20 May 2019
The AA has revealed plans for its new Smart Breakdown service, which will be the most ground-breaking and innovative roadside assistance offer on the market. The plans were announced at the AA’s first ever Product Innovation Day, held at The Roundhouse in London on 20 May.
The AA’s Smart Breakdown service will be fully integrated into the award-winning AA app, offering UK motorists a simple, intuitive process to help them prevent, predict and report breakdowns.
Building on extensive customer insights gained from Car Genie, its first generation connected car service, the AA has developed a new and unique product that will dramatically enhance the member experience.
Our customer insight survey* revealed that what they want most is to: know immediately what to do if they break down, prevent potential breakdowns, understand their vehicle better and know that the AA are always there to support them.
A small plug-in device
Smart Breakdown works by using a small plug-in device fitted in the member’s car which transmits fault information to the AA and then notifies the member. This means the AA can alert the member when they need to take remedial action (for example turning their lights off), therefore preventing a breakdown.
When it is not possible to prevent or predict a breakdown, Smart Breakdown will automatically send information about a fault directly to the AA, explaining what is wrong and where the driver is, helping the AA address the problem by sending out a patrol with the right parts to get the driver back on the road faster than ever before.
Available to new and existing members
Smart Breakdown is a premium tier of breakdown membership and will be available to new and existing members of the AA for an additional £5 per month or £49 per year. It will be rolled out before the end of the year.
The new Smart Breakdown service will further enhance and differentiate the AA’s Insurance offering by using this data to help develop more tailored and more competitively priced insurance products for AA members.
The AA is differentiating itself through investment in innovation to create simple and smart products, delivered by gold-standard service, that make members’ driving lives easier
Simon Breakwell, CEO of the AA, said,“No one is innovating like the AA. Our new Smart Breakdown offering, first of a raft of innovative products, will help motorists predict and prevent breakdowns or help them get back on the road faster if a breakdown happens. The AA is differentiating itself through investment in innovation to create simple and smart products, delivered by gold-standard service, that make members’ driving lives easier. By using data and new, smarter technologies, we are able to offer our members the enhanced digital Roadside and Insurance products they need and want.”
* Research conducted with Boxclever with sample of 4,853 driver
