Tipping AAA road assistance

[ncbyrne]

Is a tip expected if you call AAA for road assistance?

 

[AnnaS]

I have no idea if it is expected but my son and my husband have always tipped the driver.

 

[BuzzandAriel'smom]

no, it is not expected and some won't accept it.

 

[DisneyHumbug]

I tip. I've used them a lot. I give a good tip if I need them when I'm close to home, as it's usually the local service station where I take my car that answers the call.

 

[ncbyrne]

ok, so if you tip....how much? Let's say I had a flat or worse case scenario, if I needed to be towed?

 

[swilshire]

I've only tipped them when they did something I considered above and beyond. For example, the time I had a flat at 5 in the morning on the interstate in Atlanta and then found my donut spare wouldn't hold air. I was only about three miles from the office where I was working. The driver warned me that I would ruin the donut, but I had already determined I needed to buy a full size spare, so I decided to drive to the office where I could borrow a car while I sorted it out. He insisted on following me to make sure I made it there with no problem. That definitely deserved a tip.

Another time the driver dropped the car off at the shop and drove an extra 10 miles or so to take my husband home to pick up another vehicle. Definitely deserving of a tip.

Sheila

 

[msmayor]

I don't think we ever tipped for a tow...my husband had to get towed home from work a couple of times.

The one instance where I recall we DID tip was coming home from Disney back in 2005. We blew a tire on I-95 in SC late in the day, and the AAA-guy was at our side in 15 minutes; changed the tire in 10. We were so grateful for the fast service we handed him $20. He immediately waved it off and said no, he wouldn't take it...but we insisted, especially when we found out he'd left his family at the dinner table in the middle of the meal when the call came in. Told him to treat the family to ice cream for dessert. He then took it, and seemed to truly appreciate the gesture.

 

[pilgrimage]

I never thought of tipping. It is like the mechanic, only they are paid
out of membership dues to AAA. The ones where I live are paid
very well for locksmith/tirechanging. I will think about it next time.

 

[CLR4321]

Tips are not required, as AAA is paying them to provide the roadside assistance, which is their job. If a roadside assistance worker does an exceptional job, and you feel like tipping them, I don't think they will argue, however some AAA contractors will not accept a tip due to their company policies. The roadside assistance workers are not AAA employees, they are just contractors.