Argabarga, how you deal with road service companies, I have no idea.

[An Haddock]

I'm kinda scared to order where I live now -- I'm in a "rear apartment"/separate building behind another house, but the layout is such that my actual *address* is on Street A, but you can only get to where I am via the connecting sidestreet. Basically, I have to hope that the delivery guy actually reads the note that says "come around the side to the back yard" >_<

Our old apartment was exactly like that. Not only did we have drivers going the next town over because we share zip codes and addresses on the main drag, then I'd have to go through a lengthy explanation that to get to the second floor, they'd have to go down the side street next to us, look for the alley, then go up the rickety metal stairs.

So glad we moved. More space, easier to find, no delivery problems. Only downside is a lack of nearby parking.

[paxillated]

I told this story on one of Arga's threads... my car broke down at Lovely St and Beautiful Drive. (pseudonyms)

The dispatcher was in Big City, where there is an intersection by that name. But I was out in the sticks, about 45 miles south of Big City. I had no cell phone; there was no service out there anyway. I had to walk to the nearest house - three times - to call. Thank God it was "flyover country" where people are nice.

I told the idiot dispatcher no less than 3 times in my first call, and my second call ("Did he go to Lovely st and Beautiful drive in Big City? Yes? Well, I'm 45 MILES SOUTH OF THERE.") On my third call I cancelled, and called home since Hubby would have gotten home by then. Hubby came and got me.

Next morning I called and got a different dispatcher. I told her the story, and the truck got there not too long after we did. Apparently, HER ears were connected to her brain!

I didn't ask, but would bet that Ms. Duh sent a truck from Big City. Their maps wouldn't have included my dirt roads. But Ms "I Listen" sent hers from Suburb Town Closest to Dirt Road, for whom it was only 20 miles or so.

[wagegoth]

A couple of months ago, I got a flat tire. Very bummed, as it had less than 5,000 miles on it, but it was punctured so badly it was dead flat. And then the brand new jack handle was stuck and I couldn't change it. So I called the service that is provided by my cell phone provider.

That was interesting.

First, I was put through to a tow company and the person who answered spoke English as a second language very poorly. He told me he was putting me on hold, and just left me there, and then disconnected. He had sounded pretty frustrated.

I finally got back through to the provider and got a very nice woman with very poor language skills, but she was extremely nice and trying to be helpful, so I literally had to spell my way through my explanation of what had happened. This time they put me through to a different company and got a truck out there in less than half an hour. The guy was able to get the spare on very quickly, and everything went well.

But it took well over an hour from the first time I tried to call until I was put through to the tow company that was willing to show up.

On top of all this, I was in our underground lot, which was locked at that point for the night, so it had to be stressed to the driver exactly where I was, because most of them assume we're in an above-ground multi-level parking garage across the street. When the driver arrived, I had to meet him out front and we had to go around through the building to get down to the garage level I was on.

[jedimaster91]

Yeah, their idea of "clear" leaves a lot to be desired, especially when I get a fax with an address that includes an intersection, with two roads, that don't cross....... yeah, it's all very clear, there's only one little problem with it........ IT DON'T EXIST

Considering my directions on the phone to dispatch was something along the lines of just before <interstate ramp> on <street> across from <fast food joint>, I dunno how they screwed it up so badly. That one was equally as bad as the time I got stranded on <major interstate> within sight of <next exit> on a weekend (so not much traffic, but still enough to where I didn't want to be standing on the shoulder) in the middle of summer (so dangerously hot in a car you can't start) and still it took 2 hours. Makes you wonder why they bother asking if you're in a safe place because some companies will show up when they're darn good and ready to.

Maybe they get crap directions so often they don't know what to do with good ones?

[bhskittykatt]

The tow truck and 911 dispatches here seem to know what's up. I've become good friends with one of the local tow companies. Sometimes it takes a while to get a truck, but that's due to short-staff rather than lost drivers and the dispatch is good about letting me know.

Only thing I saw once that befuddled me a bit was one morning on the paper route where I smelled smoke in a neighborhood full of chimney-less apartment blocks. We discovered a mulch fire in someone's landscaping, called the Fire Department, and waited. The blocks here are laid out very simply, with a 1100, 1200, 1300 blocks and so on. The fire truck, from a station in the same general neighborhood, came down, stopped twice on each block to look at addresses, and just took way too long. Just count the blocks and verify every other block or so. And of course we're in the street waving but it's dark and they're taking their time....I understand wanting to make sure you don't pass the address but it's so easily laid out there and even if it wasn't just look for the block full of smoke!

I'm kinda scared to order where I live now -- I'm in a "rear apartment"/separate building behind another house, but the layout is such that my actual *address* is on Street A, but you can only get to where I am via the connecting sidestreet. Basically, I have to hope that the delivery guy actually reads the note that says "come around the side to the back yard" >_<

In my delivery area, there's an apartment complex with an address of "123 A St". Except "A St" doesn't go into the 100 block. You have to turn into an alley past a building on B St, go around, and you're in that building's parking lot, and then there's another little driveway, go down that, and you're at 123 A St. There's nothing on B St that indicates there's a secret apartment complex hiding down the alley and that that secret apartment complex is an A St address. In fact, "123 A St" has no building numbers as far as I can tell to indicate that you've found the right place once you're there.

If I hadn't had a customer there when I was being trained on the route, I don't know how I would have found any subsequent customers there. I imagine pizza delivery there must be a nightmare.

[EricKei]

I'm kinda scared to order where I live now -- I'm in a "rear apartment"/separate building behind another house, but the layout is such that my actual *address* is on Street A, but you can only get to where I am via the connecting sidestreet. Basically, I have to hope that the delivery guy actually reads the note that says "come around the side to the back yard" >_<

[An Haddock]

Some people just don't listen.

I've posted before about ordering pizza in my area... we have two towns right next to each other that share the same zip code and the same main street. I made the mistake of calling Dominos the other night instead of ordering online. I specifically said to the guy "we're two blocks from your store" - but STILL, the driver insisted on using his GPS which took him ten minutes down the main street to the wrong town.

As much as I loathe moving this weekend, at least the new apartment will be easier to find for delivery drivers.

[Jetfire]

Thankfully I've never had to deal with autoclubs since I don't usually have a car. Twice in my life, I've had vehicle issues that we couldn't handle with calls to friends in town.

The first time, I was driving back to Ottawa from my parent's place. In the middle of Quebec, Easter long weekend I think (Since I was just changing my winter for summer tires), I had a blowout. Got pulled over to the side of the road (the fast side of the road at that), and was trying to figure out where to go.

A Quebec Highway services truck stopped to see what was going on, helped me get the spare on so I could limp to Montmagny's Crappy Tire. And they were able to get 2 new tires put on for me about an hour before closing. No charge for the spare tire change on the highway; I think they just wanted me to get going (Major kudos for their help regardless).

Second time, I was moving from Ottawa back to New Brunswick. We had rented a U-Haul and dad was travelling with me. We'd stopped somewhere in Quebec for lunch and for something else (I think it was banking related), and stupidly, I locked the UHaul's keys in the cab. Called a locksmith and he popped the door for us.

I hope those of you who have had issues from calls to Auto Clubs have filed official complaints about your incidents. Sure they may just be a drop in the ocean, but enough drops can cause a flood and spur changes.

[lachesis]

Once my neice and I were in a meineke parking lot next to a dunkin donuts waiting for a tow. There was another car in the lot waiting to be towed, but they had called about an hour after we did. The tow guy circled the parking lot looking for my neice's car and couldn't "find it" even though we were watching him circle the lot and were waving him down. He took the other car and left even after I approached him and said we were waiting for him first. He blatently tried to ignore me and then told me he had no such pick up orders for my neice's car. I called my MC and made a thorough complaint about him. 15 minutes later, guess who pulled back into the lot, dropped the other car, and started loading up ours? And yes, he was cursing and pissy the whole time.

I found out later that the reason why he didn't want to take our car was because the travel time to tow to my parents' house would have been a round trip of roughly 2 1/2 hours. Sucks for him, but my plan with my motor club covered the distance.

[Argabarga]

Dispatch said the truck had gotten lost or something. Even with clear directions. >.<

Yeah, their idea of "clear" leaves a lot to be desired, especially when I get a fax with an address that includes an intersection, with two roads, that don't cross....... yeah, it's all very clear, there's only one little problem with it........ IT DON'T EXIST

[Aislin]

The dispatcher was in the city we are from. I know because my friend was fired from there for using logic and common sense. I even confirmed he was at call center xyz on street q city I live in. He was just using a script and using their faulty map system. The driver didn't question him because he gave an address for where we were and kept confirming it when the driver would question him.

[jedimaster91]

The last time I had to be towed, my car broke down just shy of an interstate on ramp. Downtown in a major city. In January. After dark. Sooooo not a safe place for a young female to be alone. Still took over 2 hours to get a tow truck to my location. By then I was cold, hungry, freaked out, and most decidedly not happy. In fact, I had just called my parents to come wait with me when the truck finally materialized. Dispatch said the truck had gotten lost or something. Even with clear directions. >.<

[MoonCat]

in some cases, the dispatcher is in an overseas call center

But the company saves money on labor costs this way! So it MUST be a good idea!*

*Sarcasm, if you can't tell....

[TimmyHate]

@ Mathnerd

I've been to Phoenix a grand total of 4 times in my life (and not since 2010) and I can actually VISUALISE where you were. How the heck someone who's job it is to dispach couldn't figure it out.... *Headdesk*

[LillFilly]

Wow; imagine if it had been a real emergency.

I recall a 911 dispatcher who kept insisting that hotel X on the south side of the highway in Town A was ACTUALLY hotel Y on the north side of the highway when we had to call for a guest having a heart attack! Nevermind that the front desk person kept CORRECTING the dispatcher, she said that's what was showing on her computer... and she still sent the ambulance to hotel Y, delaying them by a good 8-minutes.