AAA - Full Process

FULL PROCESS

Below is a documentation of the process we took combined with what's on our presentation page to achieve our finished product.

RESEARCHED FACTS

Membership

Established in 1902 by nine motor clubs with fewer than 1,500 members AAA has more than 58 million members in the United States and Canada.

Customer Service Offices

AAA, a not-for-profit, fully tax-paying corporation, is a federation of affiliated motor clubs with more than 1,100 offices in the U.S. and Canada. It offers personal service through its network of more than 40,000 full-time employees.

Annual Dues

New Primary Member $48 to $96*
New Associate Member $21 to $51*
*varies from club to club

AAA Roadside Assistance

Roadside Assistance is designed to aid members when the vehicle they are driving or riding in becomes disabled. Services that fall within the provisions of the AAA membership incur no additional charges.

STAKEHOLDER MAP

We created this map to prioritize AAA's community system. once prioritized, important factors of the app can be focused on from top priority to last. We now understand AAA and their needs.

USERS MAP

This is how many members each AAA shop served the past 12 months. The numbers go down as the locations get farther away from midtown.

GOOGLE REVIEW

To get a closer look at how the users feel about the brand, we tuned into AAA's Google reviews. Reviews gave us insight on what's important to users. Below are a couple of reviews left by users.

Review 1

Had my alternator go out near Chastain Park and luckily for me I was close to the AAA Chastain Park location! The AAA Chastain Park team was very friendly and gave me the most professional service that I could ask for! The price was very reasonable to get the part replaced, it was completed in a timely manner, and I fully anticipate to come to this location with any of my Car Care needs in the future! https://goo.gl/maps/KcuKJmZjcRerrYXv6

Review 2

Don't go here. Took my car in for a "free" tune up and oil change. Told me I needed new brakes and a battery. I got those things replaced, and then three weeks pass and a spark plug blows... causing me $166 in repairs. According to my local mechanic whoever screwed them in did so too loosely... This place says they didn't touch anything, but they were generally pretty rude on the phone and hung up on me. Unprofessional... Don't trust this shop with your car. https://goo.gl/maps/GFTSr8Yi9hzJGH6X9

Review 3

Got my auto insurance there and road side service. The best thing to have for such a small piece of change. Beats having to pay towing if you break down! https://goo.gl/maps/M6Hmf5check7BFgK9

Review 4

I called AAA on this past Friday. I learned my membership had expired and quickly paid to reinstate. Because I had a flat I was told I would have to pay an additional 50.00 to have service expedited which I also did. I waited about 45 minutes and some gentlemen were leaving the same meeting I was had been a part of asked if they could help I explained I had called AAA but they figured they could at least begin the process. It took at least another 30-45 mins. before they got my spare on my car. Still AAA was not there. By that time they finished and left I realized my phone was dead. I later called to have the 50.00 refunded but was told I could not. Disappointed that I trusted in your service which was no service! Also both representatives were very non-sympathetic. https://goo.gl/maps/7ABSmaYWTbYx8cW17

ONLINE SURVEY

This survey was distributed and shared throughout Facebook groups and SCAD students.

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

INTERVIEW

Interviews were conducted to get more of a personable answer from AAA's users

"I joined AAA because of an accident, on day my car's battery died and stopped in the middle of the road. I registered the member immediately, and AAA sent someone to my location and fixed the problem. I used the service three times for one year. One was changing the battery; other two times was pulling the car to fix store"

"My car broke down on the highway, and my phone was dying. I tried to save my battery life so my phone can hold until the AAA service arrived. However, it took AAA 10 minutes to even pick up my phone call, and they said the service will arrive in about 2 hours, so I just left my car on the side of the highway and took an Uber home. After I ate dinner and charge my phone at home, I took an uber to get back to the highway. The service finally arrived after I got there."

"My car broke down once at a place that I am not familiar with. I googled my location and told AAA staff on the phone. But when the service arrived near my location, we made 3 phone calls to clarify where exactly I was at. I hope they Can see my location on Google Map like Uber does."

"I never used AAA for my BMW but me and my sons share a family membership from AAA. I helped my son to fix his flat tire before, they arrived pretty fast, and his attitude was excellent!"

SECONDARY INTERVIEW

A series of questions were asked in this round to get more insight on how the user's feel.

Technician Interview

1. How did you get the service request?

Dispatch office will send the order down to Georgia and will dispatch to each station, and the office contacts me or other technicians directly. There is a dispatch crew station for each location, and I can only pick up a car in my dispatch location.

2. How do you find the customer's location?

The dispatch office sends me the location and I call to confirm. Most of members don't know where they are but AAA can track their phone and find the exact location through the department of transportation cameras.

3. What customer information does AAA give you?

Name, phone, location.

4. Can you describe the whole process from receiving the service request to complete the work?

Receive info and device cell, call customer, talk to customer to check and make sure no one is faking you. After I arrive at the location, I will ask whats wrong with the car, take the keys and deliver it to destination.

User Interview

1. Why did you become a AAA user?

Prevent future car problems.

2. How did you discover AAA?

My parents recommended; we are in a family plan.

3. What AAA services do you know about?

Jump start, battery, towing, change tire.

4. How did you contact AAA?

I called my parents, and they told me to download AAA app. So, I contacted AAA with the app.

5. How long did you wait for AAA technician?

20 minutes

6. Did the technician find your location easily?

He just called me once to confirm my location.

7. Rate 1-10 of your experience with AAA, why?

Because the technician arrived in 20 minutes, but he told me some wrong stuff about my battery.

8. Any suggestions for AAA?

Not really, because based on my only experience, it was pretty good. But I know my friends waited for very long time for the technician, so maybe they need to be on time.

User Interview

1. Why did you become a AAA user?

My grandfather recommended it to me.

2. How did you discover AAA?

My grandfather told me about it.

3. What AAA services do you know about?

Towing with limited distance, jump start, battery.

4. How did you contact AAA?

My grandfather called AAA for me, but later I canceled it because my friend helped me.

5. How long did you wait for a AAA technician?

20 minutes

6. Rate your experience with AAA 1-10, why?

7 Because they got my name wrong on the AAA membership card.

7. Any suggestions for AAA?

No.

User Interview

1. Why did you become a AAA user?

To make sure I have roadside service.

2. How did you discover AAA?

My parents recommended.

3. What AAA services do you know about?

Tire change, battery, jump start, towing, car servicing.

4. How did you contact AAA?

App/phone

5. How long did it take to request assistance from AAA?

30 minuets

6. How long did you wait for a AAA technician?

2.5 hours

7. Did the technician find your location easily?

No, it took him a long time to arrive, and we made few phone calls to help him to locate me.

8. Rate 1-10 of your experience with AAA, why?

1, because technician was late, his truck had problems, he went inside to have lunch before towing my car, and the technician made "uncomfortable conversation" during the drive.

9. Any suggestions for AAA?

Better drivers and organization.

User Interview

1. Why did you become a AAA user?

My car broke down on the street last year, and a driver passing by told me

2. How did you discover AAA?

A driver passing by told me about that.

3. What AAA services do you know about?

Battery, towing.

4. How did you contact AAA?

Phone call

5. How long did it take to request assistance from AAA?

About 10 minutes.

6. How long did you wait for a AAA technician?

I used AAA service 4 times in the past year, sometimes the technician arrived very soon, like in 30 minutes, while sometimes it took over 2 hours for them to get my location.

7. Any suggestions for AAA?

Sometimes yes, sometimes not. One time my car broke down in a plaza, when the technician arrived at that area, he couldn't find my exact location. We had to make about 3 phone calls to communicate about my location.

8. Rate your experience with AAA 1-10, why?

7, all in all they provide decent service, but sometimes I had to wait for a long time. Also, one time the technician couldn't speak fluent English, we spent some time to communicate.

User Interview

1. Why did you become a AAA user?

I was in need of towing services.

2. How did you discover AAA?

My mother recommended it to me.

3. What AAA services do you know about?

Towing, tire.

4. How did you contact AAA?

Phone call

5. How long did it take to request assistance from AAA?

5-10 minutes.

6. How long did you wait for a AAA technician?

an hour and 30 mins

7. Did the technician find your location easily?

No, I had to keep telling them that I didn't know my exact location, because it was on the highway. The dispatcher sent me a link to click so that she can locate me, but when I clicked it, it didn't work.

8. Rate your experience with AAA 1-10, why?

1, because they can be faster, and make the process easier to solve my problem faster. It takes a lot of effort to put in a service request, the process is too long.

USER JOURNEY MAP

Drawing out a user's journey helped us to better understand the correspondence between AAA and the users.

SWOT ANALYSIS

By understanding AAA's SWOT, we can focus on the redesign with clear goals.

AFFINITY DIAGRAM

The affinity diagram was developed based on the feedback from the interviews and online survey

PERSONAS

Personas were conducted to make up the range of different users.

Alena
Age: 51
Occupation: Psychological Counselor
Car Model: Mercedes-Benz 2015
AAA Membership Age: 20 Years

Alena is a mom of 2 college students, both own cars. So, all her family members are in one AAA family plan.

"Over 21/2 hr wait for AAA roadside assistance to get help for a flat tire on my car. Poor communication from AAA. They weren't going to call/text me back until they had a service truck scheduled to help me. The contracts that AAA has with these service providers is such a low amount that the service providers decline taking AAA service requests. This was horrible service, especially since I am a "Plus RV" member, of which I've had my membership since 1999 (20 years)! This was horrible service."

Cece
Age: 21
Occupation: Georgia Tech Bioengineering student
AAA membership Age: 1 year

"My car wouldn't start, and Brandon came to the rescue from AAA! He got my car started and I did not need it towed. He arrived within 15 minutes and the job was completed within 20 minutes. Everything was the greatest service."

Travis
Age: 45
Occupation: Real Estate Agent
Car Model: Jeep 2012
AAA Membership Age: 4 Years

Travis is a fan of off-road vehicles, he likes driving to mountains or woods and get away from the city life for a while.

"Their dispatch service was abominable, and the driver who contacted us claimed he "Had no map" and refused to take our instructions on how to locate us. The whole experience was harrowing as we were on a 3 miles either way. It was well over 100 degrees and we had a young rescue dog with us. They never arrived and we had to abandon the car after 3 hours."

Chrissy
Age: 30
Occupation: High School Math Teacher
Car Model: Toyota 2017
AAA Membership Age: 3 Years

Chrissy works at a high school that is 1 hour diving from home, so she spends a long time in the car everyday.

"My tire blew out at 10:45pm going home from work on the turnpike. I called AAA several minutes later. The lady on the phone was very courteous. Said they would call me back as soon as they find someone to come out. Unfortunately they're having trouble finding someone to come out. It's almost 2 hours later when I received a call that someone will be on the way shortly, by that time a Road Ranger stop by and changed the tried for me. Unacceptable to be left out there stuck that late at night."

USER STORIES

Listening closely to user stories allows us to see problems directly