John Galvin | AAA Northeast CEO and president
Recently AAA celebrated our 119th anniversary. Our No. 1 goal has always been to serve our members. How we do this has changed over the years, but our commitment to safety, innovation and feedback has never wavered. And that’s never been truer than over the last year, as we’ve lived and worked through this pandemic.
Here are some lessons we’ve learned:
• Prioritize safety: Mask wearing, hand sanitizers, enhanced cleaning and adherence to social distancing measures were our first steps. We established our own Johns Hopkins-trained contact-tracing team. And when our branches reopened, we implemented an online reservation system, added plexiglass dividers and purchased KN95 masks for our team. We’re also updating our heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems.
• Innovate often: When the world shut down in March 2020, we had to adapt quickly. We launched a digital roadside request system and transformed the ways members engage with us. We turned our annual Travel Marketplace into a successful virtual event, and we now offer web-based travel adviser meetings, insurance agent meetings, virtual driver training classes and educational webinars.
• Listen to feedback: Surveys, focus groups and town hall meetings are helping us develop a safe, flexible and thoughtful work-reentry plan. Member feedback is equally important and is fueling several innovations.
I hope that in time, the pandemic will be far behind us, but the important lessons learned will remain for years to come.