The last thing you need when your car breaks down in an isolated location is poor mobile phone reception. In a stressful situation like this, deciding who to call for help is crucial.

Recently, a customer phoned Mondial Assistance advising that they had broken down. The customer was calling from outback New South Wales, so they were having trouble getting good reception on their mobile phone. In between the line dropping in and out, our Customer Service Assistant, Amy Andrew, was able to roughly determine where they had broken down and what the problem was.

Amy then sourced a local mechanic to attend to the customer’s vehicle. Luckily, the mechanic knew the roads well and had a fair idea where they were. While the mechanic was on his way, Amy called the customer back to inform them that help was only 20 minutes away.

After assessing the situation, the mechanic advised that he was unable to mobilise the vehicle, and that it would need to be towed back to the manufacturer dealership. So Amy then organised a tow truck provider to transport the vehicle.

As it was still early in the evening, the provider was able to tow the vehicle to the local holding yard in town, which was within 50 kilometres of the breakdown. The customer went with the provider, so they could receive better mobile phone coverage in town. They still needed to decide what to do with the vehicle, given that they were 400 kilometres from home.

After considering the entitlements associated with the customer’s roadside assistance membership, Amy was able to offer two options. The first option involved towing the vehicle straight to the nearest  dealership, 350 kilometres away. Alternatively, we could provide the customer with a rental vehicle and accommodation, while repairs were carried out at the nearest dealership.

The customer decided to have the vehicle towed straight to their local dealership for repairs. As they had been on holidays in the local town with other family members, they already had accommodation, and were able to make their own way back home.

ABOVE LEFT: Roadside Customer Service Assistant, Amy Andrew, dealt with a difficult situation when a customer called for assistance, after their car broke down in outback New South Wales.

You’re in good hands with Mondial Assistance.

At Mondial Assistance, our experienced teams would not be able to help clients and their customers as well as we do, without being proactive. In this case, our proactive approach ensured the best solution for the customer, within the terms and conditions of their roadside assistance policy.

In 2007, our Automotive Assistance team helped with 71,700 roadside breakdowns Australia-wide, and 3.5 million cases globally. Yet, in every case, we strive to provide a superior level of personal service, which sets Mondial Assistance apart.

Mondial Assistance is the global leader in assistance. Around the clock, around the world, we're always ready to help you - whatever it takes.