My experience here came in three steps, and somehow a dead car turned into one of the funniest and…read morebest towing experiences I've ever had.
STEP 1: AAA -- "They'll be there in 15 minutes."
My engine quit while I was on the road in Decatur, so I called AAA. They told me a tow truck would arrive in about 15 minutes.
Minor problem: apparently there are NO AAA tow trucks in Decatur.
The closest available truck was coming from Springtown, about 20 minutes away. That's obviously not the towing company's fault--that one's on AAA. Unless they've recently added teleportation to the roadside-assistance package, that 15-minute estimate was a little ambitious.
STEP 2: I meet Tim.
Shortly afterward, I get a call confirming everything and realize I'm talking directly to Tim.
Tim is a character.
He's funny, direct, a little gruff, and probably pretty easy to take the wrong way if you're expecting the polished corporate customer-service voice.
I got a very distinct feeling that AAA customers may have caused this man some emotional damage over the years.
There was definitely an undertone of, "Okay... what kind of situation has AAA sent me into THIS time?"
Once we talked for a minute, though, I thought he was hilarious. We confirmed everything, laughed a little, and his truck was headed my way.
STEP 3: Enter Greg.
Greg shows up--and it turns out he's Tim's son.
Super easygoing, friendly guy. He had my vehicle hooked up in what felt like three minutes, which was especially appreciated because it was FRAMING HOT outside. At that temperature, I didn't need a towing experience. I needed air conditioning and possibly a rescue mission from the surface of the sun.
Greg got everything loaded and took me exactly where I needed to go.
But here's where this went from "good tow company" to five-star experience:
Greg actually started looking at what had happened to my vehicle and identified what he believed was causing the problem. He took pictures, showed me what he was seeing, and then showed the technician at the Ford dealership when we arrived.
He may have legitimately saved me $1,000.
That's WAY beyond "hook car to truck, drop car off, collect money."
And as a bonus, the tow truck was actually clean! We're grading on the tow-truck cleanliness scale here, not the Four Seasons, but still--I was impressed.
So the final score:
AAA's estimated arrival time: 2 stars
Texas summer heat: 1 star (absolutely unforgiving)
Tim's personality: 5 stars -- but maybe give the man 30 seconds before deciding whether he's mad at you.
Greg: 5 stars
The actual tow: 5 stars
Potentially saving me $1,000 because the driver actually knew what he was looking at: PRICELESS.
If I'm ever unfortunate enough to need another tow around Decatur, I already know who I want coming to get me.
Hopefully next time it's not standing-on-the-surface-of-the-sun hot... and Tim hasn't just gotten off the phone with another AAA customer.
Easy 5 stars, if you can take a joke! #shopLocal