We’ve all been there — just one stop at the grocery store after work to pick up something for dinner, then, when you turn the key to start the car, and: “click.” Time for a savior.

AAA Carolinas has been dedicated to saving motorists for decades, which is great for its members. But roadside assistance is not the only service offered. The problem was that most people didn’t think of AAA until there was an emergency. AAA Carolinas set out to change that mindset.

Disconnected systems stalled the member experience.

AAA members are extremely loyal to the brand, but they weren’t taking advantage of the full range of services, everything from travel planning and insurance, to car-care centers and discounts on retail products and hotels.

While AAA Carolinas wanted to give members the best experience possible, it was using a homegrown, siloed system to deliver all the various services to members. In other words, everyone was working from different pages, and not always looking at accurate member data. No one had a complete view of each member’s needs, so agents were missing the opportunity to recommend the best services for them. For example, if a member purchased a honeymoon travel package, AAA wasn’t able to connect to its insurance system to offer a policy that would make the member’s trip worry-free.

Beyond the tow — going the distance for service.

AAA Carolinas was determined to provide a world-class experience for each and every member. But organization leaders needed to connect all their business divisions to give agents a single, shared view of each member’s information. With Salesforce for Service, they created a “Member Engagement Layer” that connected everyone in the company with a member’s complete data profile in a single view.

Now the entire organization works as one service team, all working from the same data. So employees can bring ideas and offers to all their 2.5 million members faster, and implement business strategies, without legacy systems holding them back, allowing them to deliver an exceptional member experience across the entire organization, every time.

AAA is also expanding its self-service capabilities with an online community, where members can help themselves with access to everything from account information, service history, insurance policies, travel itineraries, and more. And they can help each other with knowledge and experiences shared from other members.

The result? More personalized service and a higher member ROI

Now, with all departments connected, agents have a complete, 360-degree view of members every time they contact AAA. Dusty Holcomb, SVP of Member Experience and Analytics, said “We’re a relationship company, not a transaction company. Salesforce is the platform by which we enable relationships and move away from just a transaction.” With Salesforce, AAA Carolinas showed how a 120-year-old organization can transition from merely reacting to member requests to anticipating ways to add value for members and create a deeper, broader, and more enriching member experience.

AAA doesn’t just serve customers. The organization has ongoing relationships with members. Its goal is to provide a range of services to help improve customer lives. Now with Salesforce for Service connecting its services, AAA can increase ROI, and as a nonprofit, use that revenue to deliver on the promise of giving every member peace of mind — on and off the road.