•L.1.F.3.•MeMe•E-Zine•

[11]. Turn off that cell phone!

I SAID, Turn off that cell phone!

Kenn gets to work, 15 minutes early as usual, and clocks in. Scheduled for six hours of running orders, prepping food, changing cash, credit and enthusiastic customer service for taking of granted and self esurience of the ever present consumer, Kenn is dismayed to see Katherine on her phone again...

...and there's customers at the register!?!? Oh no, no, no... She's on the Clock, getting paid and...

Katherine, on the other hand is having her own problems. Her sister has just been taken to the Emergency Room with a broken hip. She realizes there are customers but this is serious! She knows she's been told not to have her phone on at work but it's her sister...

Kenn can see that Kathy is distressed and sees no reason to berate her in her time of trouble. This could be considered a Utilitarian reaction, in that the Ethical impetus at work in this instance has been one of addressing Kathy's need in lieu of the need of the job to be fulfilled. Though the Job may undoubtedly suffer a momentary setback, Katherine should be allowed use of her phone to take care of her problem...

But take it back in the office!

<shooing>gestures>

And don't let it happen again!

<happy>sarcasm>

<to>the>customers>

Sorry about that! What'll we be having today?

And back to business, problem solved, until the next one shows up. Managers should be allowed to monitor phone usage in any place of business. Barring emergencies, it's a place of business and, as long as employees are being paid to do any job they need to be doing what they're getting paid to do. Also, digital communications devices have become a ubiquitous part of society. It seems that everyone has some sort of digital camera, game system, PDA, cell, flash or media player, communication in their pocket these days. Last week a guy pulled a digital projector out of his coat pocket and started showing a laser light show on a white concrete wall...

it was AWESOME...

But come ON people! Cases like Katherine's notwithstanding, it not only looks bad to have your people standing around gawking at baby pictures and texting their boyfriends and girlfriends while paying customers wait to be served. It's not like businesses don't have their own level of gadgetry at their disposal, either! What store, restaurant, factory or office do you know of that doesn't have some sort of digital monitoring system installed? Management rarely even try to demand that employees leave their phones at home any more. Why should they? All they have to do is watch from the digital monitors back in the office area and they're going to know if any employees are using any way, so...

As long as Managers allow employees to keep their toys on them that is enough of a gesture of trust that the employees won't break the rules and use their toys without the furtherance of the Business first and foremost in mind.