Bueller? Honk? Anyone?

[TowZone]

13 Nov 2016 22:47

Rod VT Wrote:

Honk has stopped ringing my phone, but I am wondering, are they finally out of their venture capital money, or have they finally built a network that let's them fill their calls? Anyone? Anyone working for them regularly?

 

Carl4tow said:

They quit calling me too

 

doingitall said:

Me too. Interesting ...

 

Rod VT said:

I am not going to load the app, but they did issue an update (for iOS at least) on 9-20-16, the last one was 11-8-15. Seems to have decent reviews, but less than a hundred total, which seems low to me, given the scope of what they are trying to do. Not much comes up on a Google news search.

EDIT: Their Facebook page says they will be in Baltimore...

 

Update: Honk has rung my phone twice in the last few weeks. I still won't "talk" to a computer and anyway, what are they thinking? How am I supposed to press "zero" to get the information while I am driving? I gleaned this info from the voice mail that gets recorded, I do not pick up.

 

papwrecker said:

less call volume too,I received a call on the app i had a truck 2 miles from a breakdown I had my truck pull over and sit.He was 30 miles from base,He waited 30 minutes I kept checking the app no response back.In the meantime I missed a local call because i have parked him on side road waiting.So i told him come on back,about a hour later my phone app poped up that said another tow company won the job for $35.00, so a few days later they sent a flat out over the app,I refused it they called begging to get me to do the job.I told them about how they did me the previous and told them to get that $35.00 guy to change it for them...they are just like all the other clubs they just use manipulation betwween tow companys and have you working for nothing... they sent out email telling why i was missing calls,They said I was too high,so I went and adjusted my prices as high as they would go.I dont know how you guys feel but it really pisses me off to be told I am too high...

 

kelleystowing said:

we get about three calls a week from Honk and in the last three months I think one or two pan out a bit of a pain in the ass trying to give a quote with little info..

 

SHERIDAN said:

We had them call many times yesterday for the same car. Some were voice and some were automated. Seams nobody out here wanted to deal with them. This started about 10 am and ended after 7 pm. All they had to do was have the vehicle owner call direct to us and work out on how they were gong to pay for the tow. Honk didn't like that idea.

 

ESC said:

We get called by them here and there... never taken a call until yesterday. Call was 8 miles from us, towed it 4 miles back our direction. They paid $65.00. Got a credit card after the job was completed.

I am not big on this... but took a chance to see how they worked out. The first phone call had that annoying "Honk" when i picked up the phone. Told them i was available and gave an eta. next call was them telling me I got the job. Then 15 min later they called wanting to know what type of truck i sent out, and was making sure we had someone enroute to the call. 15 min later they called again wanting to know when we would be there. At that time I told them we had already been on scene. 20 min later they called again to see if the car had been delivered. Very friendly every time... but I dont need all the phone calls. After it was all done, I had to call in to an automated line, gave a reference number, then entered the towed miles and it automatically emailed me a credit card. Went through no problem, but it was just a pain. I spend more time on the phone with them than doing the job itself.

I am not a fan of these types of clubs... but Ill be honest with why I have given them a shot. We we were at the tow show in Baltimore, I ended up at the hotel bar sitting next to a guy. We talked a while, complained about clubs, etc.... then I found out this guy happened to be the CEO of Honk. He listened to our complaints... and he just asked that we give them a try.... see how it works.. Im doing that.... but they need to step it up.... alot. I like their concept... but in the real world... its not working for me so far.

 

Rod VT said:

Here is a theory for you: Honk and most motorclubs (I think) are using automated dispatch systems, either a terminal or a smartphone in your truck, right? The towing insurance carriers/industry is going nuts right now with tow trucks rear ending other vehicles and generating lots of damage and (worse) injury claims. Coincidence or correlation?

 

doingitall said:

Agree with the statement above ... all of these companies are making it mandatory to use your handheld device more and more, even while driving. The inevitable appears to be happening - more distracted tow truck operators. Seems to get worse daily. What really pisses me off is that they know where I am, and a few of these apps are automatically updating when I get to the scene, or am loaded and enroute to a destination, etc ... THEN THE APP PROMPTS ME TO VERIFY THE INFORMATION! OMG what crap is that! Admittedly, motor clubs or whatever have an interest in making sure you and I are completing the job as requested, but it is sad to me that they cannot trust that I will do what I said I would do, because I always do. Obviously that is not true industry wide ... hense the need to follow-up on everything I do. BUT ... then because of the distraction, there are more accidents, and my rates go up even though I have not had a claim, EVER. I still say that insurance companies are the biggest thing wrong with this country, period!

 

redtoprecovery said:

They've recently been calling daily. I charge too much tho.

 

Rod VT said:

When Uber started it was reported that they paid decent, especially during very busy times, or when there were few drivers logged in. A nice supply and demand ratio. Now, Uber has plenty of drivers, and they pay very poorly. Uber is Honk's and Urgent.ly's business model. My suggestion to any towers who are wondering if they are good for business is, SHUT THEM OUT! Fewer middlemen = more profit (or even some profit).

 

THTDon said:

I haven't heard from Honk in a few months.  I didn't do much with them anyway.  They are a pain in the ass.  Actually, they are all getting to be a pain in the ass.  I am working too hard for my money.  Harder than ever.  And I am getting sick of it.I have been doing some work for Jack Rabbit.  I swear that their dispatchers work from home.  The phone numbers are from everywhere.  And sometimes I can hear dogs and kids in the background. 

 

FredsTowingnj said:

I refuse all Jack Rabbit,Urgently,Honk,and Allied dispatch calls,I find them to all be annoying and very cheap.

 

CJV Towing said:

I have done 2 calls personally for Honk, as with most of you they say my price's are too high. Either way I'm busy most days all day and night.
That being said, they have no trust in the tower and the constant phone call's not only get in way of the job but they are down right anoying, there's no need to call 18 times for 1 tow. Im not sure I will do anymore work for them as I really can't field 18 phone calls looking for updates for a simple tow. 

 

Dodgetowguy said:

@FredsTowingnj:-> "...Jack Rabbit,Urgently,Honk,and Allied dispatch calls,I find them to all be annoying and very cheap"

You are correct, they will price shop a call to find the cheapest possible rate, even if the ETA is HOURS long and in the end, the customer secured their own service because the "club" took too long...This is a FACT that those "clubs" need to acknowledge and address, otherwise, they will be the cause of their doors closing.

 

AWT902 said:

Not to hijack the thread but Rod has a important point here. There is a cost to providing all this information input which in this case may be paid for in loss of life and limb.

 

atrmick said:

We have done 2 calls for them in the last year. The first they paid by credit card. We singed up with them and then set all our rates in the area where the online program said we would not be getting calls. Thursday they called and we gave them an eta and we got the call. Just went to bill the call through their online system and it will not accept my payment request and is showing the amt to be paid as TBD.

I will call them on Monday and see what they have to say. By the way their online program shows that the best chance of getting a job (light duty tow) is to have your rate set at $29.00. I know every tower in our town and no one is going to tow for $29.00

 

Rod VT said:

Honk calls now start with the sound of a cash register going "cha-ching" three times before a voice starts. I am down to a single cha-ching before hanging up.

 

Mack6X6 said:

 LOL!  Steve.

 

polarbear808 said:

i went on a tow request yesterday 6-13-17 and they had there location of the pick wrong, i wass on hwy 140 lake of the woods mm 40, the car was on hwy 140 up by Bly mtn mm32 ,still hour and half away. goa was going to be $20.00, that does'nt cover the fuel or my wage. so after talking to them more they gave me higher goa. they better start using a google maps. not impressed.