Same with tow trucks. Trying to find a tow truck on your own is a HUGE mess. Finding a tow company in the area invariably leads to some sort of "virtual tow truck call center" that takes a bunch of money and subcontracts out to actual tow truck drivers.
My solution was to pay for the roadside assistance via my car insurance and call them to sort things out.
Now emergency plumbers - same mess, but I haven't figured out a solution for that.
Same with locksmiths. Where there's clients in need of emergency services, there are always grifters willing to take advantage of desperation.
(Use AAA for tows and vehicle lockouts, never a locksmith you find on your own.)
Unlike roadside assistance (which works), the one thing I can tell you not to do for emergency plumbers is trust a home warranty service like American Home Shield. These sorts of "services" pay contractors subpar and flat rates, which deprioritizes your claims and incentivizes corner-cutting. They will not deliver miracles like finding you a plumber on Thanksgiving.
My solution was to pay for the roadside assistance via my car insurance and call them to sort things out.
Now emergency plumbers - same mess, but I haven't figured out a solution for that.