Find out where they are. Then get them to dispatch.
A tow call is someone stuck on the side of the road who wants a truck, not a chat. AlloPlace answers in English or French, gets the location and the vehicle down, and puts the caller through to your dispatcher with the details already written up.
The calls you get
Breakdowns on the shoulder. A car that won't start in the driveway at minus 25. Someone in a ditch after the first freezing rain. Lockouts and flats. People whose car was towed from a private lot, asking where it is and how to get it back. A garage booking a transport for tomorrow. And plenty of "how much to tow to Trois-Rivières?"
What it does for you
Gets the location right. It asks for the road, the direction, the nearest exit or cross street, and a landmark. Your driver gets something to drive to, not "somewhere near Berthierville".
Puts urgent calls through. Your rules decide which calls go live to the dispatcher or the driver on call. The summary arrives by text, so they don't have to ask everything twice.
Picks up when dispatch is on the other line. It handles several calls at once. If a transfer doesn't connect, it takes a full message and alerts whoever's on call.
Answers the routine questions. The rates you've given it, your service area, whether you have a flatbed, where your yard is and when people can pick up a vehicle.
Handles both languages. A driver from Ontario stranded outside Rivière-du-Loup gets English. Your regulars get French.
A typical call
It's 11 p.m. in January, outside Rimouski. A driver's car slid into the ditch on Route 132. AlloPlace answers with your company name, says it's an AI assistant, and, because your rules say so, asks first whether anyone is hurt. Nobody is. It takes his location, the car, where he wants it towed and a callback number, then transfers him to your on-call driver, who already has the summary on his phone.
TBD: replace with a real call once a customer agrees.
Rules you might write
- "Ask first whether anyone is hurt or in danger. If yes, tell them to call 911 right away, then take their details."
- "Breakdown and accident calls go to the on-call driver's cell."
- "If someone asks how long the truck will be, say the dispatcher will give them a time."
- "For vehicle pickups from the yard, say we're open weekdays 8 to 5 and to bring ID and the registration."
Good to know
- Not an emergency service: AlloPlace can't call 911 or send help. Put "if anyone is hurt, call 911" in your greeting.
- Calendar or software: no connection to dispatch software, and it can't see your trucks. Urgent calls go to a person or become messages. Scheduled transports can go into Google Calendar.
- Payment: it can't take card numbers. Your driver or office handles payment.
What it costs
Starter is US$30 a month for 150 minutes and 20 transfers. Most tow calls end in a transfer, so a busy company will likely want Pro: US$100 a month for 500 minutes and 100 transfers. Full pricing