Impound Release Calls: What to Tell Vehicle Owners

Know the rules you operate under

Impound and private property towing are regulated by states and cities, with rules on notices, hours, fees and release. Write your answers to match the rules where you operate, and review them when those rules change.

Write the standard answers

Most callers need the same information.

• Your lot's address and how to get there.
• Release hours, including nights and weekends if you offer them.
• What to bring, such as identification, registration and proof of ownership.
• How fees can be paid, and the fees you choose to publish.
• What happens if someone other than the owner is picking up the vehicle.

Be careful what you confirm by phone

Callers often want to know whether you have their car. Only confirm that a vehicle is at your lot in the way your rules allow, and verify ownership in person at release, not over the phone.

Send the hard calls to a person

Disputes about whether a tow was justified, damage claims, law enforcement holds and requests to waive fees need a person. Capture the details, tell the caller who will follow up and when, and create a task with the call attached.

Keep a record of every call

Impound calls can turn into complaints. A record of what was said, when, and by whom protects your business. In nexTalker, every call is saved to the caller's record with a summary, so a manager can see exactly what the caller was told.