damianc Posted June 28, 2002 Posted June 28, 2002 I had the misfortune last night to flatten my battery trying to start the engine and had to call out the AA at 11 p.m. I figured I'd been quite helpful in explaining that the battery was not sufficiently charged to turn the starter motor, and that it would need a boost. I did have a slightly frustrating moment trying to explain what the car was: AA "And what make of vehicle is it?" D "Westfield" AA "Yes sir, what make is that?" D "Westfield" AA "And who's the manufacturer?" D "Westfield" etc..... They eventually say someone will be there within 45 mins. So I wait. After 45 mins I ring up again to inquire and they say they'll chase it up. 10 mins later they ring up and during the conversation I find out they've arranged a garage to send a recovery truck as they're not sure they can deal with a Westfield (with a flat battery?) and I should have been told it would arrive at 1:30 a.m. So they contact another garage who arrives at 1.00 a.m, boosts me off and it's sorted. It's not so much the delay that p******** me off (though it does) it's just 1. How come they don't know what a Westfield is as they're a motoring organisation? 2. I explained precisely what the problem was but the information wasn't registered? I spoke to their customer services this morning and it appears that the call centre staff are trained to take calls but not to have any basic mechanical knowledge. It strikes me that if the call centre at least understand the basics they can aid informing the recovery staff and cut down on costs by not making basic errors. Anyone else suffered with breakdown organisations? Quote
7 Heaven Posted June 28, 2002 Posted June 28, 2002 Yup, I had an incident last year. I broke down and after a quick look found that A low tension wire snapped close to the dizzy and the car conked out. I called Green Flag and explained the situation and said that a flat bed would be most suitable. Mr Bodger turns up and I explain the problem to him. He decides to carry out his own diagnosis and finds that his little spark indicator shows that I am getting a spark albeit weak. Bodger's conclusion was that the engine had seized even though it was turning over happily. but getting slower because the battery was being drained. I asked him to just load up the lorry with the car and take me home. He then realises that I don't have a towing eye and wonders how he can get it up the ramp of the truck. I said that we would push it, he said no chance. I explained that it wasn't a Volvo and it really wouldn't be that hard. Needless to say Bodger and I got the Westie on the back of his truck and off home we went. If this wasn't enough, the alarm on the house wouldn't disarm and thus the monitoring centre were alerted. I never managed to get to the phone in time to say it was a false alarm so the police were on their way. 3minutes later two big burly coppers are standing at the front door asking if all is okay. It was then time for bed and off to sleep I went, but got woken up at 4am hearing a big commotion in the kitchen. Trot down stairs to find the neighbours cat trying to get out of the cat flap. What a day. I fixed the ignition problem in 20mins the following day and my seized engine is still going strong John Quote
7 Heaven Posted June 28, 2002 Posted June 28, 2002 Yup, I had an incident last year. I broke down and after a quick look found that A low tension wire snapped close to the dizzy and the car conked out. I called Green Flag and explained the situation and said that a flat bed would be most suitable. Mr Bodger turns up and I explain the problem to him. He decides to carry out his own diagnosis and finds that his little spark indicator shows that I am getting a spark albeit weak. Bodger's conclusion was that the engine had seized even though it was turning over happily. but getting slower because the battery was being drained. I asked him to just load up the lorry with the car and take me home. He then realises that I don't have a towing eye and wonders how he can get it up the ramp of the truck. I said that we would push it, he said no chance. I explained that it wasn't a Volvo and it really wouldn't be that hard. Needless to say Bodger and I got the Westie on the back of his truck and off home we went. If this wasn't enough, the alarm on the house wouldn't disarm and thus the monitoring centre were alerted. I never managed to get to the phone in time to say it was a false alarm so the police were on their way. 3minutes later two big burly coppers are standing at the front door asking if all is okay. It was then time for bed and off to sleep I went, but got woken up at 4am hearing a big commotion in the kitchen. Trot down stairs to find the neighbours cat trying to get out of the cat flap. What a day. I fixed the ignition problem in 20mins the following day and my seized engine is still going strong John Quote
7 Heaven Posted June 28, 2002 Posted June 28, 2002 Sorry lads, ISP connection failed just as I sent the message and I wasn't sure if it was sent John Quote
JulianS Posted June 29, 2002 Posted June 29, 2002 I had a good response The car was in S. Wales (I live in Manchester) weekend of Queen Jubillee. Replaced the coil when I was down there and then couldn't get it to fire. Rang FJ's recovery number, then got called back by the local recovery bloke (who had had his own garage and recovery service for over 20 years). He asked what was wrong, I told hime and said a trailer would be nice - he said "flat bed do?". Arrived one hour later, we pushed the car up, and I travelled home in air conditioned comfort (while it p******** down on the M6). More than got my money's worth there me thinks Quote
Robertio Posted June 29, 2002 Posted June 29, 2002 Another Green Flag experience here: Car decides to die just over 10 miles north of Perth, the battery not even having enough light to power the hazard lights, luckily I managed to push the thing into a parking place. It's 10:30pm so pitch black and I'm in freezing fog, just to really finish things off I've been up since 3am and so has my mobile phone so the battery in it is almost done. I phone my dad give him my membership number and get him to phone GF. He calls us back to say they have no record of me on their system (I'd paid £100+ when I took out my Impreza insurance for top level cover) and that they'd phone me shortly. Eventually get called by them, and told that because they don't have me on their system I'd have to give them my credit card details and be charged £72 just for them to send someone out. I explain that it's a bit dark at the moment, so giving them my credit card details would prove to be difficult, only to be told that they can't send anyone out then during the next 5 minutes I manage to read out the number to them using the headlights of any passing cars to illuminate my card. By this point my phone is struggling badly and can only just make out that they will send someone. An hour later and I've run, jumped, hopped and kicked stones the length of the parking space many times trying to keep warm when the break down truck turns up. After a while he manages to get the car jump started (can see almost nothing as we are working by the headlights on the truck) and he agrees to follow me for a couple of miles until his turn off (I've got another 100 miles to do before bed) as I'm pretty sure it will just die again. Sure enough a mile or so along the road the little power I had taken from his truck runs out and the car rolls to a halt. I'm then told that he can take me a maximum of 10 miles as I should have been told on the phone (but wasn't ) Anyway following the same situation as John, except I pushed the car while he used the winch on the steering rack he drops us off in a little village out in the middle of nowhere at somewhere approaching 1 am It then takes me half an hour of walking around trying every b&b and hotel I can find before I eventually find somewhere with a room for the night. Get up in the morning and around to the local garage for 8am, who luckily for me are open (don't normally on a Saturday, Sir) and in daylight it was obvious alternator belt had come off, so reattached that and left the car with them to charge the battery for a couple of hours. Later phoned Tescos (who allegedly arranged the break down cover with my insurance) who reimbursed my £72, but needless to say I am no longer with them. Not an experience I want to repeat in a hurry. Quote
mmmmdonuts Posted June 29, 2002 Posted June 29, 2002 I called the RAC out when my car wouldn't start (me being mechanically stupid). The operator didn't get Westfield straight away, but when I explained it was one of those kit car things she new what I meant (or seemed to). The bloke that came out was great, and spent quite a while on the phone to the factory trying different things to get it started. Turned out to be bad connection on a dirty fuel pump. Called them out when I smashed it as well. Took bl**** ages to get it on the trailer as one of the front wheels was no longer connected to the steering. wasn't a flat bed either. Did it in the end though and the bloke was very chatty and friendly (said he'd picked up a TVR the week before that had split in two! ). Good experiences all in all. Quote
damianc Posted June 29, 2002 Author Posted June 29, 2002 It's not been all bad experiences for me. Generally the AA guys who've picked me up have been knowledgeable and friendly. I think it's just the front line call centre people. Probably not their fault as I guess they don't get sufficient training. I tried to explain how it might work better if the staff had some mechanical/automotive knowledge but the woman at the "customer care" dept just couldn't get it. It seems to be a symptom of modern commercial organisations to keep their staff under educated and under informed Quote
garyo Posted June 29, 2002 Posted June 29, 2002 The AA have been okay with me, but they WILL NOT listen to you when you tell them what's wrong with the car. I holed my sump in the work carpark and created a 50 foot oil slick. I called them and said - "hole in sump, car undrivable, needs full lift to get home" ...they still sent the bloke in a van to look at it, declare it undrivable, and they pronounce that the back of the car is too low for the car to go on his towing dolly and it needs a full lift, so everyone's time is wasted. Gary. Quote
damianc Posted June 29, 2002 Author Posted June 29, 2002 That's just the sort of thing I mean. Ms Customer services complained that they couldn't have them respond to every "customer's" diagnosis. However, when it's blindingly obvious like the above, or the other month with my; 'blown head gasket, water being expelled through exhaust - it'll need a flatbed', they could use their loaf! Quote
garyo Posted June 29, 2002 Posted June 29, 2002 I always wanted to try to get a job as an AA man just to see whether I could... anyone ever tried, or know how difficult it is? aren't 95% of callouts flat batteries or flat tyres? Quote
damianc Posted June 29, 2002 Author Posted June 29, 2002 chatting with the last couple of AA guys it sounds like an excellent job. Drive around the countryside/city helping people out. Lots of variety and peoplealways grateful for what you've done. Quote
16v Posted June 30, 2002 Posted June 30, 2002 We had a problem starting our GTIR,rung the RAC who came out and pronounced that they couldnt touch it cause "it has a turbo on it" with that he duly left my wife stuck by herself at 2.30 am,good service not Quote
Boyband_Pete Posted July 1, 2002 Posted July 1, 2002 I just signed up with the AA, and as I can tell they are the only break down people, that will pick you up from a track day, as long as you were not racing. And if you blow your engine up and were racing just lie as I did. Standing in the pits race suit, race boots, holding helmet, aa- have you been racing Pete- me...err... no aa- OK Quote
damianc Posted July 1, 2002 Author Posted July 1, 2002 They kindly picked me up from Elvington air museum when my head gasket went Quote
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