Portsmouth’s Chris Alexandrou named RAC Patrol of the Year

After rescuing drivers at the roadside for six years, Chris Alexandrou has been named the RAC’s Patrol of the Year at the motoring company’s prestigious national awards ceremony at Silverstone – the home of British motor racing.

The 32-year-old, who covers the Portsmouth area, was selected from more than 1,600 patrols for his technical knowledge and customer service, helping RAC members get back on the road as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Having already been working as a roadside technician, Chris jumped at the chance to join the RAC when he saw a vacancy online in 2019. Since becoming an RAC breakdown patrol, he has also been instrumental in supporting the growth of the RAC’s new service, maintenance and repair division. Part of his role involves taking some of the 250 mobile, servicing and repair technicians, who carry out garage-like repairs at customers’ homes, on ride-outs and induction shifts to develop their knowledge and customer service skills.

Wayne Gooch, Chris’ patrol team manager, said: “Chris impressed me from the very first time I went to visit him in action. In the last year I’ve watched him excel in everything he does, from delivering an excellent service to members whose vehicles have broken down to taking on new challenges like onboarding our mobile servicing and repairs mechanics. But it’s not just our newest recruits Chris has assisted – he also stepped up to take on some of my responsibilities when I needed cover. He’s a true Orange Hero.”

The main prize for the RAC’s Patrol of the Year is driving a brand-new RAC Ford Transit van in the iconic orange branding, with the highly sought-after number plate ‘P1 RAC’.

Chris said: “Every day is different as a patrol but when my name was called at the awards, I had to pinch myself. I’ve never won anything before and it’s taken a while to sink in because I just wasn’t expecting it!

“Variety is one of my favourite parts of the job, from the constant change of scenery in Hampshire to dealing with a wide range of roadside challenges. Before answering a call you have no idea where you could end up and I love using my initiative in the moment to help our customers get back on the road.

“For anyone thinking about applying to become an RAC patrol, my advice is to go for it because you’ll gain so many new experiences. I recently assisted electric vehicles of all shapes and sizes at the London to Brighton EV Rally, keeping them moving as they made their way from Westminster City School to Brighton seafront as efficiently as possible.”

In addition to the EV Rally, Chris will be part of an RAC team providing complimentary breakdown support at the Silverstone Festival in August, and at the Royal Automobile Club’s famous London-to-Brighton Veteran Car Run in November.

For more information on applying to be an RAC patrol, and to see the latest vacancies, visit www.rac-careers.com.