Sales, Sales, Sales On Coping Strategies and Work Styles in the Selling of Insurance
Customer centres are important channels for sales within insurance companies, with working procedures among employees changing in parallel with increasing demands for productivity and competition. In previous research, work in customer centres has often been described as demanding, monotonous and repetitive, with brief customer encounters, low decision latitude, heavy monitoring and tough sales demands. In this case study involving three regional Norwegian customer service centres – all offices of an international financial group – we identified very different coping strategies and work styles among the customer service representatives. The article analyses the flexibility employees have in their different approaches to sales activities, and the implications for the employees themselves and their workplace.