The rain was coming down in sheets as I was on my way to a police call. Our turn on rotation and I was the closest.
When I arrived, I was pointed in the direction of a BMW about 100 feet off the road lodged in-between two cedars. I located the driver for the keys (never will understand why they always grab their keys). And as she was handing them over, she proudly presented a gold AAA card as well.
Now to say that I was disappointed by the sight of that card would be an understatement. I’d gone through this same scenario many times and sometimes it ended well and sometimes I lost my shirt.
And, even though I’d like to tell you that, when put in that situation, there’s always an easy way to make it work for you, so that you come out on top every time...The truth is…there is no one-right-answer that works every time.
But over the years I’ve learned a few ways to get around this problem and ensure that I got paid what I was worth. And I’d like to share them with you.
My only caution here is to say that, if you value your relationship with the motor club in question, you should never do anything that goes against your contract.
Here Are 3 Tips You Can Use
When a motorist tries to use a AAA card, or any other type of Roadside Assistance Insurance at an accident.
1: SUGGEST THE USE OF AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE
Suggest that she save her Roadside Assistance for something else and let her Automobile Insurance take care of it this time.
Since the damage to the vehicle will need to be repaired, you can suggest that, rather than using one of her limited Roadside Assistance calls, she could instead, allow you to work with her Automobile Insurance company to get paid.
2: TAKE THE CARD AND USE AAA'S ACCIDENT FORM
Take the card and fill out AAA’s Accident Report Form.
Rather than getting paid a measly $40 bucks for something that should be $250, use AAA’s Accident Report Form to get paid a little more. You won’t get everything you’re entitled to but it’ll be better than nothing. But before doing this, if you don’t already have this form, contact AAA and ask about it. Get a dozen or so copies of the form and look at how the pricing is structured.
TIP 3: EXPLAIN THAT YOU WERE CALLED THERE BY THE POLICE
Do the work and then explain to the customer that you were called there by the police.
It’s not always an easy thing to do, I admit. The customer may be adamant about using Roadside Assistance, but you know that taking that little gold card means pennies in your pocket. With time and practice you’ll be able to explain that; to be covered by AAA or any other Roadside Assistance company the motorist would need to call that company first and wait. But with law enforcement’s involvement they’re guaranteed speedy service. Besides law enforcement may not be agreeable to blocking traffic while some Roadside Assistance company decides who to send.
Now as I said before, if you value the relationship you have with the motor clubs you provide service to, be careful not to do or say anything that may be misconstrued to be outside what you've contractually agreed to.
And while my hope for you is that you take this advice and mold it so that you always make a profit, I want to reiterate what I've said before and remind you that, to have a truly profitable and healthy business you should work to lessen your dependency on motor clubs.
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