunk, I'm constantly reminded of one of my favorite SNES games.
                  To right the countless wrongs of our days... We shine this light of true redemption, that this place may become as paradise...Oh, what a wonderful world such would be...

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Secret of Evermore was awesome

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Our insurance company kept insisting that we try to change the shredded tire on the van even though we told them that we couldn't get the spare off (that's UNDER the van) and my hubby can't slide under with the whole six inch clearance because we were on a soft shoulder so there was no way he could wrench the spare off. Eventually we did convince them to send a flatbed out to get us. The tow truck drivers were totally awesome on the other hand. They drove us to a hotel next to a Wally World so we were able to get the van in the next day and get all the tires changed.
                      Figers are vicious I tell ya. They crawl up your leg and steal your belly button lint.

                      I'm a case study.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I can understand waiting for a tow truck to change the tire if you are physically unable to change it yourself. If you're mentally unable, you shouldn't be driving. But if you have people in the car who can change the tire, LET THEM!

                        A few years ago, we spent 30 minutes arguing with the hub's mom while waiting for a tow truck to change the tire, because she insisted* that her auto club had to do it. Her reasoning was that we'd get dirty doing it ourselves and... yeah. At the 30 minutes mark with one 4 year old whining and one 76 year old tantruming (the 4 year old was hungry) that we got out of the car and between the hubs and I had the tire changed in 10 minutes. Most of that was spent looking in the owner's manual for the jack's hidey hole.

                        From what I understood, after we got it changed, she cancelled the call and we'd parted ways, she called the auto club back and chewed them out because her "precious children" had to change the tire because their towing company didn't show up in a timely manner! *headdesk*

                        *This woman's idea of "insisting" was usually a tantrum. Everything had to be her way and if it wasn't, there was hell to pay. We hated dealing with her, but unfortunately, she was still family....
                        If I make no sense, I apologize. I'm constantly interrupted by an actual toddler.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Quoth eltf177 View Post
                          There's one case I would give the owner a pass on. I can change my own tire except when the last idiots who changed my tires ignored my explicit instructions and used an _air hammer_ to put the lug nuts back on. When they do that my short tire iron can't get nearly enough torque to get the @#$*#&^$ things off and I'm pretty much screwed...

                          And yes, I made them pay for my tow...
                          I'll have to keep that in mind next time I blow a tire. I give this instruction when I get my tires rotated. Even with a four prong lug wrench (I'm sure there's an official name for it, but I have no idea what it is) I simply am not strong enough to get the torque to remove a lug nut that's been airhammered on.

                          Otherwise I can change a tire in a jiffy and have done so more than once. But yeah, it is dirty and nasty. I ruined a set of scrubs doing that once . . . unfortunately on my way TO work
                          They say that God only gives us what we can handle. Apparently, God thinks I'm a bad ass.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Lol, I would need help changing a tire. Of course I would also tell them to tell the truck driver that I am handicapped and thus need assistance. And that would only be if I couldnt get ahold of my daughter or her hubby. If I get one of them, and they can;t come, they would send one of his dozens of relatives to do it for me. he's a mechanic. most of the men in his family either fix their own cars, or fix their own homes.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Quoth manybellsdown View Post
                              I've had the similar problem of simply being unable to budge the lugnuts. I'm a small person, and if putting my entire body weight on the tire iron won't turn them (I literally stood on it once), I'm SOL.
                              Next time, try WD-40...worked like a champ when I had that happen.

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