ONYX Priority Roadside & Towing Program
Story by Tamsen Butler // Photography by Bill Sitzmann
Years ago, ONYX After-Sales Director Rob Ramsey was on a business trip. His wife’s car struck an object in the road. She called her husband, and he jumped into action from afar. “Being in this industry, I was able to make a quick phone call and got her taken care of right away,” Ramsey said.
His connections allowed his wife to get back on the road with very little hassle. And while Ramsey (and his wife) were relieved that a minor inconvenience was quickly resolved, he also realized in that moment that “not everyone has this,” he said.
Most people’s experience with roadside assistance is one of frustration—delayed response to requests, long waits on service, or unexpected fees. When Ramsey and his ONYX colleagues set out to create an exceptional roadside assistance program for clients, they took into consideration the fact that most people need prompt, attentive service when they call for help.
“They’re already in adverse conditions–we don’t want to make them wait,” Ramsey said. “We wanted to give them a quicker response time. We partnered with a local towing company and really listened to the feedback of our clients.”
Ramsey said that client feedback had a huge impact on how the roadside assistance program was designed.
“They told us the roadside assistance programs offered through the manufacturers aren’t really customer-friendly. They said sometimes it would take hours to get assistance and the clients would have to speak to representatives that aren’t local–or even within the United States.”
“We wanted to create a better experience,” Ramsey said. “We brought it in-house so we could control it.” This is how the ONYX Priority Roadside & Towing program began in Fall 2021. The program is provided with every car purchase and available to every ONYX client.
The ONYX Priority Roadside & Towing program is designed for use within the Omaha Metropolitan area (within a 50 mile radius of the dealership). Outside of the confines of the 50-mile radius, clients should use the manufacturer’s roadside assistance program.
“Most dealerships don’t offer their own program like this,” Ramsey said. “Most dealers use the manufacturer’s program. This is exceptional.”
Exceptional isn’t a word used lightly and is perhaps best conveyed through this possible scenario: Suppose a vehicle experiences a bad tire blowout on the interstate (which wouldn’t be common on a BMW, clarified Ramsey, as most BMWs come with Run-Flat tires, which allow drivers to continue for around 50 miles on a flat tire). The driver would call ONYX, who would dispatch someone to fix the problem.
If, upon arriving at the scene and surveying the damage, the representative realizes that the repair will take considerable time, the rep contacts the ONYX Valet Team, who is sent out immediately with a loaner vehicle for the driver. The driver doesn’t have to wait around for lengthy repairs; they can get on with their day while the ONYX team takes care of everything, including towing the vehicle to their garage for repairs, if needed.
Ramsey said that most of the time, the roadside service team can take care of the problem quickly right there on the spot. From a jump-start to filling an empty gas tank, the ONYX Priority Roadside & Towing program can save drivers from big headaches. “If we can fix it, we fix it right there,” Ramsey said.
The feedback from clients has been incredibly positive, Ramsey said. “Our clients say the Roadside Assistance offers peace of mind.”
All calls for Roadside Assistance are answered by our exclusive, local Roadside Support Partner, Quality Towing. Repairs that can’t be done roadside are completed at the ONYX dealership service center. Clients know what is happening with their vehicle at every step, and don’t have to make multiple phone calls to find out the status of the repairs.
Like most perks offered through this luxury dealership, the Priority Roadside & Towing program was created based on clients’ responses on how to make life easier for them. It’s simply one of the numerous ways that ONYX is different from any other dealership in the Omaha Metropolitan area.
The phone number for roadside assistance is 402.596.2750.
