Most people think of a service contract as a repair bill that someone else pays. The paper trail starts earlier than that, on the shoulder of a road or in a parking lot, and it ends only when you have the car back and the final invoice in your folder. Walk the day in order, and check each handoff against your own contract before you need it.
Before anything breaks, find the claim phone number and the claim form in your contract packet, and save a photo of both. Confirm whether the provider handles claims itself or passes them to an outside administrator, because the person who answers the phone usually decides the next step. The direct providers page on this site lists companies that handle their own claims, which can make the process easier to follow.
At the roadside, stop somewhere safe and call the claim number before you call a tow company, unless the situation is an emergency. Ask whether the provider must approve the tow, which tow company it prefers, and whether towing is a covered expense under your contract at all. Some contracts treat towing as a separate line with its own limit, and some leave it out entirely. Write down the name of the person who gives you instructions, the time of the call, and the reference number they give you.
At the shop, ask the service advisor to contact the provider before any teardown starts, and ask who will speak with the provider about the diagnosis. Get the diagnosis in writing before you approve any repair. The shop's paperwork should name the failed part, the labor involved, and the reason for the failure in plain words. Ask whether the shop is an approved facility under your contract, because that answer decides who can be paid and how.
When the work is done, ask for an itemized invoice that shows what the provider agreed to pay and what you owe. Compare the two before you pay anything. If the shop asks you to pay the full bill and wait for reimbursement, check whether your contract allows that route and what paperwork it requires. Keep the tow receipt, the diagnosis, the approval record, and the final invoice in one folder with your signed contract.
The easiest time to learn this sequence is before the car breaks. Read the sections on towing, rental vehicles, approved shops, and claim deadlines in the contract, and use the sample contract on this site if the provider publishes one. The contract is the rulebook for the whole day, and the rules are easier to follow when you have already read them.