It happens when you least expect it. You’re driving to the airport to pick up a family member when…BAM…the steering wheel suddenly jerks your hands hard to the left. You swerve, narrowly avoiding a car in the next lane…but manage to slow down and maneuver onto the shoulder of the freeway and stop the car. Your hands shake uncontrollably, but after 2-3 minutes you eventually catch your breath and start to think semi-rationally about what to do next. But what DO you do next? This hasn’t happened to you since you were back in college. After poking your head out the window, your see that your left front tire is the culprit…definitely flat.
Immediately you wonder, “Should I try to change the flat tire myself?…or just call a tow truck and have them do it?”. But you’re not exactly in the proper attire for a tire changing occasion, and quickly decide you’d probably hurt yourself or ruin your suit or dress. So tow truck it is! But did Roadside Assistance come with your Car Insurance Policy?…that’s right, it was about $5 a month extra. Did I actually buy that feature though? Nothing seems clear at the moment, so you say to yourself, “Crap, I’ll just call customer service at my insurance company and ask.” OR…”Crap, I’ll just Google it on my smart phone and see if it’s possible to get a towing company that can get here and help me fast enough to still get to the airport on time and pick up my brother.”
From that point on, it all boils down to three basic ideas:
- Having Your Information (insurance/roadside assistance membership) handy
- Describing Your Location
- Assessing Your Problem so the tow truck driver can know what to expect
