RAC seeks new recruits to join its ‘elite’ team

The RAC – Britain’s most experienced breakdown provider – is launching a major recruitment drive to find new roadside technicians, office staff and breakdown call centre apprentices to serve its growing membership of more than seven million motorists.

Last year its 1,720 RAC patrols attended 2.3m breakdowns, fixing four out of five vehicles at the roadside in an average of 37 minutes. The RAC has been at the forefront of roadside assistance for 116 years and its patrols have gone on to become a familiar feature on the UK’s roads as they work to keep members moving 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The mechanical, technical and customer services skills of patrols along with the expertise of its office-based team has led to 98% of members saying they would recommend RAC Rescue to their friends and family.

The RAC has already recruited more than 50 roadside patrols so far this year and is still on the search for another 50. It is also looking to recruit for 130 roles in its breakdown, sales, and customer and membership services teams at its offices in Walsall, Bristol and Manchester, 12 of which are for apprenticeships in the Breakdown Assistance Centre in Stretford, following the successful appointment of 12 apprentices in the Walsall office. Between its three offices and its patrol force, the RAC currently employs 3,560 people.

RAC operations director Neil Thompson said: “We’re naturally very proud of the great work our patrols and breakdown call centre team do day-in, day-out. The calibre of our staff is second to none and this is the prime reason our members are so satisfied with the service they receive at the roadside. Our decision to introduce apprenticeships is very much part of the RAC’s ongoing belief of investing in people for the future.

“To make sure we keep up our outstanding level of service we have a very rigorous recruitment policy that ensures we only hire the best. To be an RAC patrol you need to have four to five years’ experience working as a mechanic and have great customer skills. This ensures the RAC maintains its excellent record of fixing vehicles at the roadside while at the same time helping members avoid high garage repair costs.

“The RAC is not only the oldest motoring and breakdown organisation, it is also continues to lead the field in innovation with the latest roadside technical and diagnostic equipment and training to the state-of-the art in-car telematics technology service, RAC Advance, which is capable of remotely diagnosing a vehicle fault.”

And, with only four female patrols working on the roads, the motoring organisation is keen to find more female mechanics interested in becoming RAC roadside technicians. It is also looking to fill vacancies in the London area.

Thompson added: “The world of car mechanics tends to be dominated by men but our female patrols have demonstrated very clearly that women not only do a great job they have great customer service skills.”

Twenty-five-year-old Louise French, who works in the Poole area, joined the RAC after initially wanting to go into nursing, but then became attracted to a life on the road and has not looked back since.

“I’ve been working for the RAC in Dorset for five years and can honestly say that I love my job and really look forward to going work every day – even when I have to start at 6am in the rain and snow!” said Louise, who appeared alongside many other RAC patrols in the second series of Channel 5’s Winter Road Rescue.

For more information, visit www.rac.co.uk/careers.