Tel-Wick Towing and Zip’s AW Direct are practically neighbors in the Detroit suburb of Taylor, MI. Tel-Wick opened their Telegraph Road location in 1977, while Zip’s moved into their Wick Road shop in 2012. They’re only about five
minutes apart, and both benefit from their close proximity to the Detroit Metro Airport.
For Zip’s, the airport provides convenient travel accommodations for long-distance customers to pick up their new trucks. For Tel-Wick, the airport means a steady stream of business for towing and roadside assistance calls, including jump starts
and towaways in long-term and short-term parking garages.
According to owner and company founder Hani Berro, typical airport calls include business customers and families returning from trips to find their vehicles with dead batteries, flat tires and other impairment issues. “The airport is
big business for us,” Hani said. “We get vehicles stuck in the parking decks and others requiring professional work all the time.”
Generating a lot of those calls is Tel-Wick’s reputation as a reliable AAA Service Provider. Hani said they pride themselves on customer service, and they have won several awards for their work. “AAA is good for us,” he said.
“Most of our customers have AAA protection, and since joining them in 1979, we have grown together for a bigger and wider service area.”
Hani’s son, Basel Berro, who serves as Tel-Wick’s general manager, said it takes a compassionate team effort.
“Our techs understand that AAA members are having a bad day and may be nervous or scared,” Basel explained. “Our job is not to add any more stress to them. Our job is to make it as smooth as possible and do anything we can do to
kind of ease their pain for that day by making it a good experience.”
Family affair
As the latest feature in our Zip’s Customer Spotlight series, Tel-Wick currently owns a fleet of 17 light-duty trucks, car carriers and battery-service vans. They cater exclusively to automotive customers--no heavy-duty wreckers or commercial
trucks to contend with. They employ close to 20 operators, technicians and dispatchers and operate within a 15-mile radius of their Taylor location.
Tel-Wick is a family affair. Hanni started it, Basel runs it and two other brothers are also involved in the day-to-day operations. Like most family towing companies, Basel said he grew up in the business, riding with his father in a tow truck and
inheriting a solid work ethic from him. He said he also learned alot from his dad’s employees growing up.
“Many of them have been with us before I was even born. They’re still there today, some close to 40 years,” Basel said. “We grew up with them, and we would learn alot from them. They made it fun. We would learn how
to hook up a car, how to unlock a door, how to change a tire to eventually doing everything on our own.”
Like his siblings, Basel attended college after high school. He had even started in medical school before his dad’s health changed his career path. Hani had suffered a heart attack, and as the oldest son, Basel felt obligated to take
over the company and take some stress off his dad. He knew how hard his dad had worked to build the business and to provide for his family.
“As kids, my dad was always at work. We saw what he went through, always coming home tired, and we helped out where we could while in school,” Basel said. “I really wasn’t looking to take over, but when I got into it, it definitely
developed into a passion. There are challenges, and you learn something different every day. It never gets boring.”
Working relationship
Tel-Wick has been a customer of Zip’s since the Iowa-based company moved into their neighborhood a dozen years ago. Hani said he works closely with sales rep Jon Bull and other staff there for truck purchases, parts supply and equipment maintenance.
He said he’s glad to have such a trusted leader in the towing industry so close to his operation.
“They provide excellent service,” Hani said. “They have quality trucks and have good service techs. They do excellent work maintaining our trucks and keeping us safe on the road. We have great communication with Jon, and he always
makes us happy. I appreciate that and thank him for all the support over the years.”
Basel agreed with his dad. “To be honest with you, I feel like Zip’s is a big part of our company,” he said. “I mean they take care of us from ordering our dream trucks to getting the parts and tools you need every
day. Most important for me are their mechanics. Those guys get us back on the road as soon as possible.”
“Tel-Wick was actually one of our very first customers in Detroit,” Jon noted. “It’s been a very open and honest relationship. It has been that way from the beginning, I would say, and from my perspective, that’s
greatly appreciated because that’s kind of how I like to approach my customers in the same regard.”
Future Growth
As Tel-Wick looks to upgrade their fleet, Jon said he keeps them well informed of changes and improvements to towing equipment, including carrier bed options, slope-style tailboards and the main advantages over the different truck manufacturers. He
also advises them on the different options and combinations of light bars, warning beacons and marker lighting.
“They’re always up for learning new things and learning what may be different on this style of bed versus what they’ve had in the past,” Jon said. “We can have open conversations about what’s working and what’s
not working. We have an opportunity to consult with them and find some different things that will help make it a little easier out there.”
Understanding the tow life means keeping their trucks outfitted with the right products. As they routinely respond to calls at the airport with tight parking spaces, Tel-Wick said they built many of their trucks with push bumpers and stocked them
with ITI Skates, JNC jumppacks and GoJaks, all provided and recommended by Zip’s Detroit location.
“We load them up pretty good,” Jon said.
Having the right equipment helps promote the company’s brand and image in the community. As the second generation takes over, Basel said he would like to see the company’s growth continue with “multiple locations, more trucks and
a bigger service area.” He said his family is committed to that goal through community service and activities.
“We want to give back to the community like they’ve given to us,” Basel said, reflecting on their ongoing charity work and parade presence. “We want to have an impact on this area. We would love to be known as a gold standard
around here. I want everyone to have the best service and the fastest ETA with the nicest trucks.”
