Please note that this location is their corporate office and is not a CAA Travel store. This review…read moreis for CAA roadside assistance in Ottawa, so I feel this listing is the most appropriate. I have been to their various travel stores to pick up maps, take passport photos, etc. I will review those locations at a later time.
So I have been a CAA member for over a decade and have not had to use their roadside assistance services until very recently. I have to say that I was very satisfied.
This happened in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic. I was working late (I had been deployed to the Covid-19 Emergency Response for over a month at that time, so long days were the norm) and I was completely exhausted and looking forward to going home. I got in my car, and my car wouldn't start. I tried a few more times to no avail. So I called CAA.
The dispatcher, Cindy, was very pleasant. She got all my contact information, location, and asked me questions about the issue I was having, like my car wouldn't start, but did I have power? Did my radio work? She then explained the process if the CAA technician could not fix it, that they would tow me to whichever body shop I chose. She was very patient and sympathetic.
I did have to wait about an hour for the technician to come, but I was in a parking lot and not in the middle of a highway or anywhere dangerous in that way.
CAA then sent me a text with the estimated arrival time and then later a text with a link to a website where I could track where the driver was, using GPS. I loved the map with a car icon where I was and the CAA icon where the driver was. I particularly liked seeing the CAA icon move towards the car icon, lol.
The text told me that the technician was from J.B. Mobile Mechanic, so as I saw the tow truck approaching me I knew it was him and I flagged him down. CAA also sent me a text confirming he had arrived (which is good for people who don't have data and can't track the driver in real time on the website).
The technician was Kevin and he was very friendly and efficient. He told me my car battery was only 9V when it should be 12V (I know nothing about this kind of stuff so I just nodded and smiled, lol). He boosted me and said I would need to get a new battery, as I would be able to get home that night, but likely my car would not start the next day. He gave me tips on how not to get swindled at the body shops, which I appreciated. I know that he did this because I'm a woman who quite obviously does not know anything about cars (listen, I was really proud of myself that when he asked me to pop the hood, I knew exactly how to do it, haha), but he did not do it in a sexist way, but rather in a fatherly advice kind of way, which I certainly did not take offense to. He also told me some jokes to make me laugh. He was very respectful of the physical distancing rules in place due to Covid-19 and I found our interaction pleasant.
In the end, I got home safely and got my dad to come and change my battery for me the next day (Thanks Daddy, I love you!! Sorry I couldn't hug you, Covid-19 and all. Lol).
I was super happy with the service I received from CAA (and JB Mobile Mechanic). I think the membership price is worth the peace of mind. Besides, CAA members get several discounts (you can go to their website for the list), and they also provide free road maps. Truth be told, in the times of GPS devices and other digital tools, there's something very satisfying to me about reading and touching an actual paper map.
Also, I wanted to mention that during this Covid-19 Pandemic, CAA is offering Social Check-in Calls for people who need it. It is available to the general public and not just members. CAA representatives will call and as per their website: "The purpose of our calls is to simply chat and make sure the individual is in good spirits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please note our CAA staff are not professional mental health advisers; therefore, should there be any concerns, your Emergency contact will be notified or a call will be made to the appropriate service provider." You know what, this warms my heart immensely that CAA is providing such a service, as it is so above and beyond what I feel is expected of such a business. I am very fortunate to have so many social supports in my life, but I am cognizant of the fact that there are people out there who have very few or none. Kudos to CAA for this initiative!
I will be a CAA member for life!
