Towing calls (Mark takes tow requests)

For shops that tow. It's off by default. While it's off, Mark marks tow and stranded calls URGENT, gets where the car is and what happened, and says he'll get word to you. He never arranges a tow.

Turn it on

Open the Calls tab and tap Phone answering settings to open it.
Scroll to Towing and check We tow — Mark takes tow calls.
Enter your driver or dispatch number(s). Blank means tow requests go to the call-summary number.
Optional: service area and radius, prices, tow hours, typical arrival time, and whether you tow to your shop only or anywhere.
Tap Save phone settings.

What Mark asks

Is the caller safe? If anyone's hurt or in danger, or the car is blocking traffic, he tells them to call 911 first.
Exact pickup spot: address, cross streets, or highway and mile marker.
Name and callback number (read back).
Year, make, model and color.
What happened: won't start, accident, flat, locked out, and so on.
Are the keys with the car? Do the wheels roll or will it go into neutral? Is it AWD or 4x4 (flatbed)?
Where it's going, and how it's paid: the customer, insurance, or a roadside club.

He reads the details back and waits for a yes before anything is sent.

Police, Highway Patrol and county dispatch

When a trooper, deputy or dispatcher calls (for example a rotation tow), Mark switches to dispatcher mode: brief and professional, no small talk, jokes or payment questions. He asks only for the location or mile marker and the vehicle. He notes their name if they give it, but doesn't ask for it, the agency, a callback number, a case number or whether the road is blocked. Then he confirms a truck is coming and the text goes out right away. He gives your Typical ETA (minutes) if you set one ("typical ETA about 25 minutes"). If you didn't, he says the driver will call with an ETA. The text starts EMERGENCY / POLICE TOW and goes to your Police / rotation dispatch numbers, or your driver numbers if that's blank. Leave also text every driver checked to reach every driver at once. The Day board card is red.

Prices and arrival times

Mark only quotes from the prices you enter: flat local rate (optionally up to a set number of miles), or hook-up fee plus per mile, plus the after-hours fee outside your tow hours. Leave the prices blank and he doesn't give a number. He says the driver will confirm the price. He never promises an arrival time unless you fill in Typical arrival time, and even then he says the driver will call to confirm.

What you get

A text to every driver/dispatch number right away with the caller, callback, pickup spot, a map link, the car, the problem, keys / rolls / AWD, the drop-off, payment and any quote.
A Tow request card on the Day board and on the Calls tab. Mark it Dispatched, Done or Cancel.
The usual call summary text, marked as a tow request.

Automatic parts orderingMark, the phone assistant

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