BMW CCA Roadside Assistance Battery jump start & towing - cannot be done on the same service call !!! Internet

As an owner of a Roadside Assist Service for Motorcycles ....we are often asked if we can jumpstart a bike, even though we were dispatched as a tow for the customer.  YES we can.

BECAUSE: If we are dispatched for a tow, we are well paid for the tow, (which can sometime take 2 hours to complete).  My company does not charge extra for a jumpstart (which takes just a few minutes) since we are already there, and if it works, we are available faster for the next call.  If the jumpstart does not work, we are already paid for the tow by Roadside and we were already aware of the towing time needed to complete this call.  No extra time, fuel or wages than when first dispatched.

But if we are dispatched for a jump start and that does not work, we will be required by the Roadside Assist Program to get authorization from dispatch to tow the vehicle for the extra time & expense to complete the call or charge the customer for the additional expenses.

BECAUSE:  "Jump starts" pay a dispatch fee, a jump start fee and maybe the enroute mileage to the vehicle in question.   It takes additional time to load your vehicle onto the tow truck  and drive to your mechanic, as well as additional fuel for the tow service miles, which was not included in the jumpstart dispatch. 

This could take an extra 30 minutes before we go that 4 miles, time away from another call we may already have been dispatched.

Would you have asked the Tow Service or the driver to do this for free or are you willing to pay out of your pocket the additional expenses which could be up to $75 for a 4 mile tow?   

My solutions to this delimna are:

1) Always request a tow, just in case one will be needed. 
2) Have more than one roadside assistance program in place NOW so when this happens to you, you have other options.  Roadside Assist is offered by your insurance co ($12-17 a year), AARP,  GoodSam, your Owners Group, AAA (must have RV package for your motorcycle coverage), and in your cell phone service (fee for AT&T is $3 a month and does not cover motorcycles)
3) Offer to pay the Tow Co out of your pocket, so another Roadside PO will not be needed.
4) Carry jumper cables in your vehicle so someone near you can jumpstart without using your Roadside Assist

And thanks for the tip. It never occurred to me to maintain 2 roadside assistance memberships for such a contingency.

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