Hiring quality private parking companies
North Shore Towing nightmare: Every towing and patrol company isn’t created equal
Unless property managers want to deal with the hassle of random strangers and neighbors parking in their private lots all day, a private parking patrol company will be a necessity. But every company that can tow doesn’t necessarily do the best at being good at their jobs.
Anyone who has lived on property that is not fenced-in or has a private garage has seen this happen before — the towing company inexplicably tows authorized cars, the towing company never seems to be around to tow unauthorized cars (who park in the lot for hours), the towing company claims it does 24/7 patrolling but you’ve never seen them on your security cameras, and the towing company suspiciously changes their rates when you come to pick up your car.
Now imagine dealing with all four instances at once. That about sums up the experience with Evanston’s own North Shore Towing company. But unless you know off-hand other people who use the service (or read Google and Yelp reviews), it’s much more difficult to know this kind of stuff before hiring any private towing company.
Recommended Read: “Should you profit from guest parking passes? ~ A cheap way to make a profit from the parking lot”
Before hiring a parking patrol company and/or towing company, know that anyone can slap copywriting phrases like “highly trained and knowledgeable dispatch team” and “ready to help with any emergency” on their website. It is up to the property manager(s) and/or condo board to figure out who really is the “best” towing service around.
Tips for finding quality parking patrol companies
Skip the vague answers and get actual patrol numbers. If the customer service dispatchers claim that they do 24/7 patrol, ask for a ballpark number of how many times they can come by your property daily. In a world where everyone has a smartphone to text, take pictures, emails and/or call, this company should be able to provide some kind of documentation. If you cannot “see” their stops, just ask for a couple of times that they’ve driven by on any given day.
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Then check your surveillance cameras. If you’re really willing to take a risk, allow an unauthorized car in the lot. See how long it stays there. Unfortunately, this was involuntarily tested twice. A bright red truck stayed for three hours and another car stayed for one hour — not one patrol car went by to ask them to move. Both vehicles stayed there until the drivers were good and ready to leave.
Be prepared to not be put on a regular patrol schedule. If you’re really worried about authorized cars being towed, you may be better off with a call-only contract.