U
rgent.ly is a leader in what's
fast becoming known as the
"on-demand economy," where
products and services speed
to the customer rather than the other way
around. For consumers it simply means
when they need something, they expect
an app on their phone will give it to them -
now. For service providers it means more
demand, potentially a great deal more.
"This is not just about offering to fill
unused inventory of towing and roadside
services via the terrific use of the latest
technology," said Chris Spanos,
cofounder and CEO of Urgent.ly, a startup
that launched in early 2014 and has
since partnered with MapQuest and oth-
ers to provide on-demand roadside assis-
tance to thousands of customers nation-
wide. "It's also about offering companies
higher rates and bigger payouts."
Credit location-based technology that
can detect and project the exact location
of a smartphone; blame it on Uber, the
car service that allows anyone with a
phone to tap a few buttons and watch as
a driver speeds to pick them up. Either
way, the cat is out of the bag on the "I
need it now!" reality.
"We saw this percolating a couple
years ago and looked for areas con-
sumers were being underserved," said
Spanos, CEO of Urgent.ly.
Urgent.ly co-founder, Chairman and
CTO Surendra Goels agreed, saying, "It
was clear to us, based on personal experi-
ence and our research, that roadside
assistance was something 'broken' from
the consumer's perspective and also pro-
vided towing companies little return."
The Urgent.ly approach from the
beginning was to offer high margins for
drivers and super-fast service to cus-
tomers, while also giving them the ability
to watch on their phone as help arrived.
Urgent.ly uses customer iPhone and
Android applications, as well as the Web.
"No more calling a roadside club's 800
On-Demand Service Promise Major
Changes in Towing Industry, with
Urgent.ly Leading the Way
By H.Alvin Smith
4
Tow Professional | Volume 4 • Issue 2 | www.towprofessional.com