AA takes top two slots in Which? carmaker breakdown assistance survey

• Highest satisfaction scores of 84%
• AA top for fixing cars at the roadside
• AA wins 5 stars for patrol staff knowledge
• AA wins 5 stars for patrols politeness
• AA remains Best Buy recommendation

The AA has romped into the top two slots in the latest Which? survey scoring the highest satisfaction scores of 84% for its provision of breakdown assistance to Honda and Jaguar customers. This is the first time that Which? has separated out carmaker cover in the survey and the AA scores highest in getting to customers quickly and the knowledge and politeness of its patrols.

In both Which? surveys the AA has the highest scores for roadside fix rates which is the quality most prized by members. In the overall survey the AA, amongst the larger, better known providers, gains the highest customer satisfaction score of 84%, with 4,156 members responding out of the 10,039 sample.

Liveried patrols are still highly rated by customers and AA members awarded AA patrols a five star rating along with telephone staff.

Andrew Strong, the AA's CEO said, "This is a wonderful testament from our customers to our service. Our patrols strive to provide the best assistance possible and often go the extra mile for our members – that professionalism and care obviously shows through. I'm delighted to see that whether you receive breakdown service from the AA as an individual member or through your car manufacturers' policy, satisfaction remains so high."

In the overall survey the AA appears to come second to Auto Aid with 84% to 86% but statistical experts suggest these findings should carry a health warning.

Only 46 customers of Auto Aid responded out of a total sample of 10,039. Leading opinion pollsters to suggest that such a small sample size carries a margin of error of plus or minus 15% and therefore does not necessarily produce a statistically reliable picture. Auto Aid represents less than half of 1% of the sample, whereas the 4,156 responses from AA members represent more than 40% of the sample. The AA response margin of error is just plus or minus 1.5%.