Agero's "Whacky" Mapping Software

[thtdon]

I've been wanting to ask you guys about this issue for a while.  I am wondering if any of you have had the same experience.

 

I'll give you an example.  I have gotten several calls at the same address in Andover, MA.  The address is a house on Dairy Lane.  So when I got there, I pulled into the driveway.  A man came out and asked if he could help me.  He said that he never called for service.  Dairy Lane is off of Greenwood Road in Andover, MA.  And right there off of Greenwood Road there is a bridge that passes over I-495.  It turns out that the car that I was looking for was on the highway.  This car had a flat tire.  And I haven't changed a flat tire on the highway in six or seven years.  A flat tire on I-93, I-495, or the Rt 213 connector is a tow only.  So when I call the motor club to complain about their "mistake", the dispatcher always says "oh, just change the tire right there on the highway.  You're right there anyway".  I always decline, and I show up with a flatbed and tow the car.  I won't let them win by lying to me.  But lately, it has also been happening for non-flat tires, and at other locations close to 93, 495, and 213.  Sunday I had an out of gas call at the end of a dead end street, which is within sight of Rt. 213.  The car was on 213.  It's not like I can walk up to the car.  I have to backtrack and drive all the way around.  And it happened today on I-495 in Methuen for a tow call.  They used Russell Farm Road in Methuen as the location.  Luckily I called the customer to advise him of needing his own ride.  That's when I learned of the wrong location.  So I wasn't inconvenienced. 

 

I think that Agero's mapping software is garbage.  And the only way that they can dispatch a call on the highway, is to find the closest local surface street to the location on the highway, and use that.  It never used to be like that.  But it has been like that for over a year now.  Evidently they changed mapping software.  Originally I thought that they were lying to me about the locations, in an effort to trick me into changing tires on the highway.  But I have had the same experience for tow calls as well. 

 

The highway department recently renumbered all of the exits on state highways by using the mile markers.  Supposedly, Massachusetts was the second last state to do that.  I believe that New Hampshire is now the only holdout, God knows why.  It makes perfect sense to use the mile markers.  But the exits have been numbered consecutively for all the years that I have been driving.  So it is going to take a while to get used to the new system.  But that's not Agero's fault. 

[TOWMAN27]

You are right on about the highway situation.  Every highway call shows as the closest street address to the actual highway location.  You think that's bad... we're on the CT shoreline and they call all day for calls on Long Island, NY.  Their mapping doesn't recognize water so we are 15-20 miles swimming distance but driving is about 200.  The best part is we rarely get any calls from them in our town or the other towns surrounding us.

[GRUMPS The Towman]

Ditto to Towman27's response. Many occasions, the club dispatcher/call taker simply "pings" the casualties phone location and sets the disablement to the closest address they see on their mapping system. Used to deal with that mess all the time back when I worked for Agero. Honk has done it to me on a couple calls I have done for them as well. 

The old days of actually asking questions and doing a lil digging to properly locate a casualty are long gone. Like most everything else these days, It is point and click. I must be right because the computer said it is...

And by the way, Growing up on Long Island I can understand what your saying about them trying to send you work across the sound.. All they see is miles to disablement. They dont pay any attention to the Giant body of water between you and them... LOL

[Midnightsun]

Same here up in Alaska especially if they are in the mountains and no address is around but they ping wherever they are calling from.

[Andy]

Nothing new here. I try to call the customer on all tows sometimes there not available or worse in a dead cell area. the have a town near me labeled wrong complete different town. I now know about it but anyone getting tows in this area that doesn’t know about it will be 30 minutes from the actual location winding steep roads total loss of time and no cell phone when you get up there and find nothing. 

[yoBdaBenO]

AGERO is WHACK. We don't even bother with them anymore. But, yet they continue to call... One of these days they are going to take the price they are given and pay up front. Has anyone done that and regretted it?

[fenderbendr6]

I have been having the same issue recently. They insist that the customer give them an address, it seems that a highway number, lane of travel and mile marker means nothing to some of these dispatchers, so they ping a cell phone and find an address to attach to the call while leaving out the accurate information that their member has provided. In rural Montana, the nearest address might be miles away on a different highway or unimproved forest road.

[Stuart Wagner]

Yeah, they totally don't understand the PA turnpike where most exits are 20 miles apart and they think you can access from any old road nearby

[Central Towing]

We don't work via contract for Agero/Swoop but when they're desperate they call and its very profitable. We actually ran one yesterday for them. I answered the phone and my aggravation here is that some of dispatchers will actually tell you when asked where is the vehicle located? They actually respond with "its a local roadside". We then go on to explain to the dispatcher that anywhere in the world you pull over is a "local roadside". When we press further for a location, they'll describe what you guys have just stated....any numeric address that's in somewhat of proximity to the break down location. For this call I specifically asked "is this on the interstate?" The dispatcher replies "no sir, its at blah blah blah address". That turned out to be a repair shop for Porsche/MBZ/BMW. I know that shop well. This call was for a Nissan Rogue. There is no way this customer landed at that shop. I wont go into why but suffice it to say,  I know it for a fact. So, I add another $100 "finding fee" to the charge explaining I know its on the interstate. The dispatcher gets approval but still claims its at this address. We wait for the CC details to come in and run it before the driver is even notified he has another pickup. We scan the dispatch info and low and behold, in the notes it says its on the interstate with actually very detailed directions (MM and direction). So is it that they are instructed in India to never say its on the interstate or are they not given access to the notes??? 

 

This was a Swoop call if it makes a difference to anyone. You'd think technology would make it easier to find someone but in fact, it seems to be the opposite. We as towers must charge accordingly. When we have to hunt the motorist down b/c they "never answer the phone for numbers they don't recognize" and spend time traveling north and south on the interstate for a vehicle we were given wrong directions for by the MC, that time must be paid for. We charge each call as if its going to be the biggest misdirection/pain. Doing so ensure us a windfall every time. 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Central Towing

[yoBdaBenO]

We will not do business with AGERO no matter how many times they call and yes they do call over and over. The member has often been waiting at least and hour for service. What Companies put up with that kinda service from a dispatch motor club?

 

And if you are ranking AGERO in the Top 5, what is your reason. I want to hear some good ones, cause we have none......

[Eastendtow 66]

They call 40 to 50 times a night sometimes 12 times for the same call jump start 2777 miles away car out of gas on roadway no location no car info no call back number called me 9 times for a tire change 147 miles away in iowa 75.00 coverage just sent a call over on swoop tow year unknown make ford color unknown model unknown no keys locked wrecked in front location roadway in lacon IL no address listed or road its on towed to body shop in peoria il i bet there is over 150 body shops in peoria 

[SURRYTOWER]

Get that Interstate / cross street with no access also. usually far enough away that I refuse it anyway.

Recently getting call from them 40 to 70 miles away on a regular basis. Same call several times over several hours.

[thtdon]

I have never had so many requests to handle calls all over New Hampshire, and even in Maine.  I've had requests as far south as Provincetown, MA, which is at the very tip of the Cape, in case you don't know.  And as far west as Northhampton, MA.  It sucks that I field dozens of phone calls from them every day.  But I can realistically perform 8-10 calls, if I'm lucky.