Saira Gul

Customer Advisor – Road Operations

"I worked for the UN in Kenya until 1996, so coming back to the UK was a really big move. But I was lucky enough to have a friend at the AA who recommended me, which made life a lot easier. I started as a temporary Customer Advisor and got a permanent contract before long. Ten years later, I'm the one making people's lives easier.

"In Business Services, we're here to deal with calls from corporate members. As you can imagine, they all have different instructions, cover and restrictions. And because there's no knowing what the next caller might need, my job is always interesting. One minute I could be receiving a call from someone about an abandoned vehicle that they want us to remove; the next it could be a motor manufacturer on the phone. And among them all, there are always some that stand out – like getting a patrol out quickly to help a customer who'd locked their keys and their baby in their car. That's when the job is particularly rewarding.

"It can get quite full-on, dealing with one call after another, but personally I prefer it when it's busy. You have to deal with each member in a specific way, so you have to be prepared for anything – changing hats, I call it. But because it's so supportive here – and because the training is so thorough – it never gets overwhelming."