Power Report: It's enough to make an AA client overheat

It takes years to win customers and seconds to lose them - and once gone, they're unlikely to return.

Although I believe how a company deals with a mistake is often more important than the error itself, sometimes even the best of intentions after the fact don't cut it.

Take the case of Cape Town reader Mike Workman.

Last weekend, he called on a service for which he'd been paying for 40 years, thinking the company would have his back. He'd been paying them to do exactly that.

story_article_left1

But he didn't just receive poor service, he got no service at all.

Which meant that he was stuck - literally.

Workman had woken up after spending a night away in Stellenbosch to discover that his car wouldn't start. He turned immediately to the trusted Automobile Association to sort him out.

Instead, the call centre agent declined to help, saying drivers had been on strike for three weeks and that nobody would be coming to assist.

"I double-checked if we were stuck and the response was that yes, we were stuck," said Workman.

"I had stayed a member out of loyalty and because I wanted a 'Linus blanket' in case something went wrong. Surely any service like this would make alternative arrangements?

"There was no notification beforehand that the service would not be available."

I'd heard nothing about an AA strike and there was no mention of it or any possible service disruption on the AA's website or social media accounts.

I asked spokesman Layton Beard to explain.

He did, and in stark contrast to Workman's experience, he did so in record time.

Beard said the organisation was "horrified" at the complaint, that it was "business as usual" at the AA with a full fleet on the road 24/7.

story_article_right2

Workman should have been assisted, he said.

The strike, which started at the end of June, involved about 120 of the AA's 600-strong staff. Beard said management was still in negotiations with the South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union, which had declared a dispute over various issues including a demand for a 12% wage increase.

Those on strike in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban were mainly drivers, with a handful of call centre staff.

"To deal with this action, the AA put into place a number of contingency measures to ensure continued and uninterrupted assistance to all our members, including those affiliated to our various partners," said Beard.

The organisation covers some two million cars with monthly premiums ranging from R85 to R180. The AA service doesn't just affect direct members but thousands more whose insurance companies are contracted to it for roadside assistance.

Beard said that, where necessary, it had contracted AA-approved service providers to ensure uninterrupted assistance, and had made similar arrangements for the call centre.

So why was Workman left stranded?

The AA still isn't sure.

A temporary call centre agent hired to replace one of the striking workers got it all horribly wrong.

Said Beard: "When asked why she told the customer there was no service, she couldn't explain."

block_quotes_start They'd discussed the matter with their operator, who had no excuse... however, I'm sticking to my guns and cancelling my membership block_quotes_end

She no longer works at the call centre.

"We are concerned and horrified at Mr Workman's experience. Because we are, to all intents and purposes, functioning as per normal in respect of service to our members, there is no reason for someone from our call centre to suggest in any way that Mr Workman could not be assisted."

He said that although the AA had had other isolated incidents, the causes had been analysed and measures put in place to prevent a recurrence.

"With the contingency plans, no member should be in a position where they do not receive any service as a result of this industrial action."

story_article_left3

He said lessons had been learnt: the main one being that where temporary staff were used, they needed to be thoroughly trained.

Workman has since been contacted by the call centre manager, apologised to and offered a refund on any costs incurred.

"He said they'd discussed the matter with their operator, who had no excuse," Workman said. "However, I'm sticking to my guns and cancelling my membership. What if it had been at night on a dodgy stretch of highway?"

Beard said the AA was "extremely unhappy" with Workman's decision. "We can't stop learning from this."

Workman said that if the AA had notified members about the strike and provided an assurance of continued full service, he'd have been able to challenge the operator and would not have just accepted her refusal.

Even though the strike affects just 20% of the AA's workforce, I must agree. Forewarned is forearmed. Hence my column today.

Beard is confident it won't happen again.

But just in case it does, here's the customer service number to call: 086-100-0234.

sub_head_start Contact Megan Power sub_head_end

E-mail: consumer@sundaytimes.co.za

Follow Megan on Twitter: @Power_Report

Please note: Other than in exceptional circumstances, readers sending me complaints must be willing to be identified and photographed.

Tune in to Power98.7's "Power Breakfast" (DStv audio channel 889) at 8.50am tomorrow to hear more from Megan