Any employee in any company who interacts with customers should have instant authority to act or advise.
Ditto for local authorities, councils etc. Each person must keep a log of their decisions and is answerable to a code of conduct and their superiors, but has both the authority and the training to decide independantly. For two reasons:

1. (As I said in a previous thread) From the consumer POV: Less time-wasting, filling out forms, "Oh, it's not my responsibility", "Can I just put you on hold" and "We'll call you back when the one person with authority in this area gets back from their 3 month holiday in Ibiza."

2. From the working POV: Having to actually engage with the customers, make logical decisions, defend your perspective and take the rap/credit for whatever result, and having the company's trust results in a much better work approach than just saying hello and either transferring calls or listening to frustrated people who just want a simple thing sorted, but not being able to do anything.
(Sivvus trolley collision in the fruit aisle led to a jam, Fri 23 Sep 2011, 23:30, 2 replies)

A fine idea in principal, the number of times I've been unable to do simple things for a customer as it wasn't my responsibility is embarasing, however, working in call centres for a couple of years. I can honestly say you'd not want half the staff to decide which is their arse and which their elbow, let alone anything which requires thought.
(Mong goose, Sat 24 Sep 2011, 18:10, closed)

Yeah, hence the need for training
Although I admit that not everyone is suited for that kind of work...

... that said, if training was available it would be seen as more of a skilled job, which would be better for people entering the work pool.
(Sivvus trolley collision in the fruit aisle led to a jam, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 20:17, closed)