Michelle Botham

Home-based Teleworker

"I've always felt that that the AA takes into account individual feelings and needs. Six years ago - three years after I joined - they introduced an initiative to let people work at home. I jumped at the chance. And now the roster pattern and the split shifts fit in perfectly with my family's lifestyle.

"Don't get me wrong; it's not an escape route for the lazy. You have to be trustworthy and be able to work under your own steam, but I personally enjoy my own company and I certainly don't miss the commuting. And nor is it a case of out of sight, out of mind. The phone and email keep me in touch with my manager and team-mates, and I've also received plenty of training to keep me up to date with new procedures and so on.

"I really enjoy the work, too. Taking breakdown calls, I deal with all sorts of people in all kinds of situations. You do get people who are upset, but that's mainly because they're stressed being stranded at the side of the motorway. I try to calm them down, take down the details and make sure they're comfortable with what I'm doing. As a general rule, I try to put myself in members' shoes. How would I feel in that situation? What would I want someone to do for me? I've no desire to try anything different at the moment. I stand in for my manager on occasions, but with a demanding four-year-old I don't want anything more adventurous. When I do, however, I'm sure the AA will back me to the hilt."