Where do I even start? Awful shift patterns with no consideration for home/work balance. I've been repeatedly rostered to work the whole of Christmas while the same patrols consistently get it off. I totally understand it's a 24/7 breakdown service but the rosters are never built so that they are fair for everybody. I've repeatedly challenged this but it falls on deaf ears. I'm pleased in a way because it gave me the push I needed to get a new job. Trying to get holidays is an absolute nightmare, one year I had to literally ask when I was allowed to take it after constant refusals. The day to day job is awful, constant abuse from angry customers due to wait times and people having to sleep in their cars due to blatant incompetence from office staff. The performance and micro management is horrendous, when I joined RAC I was naive in thinking I was there to go and fix/tow cars but it's the total opposite, there's so many different performance measurements that you don't know what your supposed to be doing half the time... the main ones being garage referrals, battery conversion and needs tow (all the ones that make/cost the RAC money). I used to get so hung up on the figures that I would make the wrong decisions and cut corners just to achieve them which is wrong, all the patrols at the top are fiddling their performance left, right and centre, it's so false it's laughable. Poor performing patrols really are targeted by management and made to feel worthless as apposed to being encouraged. It's border line bullying and like being at school. I've so many stories but I'll save them for another day. I've been a patrol almost 8 years now and can honestly say my mental health has really suffered as a result, it really does take over and negatively impact your life. The salary isn't the best, It's made to look good especially with an advertised 45k OTE but that is very unrealistic. To make that amount you'd have to do so much overtime you'd literally need to live in your van. If you done the basic 40hr contract I think 32k would be more realistic. The best decision I ever made applying for a new job for both my family and my mental health.
