AA breakdown wait times increased lately

DaSchmo

Hi all

Been a member of the AA for 11 years - I had called them a couple of times in the past and typically (greater Dublin area) they'd assign a driver and have someone there within the hour. Always happy with the service when they did come

After a couple of years (5 or 6) of not having to call them I have had to call them for roadside assistance 3 times in the last 3 weeks for two different cars

Wait times have been 2 hours, 2 hours, 3 hours. No driver assigned for the vast proportion of each. Since they claim on their app, and from what I can remember this is how it was sold to me - that you'll typically get assistance within an hour, has anyone else noticed wait times have increased?

This is just hearsay but a mechanic in an area outside of Dublin told me that in general there was a shortage of mechanics and that no mechanics in his area wanted to work for the AA so they had resorted to hiring non mechanic tradesmen and sending them out after six week's training.

Anyone else had experience like this recently?

bazz26

It's probably the same knock on effect as what the NCT centres, motor dealers and garages are experiencing. A shortage of mechanics, motor technicians, etc who have left to go work in other industries that offer better pay, better hours and general working conditions. Some might be getting out early too due to the shift to electrification.

JustJoe7240

No real reason to be a qualified technician to work for the AA, Last time I got breakdown assistance the guy who lifted my car told me that 90% of call-outs are punctures, flat batteries and wrong fuel.

DaSchmo

Well if that's the case then why use the AA instead of the breakdown assistance that almost everyone has with their insurance? The AA is sold on a) we'll come out to you within the hour and b) we'll at least try to fix whatever the problem is on the spot if it can be fixed on the side of the road by a mechanic with a van full of tools. I don't pay them their monthly fee to jump start my car if the battery goes flat, I can do that myself.

mk7r

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804310#Comment_120804310

The thing is, beyond a flat battery, puncture or misfuel what problem that has caused the car to be non functional will realistically be fixable at the side of the road? Almost none without parts etc, the AA is just breakdown assistance

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120806623#Comment_120806623

Exactly. I can change a wheel myself, jump start or bump start a flat battery. Anything beyond that probably needs getting to a garage to fix.

Over the last few years I have had to call out the breakdown assistance that's included with my insurance. First time was the fuel pump, second time was starter motor. Neither were roadside repairable. The recovery truck driver confirmed what I already suspected and brought the car to the garage for repair.

antodeco

They've never been great in the years I've used them. One year I broke down on the way to the boat. Asked them for a flat bed recovery to drop to my mechanic and I'd hop into another car for the inward journey. 4.5 hours later they eventually turned up. Missed the boat as a result. They also came out without the flatbed recovery truck and had to call someone else. Another two hour wait.

DaSchmo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120806623#Comment_120806623

Two they fixed for me down through the years roadside were a fuse with corrosion on it that needed cleanup and another time a bad connection on the power supply wiring to the ignition coil which resulted in no spark. Both of these issues needed to be traced by someone who knew what they were doing, were traced within 5 or 10 minutes, fixed on the roadside and prevented a tow to a garage and related expense. No parts needed. That's the sort of thing I think is worth paying the AA for over and above standard insurance breakdown assistance.

mk7r

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120807308#Comment_120807308

Those issues will be incredibly rare though on their call out list, maybe 0.001%

granturismo

Car and home insurance with AA were cheapest for me for a few years, even factoring in the annual membership. Alliance became cheaper for me about 4 years ago and I havent renewed my AA membership since.

kdevitt

Last two call outs I had with the AA were both well over a two hour wait - I never renewed after that - and that was well over 10 years ago. I don't think they've ever been particularly efficient from my own experience.

Dirty Nails

Curious as to how long would be considered as an acceptable wait given that it's an unplanned event?

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120816020#Comment_120816020

It may be unplanned for an individual but the AA should have sufficient data on the pattern of callouts to be able to statistically determine the resources needed to meet a certain service level / response time with a given probability e.g. a wait time of under 1 hour for 95% of roadside assistance calls .

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120816354#Comment_120816354

I'm sure the AA already know all that information. The issue they are having is the same as most other industries with low wages and demanding work, they can't get staff as there are easier better paying jobs.

Dirty Nails

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120816354#Comment_120816354

Know where you're coming from but likewise if it's unplanned/unexpected for the individual, it's unrealistic for anyone else to plan for it.

That's like every employer in Ireland paying excess staff on the chance they just might have a busy day.

Dirty Nails

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120803518#Comment_120803518

Would you be satisfied to let Daniel O Donnell fix your car? :)

JustJoe7240

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120819679#Comment_120819679

As I said, They don't do much fixing. IT's generally a case of "Oh we'll have to tow it to a garage"

Psychedelic Hedgehog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120812259#Comment_120812259

Agree with this. The three times I've had cause to call them out in 15 years of membership, they were quoting well over 3 hours wait times. I managed to sort myself out all of those times (once by limping a car with a faulty slave cylinder 60 miles home) and figured that insurance covered breakdown cover couldn't be much worse. The aggressive hard sell I got when I rang them to cancel only solidified my decision to leave.

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120819669#Comment_120819669

It's more like a supermarket chain not knowing exactly when a specific indvidual will buy a particular product in a particular shop but they can and do know aggregate demand well enough to ensure their shops are sufficiently stocked without having product sitting on their shelves.

Chilliflake

Currently sitting here in the car waiting for the AA on the main Waterford-Cork road since I rang them at 10.30am. It’s now nearky 12:30. A technician wasn’t appointed until an hour had passed and then they rang me to say it will be another hour or so. I’d say something if I was in a remote spot, but it’s not far from either Waterford or Dungarvan and a hugely busy main road. Nothing to drink and dying of thirst in this heat. He also asked me how I was going to get home, so I assume he won’t be taking me to the garage with my car (engine fire) so have to find someone to drive out and get me. Not great tbh.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120819669#Comment_120819669

Actually that's exactly what happens in most companies (certainly customer facing/service ones like callcentres).

You will have a staffing team responsible for capacity planning - ensuring that there are enough staff to meet predicted increases in demand, and redeploying them/letting them go if contractors when the demand falls off. This is all worked out months in advance based on trends or historical data (eg: busier times at certain times of the year), or other factors such as a new marketing campaign that will bring new customers etc. They'll also have an allowance built in to account for sickness, annual leave, people who quit etc and a small buffer.

If the plan does it job, there will be sufficient staff at all times of the year so that when demand is there, there's someone to deal with it.