I've heard similar stories about smaller providers, but honestly, AAA isn't exactly flawless either. Had a client recently who waited nearly three hours for AAA to show up, and she was just outside a major city—not exactly middle-of-nowhere territory. Seems like their service quality has slipped a bit over the years, maybe due to staffing or demand issues...who knows.
Makes me wonder if there's some middle ground—like regional providers that have decent networks without being as huge as AAA. Has anyone had luck with something like that? Curious if there's a sweet spot between reliability and responsiveness.
"Makes me wonder if there's some middle ground—like regional providers that have decent networks without being as huge as AAA."
Yeah, I think you're onto something there. I've had AAA for years, and honestly, the last couple of times I've needed them, it wasn't exactly stellar. Last winter, my battery died in a grocery store parking lot—pretty standard stuff, right? Called AAA expecting maybe a 30-45 minute wait (it was mid-afternoon, clear weather...no reason for delays). Ended up waiting almost two hours. By the time they showed up, I'd already had three different people stop to offer jump-starts.
Funny thing is, my neighbor swears by a smaller regional roadside assistance company he's been using lately. He had a flat tire on the freeway about a month ago and said they got to him in under 30 minutes. I was skeptical at first because I'd never heard of them before—figured they'd have fewer trucks or something—but he says they've been consistently quicker than AAA ever was for him.
It definitely seems like AAA has grown to the point where they're stretched thin, especially in busier areas or peak times. Maybe it's staffing shortages or just too many subscribers now? Who knows...but it's noticeable.
I'm seriously considering giving one of these smaller companies a shot next renewal cycle. Might not have the nationwide coverage AAA offers, but realistically, how often are we breaking down halfway across the country anyway? For local commuting and occasional road trips within state lines, a regional provider might hit that sweet spot between reliability and responsiveness you're talking about.
Wouldn't mind hearing if others have had similar experiences with smaller outfits—good or bad. Seems like there's gotta be some decent alternatives out there these days.
