Breaking down: What to Do?: Advice from AMW's Roadside Assistance
In situations where someone’s car has broken down, what should they do?
First, park safely and switch off the car as soon as possible. If you don’t have a thorough knowledge on the dynamics of a car, it’s best not to tamper further which could potentially worsen or damage the
If you are in an
accident or your
car breaks down,
safety should be
your first concern and getting the
issue sorted is your second priority. With this thought in mind we spoke to AMW and their professionals, regarding their recently launched “Roadside Assistance” service, on the do’s and don’ts when it comes to such situations.
What are the most common types of breakdowns you see?
Around 55% of the calls we get from all over the country are for carrier services. These are either due to accidents or major mechanical failures that cannot be easily remedied on the spot. We have a wide network of close to 50 dealers working with us island-wide to ensure we can cover any of our members no matter where they are.
The other two highest reported issues are usually related to batteries and locksmith services, accounting for 40% of calls. The remaining calls are usually related to minor technical issues or tire related issues which our technical staff attends to on the spot and provides further advice to the clients on how to avoid similar incidents in future.
What are common mistakes people make in these situations?
While it is an emergency situation, a knowledgeable specialist’s advice is always better than others. Most resort to getting help from someone in the vicinity, who might lack the proper technical knowledge for, convenience, getting a temporary fix or ignoring the problem all together.
Most actually suffer by not keeping an eye out for the indicators and or not addressing the issue completely, relying on temporary fixes, leading
the situation. Second, call a specialist and convey your problem as clearly and precisely as possible.
Third, unless you are specifically asked to do so by a specialist after following remedial actions based on instructions, we further stress on the point: Do not try to continuous–ly start the car.
A word of advice for hybrid automatic and electric car owners and drivers: As these are fairly new to Sri Lanka, a layman’s knowledge may be limited and may have complex issues that require a professional’s advice and opinion.
to larger, more expensive issues later on.
What can a person expect when your emergency services team arrives at the site?
Our technical staff is proficient to a great extent on brands of vehicles and the basic as well as advanced dynamics of various vehicle types.
The technical teams have senior experts at base ready to provide further assistance to the ground team if required. Collaborated with their experience and knowledge, the technical team is always able to gauge what the problem is.
When a call is received to the service hotline, our agents take in as much information as possible from the customer to ensure the responding team is well prepared to address the issue. Once the information is passed on to the technical team they call the clients once again before departing the workshop / station to ensure they are fully prepared to attend to any situation.
Once the technical staff arrives at the location and if the problem cannot be remedied at the current
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