William Hill backs a winner with EPoS training : Employees embrace culture change and new working practices

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe a £7.4 million training program for 8,500 employees, which helped bookmaker William Hill to introduce new electronic point of sale (EPoS) technology at its 1,630 betting offices across the UK. Design/methodology/approach – Examines what gave rise to the need for the training, how it was planned and delivered, and the results it achieved. Findings – Reveals that the company's customer‐service agents are now generally more customer‐focused. They have the skills to complete the whole life‐cycle of a bet, from accepting and processing to paying out, enhancing their working practices and adding more responsibility. Shop managers are able to spend more time maximizing the potential of their staff and are more visible to their customers. This means they have more time to sell the benefits of the new technology and inform customers how they can benefit. Managers also have more information about the efficiency and productivity of their staff and any cash discrepancies that may arise. Practical implications – Shows that the increased emphasis on good teamwork and improved communication has improved the customer experience. Value – Details an award‐winning training program that has resulted in 8,500 employees embracing a change of culture and new set of working practices.