There's never a good time to break down and when it happens you need to know how to get help in the quickest, most effective way possible.
Luckily, technological advances have put an end to the days when a break down would mean you'd be spending hours stranded or walking to a pay phone.
Now you don't even need to make a phone call, thanks to the rise of certain mobile apps that do all the hard work for you.
The Start Rescue app means that the next time you break down, you won't be left out in the cold - metaphorically speaking.
Unlike some other apps, you don't need to make a phone call to report the break down. Simply follow these steps to being using the app to report your breakdown.
1. Download the app
You can download the startrescue.co.uk app from the below app stores:
2. Registration
When the app has downloaded to your phone you will need to complete the simple registration process.
3. When you break down
- Step 1: Using your smartphones GPS we get your location and confirm it to you
- Step 2: Provide your personal information so we can find your policy
- Step 3: Provide the details of the vehicle you have broken down in
- Step 4: Provide passenger and pet information (if applicable)
- Step 5: Provide details of your vehicle’s fault
- Step 6: Provide your recovery destination
4. What happens next
Once you have reviewed and confirmed the information provided in the above steps, a Recovery Operator will be allocated to you in as little as 20 seconds.
You will then receive a notification to tell you who is coming out to you and how long they’ll be.
You'll even be able to track the Recovery Operator en-route!
5. Safety
Make sure you're safe while waiting for a rescue vehicle by reading the guidelines within the app.
Historical problems with roadside assistance
In the past, requesting roadside assistance was a case of hit and miss.
Being retrieved was down to whether you had a phone and if you had a clue where you were.
Mobile phones and roadside assistance
The rise of mobile phones solved one problem - ie connectivity - but most of us were still left roadside trying to remember the last sign we read.
Consequently, many unlucky motorists would be left stranded for hours or walking around to find some indication of where they were.
Luckily, satellite navigation helped to solve this problem. We could now pinpoint our locations pretty accurately and relay this information to roadside assistance companies.
Phone apps and efficient recovery
Roadside assistance phone apps will help you reach out for help and will often alert roadside assistance to your whereabouts.
This means you don't have to hope your sat nav is working or waste time writing down your location to relay to others.
This also means that you save on the cost of the phone call.
Using startrescue.co.uk for help
With the Start Rescue app, once we receive your request for assistance, we instantly know where you are, who you are and the type of policy you have.
Because you have registered through the app, we also have an idea about what might actually be wrong with your vehicle.
This means fixing the problem will be much quicker, reducing the amount of time it takes to get you back on the road.
Following your request for breakdown recovery assistance we may call you back to confirm your details.
What happens if you're not a member?
Having a roadside assistance app on your phone to help in the event of a breakdown is a good idea even if you're not a member of the recovery service.
At Start Rescue we will give you a quotation for our Pay On Use assistance, which means that you can ask for our help and pay for it as and when.
Constant communication
The best thing about a roadside assistance app, is that you won't be left unconnected. We know where you are at all times and can stay in contact.
Tracking your Recovery Operator
You'll be able to track the Recovery Operator on a map that displays your location and the most recent location of the Recovery Operator - - which is particularly useful if you're lucky enough to have found shelter.
When the Recovery Operator is en route, on-scene or complete a message will be displayed on the Job Monitor.
To take advantage of this feature, enable your push notifications and you'll receive a notification as soon as tracking data becomes available.
Free roadside assistance app
Many apps are free, including the Start Rescue roadside assistance app, which is free of charge to both members and non-members.
Get help the easy way with the Start Rescue mobile breakdown recovery app. Please visit the links below to download the self-service platform to your iPhone or Android device.
