Better yet, ask the garage what hook they recommend.


jbjeep wrote:
> Send a copy of your complaint to the local BBB too.
>
> That really sucks. Never ever had service like that - granted I have never had AAA
> either!
>
> Suggestion for the future. Find a good small towing company near where the garage
> you like is.
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 18:20:39 GMT, Lou Boncek > wrote:
>
>
>>>I figure I'd put this ins seprate post, because it is sort of a rant, and
>>>some people won't want to read it.
>>>
>>>
>>>Last year my 90 YJ Blew a water pump and AAA had an independent tow truck to
>>>me in less that 30 minutes, polite tow person, offered me his cell phone to
>>>make arrangements with garage, wife, employer, and offered me a ride.
>>>
>>>But yesterday I had my worst experience with AAA.
>>>
>>>My Jeep gets hung up in a snow bank, because a plow went through an
>>>intersection, didn't raise its wing and buried the front of the Jeep with a
>>>few feet of snow. It was on an incline, at a red light, with a line of
>>>traffic behind me. Long story-short, going up over the snow bank, does
>>>something to kill the starter and the electrical system.
>>>
>>>OK. Call 911, because I'm blocking traffic on the exit ramp and I am one
>>>quarter of the way in to the intersection, which is not a flat intersection
>>>but a hump, so you can't just push through it. Plus it has been snowing so
>>>there is over a foot of snow to go through.
>>>
>>>Time is about 7:30 am.
>>>
>>>Local police come. Real pleasant, considering it is snowing, slippery, a
>>>line of traffic. He helps me shovel the Jeep and gets the traffic around
>>>the Jeep so we can push it 10 feet back down the ramp, so he can put his car
>>>behind it with lights and get traffic moving around us.
>>>
>>>He asks if I want a tow, AAA. I tell him I have Triple A. He says he'll
>>>make the call for me, if He can have my card. I go to get my card and
>>>realize I can't see! One of my lens has fallen out while we were pushing
>>>the Jeep!
>>>
>>>I know the card is the gold one in my wallet, so I find it by color and give
>>>it to him and then spend 10 minutes in a foot of snow and somehow find the
>>>lost lens in one piece.
>>>
>>>The officer lets me know that AAA is on the way and he will stay there
>>>because he think the situation could be hazardous.
>>>
>>>About 30 minutes later a "real" AAA Flat bed shows up. Logo on the side,
>>>driver with official looking jacket, etc. The Syracuse Triple A has its own
>>>trucks and drivers!
>>>
>>>Time is about 8:00 am.
>>>
>>>We are discussing the best way to load the Jeep, since we are in the
>>>intersection, when a second AAA tow truck show up. Wow! What service! Two
>>>truck - two official looking guys. This is great!
>>>
>>>So he'll stop traffic with his truck and lights, so the flat bed can back
>>>in.
>>>
>>>All goes just like clock work. Less than 5 minutes.
>>>
>>>HERE IS WHERE IT ALL STARTS TO GO DOWNHILL!
>>>
>>>Driver asks, "Where do you want it towed?" Now BOTH drivers are standing
>>>right there.
>>>
>>>I tell them, Trapasso's Garage, Fulton (NY), which is located directly in
>>>front of the Fulton State Police Barracks.
>>>
>>>Driver says he is not really familiar with Fulton. Do I know the street
>>>address? No I do not, but is is in Fulton, right next to the State Police
>>>Barracks.
>>>
>>>I tell him, pull out to your left and go down the ramp, take 481 North to
>>>Fulton. Get to near the center of town and I'm not sure if it is the 3rd
>>>light or the 4th light, but you'll see a company like Hutamaka on the left,
>>>a wendys, Take a right. And go until you see the State Police Barracks.
>>>
>>>He then asks, are you going to ride with me?
>>>
>>>I replied that the officer has been kind enough to drive me the mile to
>>>where I work, and that my wife had already called the garage, they've worked
>>>on the Jeep before and already were getting a starter and some other
>>>possible needed parts to have on hand, so if that was indeed the cause they
>>>could get it right in and back to me.
>>>
>>>He says, OK. I'll call dispatch and get the street address.
>>>
>>>Both tow trucks pull away. The officer waits until they clear the scene.
>>>Motions me to get in the car and drives me to work. I thank him for
>>>everything.
>>>
>>>The garage where I wanted the Jeep taken is 14.9 miles North of where it
>>>broke down. Even in the bad weather, he should be there in 30 minutes, heck
>>>even give him an hour in case he stops for coffee or something.
>>>
>>>Time is about 8:15 am.
>>>
>>>At 1:00 pm my wife calls me (She had been home all morning waiting for the
>>>weather to clear so she could put in a half days work - my job, I'm
>>>considered "essential staff" so I get docked a day even when they are
>>>closed, if I don't show up) Anyway, 1:00 PM. She tells me she called the
>>>garage to make arrangements to pay and pick up the Jeep and they tell her,
>>>Jeep isn't there! Never showed up!
>>>
>>>1:05 PM I call AAA.
>>>
>>>"Hey, I had a road side emergency tow this morning at about 8:00 am and the
>>>garage tells me, the Jeep hasn't gotten there yet. What happened?"
>>>
>>>They go through all the stuff, name, etc to bring up the computer screen
>>>(Also I am calling the LOCAL Syracuse AAA office, not a 800 anywhere number)
>>>
>>>"Well, it says here you didn't tell the driver where you wanted it taken"
>>>
>>>OK - so my bloods beginning to boil, and I say, No, I told the driver
>>>EXACTLY where to take it. I told BOTH drivers where I Wanted it taken. I did
>>>not have the EXACT street address, but the driver said he would call
>>>dispatch and get the address.
>>>
>>>"Well where did you want it taken?" I told him exactly what I told the
>>>other two drivers. And I ask, by the way, where is the Jeep.
>>>
>>>"Oh, it's here in our yard."
>>>
>>>We go back and forth a little bit, no swearing or anything, just disbelief
>>>that it was not delivered.
>>>
>>>"Well it says in the drivers report, you didn't give him your phone number
>>>so we had no way to get in touch with you to find out where you wanted it,
>>>so we off loaded it."
>>>
>>>I asked him if he had his computer screen up in front of him and he told me
>>>yes, he did. OK. Let's check something, is my address correct? I give him
>>>my address. Then I ask him - Now, where is says phone number, you do have a
>>>phone number listed there for me, don't you?
>>>
>>>Silence.
>>>
>>>"We didn't know your work number?"
>>>
>>>I said, my wife has been home all morning. She has made arrangements with
>>>the garage. They are waiting for the Jeep.
>>>
>>>"Well sir it says in the drivers report you left the scene before the truck
>>>left so the driver did not know where to take the Jeep.
>>>
>>>Oh-Boy, can blood really boil! I review with him that the Officer and I
>>>stayed until the truck left he scene.
>>>
>>>"Oh, the officer was there too? Let me put you on hold.
>>>
>>>Back off hold 10 minutes or so later.
>>>"We'll get it there today sir."
>>>
>>>Unaccepatable! I've made arrangements with some people I know that are
>>>coming in to Syracuse to shop. They were/are going to pick the Jeep up and
>>>drop it off so I can get home. I live 30 miles from where I work. The
>>>garage said they can fix it by the time the close today at 5:00 pm. THey are
>>>not open this weekend. So if you put it on a truck now (It is about 1:30 by
>>>now), and truck it, it will be there in an hour, plenty of time for them to
>>>fix it and for me to get home. You do understand the problem? No Jeep. No
>>>way to get home?
>>>
>>>"Let me put you on hold" (Another 10 minutes or so)
>>>
>>>While on hold, I look up the address, phone number of the garage. Call the
>>>garage and talk with them. Yes they will work on my Jeep right way because
>>>they know I need it.
>>>
>>>The AAA guy comes back on the line. I give him the name of the garage, the
>>>address of the garage and the phone number of the garage.
>>>
>>>"Sir, all our trucks are busy now"
>>>
>>>I'll tell you what. Don't use one of your trucks. Call a tow company. Get
>>>one of their trucks there NOW and get that Jeep on the road, so I have a way
>>>to get home tonight! And YOU will pick up the cost!
>>>
>>>(On hold again)
>>>
>>>"Sir, we have it logged in for pick up by 2:08 pm toady.
>>>
>>>I figure OK, even if they leave by 2:30, get there by 3:30 the guys at the
>>>garage should be able to get it done by 5:00 pm.
>>>
>>>I then stay on the line and tell him to add a note, that is is a formal
>>>complaint, that the service has been rotten. (I left out the part where he
>>>told me that since I was at work I was safe and secure and they had to do
>>>their assistance first before they could take care of my problem - the
>>>problem they created when THEIR driver decided he didn't want to go 15 miles
>>>North - I need to find out if those guys get paid by the call, that would
>>>explain why he dumped my Jeep, so he could hit some local tows!)
>>>
>>>So we end up, I remind him 2:08. You have my work number, I expect a call
>>>at 2:10 for you to updated me on the status of this situation. Hang up.
>>>
>>>So I'm working away not realizing the time and see that is is 4:00 PM.
>>>
>>>Call the garage. "Hows the Jeep?"
>>>"What Jeep?"
>>>"The White 1990 Wrangler Triple A dropped off, probably 30 minutes, an hour
>>>ago."
>>>"Hold on." "Sir, I checked our lot, our side lot and inside all the bays,
>>>there are no Jeeps here. Let me get you the owner.
>>>
>>>The owner comes on, he knows from my wife's call and my previous call the
>>>situation. He tells me, if it shows up - yeah he was suppose to close at 5,
>>>but if it gets there by 5:00 pm he'll stay and work on it. I thank him.
>>>
>>>4:10 PM Call Triple A
>>>"I have a problem, my Jeep was supposed to be taken to a specific garage
>>>today at 9:00 am, it's not there yet -"
>>>"What's you name, etc....again"
>>>
>>>"OH, yes sir, I have the information right here, You didn't give the driver
>>>a place to take it so they took it to our Taft Road Offices in Syracuse, do
>>>you want it to go someplace?"
>>>
>>>I briefly explain, heatedly, how their driver lied for some reason, the
>>>conversation with the person I had a 1:00 pm about the Jeep and how it was
>>>suppose to be on a truck at 2:08, and how if it is still on their lot, They
>>>have a real problem, because I don't have a way to get home.
>>>
>>>"Hmmm sir, I think I better have you speak with a supervisor.
>>>
>>>Supervisor comes on line.
>>>
>>>I briefly explain the entire story you've read so far, hitting only the high
>>>points, like the driver's incompetence, lying, no call back at 2:10, so we
>>>could have dealt with the situation then.
>>>
>>>"She puts me on hold"
>>>
>>>"Sir, I show here that the transport is at the lot and your Jeep is being
>>>taken to the garage."
>>>
>>>She does not yet understand the situation. So I have to spell it out for
>>>her. Had the Jeep been taken directly to the garage in the morning. I
>>>would have a ride home. Had the Jeep been taken at 2:08, I would have a
>>>ride home. But since the Jeep is now going to arrive AFTER the garage is
>>>closed, I have TWO problems that they have caused. 1. I have no ride home.
>>>2. I have no way to get to work on Monday, because they will need to fix the
>>>Jeep on Monday, and I don't want to loose a days pay because of all their
>>>screw up and incompetence all day long.
>>>
>>>She puts me on hold.
>>>
>>>While on hold, I start making phone calls on another line, and after 5 or so
>>>calls find a friend who would be able to get me.
>>>
>>>15 minutes later she gets back on the line, And I tell her, while she had
>>>me on hold I found a way to get home. She told me she had been working on
>>>that - I told her that is the first time today anyone had tried to fix the
>>>situation.
>>>But - I explain to her the second situation. No way to get to work. And I
>>>suggest to her that I think Triple A can provide for me a car Sunday night,
>>>preferably a 4WD or All-wheel drive as snow squalls are predicted, so I can
>>>drive to work on Monday, make arrangements to get my Jeep and then drop the
>>>car off Monday night.
>>>
>>>She asks if I have a cell phone and I give her my number. She says she will
>>>call me back. I told her that I won't be home until 8:00 pm because of the
>>>arrangements, so you call my cell up to then and my home after that.
>>>
>>>Then I think to ask. When they drop the Jeep off, they will secure the
>>>Jeep. I mean the garage will be closed.
>>>
>>>"Oh, yes" If there is a drop box the driver always puts the keys in it.
>>>
>>>
>>>So----On my way home I ask if we can make a 10 minute detour to the garage.
>>>
>>>Guess what? Garage is closed! Guess what? The Jeep doors are open and the
>>>keys are in the ignition. Along with the gas cap key and the back
>>>compartment key.
>>>
>>>And of course, oh, yeah, even at night, I can see it. They have a drop box
>>>right by the door!!!
>>>
>>>They haven't called me yet about a car for work on Monday either. Think I
>>>should hold my breath?
>>>
>>>Thanks for letting me rant - but I do want to get the message out, that the
>>>Syracuse Branch of the Triple A, on this instance has been totally
>>>incompetent. I plan to write a formal complaint (Won't help me, might the
>>>next person) and find out what other agency's you can write to to report
>>>how I was treated by Triple A that day.
>>>
>>>Like I said before - I've used Triple A in the past, and every other time it
>>>was an independent tow that Triple A contracts with and they have ALWAYS
>>>been on time, polite and helpful.
>>>
>>>This is the first time that the Syracuse Triple A, which keeps its own fleet
>>>of trucks and drivers responded, and the response, the lying by the driver,
>>>the lack of concern and slow/no action is unbelievable.
>>>
>>>But I'm thinking, we have a car in our driveway that is fully licensed and
>>>insured, and plated, but has slipping clutch that we plan to get fixed after
>>>the holiday bills.
>>>
>>>What do you think? Should I call up Triple A on Monday at about 5 am and
>>>tell them I need a tow, and give the the address of my jobsite and then ride
>>>in with the driver?
>>>
>>>Hope you all have pleasant experiences, and I hope that my complaining to
>>>Triple A and appropriate agencies will make your next experience
>>>better!.....lou
>>>