AAA currently has about 63 million members located throughout North America, an incredible feat of expansion considering it served only about 1,500 people when it was first formed in 1902 as the American Automobile Association. In the United States today, one in four households has a AAA membership.
Part of the organization’s ability to grow so quickly has to do with member loyalty, another incredible feat considering that the brand devotes little to marketing and instead relies on word-of-mouth advertising. AAA has a reputation for excellence and brand trust that makes large-scale marketing campaigns unnecessary. This reputation also applies to the technology that the organization has developed to support its products.
Respecting Different Preferred Styles of Engagement
With millions of members, AAA – The Auto Club Group (ACG) realizes that not everyone will have the same communication preferences. Even within a single family, there can be radically different preferences—some may prefer entirely online experiences, while others may enjoy long, friendly phone conversations with a representative. When organizations can recognize and honor all of these styles, they vastly improve consumer experience and engagement. With that in mind, ACG has worked to overhaul its support technology and ensure that the full range of communication options remains open to its members.
In the end, communicating with ACG is the primary job of the technological tools created for members. However, these tools can facilitate several other processes to improve service flows and make finding information easier.
The modern technology industry is evolving at an incredible rate. To stay relevant, organizations need to try out new and exciting tech to engage customers. From ACG’s perspective, this has meant figuring out creative ways to incorporate a range of functionality into the software, from travel agency sales to data insights—while keeping emergency road service as the central feature.
Providing Reassurance with Unique Digital Features
Over the last few years, ACG has integrated state-of-the-art technology into its offerings to create a secure and seamless experience across a range of devices, ensuring customers never feel disconnected from service representatives. Now, when ACG members open the AAA mobile app, they can connect to representatives through multiple modalities and take advantage of several other features meant to improve the overall driving experience. The app allows members to map routes, book hotels, discover nearby discounts, research fuel prices, and locate electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Plus, members have access to AAA digital assistance for a wide range of vehicles, from bicycles to cars and EVs.
While these innovative technologies are meant to improve overall user experience, they can also become extremely important in terms of supporting members. For example, the digital assistance feature has facilitated faster help for drivers stuck in extreme weather like snowstorms and hurricanes. During these storms, call centers begin to surge with requests for assistance and the lines simply cannot keep up with the demand. However, when wait times become excessive, members can use digital assistance with speech recognition powered by artificial intelligence to identify needs and book a roadside appointment with a confirmed arrival time. Providing multiple channels for booking appointments has made services more efficient during times of crisis.
Plus, through the AAA app, members can enable geolocation with the push of a button. Text notifications let them know exactly when the service truck is going to arrive, reducing the anxiety of a vehicle crisis. In the future, AAA plans to roll out additional features to quell anxiety, such as the ability to monitor vehicles remotely and provide helpful tips for avoiding serious issues. For example, the app might track the vehicle’s battery to send a notification when it needs to be replaced so that members do not end up stranded with a vehicle that does not start. AAA also envisions a future in which the app automatically schedules service for battery replacement, adding another layer of convenience.
Exploring New Frontiers for Engaging Technology
The AAA technology push expands beyond the organization’s app. Recently, AAA teamed with Amazon Alexa and Google Home to make the large library of organizational services accessible through these virtual assistants. For example, you could ask Alexa to query the AAA restaurant database for the best nearby eats. Once you choose a restaurant, Alexa will interface with OpenTable to make a reservation for you.
Members can also ask these virtual assistants to book services through AAA. For example, if you get locked out of your car, you can use your mobile device to ask Google to send a service request. In addition, members can access their AAA data through these virtual assistants and even request new cards and take care of other administrative issues.
Moving forward, AAA is thinking well beyond the app in terms of how technology can improve the consumer experience with the organization. One of the major projects being tackled is a complete revision of the emergency roadside assistance ecosystem to help digitize the process and thus drive efficiency. With technologies like geotracking and advanced analytics, it will be easier than ever to facilitate quick access to vehicles in danger and even get to a point of identifying dangerous situations before a problem occurs. That way, AAA can ensure that an agent is nearby to respond should an accident occur. These features will help AAA improve the user experience while reinforcing its dedication to member safety and honoring its legacy of innovation and ingenuity.