John Lewis drivers deliver top customer service: Retailer recognizes their role as the organization's human face

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to describe a training program for 300 delivery drivers at UK retailer John Lewis.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper deals with the reasons for the program, the form it took and the results it has achieved.

Findings

The paper details how John Lewis teamed up with assessment company Cognisco to create the Much More than a Driver program, tailored to meet the individual training and development needs of each driver.

Practical implications

The paper explains that training materials and activity packs with job‐aid cards were created for the drivers. A “day in the life of a John Lewis delivery partner” video is also being created, alongside a work‐book, allowing drivers access to all elements of the training program, even from a remote location.

Social implications

The paper reveals that, as more and more customers opt to shop online, a company's delivery drivers are increasingly the human face of the organization, so the drivers must have the skills, knowledge and confidence to provide great customer service.

Originality/value

The paper explains that, because the drivers were asked what tools and training they needed before John Lewis embarked on the program, they supported it from the start and really helped to shape the program.

Citation

(2011), "John Lewis drivers deliver top customer service: Retailer recognizes their role as the organization's human face", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 19 No. 6, pp. 17-19. https://doi.org/10.1108/09670731111163464