TowingBossPro Blog — Driver App & Routes

Two-Way Texting on a Tow Call: When the Customer Replies

Send a stranded customer a text and there is a good chance they will text back. "I am at the gas station across the road now." "Can you take it to my house instead of the shop?" "How much longer?" Those replies are useful, sometimes critical. The question is where they go.

Commercial Account Calls From the Driver's Seat: Dealers, Shops, and Property Managers was about accounts. This one is about the back-and-forth with any customer while the truck is on the way.

Replies Go to the Office

With two-way texting in TowingBossPro, customer replies come back to the office, tied to the customer. The dispatcher sees the message alongside the call and can decide what to do with it: update the pickup, change the drop-off, reply with a time, or pass it to the driver.

That is a deliberate design. The driver is driving. The office is at a desk with the full picture. Messages that need action get acted on by the person in the best position to act.

It also means replies are not lost. A text sent to a driver who is under a car does not get read for twenty minutes. A text that lands with the office gets seen while it still matters.

Why Not Just Text the Driver?

Plenty of tow companies run on drivers texting customers from their own phones. It feels fast. It also causes problems: customers end up with drivers' personal numbers, conversations are lost when a driver leaves, and nobody in the office knows what was promised.

It also means the driver is reading and typing texts in a moving truck, which is a bad idea. Keeping the conversation with the office keeps the driver's eyes on the road.

There is a privacy angle too. Drivers have their own lives, and many do not want customers having their personal number after the call is over. A company-run texting line protects them as much as it protects the business.

Common Replies and What to Do

Some replies come up over and over:

• The customer moved. Update the pickup or notes, and tell the driver.
• The customer wants a different drop-off. Confirm the address, update the call, and tell the driver before they pick up the vehicle.
• The customer wants an ETA. The customer app's live map answers that better than a guess.
• The customer canceled. Pull the call and tell the driver before they arrive.

In every case, the update ends up on the call, so the record matches what actually happened.

The office should also tell the driver when the change is done. A quick call or a refreshed list keeps the driver from heading to the old address while the office is still typing.

Drop-Off Changes Are the Big One

A drop-off change after hookup is a common source of disputes. The customer changes their mind, the driver goes to the new place, and later the invoice reflects a longer trip than the customer expected.

When the request comes in by text, it is in writing and tied to the customer. The office can confirm the new address and any change in price before the driver heads there. That written record is worth a lot when the invoice is questioned later.

It helps with commercial accounts too. A shop that texts to redirect a car to its second location has made the request in writing, and the account record shows exactly what was asked.

Keeping Replies Short and Clear

The office's texts should be short, plain and specific. "Got it, driver will meet you at the gas station." "Your car will go to the address you sent. Driver is about 15 minutes away." Avoid promises the office cannot keep, especially exact times on a busy day.

Customers choose which alerts they receive, but two-way texting is about real conversation. Keep it professional; the texts represent the company.

The Rest of the Conversation

Texting does not end when the call does. Automated texts and emails cover invoices and payment follow-ups, and customers can pay online. A customer who had a good experience texting the office during the tow is more likely to read and act on those follow-ups.

For how texting fits with the driver's one-tap alerts and the customer's live map, see the Tow Truck Driver App page.