Ok, we all love apps…who doesn’t? Apps can tell us the weather, tell us how far we’ve hiked, help us find a great B&B, and stay connected with our friends and family.

I couldn’t live without my apps; they can make life much easier! But lately, I’ve noticed a lot of new roadside apps have popped up, and this concerns me. Let’s talk about these encroaching roadside apps for a moment, and how they’re actually costing you more at the end of the day.

With a roadside app, they give you an estimate which will run more than the $65 that you would pay to join Best Roadside Service for a year! App’s are not simply a one-time use. And, trust me, your vehicle is likely to experience maintenance issues more than once over its lifetime! Plus, most costs for jumpstarts and flat tires hover around $85, with towing services that easily exceed $150 bucks!

Also, you don’t know who is coming to your car. Best Roadside Service and their service underwriter (who has been in business since 1956) vets their service providers (sort of like a job interview or resume). They get hundreds of applications every week, but only accept a handful. Here are our guidelines and qualifications for service providers:

Operate their business from a fixed address office & operations base.
Have its business landline attended to on a 24/7 basis.
Have a secured storage or impound accessible 24/7.
Comply with all licensing and towing equipment operating by-laws.
Carry a minimum $1,000,000 (One Million Dollars) Liability Insurance Policy.
Operate with corporate name printed and numbered invoices.
When applicable, issue a fully itemized invoice, and always retain a file-copy of such.
Be prepared to unconditionally operate within company’s service rates, and strictly adhere to all service instructions on every service request.
Respond to company service requests within the “response time” quoted to customers on each call.
Respond to all service concerns by the next business day, and be willing to support company Management’s final resolution recommendations when applicable.
Conduct criminal background and credit checks on drivers.
Employ uniformed drivers who maintain a clean image, are polite and courteous.
Ensure all service vehicles’ passenger compartments are maintained clean at all times, and readily Accessible for customer transportation (when applicable).
Maintain a clean, safe, and properly maintained fleet of equipment
Strive to whenever possible, exceed customers’ expectations.
Unconditionally support our company and its corporate clients’ commitment to transforming a negative situation into a positive experience for their respective customers.

Performance Standards

Accept a minimum of 95% of calls offered in your agreed upon coverage area
Maintain a complaint ratio less than ½ of 1%
Maintain an average ETA of 35 minutes under normal weather conditions
Meet a minimum of 90% of on time arrivals to the customer based on original ETA

When you’re stranded on the side of the road, wouldn’t you rather call a company with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and over 50 years of experience, rather than use some app that’s only been around for a fraction of that time? Most of our members surveyed have told us they would prefer to speak to a live human operator when they have a roadside emergency than using an app. Can you imagine using an app for 911? Go with the tried and true — go with Best Roadside Service.