Service Advisor

R.C.M; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus scheme

24 days annual leave plus bank holiday

Simply Health

Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Job summary

SAGA Truck & Van is seeking a proactive Service Advisor for its UK network. You will welcome customers and their vehicles, manage the service journey, coordinate workshop activities and ensure accurate invoicing, while maintaining high standards of customer care and professional communication.

You will liaise with the workshop team, parts department and subcontractors, driving efficiency and timely updates throughout the service process.

Qualifications

• Excellent customer service skills and ability to build rapport.
• Clear and confident communication with customers and internal stakeholders.
• Strong time-management to balance customer-facing duties with admin tasks.
• Attention to detail in processing repair orders and invoicing.
• IT proficiency with generic workflow/customer-record software.
• Experience in service administration, costing or invoicing in automotive/workshop settings.
• Strong problem-solving to address customer concerns quickly.
• Adaptability to changing situations and customer requirements.
• Team collaboration with Service Manager and Workshop Controller.
• Experience monitoring labour efficiency and warranty processes.

Responsibilities

• Receive customers and their vehicles, owning the service experience at every stage.
• Keep customers informed during diagnosis, authorisation and completion.
• Manage service bookings, re-bookings and diary to maximise workshop capacity.
• Pre-plan jobs and co-ordinate parts 48 hours before arrival.
• Liaise with workshop staff, parts dept and subcontractors on planned/unplanned work.
• Promote aftersales opportunities and obtain customer approval for additional work.
• Ensure all service activity is updated in internal systems (e.g. Truckfile).
• Deliver service to manufacturer standards and company policies.
• Support the service team to achieve daily/monthly targets.

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

Time management

Attention to detail

IT skills

Invoicing experience

Problem solving

Adaptability

Team collaboration

Labour efficiency

Dealer systems

Manufacturer standards

Tools

Truckfile

Kerridge

Keyloop

Job description

SAGA Truck & Van is the leading Mercedes-Benz distributor in the United Kingdom, with a network of ten dealerships across Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire, and East England, employing over five hundred staff.

The SAGA Mercedes-Benz Story: The journey began in 1971 in western France, initially focused solely on commercial vehicles. Over the years, car and utility vehicle operations were added, and dealerships multiplied—first regionally until 2013, then nationally, before expanding internationally in 2019. In 2024, SAGA Mercedes-Benz expanded to England with the acquisition of 10 dealerships, previously owned by Sparshatt Truck and Van and Motus Truck & Van. Today, SAGA has an international presence (in France, Belgium, England, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Czech Republic) and represents 70% of the RCM group’s revenue.

This role is responsible for both delivering an excellent end-to-end customer experience. We are looking for a people-oriented individual who can build rapport with a wide range of customers and colleagues. A strong customer-first approach is essential, with the ability to identify and meet customer expectations at every stage. The ideal candidate must be versatile and able to adapt to changing situations, while maintaining consistent communication and professionalism.

Day-to-day responsibilities include receiving customers and their vehicles, taking full ownership of their service experience. The advisor must keep customers informed through every stage of the service journey—upon vehicle receipt, during diagnosis, once authorisation is required, and upon completion. Timely and accurate invoicing of retail jobs is essential prior to vehicle handover, ensuring payment or valid order numbers are in place.

Act as the primary point of contact for customers throughout the vehicle service journey, taking full ownership of their experience

Attend to customers and vehicles, accurately capturing service requirements and setting clear expectations

Manage service bookings, re-bookings, and diary control to maximise workshop capacity in collaboration with the Workshop Controller

Make pre-arrival confirmation calls and ensure vehicles are correctly planned into the workshop

Pre-plan jobs by coordinating parts picking at least 48 hours prior to vehicle arrival

Keep customers informed at all stages of the service process, including diagnosis, authorisation requirements, and completion updates

Liaise closely with workshop staff, parts department and subcontractors on both planned and unplanned work

Promote aftersales opportunities and obtain customer approval for additional work identified during the service process

Ensure all service activity is accurately updated in internal systems (e.g. Truckfile), including workshop loading and job status

Deliver service in line with dealer and manufacturer standards, policies, and customer experience expectations

Support the wider service team in achieving daily and monthly WIP and sold-hours targets

Working hours: 45 hours per week; Monday to Friday + 1 in 3 Saturdays (7:00am - 1:00pm) paid as overtime

Joining SAGA Truck and Van means:

Representing “the star,” an international luxury car brand

Promoting vehicles with the latest technologies

Benefiting from career opportunities within a fast-growing group

Joining a family-owned group with strong values and collaborating with passionate people

Participating in regular internal events that promote team cohesion (seminars, incentives, parties…)

Enjoying many other benefits:

Discretionary bonus scheme

24 days Annual leave plus bank holidays

Simply Health

Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

RCM: SAGA Truck & Van is part of the French RCM group, created and led since 1999 by Ronan Chabot. Strongly attached to its region and values, RCM expanded intensively—first regionally, then across France, before expanding internationally in 2019 with the SAGA Mercedes-Benz network and adding a new activity: boating. Today, the group remains a French family business with a global outlook, distributing iconic brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Lexus, Porsche, Beneteau, Azimut, Galeon, and Highfield internationally (in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, England, and the Czech Republic). Our values have remained the same since day one: Passion, Performance, and Respect. In 2018, RCM was named France’s Distributor of the Year, and in 2021 won the Family Saga award at the French Automotive Distribution Grand Prix.

#SAGATruck&Van

Job requirements

Excellent customer service skills, with the ability to build rapport, manage expectations and handle queries professionally.

Clear and confident communication skills, both verbal and written, with customers and internal stakeholders.

Highly organised with strong time-management skills, able to balance customer-facing duties with financial and administrative responsibilities

Attention to detail - accurate processing of repair orders, invoicing, and maintaining compliance with company policies and manufacturer standards.

IT proficiency in generic software for managing workflows and customer records.

Service administration, customer service, costing or invoicing role experience within an automotive or workshop environment. Ability to manage work in progress (WIP), ensuring jobs progress efficiently from booking through to invoice closure

Problem-solving ability - proactively addressing customer concerns and resolving issues quickly and effectively. Confidence to challenge inaccuracies and suggest improvements.

Adaptability - flexibility to handle changing situations and varying customer requirements with ease.

Team collaboration - working effectively with the Service Manager, Workshop Controller, and colleagues to achieve targets and deliver quality service.

Experience monitoring labour efficiency and identifying time or cost discrepancies

Experience in using dealer management or workshop systems (e.g. Truckfile, Kerridge, Keyloop or similar)

Knowledge of manufacturer standards, warranty processes and compliance requirements

or

Details

SAGA Truck & Van

Full-time, Permanent

RCM.

The RCM adventure began in 1999 under the impetus of Ronan Chabot, who opened the very first Toyota Toys Motors dealership in Vendée. Strongly attached to the region and its values, RCM expanded intensively, first regionally, then across the entire French territory before crossing borders in 2019 and integrating a new activity: boating. Today, the group remains a French family business oriented towards the world and distributes iconic brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Lexus, Porsche, Beneteau, Azimut, Galeon, and Highfield internationally (in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, England, the Czech Republic, and Poland). Our values have been the same since day one: Passion, Performance, and Respect . In 2018, RCM was elected the top French distributor of the year, and in 2021 won the Family Saga award at the Grand Prix of Automotive Distribution.