New ethos transforms attitudes and approaches at RS Components : Key role of coaching in customer services

Purpose – Describes major strategic changes – supported by training and empowerment – in the customer‐services department of RS Components. Design/methodology/approach – Explains what gave rise to the changes and the effects they have had. Findings – Provides practical examples of how customer‐service employees, less tied to following call scripts or completing a certain number of calls in a certain period of time, now have greater freedom to put the customer first. Practical implications – Reveals how these changes have increased employee satisfaction and made customer services a more attractive place to work. Social implications – Highlights the value of giving employees more control over how they perform their work. Originality/value – Reinforces the idea that businesses perform better when staffed by employees who are treated well.