Anyone else have this happen

[IATOWMATER]

Topic Originally created in November of 2012:

 

I did a call for a jump start at the local packing house one morning. Went out attempted the jumpstart, went through normal checks tests etc about 20-25 min on it no go. I called in told Agero of the situation they gave me PO for tow to dealer. Took member to hotel, then car to dealer. Whwn I submitted my PO's I was paid GOA for the jumpstart and then my tow was paid correctly. I called and the guy on the other end told me when ever you go to a call and perform different service you dont get paid for on service you just get GOA. I've got 6 years of invoices that show different. I called my rep but no call back yet. This shaving money off services preformed really is starting to chap my @$$.
If any of you have had this happen how did you fix it?

 

WEBOSHL said:

Lately, when I call my rep, I know I will get the voice mail. I give my name, provider number, phone number and a very brief description of my problem. If I don't hear in a week, I call again. Agero has returned my calls, just not very quickly. Then simply tell them what happened. I have had good results, though it may take a month or two, to "get the money."

 

Stewarts Towing said:

I posted on this board back in August that this had been happening.  Called my rep and was informed that this is how it is now. To this date I keep track of all the short pays and it has added up. Jump starts that are not successful will be paid as GOA'S.  If anyone has been paid on the difference I would love to know because I have not and believe me I have tried.  I do believe it depends on your rep.  Also on winching you will be paid half.  In the past that was not the case but it is now.  Look back on my post from August I posted the reply from my rep, it's a form letter laying it all out. It's another way to pay less and they get away with it. 

Jean

 

EKYtow55  said:

Seems to me that things have changed from what we was previously paid on services, different dispatchers, different answers!

 

iatowmater  said:

Yea, I just dug up my contract the only one I have signed, and there is nothing in it about this change in pay..... Pretty crazy. This is similar to ALL STATE/GE changing there contract with us when they merged, they just made up what they wanted. I can't wait to speak to my rep.....

 

George Geissinger  said:

This just repeats what I posted a while back that no way is AGERO the old CC.

 

iatowmater  said:

Finally spoke with my rep..... He claims one of the times we would have logged on to Agero we would of clicked "accept" to new terms and conditions. I know that I never clicked this. My problem is they are claiming that its a vaild addemdum to our contract. I only have the contract I signed not anything else. This is very similar what GE/Allstatee did. This is not right, I now police EVERY call from them. If ANYTHING is non standard they get called on it and billed accordingly. Really ashame that they are pulling this now.

 

Blue Stripe said:

Tell them that if they don't pay you, that you will pursue their client for payment. We don't go unpaid. Period. That's the last thing they want is a towing company going after their client (or member) and letting them know that the club is screwing you around.

I don't do service calls for GOA pay. Sorry. GOA is for when they are Gone On Arrival with no services performed. If we attempt the service, and its not successful, we still get paid for the attempt. The rate isn't for guaranteed results, its for the labor time and use of equipment.

I have heard of some companies having people sign an agreement that says something to the effect of "any payment shortages by the auto club that dispatched this call shall be the responsibility of the vehicle owner/driver since the services were rendered to them." No idea how enforceable this would be, and I'd think such collection efforts would be futile. Anyone doing this?

Chris Flynn, WM 091008
Boardman Towing & Recovery

 

 

[occupant272]

I can think of one possible solution.

 

Make your GOA rate the same as your basic soft service call rates.

 

This is how I have Allied and a couple others set up.  GOA is the same as jump/lockout/fuel/air.  My tire change rate is higher no matter what because it's that much more involved (getting the spare down on SUV/van/pickup, airing up the spare, lifting/lowering the vehicle, breaking lug nuts loose, torquing when done, setting/unsetting parking brake, carrying all that stuff to/from the vehicle).

 

I'll likely make some adjustments once I'm doing soft service from a rollback, but I plan to keep the GOA a match to the base call rate, that way I get paid for a service call regardless of outcome, since I do the same thing on a GOA as I do on a service, less one step (doing the service itself which never seems to take more than a few minutes unless it is a tire change)

 

This may not work with companies that have a hard limit on GOA fees, of course.

[GRUMPS The Towman]

Exactly what occupant272 stated is what i did for my renewal. they started pulling that about 2 years ago on us here. It helps to streamline your road service procedures so you or your operators can knock out the service call and / or determine if a tow is warranted as quickly as possible. for the most part, we have it down to where we can get a soft service call done about as fast as it takes to call in and get approval for a g.o.a.of course the under chassis mounted spares, and inflatable space saver spares take a bit longer. and we dont fight with those for too terrible long if there is a issue. we give it a solid attempt and if we cant get the spare down for instance then we go right to informing the customer the vehicle needs to be towed for repairs. i,ve seen other providers fight with those drop down spares for 30-45 minutes before throwing in the towel and offering a tow. i understand doing the best you can for your customer but you gotta make your money at the same time.

[occupant272]

Hey Grumps, there are definitely ways to get those spares down and I've got a couple solutions with two long flat tip screwdrivers and two pair of locking pliers (some guys use a bottle jack under the spare), but they now make a kit to drop them I'll see if I can find a link...

 

https://www.amazon.com/Thexton-805-Stuck-Spare-Release/dp/B00YTNFGG2

 

Basically includes a sleeve to put on the spring end of spare tire cable, once that is in place, the long tool slips up above the tire and releases the latch, then the spare lowers as it should've.  I'll hit everything up there with PB Blaster after it is down while waiting for the compressor to top the tire off.  I still don't use it because I have my system, but you can see by the shape of the end of that long tool how it gives you the function of two screwdrivers held at the right angles.

 

Then again I'm too nice of a guy to leave a job partially done if a few extra minutes will help.  I don't have calls coming in stacking on top of each other...yet...but that day will come and I'll have to start deciding between finishing up on site or leaving it to the tire shop I tow it to

[GRUMPS The Towman]

Thanks for the tool tip. i've done the bottle jack trick before and i carry a spare removal kit as well. Like i said, i always give it a thorough effort to get the service done, but believe me, you will get to a point where your getting hammered with calls and cant spend as much time with it as you might like. And if your a math nut like me, you can figure out how much time you can spend on a fixed rate service call before it just becomes unprofitable.