A few weeks ago, I was sitting behind a huge truck at a stop sign when he pulled out to make a left-hand turn. Realizing he couldn't make it in time, he stopped and started backing up. I thought he'd surely stop before he hit me, but as he kept on coming back it appeared maybe he wouldn't. I laid on my horn and yet he kept coming back -- running right into my car. It seemed like minor damage but as anyone who's ever needed body work can attest, looks are deceiving. This one, small bump ended up costing around $2,000 to repair! Yikes!
Michigan is a no-fault insurance state which means my car insurance company would have to handle the repair. The guy who hit me would have to pay my deductible and it wouldn't count against me as far as future insurance rates go (since it wasn't my fault), but still I had to deal with all the issues -- faxing the other driver's confession to my insurer, getting an estimate, having the car repaired (it took four days!), and getting the money from the other driver (he opted to pay the deductible himself so it didn't impact his insurance rates -- and he took his sweet time in doing so, but that's another story.)
Our car, house, and umbrella insurance is with AAA. They are among the cheapest (if not the cheapest) insurers in our area -- and we should know as we regularly price out our insurance to make sure we're getting good rates. Better yet, they have great service. My agent made the process flow as smoothly as possible, got me a repair shop close to my house, and answered all my questions in a timely manner. Just wanted to give them a nod publicly. I certainly don't hesitate telling you all when I have a bad experience with a company, so I want to be sure and tell you the good stories as well. AAA took care of me and I thank them for doing so.
I switched to AAA from Allstate and saved hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year. I never had to use them yet, thank Goodness, so your experience is reassuring.
Posted by: Beastlike | September 13, 2007 at 12:27 PM
Ugh, pricing insurance is one of those things I seldom do (because I dread it), but thanks for the reminder. And count yourself lucky the repairs only took four days! :)
Posted by: Susanna a.k.a. Cheap Like Me | September 13, 2007 at 12:36 PM
I am glad you had a good experience. Isn't the title little deceiving. What about someone esle in someother city that had/has a bad experience with AAA? Does it mean AAA is good or bad? AAA in and itself is not good or not bad.
It is the person(s) that one has to deal with, which decides ones experinece(s) as good or bad. Not the company itself.
Just My Thoughts
RV.
Posted by: RV | September 13, 2007 at 02:16 PM
In agreement with RV, I work for AAA in FL, and the clubs are split up into regions. One club may be a tight run ship, one might be lax, etc.
In my experience, there is bad customer service in even a great company, and a mediocre company may deliver stellar service.
Posted by: Fred | September 13, 2007 at 05:02 PM
I can assure you, AAA isn't all peaches and cream. We were hit by an uninsured motorist that totaled our 9 month old car. We literally had to fight with AAA every step of the way. They wanted to stop paying for a rental car the moment they gave us a verbal settlement offer over the phone (for some reason, the local car Dealer wouldn't take a verbal agreement as payment), they took nearly 2 years to refund our deductible, and the medical settlement was abnormally low.
Given my experience with AAA, I couldn't despise the company anymore than I do.
Posted by: Ben | September 17, 2007 at 11:40 AM
Good experiences are good experiences (same with the bad). I like to hear about both, so as to make an informed decision. This particular insurance experience speaks well of the agents, perhaps, more than the entire company. It's a good selling point, though, this good customer service!
Jerry
Posted by: Jerry | October 26, 2007 at 12:47 AM
AAA insurance is one of the WORST Car insurance companies to deal with. I was hit by a AAA insurer and the company so far has taken 16 days to even talk to me about whether or not they will pay for the damages to my car and the rental. I have been ignored and blown off constantly with this company. Trust me the comments about not being taken care of not paying are ALL TRUE. They will procrastinate and remain apathatic the whole time until you are at your wits end and be forced to file a claim through your own insurance. And that will take years from what I am told to be reimbursed for.
TRUST ME YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE HIT BY AN AAA INSURER.
God knows what they will do to their own clients.
Posted by: shawn | February 20, 2009 at 08:01 AM
Shawn --
Your experience is completely opposite of mine. They couldn't have taken better care of me.
Posted by: FMF | February 20, 2009 at 08:33 AM