Author Topic: Honda Customer Service/RAC no service (Read 1343 times)

gingerbikerchick · « **on:** 22, July, 2003, 09:42:51 AM »

Those of you who witnessed the almost loss of my back wheel on the way to Donnington and saw the excellent customer service from Andy Pegram, Events Co-Ordinator of Honda, know that my ass was truly saved.

I took time to write two letters this week. One to Andy at Honda for his fantastic service and one to RAC about their total lack of customer service.

Anyone else found the RAC totally useless for bikers?

See below:
Dear Andy,

RE: Your Excellent Customer Service at Donnington Park on 13th July 2003

Just a note of thanks for your all your help at Donnington Park the other week.

You really went out of your way to assist me with not only donating a very important bolt to my CBR600F to keep my back wheel on (after losing it on way up) but also escorting me to the bike to fit it and check the bike for damage after the wheel had mis-aligned, to ensure I got home safely. This really was beyond the call of duty and it was very much appreciated.

Please find enclosed a voucher to have a few drinks on me, which Bridget assures me, she will forward on to you.

I just wanted to say that Honda is extremely lucky to have a member of staff as helpful and knowledgeable as you. It really reflects well on them.

I do hope that this will be forwarded on to management so they appreciate you as much as I do for all your efforts in getting me home safely.

Many thanks again for your kind assistance in helping a damsel in distress.

Yours sincerely,

Angela Gildea

To whom it may concern,

RE: Full Membership No: 339 334 196, Temporary Membership No 0339567230

I write with regards to the above policy that I took out on 2nd February 2003 at the Alexandra Palace Motorcycle show with one of your representatives.

The gentleman informed me that it was a special deal for people at the event and would cover me in any vehicle.

After getting into difficulty on Saturday 12th July about 10 miles from Derby, I called your help line number to ask for help after the pin on my back wheel of my CBR600F came out when I was riding and I nearly lost control of the bike. I called you to request someone attend and assist me with a bolt for my wheel as a temporary repair to get me to the event at Donnington. I requested that if the mechanic could not help with this, then I would need towing to Greenford to my home address as I had to be at work on Monday but I said I would leave the bike where it was to give the mechanic time to find one and give it to me as we were going to the Grand Prix at Donnington Park on the Sunday.

I was informed that my policy did not cover me in a case of recovery to my home address and I only had home start and roadside assistance.

Please find copies of paperwork from Alexandra Palace stating the services that I had been given as a special offer to motorcyclists at the event.

Furthermore, I wish to know why such a policy was offered as a special offer to motorcyclists at the bike show when it does not cover taking some one stranded miles from home to get them home and instead, I would be expected to pay a large sum of money to be taken home. Quite frankly, this is leaving someone with no choice other than to pay this out.

Nothing was mentioned to me about being able to stay in a hotel overnight covered in your onward travel policy which states I have been given on my original paperwork. If that was the case, I could have stayed in a hotel until Monday and then got the part first thing on Monday morning.

I spoke to the duty manager who was less than helpful. “On our computer screen, it states that you only have blah blah blah”. If I had my original documentation and stated my temporary membership number, I wonder if the response would have been different.

After the mechanic turned up and tried his best to think of somewhere to get a part, he really could not help me at all and left.

I was left with no alternative other than to get a few helpful local gentleman to straighten my wheel, run up the road to look for the bolt up the road and then walk with me while I rode the bike 500 yards up the road to my hotel for the night.

On Sunday, I had no alternative than to ride the bike 20 miles to Castle Donnington knowing that if the pin came out again, I could lose control of the bike but as I had no alternative, I had to.

Luckily for me, this did not happen. Fortunately, after speaking to Honda, they donated me a spare bolt of a display bike and left the show to go to the car park to fit it for me and check my bike over to ensure I got home to Middlesex safely. Clearly they are aware what customer service is even though my bike has no warranty with them.

I pay you for a service, which, quite frankly, is only suitable for car drivers as your mechanics are able to help them but not motorcyclists. Why on earth were your representatives at the Alexandra Palace motorcycle show to promote a product which is no use to a biker if you don’t carry standard parts and don’t cover recovery.

Why does my policy now it has come through, differ from my original paperwork and not reflect what I was informed I was signing up for?

I have to sign up to a separate motorcycle recovery company called SOS now to ensure that I am never stranded in the middle of nowhere again.

I would appreciate a response to the points that I have raised and wonder what you have to say as I have paid for a years policy in advance for a service which does not prove to have any use to me.

Yours faithfully,

Angela Gildea

trouty · « **Reply #1 on:** 22, July, 2003, 09:49:18 AM »

excellent letters ange. i wouldn't have a clue what to write!

glad to hear you got things sorted out... i wonder what the chap from honda would have done had it been a guy asking for help?

gingerbikerchick · « **Reply #2 on:** 22, July, 2003, 09:59:52 AM »

It did take me over a week to compose them both!

In all honesty, i think he would have done exactly the same if it was a guy. You can spot genuinely helpful people a mile off and i definately think he's one of them.

radar_uk · « **Reply #3 on:** 22, July, 2003, 11:07:45 AM »

Good letters Ange - let us know if you get any reply from them.

Spill · « **Reply #4 on:** 22, July, 2003, 12:02:21 PM »

Quote (gingerbikerchick @ July 22 2003,09:42)

If I had my original documentation and stated my temporary membership number, I wonder if the response would have been different.

Yep - that would do it!

I switched to RAC from AA years ago when AA didn't appear at one breakdown and have been happy with their service since.
There was a hiccup last year, when they stated my membership didn't include at home service, but they still came and sorted the bike out and the categories were cleared up quickly.
I will always be grateful to them for ferrying my BMW to Aberdeen (from M6) when it died, then home from M1 on the way back.

BikerBeth · « **Reply #5 on:** 22, July, 2003, 12:14:11 PM »

Good letters Ange - hope you get the same standard of letter back from the RAC but probably not ':down'

Darkmonster · « **Reply #6 on:** 22, July, 2003, 02:18:27 PM »

Excellent letters, the RAC have quite a bad reputation with bikes, when I worked for S*S, we were always being moaned at by people who had been stranded for hours roadside, usually with H*ndas. They look at the screen & only see H*nda, think....CAR and send out a van.

The best (at the moment) service for bikes seems to be National Breakdown.

'>

Glad you got it sorted, and Andy at H*nda...what a hero!

'>

gingerbikerchick · « **Reply #7 on:** 12, August, 2003, 09:30:25 AM »

Had a handwritten note from Chap at Honda thanking me for my letter.

RAC have failed to respond as of yet. My second complaint is being written as we speak.

BikerBeth · « **Reply #8 on:** 12, August, 2003, 12:26:03 PM »

Go for it Ange - give them hell - they deserve it

Aceman · « **Reply #9 on:** 06, September, 2003, 12:46:16 AM »

Yeah Ange. Don't let this die out, keep the pressure up on them, and post their response up here.

Last year, my friend Louise hired an SR125 from Raceways which broke down. The AA policy, which came with the hire bike, was used, but the AA man couldn't find the problem, and towed it back to her house. I used my RAC cover, and he was great. The RAC man, Michael Youngblood, did a terrific job, stripping the cam cover off, and finding that the securing nut for the exhaust tappet had come off. He managed to make a temporary, which was good enough for the bike to be ridden back to Raceways. Raceways said that the bike was recently serviced/rebuilt, and that shouldn't have hapened. But they didn'r shirk their responsibility, and gave Lousie a full refund. The RAC man, is a biker (Ducati), and certainly more passionate about sussing out the problem and solution than the AA dude.

However, many years ago, I was borrowing a friends car that was covered with the RAC for any driver. I broke down on the M4 by Hungerford, on route to Swindon for a job interview the following day. When I used the motorway phone, the RAC denied me assistance, saying that it was the owner who was covered, not the vehicle. So my own money (credit card) got me out of trouble that night, getting a private firm to tow me to a local garage. I later confirmed with my friend Mo, the owner, that the car itself was covered. Only when I got a letter from the local polic inspector, confirming my telephne conversation, did the RAC reimburse my costs.

When buying anything, ask every question possible. You must positively know what you are buying, don't assume anything. I use to work a Procurement Supervisor for an I.T. company a few years ago, and certanly learnt a lot from my role there. If you are buying anything, relay back to the seller what you believe you are buying, take their name and record it down. That way, you have some recall.

Keep us in the picture Ange.

Hugs to ya - Martin

gingerbikerchick · « **Reply #10 on:** 17, October, 2003, 12:05:38 PM »

RAC have note done anything with my letter of complaint despite two follow up letters. I am now having to get dirty regarding this and have threatened to use my journalistic position in order to resolve this.

They customer service really is disgusting.

Aceman · « **Reply #11 on:** 17, October, 2003, 02:04:05 PM »

In customer service, there's a term "Service Recovery" which is defined by taking a complaint, satisfying that customer, and winning/recovering further business from them. I'm still interested in your saga. Stick with it Ange, they're probably hoping that you'll just give up, like so many people do. As you can see from my previous posting, I had to contact the local Chief Inspector, and get a letter from him, before the RAC reimbursed my expenditure. Don't give up on this Ange, your determination and strength of character (aka tough biker chick with PMT) will see you through.
- Martin

Darkmonster · « **Reply #12 on:** 17, October, 2003, 02:20:14 PM »

Keep at them Ange....as Martin said, they probably hope you will let it drop!

Keep at it!!

'>

Wildcat · « **Reply #13 on:** 17, October, 2003, 08:51:15 PM »

I've had AA for decades, sometimes good sometimes crap. On one particular occasion they left me stranded alone on the North Circ from midnight till 3am with a buggered alternator, and PMT. When I called I had explained that the bike was unfixable and I needed to be carted home. Eventually an Escort van turned up who'd been cruising up and down looking for a Suzuki Jeep. I went ballsitic then cried (as you do) and finally they sent SOS out to rescue me. I wrote a stroppy letter and they gave me a free year's (car and bike) membership and a cheque for £50.

Aceman · « **Reply #14 on:** 18, October, 2003, 07:40:20 PM »

Willdcat - Now that was a worthwhile complaint. Post a copy of that letter up here, and maybe the rest of us can use it as a guide/template for future complaints. For £50, I'm sure I could feign a good sob, but not sure about the PMT bit though. Off to drama practice now.

Boo hoo hoo - Martin

gingerbikerchick · « **Reply #15 on:** 29, October, 2003, 11:04:16 AM »

At last everyone-I’ve had a result!!!!

Had a call from RAC Customer Service in reference to my final letter where I mentioned publishing an article naming and shaming them and after they considered all the facts and that although they don’t think I should have had recovery (despite being told I was signing up for it), they agree that things should have been picked up much earlier on when I requested a tow from Boxhill and was granted it.

They agree that there is a discrepancy about which product I was promised when I signed up at the exhibition and they agree that the customer service received in Donnington was less than satisfactory except the guy who attended who was prompt and did try his best.

Result was that I was offered my money back or a full years cover including home start, roadside assistance and recovery commencing now!

Obviously I went for the years cover.

So when you aren’t getting a result guys and gals, mention the press as only then do they appear to take complaints seriously.

I’M A HAPPY BUNNY!!!

'>

trouty · « **Reply #16 on:** 29, October, 2003, 11:13:10 AM »

nice one, well done ange!

STEM-VFR · « **Reply #17 on:** 29, October, 2003, 11:27:03 AM »

Well done Ange.

Darkmonster · « **Reply #18 on:** 29, October, 2003, 01:16:09 PM »

Excellent result Ange, bout bloody time!!

'>

radar_uk · « **Reply #19 on:** 29, October, 2003, 02:29:29 PM »

Nice one Ange - bet you're glad you kept at them !

TallGuy · « **Reply #20 on:** 15, November, 2003, 10:25:16 AM »

Quote (fatboy @ Nov. 15 2003,10:13)

im gonna be a ......AA patrol man .

Well I'm sure you'll be a very nice man...... a very very nice man

'>

TallGuy · « **Reply #21 on:** 15, November, 2003, 10:28:52 AM »

Oh and I think you mean you will be an AA Patrol Person. ':p'

I beleive the AA got a sexist slap on the wrist for that advertising campain. ':crazy'

Lick The Toad · « **Reply #22 on:** 15, November, 2003, 01:54:41 PM »

LOL...very nice man very very nice man........How old is that sayin!!

BikerBeth · « **Reply #23 on:** 15, November, 2003, 06:54:42 PM »

Congrats to Ange on finally getting a result although it shouldn't have taken all the hassle you had to get it. Congrats to Fatboy on new job - I expect preferential treatment if you are working in this area along with everyone else on LB whose with the AA

Aceman · « **Reply #24 on:** 01, May, 2006, 03:57:59 PM »

GBC - Ok, I haven't checked back for a quite a while, but glad I did.

Well done Ange for sticking at it and getting a result that you're happy with.

Martin

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Author Topic: Honda Customer Service/RAC no service (Read 1343 times)