HONK’s 2020 Year In Review

This year was unlike anything that we could have ever imagined. In a time of great adversity, 2020 turned ordinary people, like towing and roadside professionals, into heroes seemingly overnight. It was their perseverance that continued to inspire the HONK Team to innovate – helping to make the day-to-day life of a Service Provider easier by moving the industry towards a more digital and efficient future. 

We’re proud of our accomplishments and efforts this year, and while it was hard to just pick 10 things for us to mention in this blog post, our work together over the last 12 months has pushed us towards a place that will help us accomplish some of our long term goals in 2021. 

Let’s start with number 10.

10

Providing Our Partners With COVID-19 Resources Updates

In March of this year, the nation experienced a pandemic and most states issued “Safer-At-Home” orders to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.  HONK’s main priority this year has been the safety and well being of our HONK Partners and customers. We provided frequent email updates, issued safety guidelines, and identified resources where our Partners could purchase disinfectant solutions at a discount to help keep their service vehicles COVID-free.

9

Launched HONK University (Partner Training Videos)

We put together a collection of short videos designed to educate Partners on how to use the HONK Partner App to ensure their experience with HONK is the best it can be. No need to read long written instructions, just watch a few 2 to 3-minute videos to keep yourselves and your operators up to date.

8

Enhanced Secondary Tows for Partners and Insurance Carriers

We’ve made it easier to perform secondary tow jobs this year. HONK uses self-built technology to automate the process of dispatching and completing secondary tows. This includes the management of the vehicle’s release, the prepayment of all the service’s fees, and ultimately the scheduling of the vehicle’s pick-up. Making the process more efficient has benefits for all parties involved, HONK Partners, insurance carrier clients, and the motorists.

7

HONK’s Get Hooked Podcast

This year, HONK introduced its first-ever podcast series. Listen to the Get Hooked podcast for everything you need to know about towing & roadside assistance, the tow community, industry news, hot technologies, and so much more. Hear from HONK resident experts, industry association leaders, tow company owners and operators, and more. You name it, and they’ve been on the show. Listen to all episodes here. Season 2 will kick back up in February 2021.

6

Protecting Privacy for Service Providers and Motorists

For our Partner’s safety, and for the safety of our customers – we are now connecting both parties (tow operator and motorist) right from the app while hiding both numbers. Partners simply click on the Contact button to call the customer right from the HONK Partner App during an active job. See how it works.

5

Enhanced Partner Support During Active Jobs

We’ve increased the number of channels of how Partners can communicate with us. Partners no longer need to call the HONK Team on the phone or wait on-hold, they can reach us directly from the HONK Partner App.  During an active job, Partners can click the Support & Driver Status button to let us know what’s going on, if needed.

4

HONK Partnerships and Resources Page

This year we were busy developing key partnerships with select industry vendors.  HONK Service Provider Partners are eligible for discounts and exclusive benefits from a select group of industry vendors for products and services used on a daily basis. Visit the HONK Partner Resources Page.

3

Slow Down Move Over Campaigns

Tow truck professionals risk their lives on a daily basis while assisting stranded motorists. Yet, many motorists are not aware of important Slow Down, Move Over Laws in their state and how these safety measures can help save many first responders’ lives.  This year, we continued our efforts to raise awareness and released a public service announcement video and dedicated an entire podcast on the topic. We promoted these nationwide during the month of October, during Slow Down, Move Over month.  Stay safe out there!

2

HONK Partner App Updates

We updated the HONK Partner App this year. When accepting HONK jobs, Partners input their estimated arrival time, we confirm that against current traffic patterns and mileage and then proactively communicate arrival times to the awaiting customer.  This timely communication ensures higher customer satisfaction rates and helps Partners arrive on-time.

1

Thank you HONK Heroes

It is no secret that we’ve all become aware of how important essential workers are to the nation at large during this pandemic. Tow truck professionals are essential workers! Working longer than usual hours, some unable to be with their families in order to protect them from the COVID-19 virus. HONK does and shall continue to express our sincere gratitude for their sacrifices. Check out our heartfelt viral THANK YOU video we released earlier this year to honor our roadside heroes.

The outlook for 2021 – go digital!

HONK connects motorists, towing professionals, and insurers, to deliver fast, accessible, transparent and tech-first roadside assistance. HONK’s goal is to help tow businesses succeed and to support the tow industry in meeting the demands of the digital future where insurance customers desire immediate assistance at their fingertips with real-time service updates right from their smartphones – the swift Amazon and Uber-like customer experiences.  

All this helps the insurance companies innovate faster, drive customer loyalty and gain full visibility and control of their roadside assistance programs. As a technology company first, HONK promises to continue to drive innovation for motorists and Service Providers alike through the introduction of new technologies, education, and a fresh, new mindset geared towards the future.