sales representative

insurance agent

customer service representative

retail sales associate

claims adjuster

AAA Auto Club Enterprises

The Good:
- The front line and non-management employees carry this company on their backs
- The technology part of the company is stable work
 
 
The Bad:
 
Overall, the managers at this company are some of the worst I've ever worked with in my entire life.
 
There are some exceptions that I ran into in the IT department: The help desk manager and the "open systems" manager exhibited the traits of leaders. 
Unfortunately, the group manager above them seems more interested in displaying her useless sharp tongue and biting wit rather than being a leader. Most of her other minions are equally useless "yes men."
 
Google and flip through Forbes' and Harvard's lists of what makes a bad manager, bad HR, and bad company to work for, and the Autoclub of Southern California pretty much fits the bill for all listed traits of a badly managed company. I hear people try to excuse the bad management with words like "old school", "conservative", and "Mom and Pop"
 
I've worked for large conservative multinational corporations and I've worked for small startups: The autoclub isn't "conservative" or "mom and pop" it is bluntly badly managed when it comes to running a company that people want to work for.
 
A few examples of bad leadership:
1.) Rather than listening to sound advice and implementing a competent disaster recovery process, IT middle management are stuffing their DR portfolio with useless features and jargon simply to impress upper management nobility.

2.) The company brought in ITIL consultants years ago to break down silos and possibly build a more efficient IT department, but, after seeing how far they are from an efficient company they are and how much work it would take to change in a positive way, upper management simply decided that ITIL "wasn't for them." Pretty much an excuse to remain mediocre and inefficient.

3.) This company rewards mediocrity. Ideas and innovation are viewed with skepticism and negativity.

4.) I kept seeing cronyism and nepotism rampant in this company. They aren't about doing right with the customer. They're about stroking off the ego of the person above them.

5.) These people keep getting SUED by employees. What's their response? They buckle down to become more bureaucratic, less efficient, and more fearful of their own employees. 

6.) Management has parking spots that's right next to the doors. Non-management employees have a long walk and have NO covered parking at all. It's a slight inconvenience, but it is actually a HUGE showcase of how far gone the company bosses are here: Managers aren't your working colleagues. They're your Lords. Non-management employees are Peasants. This is exclusionary and toxic thinking.

7.) Regularly, I listen in on clueless managers ranting at employees rather than guiding employees. Why? Because many managers sure can't do the job, so they can't give their workers any guidance. All they can do is nitpick on what little things they can.
 
8.) The problem with this company is MANAGEMENT. Everything else, from the paranoid HR department, the cliquish attitudes, the depressing vibe, is all trickle down.  

9.) Right now, they're transitioning over everything to Texas. I'm not sure how much longer the administrative office and IT infrastructure will stay in Costa Mesa, CA.....a few years at most once Texas is running. Anyone who believes otherwise is deluded.....

10.) Yeah, they technically still have a pension program, but it's laughable. You'll make double at another company that matches 401k 6%+ AND the Autoclub is 5 years vesting....which is long. Don't hold your breath. 


My advice to YOU the reader:
1.) If you’re at the autoclub, and confident in your skills but frustrated by management, start looking around for other work. It’s tempting to buckle down and stay there, but, believe me, I’ve had nothing but a positive experience after quitting. The autoclub, in its current state, is a miserable place to be.

2.) If you’re looking for work at the autoclub, then congrats on doing your due diligence. If you accept the job offer, go in expecting what I’ve posted about. These issues are company wide and is culture here.

3.) Maybe you're coming here, because you heard about how "stable" the company is and how many "lifers" there are: don't expect the same. There was a time when the company cared about the people who took care of it. Those days are gone. 




Advice to the Company:
1.) If you don't take care of your employees, they won't take care of the company.
2.) I'm sure you're more interested in finding out who the employees posting these reviews are rather than listen to what everyone is saying: this is part of the problem with YOU people.
3.) The company continues to move along in spite of you, not because of you. The company needs to change direction ASAP.
4.) "Attention to retention" shouldn't just pertain to your customers...there is a reason customers are leaving and employees are leaving.
5.) Maybe start listening to the consultants you hire. And if you can't, please LEAVE. Get some fresh blood and perspective in upper management, because all I see is corruption and mediocrity.

 
I'll summarize this company in a few phrases:
- Toxic culture
- Toxic management that isolates themselves
- No respect for an employee’s time, creative input, or industry experience
- Demotivating, stagnant, cliquish, and depressing. 
- Expect bosses, not leaders. Most managers in this company wouldn't know what leadership actually looks like. Not as far as I can tell.

After a year I thought things would get better. That it was just growing pains. I have been so wrong! It’s gotten worse! They say one thing, do another. When the CEOs and VPs are asked why so many people leave they say it’s not their fault and people just leave on their own. News flash, that is NOT GOOD! People should want to stay! Not constantly leave which is why AAA is frequently looking for people. 
They will lie to you about what the pay plan is and micro manage you (literally count the minutes you are not sitting at the desk. Even for restroom breaks.) You WILL work 6 day work weeks. They will tell you that you will work one Saturday a month, that is not the case. To get away with it they have you work two short hour days instead of putting a schedule together that allows people two days off like it SHOULD BE. 
During the interview process I was very excited and couldn’t wait to start work! From the pay to the way they explained the company cares about their employees, the training, the environment, come to find out, it’s all basically an act. 
I was told about the extensive training process (which I was excited for!) The company wanting to really dive in and train you is awesome… until after the training process it really seemed like it could have all been learned fraction of the time. LOTS of repeating. There’s no reason for any of their training across the board to be as long as it is. Half the time you will sit and listen to people talk about things that have nothing to do with what you’re learning. I thought it would change but I hear it has just gotten worse!
I was told the commission was higher than it actually is when you start making money. Commission is 2%!! 2% of the commission you bring in. Then they wonder why you are so-so about bringing money in. No one has a sense of urgency and cares if they sell because it’s so little that you make. AAA basically keeps it all and tries to make you believe they are helping you. THAT IS LESS THAN TAX! You won’t find out until your 3-4 month training process is coming to an end and THEN they review the pay plan in detail with you. They keep it confusing and detailed so that no one  really understands it… but management does and they will all avoid answering questions about it and just tell you the commission is 10-25%  In order to get to 10-25% there are huge goals (mostly selling things like travel insurance) and you will also go down in hourly pay. No matter the direction it only works best for AAA. You have to push sales for companies that AAA owns. Otherwise you aren’t meeting goals and you will constantly be reminded.
There is TONS of micro managing. Every move you make they will watch you. You get water, go to the restroom, every word you say, they are right there to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do. Half the time people don’t even take their full breaks because you are harassed if so.  Even when it comes to off the clock the managers try to tell you what you “should” be doing. People don’t talk nor have healthy working relationships with eachother because everyone is afraid to get in trouble for having a conversation. It’s is a tense, gross environment. 
They will make the company sound amazing and like they are there for their employees and want to take care of you and you’re a part of the team but really, that is not the case. DONT fall in the trap. 

It’s extremely disappointing and sad because I really was so excited when I was first hired and I really thought I found a company I could stay with and grow with. Instead it has turned into being told I’m lucky to even be there, what I’m doing wrong and the pay is “okay” Working 6 day work weeks when I was told “one Saturday a month is normal” is just another thing on the list. They want to suck the life out of you and you will barely get by financially in the mean time. They keep saying “we understand we are in California and we want our employees to thrive!” When half the employees are on government assistance because AAA won’t actually make sure the employees make a living wage. The management and above are so out of touch with what’s actually right and don’t realize the lies they convince you of are just that… brain washed lies. 

Do better AAA. You say you care about your employees, show them. You lose amazing people (I’ve seen it myself) because of management and the lies about the details in the job. If you want to brag about being such a great company then actually be a great company. Times have changed… it’s time to catch up! 


I have finished training onsite for 4 months, I found the training to be difficult and insufficient however it's a good company for sure.
AAA actually has a lot of options for promotion, even before training is done you will get a raise because youre learning a new skill. They are very good with raises, promotions, and job advancement.
The only real negative was the onsite training for a remote position. The training originally said 17 weeks but was about 20 weeks instead. The training portion is also only a very short duration. In 17 weeks, there is only 6 weeks of actual training and the rest is just working there. It felt like you are proving yourself before being "deployed" is what they call it. There is a lot of emphasis on onsite positions in the future, and the possibilities of being required to be onsite if you have system issues, which is a little troubling. When speaking with my colleagues, almost everyone had remote backgrounds. It was surprising to me that they did not seem to be confident in our remote experience/ability to work from home. Many people were forced to cancel vital pre-scheduled appointments and overall there was no flexibility on personal/sick time during the onsite portion. To me and many others I spoke to, it felt sort of like a hazing. You will work on Saturdays as well, meaning you deal with 1 day weekends before working the full week again. Again, this rigid schedule while being onsite as well as working in person makes it difficult. It's just so odd to hire a remote team for a remote job yet that is the process to train us. When I agreed to this four months of onsite training, I assumed it would mostly be training, not just working onsite. Within 2 weeks you will be working on the phones. As far as training efficiency goes, I do not feel things were set up correctly. There was emphasis on general information of AAA but not so much on the systems or steps and how to's. Many people quit in the first few weeks, then more and more dropped as training went on. I, like many other remote workers, have medical conditions that make remote work essential for me. Again, when agreeing to onsite I didn't think I would be working the entire time instead I believed I would be training the majority of that time. They expect you to drive over an hour, or two depending on your commute they will not care, if you have minor system issues. During training, there was no break room available to remote workers. We are here, onsite, for four entire months so I found that to be disappointing. 
They have denied 65-year-old women time off for biopsy appointments, and other coworkers for other important appointments. My takeaway from my time here so far is that the company is not yet confident in remote work, so please be careful of that when looking for remote positions with them. You will get paid above average in the market, but training is pretty difficult. If you can keep your grip for those four months, working from home has been good so far. I had one day that my wifi company had an outage, and unfortunately, I had to drive almost 2 hours. I tried to assure my management team that it would be up that day, which it was shortly after I arrived but I was still required to stay onsite for the rest of my shift. Again, I have been working remotely for over a decade and many companies have it down. Companies that offer remote work should be confident in their remote abilities. I found it disappointing that AAA is not yet there. 

Immature manager will promise the moon on commission. Don't believe anything they say, they will lie right to your face.
You make decent money during training for 6 month which is training via email communication so be ready to read an email while selling memberships for AAA but that will soon be cut short maybe not the full 6 months, then they pull the rug out from you- total commission
They have a product that is not competitive in the insurance industry. Prospects need hardly any negative history for their credit rating and driving history.
You are spending more time on selling memberships trying to meet  silly quotas yes sell for Bank of America Experian Credit Report Sprint and list goes on to meet your tier for your pay it’s a requirement to offer four to five products in addition to doing your job that you actually obtained A Property and Casualty License in Insurance- key word insurance. Members even feel bombarded they stated with some sales guy pouncing on them like a furniture salesman.
Sales quotas constantly changing so you have to convince members to the payment agreement for their membership or otherwise it doesn’t meet the metrics to be in a top commission tier- all this after selling more than 115 plus memberships solely on my own in a month.Basically your are working for $15.00 Hour, then you will be wrote up for not making unreachable quotas each quarter 3 write up's --you’re gone. Enjoy the degrading criticism from the management that is implied to be constructive however not worth my energy to argue that hard fact to a manager that was the absolute most phony individual I have met in my life.
Management had their favorites only ones that sold because they were spoon fed leads and phones calls
You are competing with your own company there are too many agents selling aaa insurance that don't have to have the quotas you need to sell. Unless you are into overlooking federal law
Beware that CIS is backed by federal law, permissions from prospects is not an option according to the laws and I absolutely just love the reports showing consumers once they had a report inquiry done. I just love the fact that the federal laws have made it clear that Consumers Information Score is private information and requires similar to credit reports -PERMISSION: members complained several times that they in fact did not ever agree to this and I had no idea why they were receiving random quotes using theirs CIS to permit Auto Quotes from a non compliant agent. When this matter was taken to management they swept it under the rug again they will do whatever they need to so that it’s still making them commission and it’s like a recent corporation listed in the news that over time processed information without consumers knowledge or permission and where is the bank Wells at now and look at that amount the government is forcing them to pay as a penalty. I will help all consumers gain better protection now that I am far away from the corrupt slimy salesman. Documents to help this be stopped and integrity to do the right things in this life motivates me.

Overall I would go back in a heart beat, because I felt that it was a "fit" for the most part, I feel the disconnect is just "people" so to say, they get "hungry" and seem to really forget what it is that the Club represents and is trying to do.  Well, to what I was taught at least.  Did not see that happening with the downstream of management basically.  I love the Club! Still insured there! and I still promote it, but, here is my experience. 
I worked for AAA for about 6 years in the Field Sales offices.  Overall all the employees pretty much loved each other and were respectful, positive and fun on an ongoing work basis.  Behind the scenes, the true colors of the frustrations seemed to come from every part of the office.  The employees complaining about management and the company and the demands of the company.  I truly believe there is a disconnect between what the core values of the club are and how they are being lived out in the office and daily function.  The pressure that the managers are under to reach goals and cross selling, etc, creates a pretty negative environment depending on who the manager is.  Out of the four or five managers that I had through that time I had one manager that seemed to be able to handle it all so to say.  He had been with the club since he was about 17 years old and really successfully handle and expedite the employees, the members, and the tasks as well as "stomach" the pressures of upper management.  Unfortunately all of my efforts, my overtime, my desire to handle the office with exceptional service outside of my job description ended up slapping me in the face and getting me fired.  There was no compassion or validation  for me handling what actually belonged to two other positions that were not filled for the majority of time in that office.  I liked the pay (even though it was well, well deserved) the benefits are good, and much more.  I would still refer someone to work at AAA and just understand that there is a lot of favoritism, unscrupulous management practices (now remember, everyone needs supervision, I just wonder who is supervising the managers to follow the company's own guidelines)  Everyone told me for 6 years (which I never did)  is CYA so to say.  Just have your boundaries, learn to say no, and CYA at all times.  I was very surprised that just prior to my termination my upper management that had been so nice to me for years, had me at "wow" club lunches, Top Sales Lunches and so on did not return an email that I sent to them asking if there would be another position in the company.   Even to today some of my hands on supervisors at the club  keep telling me to come back, I laugh and say "you realized that I was fired don't you?"
P.S. To the One Manager, and you know who you are, you get a 5!!!

The work itself isn't hard or complicated, but AAA is not a good company to work for. In the call center they set you up for failure. Probationary period is six months, of which you can't even be late once. 

The call center itself has no structure to meet the demands they ask of you. As in many other call centers you have statistics and goals you must achieve, which is fine. AAA does not allow you to see your statistics nor do they tell you what most of the goals are that you need to hit to be in compliance. They do tell you that you can only be on a call for less than three minutes or the management will constantly message you about how you are going over time. In a normal call center that would not be an issue, but this call center handles emergency road service. How can you get accurate information for sending out a service technician if you have three minutes to get a good phone number, location, and nature of the service needed when they customer is on the side of the highway? So many times there would be multiple calls placed for people with bad phone numbers and bad locations and they are stranded on the highway or middle of nowhere for hours because we can't deviate from that three minutes maximum time without being hounded. Management plays favorites with anyone that sucks up to them and will retaliate against anyone they do not like.

All computers and desks in the call center are shared. The computers are slow and barely work. Even if you have to reset your system because it froze or stopped recognizing a program it counts against you as time spent off the phone. You cannot have personal belongings in the call center and desks are not cleaned by anyone unless you are proactive and do it yourself. 

In this recent Covid19 time they have shown that they do not care about any of their employees at all. When employees were recalled back into the call center, after the state of Ohio allowed offices to be reopened, they did not do any kind of cleaning of the desks, chairs, floors, or anything during the closure. Their idea of sanitation was spraying a bottle of disinfectant in the air around a computer. No cleaning supplies were provided for employees to clean desks, they needed to bring it in themselves. One mask was offered per employee and you could not get another if it was lost or damaged. Social distancing was impossible due to desks being right next to each other and no effort was put in by the company to move them to meet CDC guidelines.

AAA has made it very clear that they do not care about the safety, well being, or potential for success of it's employees. Save yourself the time and energy and do not work there.

Honestly, this job was hard to learn and once you get on the floor with live calls... EVERYTHING was way way more than they teach and you feel ALONE more often than not. That is all OK in perspective. Jobs can be tough at first. I became skilled enough to get great reviews from my members and build confidence. I have calls that make me really happy and I enjoy helping people SO MUCH! I signed up to work here because I knew I would be doing a great service and it was exciting to think I was helping strangers in need.

What I hate is you’re bound to reading scripts and sounding like a complete tool. Scripts that members sniff out and tell you to HURRY up with and even call you out on: “yeah yeah, CAN I TALK? I don’t care, can you just send help?!?” You’re forced to SELL and offer things that they CLEARLY don’t want in the moment. Instead of focusing on giving roadside assistance and making people feel secure in a frantic time of need, we are becoming annoying sales people in a critical moment. It hurts my mind and soul to get people angry at me daily for becoming that annoying sales person when I know they’re usually scared in their car. 

Your monthly incentive goals are based on your sales and adherence to name a couple. Adherence is a joke and they expect you to take calls back-to-back even if you’re mentally jacked up from a stressful call or were mistreated. I find it harsh to look at a screen and problem solve and be kind and listen to rude attitudes and take complaints and follow scripts 2-3 hours straight. I’m often taking calls beyond my skill level and it’s mentally draining. Some calls are just plain stressful and last 20 minutes with people SCREAMING at you. My throat can hardly keep up with all the talking I have to do. Some of you may ask “then why did you work for a call center?” ... ha! Maybe because I wasn’t expecting it to be this abusive and extreme. I’ve been in customer service for 17 years and this is just another level. 

Management monitors you over everything and listen to your calls to pick at you for improvement. I understand the concept, but they don’t even listen to your problems and undermine your concerns. Like the adherence thing...I have to explain why I left my computer for a few mins a few times a day. How do you explain to your sup that you’re human and need to breathe? You’re just a number to them. When you do amazing it’s like “wowwww great job!!! But..... ouch you reeeeally need to work on this.” 

I definitely couldn’t wait to quit. Most people who know they deserve better, do.

I am a claims adjuster for AAA and have been with the company about 2 years now. Since I have been with the company, I have seen several peers quit due to the workload, some of which quit on the spot out of rage. 

When you are hired, they really sell the company as easy to advance in. They highly encourage you to work different disciplines within the company and do a wonderful job at selling the fact that they "have never laid anyone off". They cover a hotel for you to train and comp meals and it all really makes you feel like AAA is different from all those other corporations-surprise, its not. 

Claims is a high pressure, mentally exhausting position. People yell at you and degrade you often. You are expected to score 9 or 10 out of 10 on your customer service surveys. Anything below a 9 is a 0. And in order to meet goal your overall score must be at least 86%. You must meet this goal (in addition to other goals such as referring AAA shops, DOI compliance, and work productivity) while handling well over 90 claims. They will increase the work load on you randomly and you are expected not to complain. 

Additionally, there is such a high turnover rate that when an adjuster quits, each unit takes turns distributing that person's claims. So lately we've been getting 2-3 additional claims every other week which does not count toward our assigned claims count. 

They have asked almost every employee who was work from home to return to the office effective immediately with little explanation other than the CEO says so. 

Lately, upper management is becoming more strict in reprimanding employees for not meeting service goals. When you get a survey below 9, you must review the claim and explain what you did wrong and what you should have done, which is reviewed by upper management. Then, after a few, you are put on an action plan. Only in claims can you receive an award for exceeding one goal while being put on an action plan for not meeting another. 

After a short while, this job breaks you down. If its not the ever increasing workload or disrespectful manner in which insureds/claimants/attorneys speak with you, it is the upper management's unforgiving expectations. When you are doing well and meeting goals there is little recognition. When you are starting to struggle to meet goal, all your hard work is overlooked and you are quickly reminded that you are replaceable. 

AAA may not fire you, but they will push you to quit.

The 'concept' of what we do for the Members of AAA is great. Unfortunately, the Life Department within AAA (Auto Club Enterprises) is very small and self-managed.
Understand, they are a very aggressive 'sales' organization within a non-profit. A wolf in sheep's clothing so to speak. And management does not care about you. Hit goal or get fired (or forced to leave). In the last few years in our region alone of 30 or so Life Agents, 55+ have been forced out.  
As for the commission, over the last 8 years, the commission structure was lowered 7 of the last 8 years. Specifically, meaning (except for the very top agents) life agents made less commission each year in 7 of the last 8 years. 
To start paying vacation time to the Life Agents, the commission for basic hitting goal was lowered 3% so the company now pays the Life Agent for vacation time.
By the way, don't plan on ever taking longer than a week vacation. Goals still must be hit each month.  
If you are honest... ethical. If you follow the rules and laws in place with your state license and AAA Life Insurance Company, you have a 10% chance of success past two years. 
If you are manipulative. Have no problems with overselling the Member. NOT looking at the best intestests of the Members. Overlook some state and company rules and laws to sell... you have a 50% chance of success past two years.  
As for the job culture... your incoming and outgoing calls provide information to management and they send out daily reports to all with your call counts and minutes on the phone. Calls may also be monitored.  There is some freedom within the day in the office for you to do what you believe is appropriate, but depending on your manager, they may micromanage you. 
Overall, only a few Life Agents in the Region are content or comfortable with their jobs. The top Life Agents they talk about all the time are NOT ethical. They may or may not do what is best for the Member, but they have been and are currently breaking state and/or company laws/policy. 
This could have been a good job.   

Honestly but perhaps not politically correct, for a firm of that size, I was surprised they had no structured software QA processes in place, other than being underneath the umbrella of the Agile methodology they use to develop applications. They use the Internet Explorer browser exclusively for testing their web applications, and nothing more, for a client-facing web application used by millions of clients, where the client can be using any Internet browser on their machine at their home or business, and a world where Internet browsers have no industry standards. Their software QA process left no audit trails for the business units footing the bill to ever go back to and repiece the QA validation that took place that they paid for, other than a "yes" "no" "pass" "fail" in an Excel spreadsheet for pre-written test cases where a lot needed re-work to be usable because they were designed incorrectly or were totally irrelevant to the project. It was difficult to fully trust the pre-written test cases for validation of the functional changes, akin to being responsible for building a house built on top of a shaky foundation that you had no control over. They discouraged electronic attachments to QA documents for archiving purposes, furthering the problem of inability to provide future audit trails to the end user business unit that was paying the internal budget bill. I felt that the business unit footing the bill could have received a lot more value and directed software validation for their budget dollar when compared with what is attainable today with the proper QA repository software and general not-so-technical knowledge of the pitfalls in the Internet world, such as Internet browser lack of industry standards adherence, which near-mandates multiple browser validation for web-based applications. In an environment where a business unit is compelled to put trust in another business unit to perform an internally required procedure like QA validation, the business unit paying the bill becomes financial hostage to the business unit performing the work whose lack of knowledge, procedures, and technical sophistication is well below industry standards, compared to firms of the same size.....

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Sales representative 55 salaries reported	$81,121 per year
Insurance agent 5 salaries reported	$95,200 per year
Customer service representative 15 salaries reported	$23.01 per hour
Retail sales associate 1 salary reported	$22.50 per hour
Claims adjuster 11 salaries reported	$85,009 per year

Working at AAA Auto Club Enterprises: Company Overview and Reviews

AAA Auto Club Enterprises

AAA Auto Club Enterprises Ratings

Popular jobs at AAA Auto Club Enterprises

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected