RAC Emergency Calls
In all fairness, I had a very different result in January 2014:
Today I suffered a starter motor failure on my Peugeot 1007 in Taunton, Somerset and was immobilised in a car park 25 miles from home. It was pouring with rain.
I called the RAC emergency line to ask for help at 11.25 Saturday morning 18th January - your operator Linda answered.
As a 74 year old recovering from a recent heart attack and my wife having a disabled badge and needing picking up two miles away, I was in trouble.
Linda expedited the call and an RAC van turned up within ten minutes. In the pouring rain, the engineer managed to get the engine started - not an easy job on this particular car. I was then able to pick up my wife and successfully drive home.
I would like to thank the RAC for their service, and in particular Linda and the very helpful RAC engineer who got the car going again in atrocious conditions.
Yours very gratefully Jim Butterworth
the original concern from 2012
What has gone wrong with the RAC Emergency Call-Out system?
The RAC Website states:
What number do I call if I break down?
Call 0333 2000 999 or 0800 828282** for breakdown assistance. 03 numbers are charged at national call rates and included in inclusive minute plans from landlines and mobiles. Call my be monitored and/or recorded. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
this RAC Emergency line had a recorded message for 8 minutes, leaving my wife and four year old grandchild stranded in freezing weather
read on to see how the RAC dealt with our complaint by email and by letter
Following this failure to respond by the RAC Emergency Line, an RAC contact complaint form was emailed to RAC Membership on 12th February 2012. It was forwarded to RAC Customer Care on 14th February and the letter below was sent in addition:
The RAC Website states:
Our dedicated customer service advisers will try to resolve your concerns as soon as possible, usually before the end of the next working day.
If this isn't possible we will contact you within 5 working days to explain what we are doing and when you can expect a resolution.
Within 8 weeks we will call or write to you either with a final response advising you of our findings, or an update on our investigations and confirmation of when we expect to be able to provide a final response, if appropriate.
to: Breakdown Customer Care, RAC Motoring Services, RAC House, PO Box 200, Walsall, WS5 4QZ 13th February 2012
4.30pm 11th February 2012 - weather sub-zero.
The front spring on my wife's car broke and cut through and deflated the tyre. Car immobilised with 71 year old woman on her own with 4 year old grandchild.
She called RAC on 0800 828282 - received recorded message "all our lines are busy; either hang on or call back later". She hung on for eight minutes in the freezing cold; no response. Is this the premium service we have paid for for so many years?
In the end after considerable concern, they were picked up by a passing motorist and were taken to safety. I had to pay a local garage to collect and store the car later that evening.
We have been RAC members for over 50 years each and are currently subscribed to the RAC Roadside Recovery service.
We are aware that at least one of the local RAC emergency call-outs was available so it was not lack of resources on the ground.
The RAC will surely have been aware of the poor road conditions in other parts of the country and so should have had additional staff and lines available to at least answer the first point of contact on the emergency telephones. Ours was a mechanical failure and nothing to do with the poor road conditions elsewhere.
I do feel my wife deserves an explanation and apology and at least a return of premium and the cost of transporting the vehicle to a local garage as a gesture of goodwill.
Do NOT tell me you were too busy to answer a telephone call from a lone old age pensioner with a young child on a cold winter's evening.
Mobile phone records show: RAC were called at 16.43 11th February - 8mins duration
Reminder sent to RAC Membership 22nd February
This email and a letter were sent to RAC Customer Care on 13th/14th February
No response from Customer Care so far - my web site carries the details.
Can you please wake them up
no response from the reminder however RAC Customer Care called 23rd February as a result of my thread on their forum.
My most recent message (27th February 2012) is:
I repeat - this is a senior management problem that needs to be addressed
There may well have been an increased number of calls elsewhere in the country due to the poor weather conditions - however this does not alter the fact that road conditions in the South-West were good and ours was a genuine call for help due to a breakdown (not the weather) and local RAC call-out staff were not under undue pressure.
Even under the worst conditions elsewhere, someone in an unaffected area should be able to access a human voice in a position to prioritise and direct staff on the ground.
In the light of other comments on the forum, senior management need to look closer into how they can ensure that ALL calls can be picked up in all eventualities.
With respect to the hardworking staff "on the ground", please ensure that senior management see and respond to our concern.
GREAT! RAC agreed to pay the cost of transporting our car to the garage - this was a weekend evening cost of £100 plus VAT = £120
I have today (9th March) received a cheque from RAC for £100!
and written again . . . . top-up cheque for VAT now received with an apology.
It seems quite clear that RAC Management could not care less about resolving this problem.
Instead of holding their hand out for the equivalent of £120 every year for the last 50 years they should be looking to improve their service and not ignore valid complaints that left an old age pensioner stranded.
I appreciate that other organisations may be no better - but was this not a time when the RAC could have provided BETTER service than their competitors?