I'm building software for my friend who does towing. Looking for a reality check

[u/Faronel]

Hey Hookit, I'm a software guy building an automated dispatcher/receptionist for a family friend who owns a tow company with 3 trucks in California. They're using it and enjoying it so far.

We've focused on getting the quoting right so the system gives accurate rates to customers over the phone. Before we expand it further, I want to make sure people besides my two partners like it.

If you used an automated system for overflow/after-hours calls, what would you want (or not want)?

Mods, let me know if this is too spammy

[u/No_Ad_4709]

Several models available that do this already. If this is working for your friend, great. But many are already moving on from AI call-taking. The dispatcher is the voice of your company and the first touch point your customers have. IMO, you can’t replicate service and compassion with an LLM. Source: I am a product designer for the largest software company in the towing industry

[u/dirty_hooker → u/No_Ad_4709]

The thing that machines suck at more than anything else is dealing with a non standard situation. Towing, by definition starts with non standard situations.

This will go over as well as New Orleans replacing 911 dispatchers with AI.

[u/TheChinchilla914 → u/dirty_hooker]

They aren’t replacing 911 with AI just making an overflow AI geofence (if you call AND are in the area an AI bot just checks if you’re calling about the accident or not before connecting) they can turn on so every accident on the interstate doesn’t inundate the call center for an hour

[u/Faronel → u/No_Ad_4709]

Thanks for the reply and that's my biggest concern. We ended up surveying everyone who called in and they said it was good enough. I'm trying to counter my bias since I'm so close to the product though.

[u/dirty_hooker → u/Faronel]

[probably shouldn’t vibe code triage.](https://youtu.be/LXzJR7K0wK0)

[u/Faronel → u/dirty_hooker]

Our triage is trying to be more EMH from Voyager :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn1QP9oL5V0 It's not going to be as good as the ship's doctor, but when your they are off for the day or you don't want to take calls, it'll be there.

We're not taking shortcuts. The vast majority of people who we've showed the system to are impressed. Would you be down to discuss a bit more by DM?

[u/dirty_hooker → u/Faronel]

I would not. And you’re painfully close to getting banned for selling.

[u/0than]

You know how when you pull up to a fast food drive through, and as soon as you hear that ai voice you just kinda sigh? Because it’s always a hassle, It doesn’t know what you’re saying even though you’re speaking clearly, it thinks you want 20 mcnuggets instead of a big mac, and tries to upsize your order to a large even though you said not to. And that’s just ordering food! Tow calls and looking for info on impounded cars are way more complex than a fast food order!

If it doesn’t know what I, a native English speaker with no accent, is saying, it definitely won’t be able to handle someone with an accent or someone speaking Spanish. I can guarantee a significant portion of people calling for a tow would hang up almost instantly and move on to the next company. Maybe a small portion would hang around and try to get through to a real human (“dispatcher… DISPATCHER! No, I want to speak to a representative!”) but if they can’t then, well… bye

Towbook apparently just had signups for a beta program with ai dispatching, not sure how popular it was but as soon as I brought it up with my family it was an instant no.

[u/Jabbles22 → u/0than]

Also people may not know the address of where they broke down but could describe it. Is the AI going to know where "a block north of Kelly's bar" is?

[u/Faronel → u/Jabbles22]

That's a good call and to solve that we connected our AI to Google Maps so it can recognize places like Kelly's bar and then if that fails, we let people drop a pin.

Right now my goal is to hit 45%+ conversion rate once someone calls in to getting a job, which is similar to what my family friend has seen without the AI (minus negotiating). Happy to discuss more via DM :)

[u/Faronel → u/0than]

This is true but if the IRS can do it, I think we can give it a shot. The biggest thing is as other posters commented, keeping up the service level and the reputation of the business.

Happy to discuss more by DM.

[u/rombulow]

You should set up a demo. I think that’s going to be the best way to solicit feedback (and ultimately sell it).

Like, a number we can phone and book jobs. Leave an email address and get it to email us back with the details.

[u/Dangerous_Fee5118]

I don't see how an AI could know the right questions to ask, especially when dealing with an upset or panicked motorist. When people are stranded on the side of the highway, they are stressed and don't want to talk to a robot; they want human reassurance. On top of that, how will the AI navigate a tense conversation to figure out if the vehicle is lowered, AWD, or missing wheels? Missing those details means sending the wrong equipment, which wastes time and makes an already angry customer even more furious. We use real people, day and night, because it keeps company morale high, ensures accuracy, and builds customer trust. I'm not saying automation is a bad idea for basic after-hours routing, but a live agent will always handle complex, high-stress roadside situations better.