Client Success Story: restoring client satisfaction after improper towing

Car accidents remain one of the most frequent claims for any insurance company and one of the most difficult for clients. One persistent challenge in dealing with these claims is improper towing. There have been cases where a client’s car was towed without their knowledge and consent, leaving them frustrated and upset.At The Shepherd Group, we have gone to bat for one of our clients dealing with towing trouble. When Monica’s insurer towed her car in this way, we assumed the role of a trusted middleman in order to restore integrity to what was a really tough situation for her.Assuming the role as a neutral third party, we communicated clearly and honestly with Monica as we arranged a workable solution with the insurer. This helped bolster her trust that her needs would be satisfied. We arranged for her to be towed back free of charge so that Monica could put the ordeal behind her.Luckily, there may be changes on the way such that you may not have to deal with situations like this at all in the future.According to Bob Redinger, president of the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association (TADA), part of the towing problem is that there have been no province-wide rules governing the towing industry. It seems things are so bad that the Ontario government is now introducing new consumer protection regulations committing towing companies to the following:

• Have permission from the consumer or someone acting on their behalf before towing or storing a vehicle;

• Publicly disclose rates and other information, such as the provider’s name and telephone number on tow trucks as well as in places of business;

• Notify consumers where their vehicle will be towed;

• Allow consumers to access their towed vehicles to remove personal property at no charge between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on all business days;

• Disclose if they are getting a financial incentive for towing a vehicle to a particular vehicle storage facility or repair shop.

But it’s still too early to determine the impact these regulations will have. They may not even change all that much. Until then, make sure your broker is really going the extra mile so that you don’t have to in case your car is towed.How is your broker going the extra mile for you? Tweet us @TheShepherdGroup