We’ve become a nation of addicts! That’s right, most of us (including your on-site technicians) are TOTALLY ADDICTED to our smart phones. (Nielsen Research reports that the average young employee sends 3,146 text messages every month- that is over 100 texts per day!)
Chances are only your spouse will get ticked off as you constantly check your smart phone. But customers hate it when your on-site techs are incessantly messing with their cell phones!
Not to mention your employees can’t be working (or even focusing) while they are on their smart phones! So there goes your production and job quality!
Now I’ve ranted and raved before on the perils of Employee Smart Phone Addiction. (ESPA) The only real way to remove this “ESPA cancer” from your company? Ban personal cell phones on the job!
Instead, give each employee a “blocked” smart phone that let’s them call/text the office and other employees. But all other uses are blocked. (The U.S. Constitution does not guarantee personal cell phone use while on the job.)
But even with all my pleading I know many of you will still permit ESPA to run amok among your technicians. So be it. But at the very least keep their ESPA to a minimum while working on-location. One way is to…
Stop employees checking the time on their cell phone. How? By requiring all workers to wear a watch on the job!
Even the most dedicated tech (and you too) will easily fall prey to ESPA once that smart phone is out of their pocket! “Ooooh, lemme just scan my six new emails and the three new texts that have come in since I started on this job…” Who can resist?
Plus just pulling your phone out is always a negative Moment of Truth. Remove this temptation with a good old-fashioned watch!
And please- no farting or belching ringtones either! If you decide not to ban personal cell phones at the very least keep them on vibrate!
Restoration HINT: A traumatized insured with their life in shambles wants their home restored FAST! (In restoration emotions can be very tricky!) So it infuriates insureds to see your workers (or sub-contractors) “dilly-dallying” on their smart phones instead of putting their damaged home back together. You’ve been warned!
Commercial HINT: My hard line stance against personal cell phones softens a bit with your after hours/weekend workers. (This IS a tough gig!) So with commercial jobs I suggest a written policy specifying no cell phone use while in the presence of the account’s employees. And no ringtones- vibrate only!
Steve