Roadside Assistance, terrible experience...

[tkinrade]

I have a class A, 40 foot DP, last week I noticed that my inside duel tire was pretty low on air. I was in a camp ground in a major metropolitan area. I figured it had a stem problem or a slow leak and I would have it filled a drive to a tire place to have it checked. 

I call FMCA Roadside Rescue and requested service. First the dispatcher said she would send a tow truck, where would I like it towed? No, I only need air... ok she said she would call me back. Ten minutes later I received a text the service was on the way, the company was called Auto Rescue, I call the number on my text to ask if they knew it was a motorhome, they said they were sending it back. Thirty minutes later got a new provider text, this one could do the job the dispatcher said. 

an hour later a pickup showed up with a compressor on board that had 100 lbs of air, my tires take 110lbs. He tried to put air in but couldn’t. He was also a waste of time.

All together I wasted over 3 hours trying to get air in a tire.  The next morning I drove 9 miles to a “truck tire repair” shop. They checked the tire, replaced the valve and $15 dollars later  I was off. ( They also had a roadside service truck that could have done the job with jacks and compressors and experience).

So here’s the question, a Class A is pretty much a truck, why not send the proper equipment to start with? We buy service for Motorhomes not cars. Also, what if this were out in the country, or the desert? 

Don't think I’ll be renewing next year. 

[richard5933]

Welcome to the FMCA forum. Sorry that your first post is about something which is so frustrating.

Not that this will be able to change the poor past experience, but have you looked into getting either a small compressor to carry or checking to see if your coach already has a place where you can connect an air hose to fill a tire?

[sstgermain]

Don't you have an air tap in front and a hose??  I can run my 50' hose from my air tap in front of the rig and fill the tires or anything else needed with the engine on the RV running

[wayne77590]

If you drove 9 miles with a flat dual then you have jeopardized the dual on that side that took all the weight and the flat one.

Been there done that, but not knowingly.

[MortimerSnerd]

Just now joined the forum and am considering joining up all the way...... for Assist and Rescue.

No one in authority commented on the lack of service.  In a "major metro area"  This is troubling.  Was the dispatcher new or lame ?  Was this a 1 in 1000 boo-boo ?

 

 

[rayin]

From everything I've  read and experienced,  ERS services hire the cheapest operators available, then they are taught to read from an exact script; ask anything outside the parameters of that script and the operator seems to get lost. Just my opinion.

[ianbullock]

Over the years I have utilized both FMCA and GoodSam roadside assistance. In the half dozen or more incidents, mostly for tire related issues, both have performed satisfactorily and got me on my way, as expected. 

No complaints from me...

[rossboyer]

I called FMCA Roadside Assistance on New Year’s Eve for a failed door lock. Could not get in. Took about 1-1/2 hours for the locksmith to arrive and 20 minutes to fix. I am sold on using FMCA. The president of VAS when making Roadside Assistance seminar at Chandler stated there are 3,000 that answer for all road assistance providers. If you call and are not getting the response you expect, hang up and call again. Some of those 3,000 are great and some are not. 

[elkhartjim]

Ross, are you saying there are 3000 people answering telephone calls or 3000 companies that provide roadside assistance? 3000 people answering phones is one heck of a call center.

 

[rossboyer]

He said 3,000 answering operators across the country that do the answering for roadside service providers. 

[kaypsmith]

Many call centers these days are nothing more than a computer connected to the internet next to a home phone. The answerers are given a crash course on how to respond to a call, and when to send the call to a higher up. I have learned over the years that if I am not getting a proper response to my problem to ask for a supervisor, all operators have one and most will move to the next level. I am not saying that FMCA operates this way, but this is a common practice.

[five]

I find it hard to believe there are 3,000 people answering the telephones for Emer Services....all at the same time.  Also, I've been told that many of the ES providers work for, and will go and do what they are asked by any ES service.  So, regardless of your ES is, you are liable to get the same provider.

[rossboyer]

10 hours ago, kaypsmith said:

Many call centers these days are nothing more than a computer connected to the internet next to a home phone. The answerers are given a crash course on how to respond to a call, and when to send the call to a higher up. I have learned over the years that if I am not getting a proper response to my problem to ask for a supervisor, all operators have one and most will move to the next level. I am not saying that FMCA operates this way, but this is a common practice.

FMCA contracts with VAS to provide the FMCA Roadside Assist. In turn VAS contracts with the multitude of answering services. FMCA really is not involved unless you have problem with the provider. 

[robertsmellis]

I have a similar experience that makes me certain I will not be re-upping my membership in Roadside Assistance.

I was on I-81 and got a Low Coolant warning on the dash of my 40-foot diesel pusher. We pulled over and tried to fill the coolant reservoir but I was unable to get the cap off because of the tight location. I called Roadside Assistance and the woman told me she would try to find someone to come out. She called back in 25 minutes to say there was no one within a 50 mile radius who was willing to do this. Her next suggestion left me flabbergasted. She said she could send out a tow truck to bring my rig in to be fixed. I told her I needed a pair of strong hands not a tow truck but she said there was nobody who could help. Now, we were within 70 miles of Washington, D.C., not in the boondocks.

I told her to forget it. I couldn't believe she would even suggest towing as an option. So I unhooked my tow car and drove to the next town, 12 miles away and purchased a channel lock pliers and a funnel, returned to the rig and performed the necessary fix on my own.

The notion that there is no roadside service in a basically suburban area tells me the FMCA Roadside Assistance program is essentially useless and I will not be renewing this.

[rayin]

8 hours ago, robertsmellis said:

I have a similar experience that makes me certain I will not be re-upping my membership in Roadside Assistance.

I was on I-81 and got a Low Coolant warning on the dash of my 40-foot diesel pusher. We pulled over and tried to fill the coolant reservoir but I was unable to get the cap off because of the tight location. I called Roadside Assistance and the woman told me she would try to find someone to come out. She called back in 25 minutes to say there was no one within a 50 mile radius who was willing to do this. Her next suggestion left me flabbergasted. She said she could send out a tow truck to bring my rig in to be fixed. I told her I needed a pair of strong hands not a tow truck but she said there was nobody who could help. Now, we were within 70 miles of Washington, D.C., not in the boondocks.

I told her to forget it. I couldn't believe she would even suggest towing as an option. So I unhooked my tow car and drove to the next town, 12 miles away and purchased a channel lock pliers and a funnel, returned to the rig and performed the necessary fix on my own.

The notion that there is no roadside service in a basically suburban area tells me the FMCA Roadside Assistance program is essentially useless and I will not be renewing this.

Were this me, I would have already called FMCA membership services and voiced by concerns.

[erniee]

I have Coach-net

[manholt]

Ernie.  

I have tried them all, over the past 53+ years...Coach Net is not cheap for theirI top level, you get what your willing to pay for!  My Insurance policy has a 24/7/365 number to call in case of a problem.  Had to use it one time, 30 + years ago..Blown Transmission...GS told me they could not help, we where about 40 miles from Barstow, CA. on Rt. 66. We called Insurance # & was in the parking lot of a Transmission shop, 4 hours later.  Motel for 3 weeks & rental car..other that food, no cost to us!  We also have Coach Net.

Low coolant, could also be a coolant level sensor going bad...on my 425 Cummings $35, I carry extra!  IMHO, some tools, should be carried in a box for basic needs, unless your Joe L., WBill, BillE, Kay or Brett...they carry a garage! LOL

[jleamont]

I believe issues like this are not related to roadside assistance only, but if you stop and think about it you will quickly begin to notice a lack of responsibility, service and professionalism across many industries.

Today you have to help your DR properly diagnose your illness, or they will likely get it wrong. Today you have to double check your order, it could be fast food or it could be something you purchased on line, the description, photo and product could be incorrect or packaged wrong. Take your RV to a shop with a problem, you are more likely to have a workmanship problem or a miss-diagnosis today more than ever. Call the cable company with an intermittent problem watching a movie, they wont be able to figure it out. I could go on and on, I think everyone gets the picture. 

Attention to detail and professionalism are falling by the waste side.  Now it all about money, not service or pride and its everywhere in every industry. 

I wasn't brought up this way and I see it every single day in the work place. I am learning to let it roll off and its not easy thing to overcome. 

I am not so sure any RS assistance would be better than another, sometimes its all about how willing the person on the other end of the phone is or how bad they actually want to help. Sadly most are contracted through the same call center, just the face and name are different where you purchased it. I believe its a roll of the dice when you call and that persons mood that will determine the outcome, not the carrier or the colorful brochure that sold it.  

[wayne77590]

Stop engine light because of low coolant. Got towed to Cummins. It was a broken wire in the engine harness. GS tow was 40 miles. I asked the tow operator what it would have cost me and he replied, "$750."

[sstgermain]

3 hours ago, jleamont said:

I believe issues like this are not related to roadside assistance only, but if you stop and think about it you will quickly begin to notice a lack of responsibility, service and professionalism across many industries.

Today you have to help your DR properly diagnose your illness, or they will likely get it wrong. Today you have to double check your order, it could be fast food or it could be something you purchased on line, the description, photo and product could be incorrect or packaged wrong. Take your RV to a shop with a problem, you are more likely to have a workmanship problem or a miss-diagnosis today more than ever. Call the cable company with an intermittent problem watching a movie, they wont be able to figure it out. I could go on and on, I think everyone gets the picture. 

Attention to detail and professionalism are falling by the waste side.  Now it all about money, not service or pride and its everywhere in every industry. 

I wasn't brought up this way and I see it every single day in the work place. I am learning to let it roll off and its not easy thing to overcome. 

I am not so sure any RS assistance would be better than another, sometimes its all about how willing the person on the other end of the phone is or how bad they actually want to help. Sadly most are contracted through the same call center, just the face and name are different where you purchased it. I believe its a roll of the dice when you call and that persons mood that will determine the outcome, not the carrier or the colorful brochure that sold it.  

I agree 100% Its all about the Benjamin's and no professionalism at all.

[winnebago04]

I had Coach net and I had a front tire blow out at stop sign 2 miles from the Gaffney service center. Called and they were going to send a guy 80 miles away with the wrong tire , after 3 hours I said forget it and the guys at the service center got me in . 

So every service has their problems