Tow-truck operators are adversely affected by this lack of attention while working on the road. A shortcoming in customer service that ultimately harms the customer.
The roadside assistance sector, represented by the National Roadside Assistance Alliance, this week denounced one of the most common problems in the service: delays in being attended to by the call centres of insurers, motoring clubs and roadside assistance platforms. Telephone waits which, during the latest holiday getaway (Operación Salida) – which ended this Monday, 1 August – exceeded 40 minutes.
This delay in immediate attention prevents the swift and effective resolution of incidents that arise in the course and management of roadside assistance operations. Moreover, this poor service from the telephone switchboards of these entities occurs indiscriminately; even on occasions where extreme urgency is required, in an accident on a public road.
The spokesperson for the Alliance representing roadside assistance companies, Xavier Martí, made the following message clear: "we would not want this issue to bring back the agenda of conflict instead of the dialogue that has been started, but we are not prepared to let our safety and our assets be gambled with because of poor telephone service".
Immediate solutions for recurring problems
Martí has called for these problems to be resolved immediately, "as they are not one-off but recurring", he pointed out. In fact, this matter is already part of the broad agenda put forward by the Alliance at the meetings it has been holding with the leading insurers, motoring clubs and travel assistance platforms since 13 July.
Solving the problem would involve – on the initiative of these entities – strengthening staffing and allocating resources so that they deal properly with their suppliers. Just as these suppliers are required to provide services full time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The members of the Alliance are therefore going to call on insurance and assistance companies to resolve the delays in answering calls immediately. For this organisation, it is necessary to place on these entities the responsibility for the harm being caused to assistance companies; mainly to their operators, who suffer this poor telephone service while working on the road… with the consequent risk to their lives and to those of the occupants of the broken-down or crashed vehicles they are assisting.
The National Roadside Assistance Alliance is made up of the following regional and national associations and business organisations: ABEAC (Balearic Islands), ABEAC (Basque Country), ASCA (Catalonia), AMEAC (Madrid), ANESAV (National), ASCALEAC, (Castile and León), ASEDA (Andalusia), ASEGA (Galicia), AGRUAXA (Salamanca), ASEXTEAC (Extremadura), GRUPO CARTER (National), CEPAS (National), FEGRUAL (National Federation) AGREGA-GRUAS and REAC (National Group).