Dealing with customers with Mentalproblems....

[TowZone]

10-08-02: Unknown Member,

How do you determine when a customer you are dealing with is a danger or not? I don't mean just a danger to others,but also to themselves.It seems I have been dealing with more and more people that have definite personality disorders and other mental problems lately,(no offense meant Moose) and I am having trouble on where to draw the line as far as calling the authorities or not.
Yesterday I had to go tow a van for Geico Insurance,the owner of the camper told me "I heard people with power tools under my van as I slept last night,and now this morning my reverse doesn't work" I repaired her broken transmission cooler line and took her to nearby service station where she could get more fluid.
She burst into tears at one point and said she didn't know why people were following her and sucking the transmission fluid and coolant out of her van,(she also had a leaking waterpump).She had South dakota plates and I really had to wonder if she wasn't possibly a missing person.
What do you do in these cases? Lee

 

Fredstowingnj said:

I had one of them customers with Mental problems this morning.Police called at 3am for a disabled car out on the highway.I get on scene customer is requesting i tow the car 55 miles to his home.I tell him its going be $xx.00 hook up and $x.00 per mile and we don't accept checks.customer says no problem.I load car he gets in truck we go do the road a little ways and he turns my radio up and starts singing.So we get to his house i tell him its going to be $xxx.00 he aid ok write up the paperwork.I write up the bill and hand it too him he says thank you and have a nice night leave the keys in my car.I said excuse me sir but you have to pay me he says well i'll just send the bill into my insurance company and they will pay you.He said i have no money.I say no sir it doesn't work that way i have to be paid before i unload your vehicle.He says ok let me go get ym check book.I said no i don't accept checks.he goes in the house and comes back out with a check.And starts yelling at me calling me all kind of curse words.Goes back in the house his wife comes out and asks me why the tow is so much.I said it was 55 miles.She said well where was my husband broke down at.I told her and she had no clue where it was.Her husband told me he was on his way home from work.The wife said he doesn't work.I was all confused.This guy was about 12 cans short of a 6 pack.Anyone i got my money in cash.and got home at 5 30 am wow am i tired.Fred Koch,Jr.

 

jackmaster said:

We have this problem here. One of my drivers got stopped by a nude man on the interstate, walking down the fast lane at 2 am. My driver called st patrol and then tried to keep this guy from hurting himself or any body else. When asked his name he said it was Jesus.

[TowZone]

With the number attacks on Tow Truck Operators, Road Rescue Personnel, First Responders by individuals on the side of the road. Sometimes the danger is from the motorist we show up to assist. Are there specific precautions you are taking to prevent harm? Are you trained to defused a situation before it escalates? These are questions you must ask yourself, as I have found that around this time of year the stress level of motorists is higher then normal. You also do not know what state of mind that customer is in when you arrive. Are you prepared or will you escalate an already tense encounter?

[goodmichael]

I presume all people are mentally impaired until proven otherwise. That frame of mind does not expose me to surprises.