The main breakdown cover providers started their life as a motoring club and then expanded (or was sold) into the finance sector. They do however try to give some advice and news on motoring in general, or what to do in certain situations. the AA did some mini videos, which we will show here in separate posts at some time, but the RAC have chosen to do “what to do if” advice pages on their website.
An example of the “what to do if” is advice on what to do in winter when it comes to driving and your car. Examples of advice are, to purchase a battery charger, use suitable screenwash that does not freeze, do not use wipers to clear heavy snow (we presume in the morning), avoid heavy braking and the ,list goes no.
It is a good idea and shows the RAC still wants to help its motorists, but the reality is most drivers will not spend the time to read such tings. They will wait until they breakdown and expect the RAC breakdown cover service, to get them up and running again.
The best way to get advice out is to sneak the advice into and entertaining TV show, or the like, so drivers get the information without even looking for it. It was also posted in January pretty mush after the worst winter in decades was over, so a bit like the horse had bolted stuff. Anyway the RAC breakdown cover service, did well to attend the callouts during this winter time.
Continuing the themes of looking at breakdown cove organisations homepage on the net, this time is is the turn of the RAC. Compared to the AA, this homepage is more dedicated to breakdown cover with only the menu buttons along the top suggesting other services are available and even this is limited to insurance only. This is quiet surprising considering the RAC is now owned by Avia a huge financial organisation that first bought out Norwich Union (who previously owned the RAC) , you would have thought they would advertise more services.
However for the customer looking for RAC breakdown cover, this is probably what they want to see, dedicated reasons of why they should take out a RAC breakdown cover policy. With messages like, helping breakdowns for 112 years and “have you broken down now” are excellent for the customer, who just wants to get on with it and buy a policy.
What is the first thing you see. Roadside assistance from £28, probably the answer to most visitors, how much will it cost me to join the RAC? All in all a good homepage, that does not distract from the subject matter in hand, even though, the add on products not advertised here, may affect bottom line profits.
We thought we would consider how breakdown cover organisations like The AA now diversify into as many financial areas as possible to increase bottom line profits. Of course many breakdown cover motoring clubs (as they were once known) as owned by insurance or financial organisations and see breakdown cover as an add on product rather than the main one.
In order to understand this more we are today looking at the homepage of the AA, to see what other services they sell and what you are likely to see in your emails, contact details and hear when talking to the sales call centre.
As far as the menu is concerned the homepage shoes the AA breakdown cover service as first, but when it comes to images the car insurance sticks out more., it is then followed by home insurance and the AA credit card. The largest area is dedicated to the new home breakdown cover service , which is probably expected with a new service. Move down the page below the fold and you start to see a whole array of other services, starting with Loans, then travel insurance, before travel themes finish off the homepage.
The AA has always been involved in travel by car, from rating bed and breakfasts to restaurants, but now all types of travel are part of its portfolio. A question we don’t know is, does these extra services support the AA breakdown cover service, in keeping costs down as economies of scale kick in. Or are they measured separately and are another way of added more money to the bottom line.