Car insurer 1st Central is to make RAC breakdown cover available to its 500,000 customers to further enhance its services.
With effect from 12 September 2019, breakdown cover supplied by the RAC will be included within both 1st Central Plus and 1st Central Premier products.
1st Central chief commercial officer, Andy James, said: “With customer service being one of the biggest differentiators for today’s insurance businesses, providing an easy experience is 1ST Central’s priority. We know our customers consider their breakdown needs to be an important part of their insurance offering. So, we’re delighted to be partnering with a trusted brand like RAC to provide breakdown cover, and believe they will offer great value and service to our customers.”
The partnership will enable 1st Central customers to benefit from RAC innovations, including the launch this year of the All-Wheels-Up recovery system, which turns a patrol van into a recovery vehicle, by lifting all four wheels of a stricken vehicle off the ground, saving customers time by not having to wait for a separate recovery vehicle – a particular benefit for SUVs, 4x4s and electric vehicles. This has already been deployed on a fleet of D-Max 4x4s, which also bring the towing capacity to recover vehicles up to 2.8 tonnes.
The RAC has also recently deployed smartphone video call technology to enable it to fix more vehicles without customers having to wait for a patrol. And its most recent innovation is its EV Boost technology, which can be used to deliver a ‘top-up’ roadside charge for stranded electric vehicles.
RAC business roadside managing director, Phil Ryan, said: “We’re very pleased to have forged a new relationship with 1st Central. We believe there is a great opportunity to encourage more of their customers to take out breakdown cover, given the high level of trust in the RAC brand.”
