We have viewed tellers texting while waiting on customers. We have a strict policy against using cell phones while waiting on customers. Can we prevent customer contact personnel from bringing their cell phones inside the bank?

of course you can...although since they aren't paying attention to "strict policy" concerning texting while waiting on customers, what makes you think they'll pay atttention to a new "stricter" policy?

And you better have a dang good description of what warrants customer contact personnel, since this would include, oh, the President on down, anyone who could potentially be dealing with customers

Thanks for your reply. It is actually a couple of tellers that we have noticed texting while waiting on customers. My concern is if we limit the use of their cell phone we would have to limit the use of all cell phones, as you pointed out, from the CEO down. I don't think that is the solution.

Have they been reprimanded for this?

That's my exact thought. If you have a policy and they're not following it then discipinary action is required. Stick with your current policy, just enforce it.

My daughter has to leave her cell phone at home, but she's in junior high. Just send out a reminder notice that hourly personnel are welcome to use their cell phones during break and lunch periods, but not at any other time. Then, zero tolerance.

The worst thing you can do is make a rule, then not enforce it because when you do begin enforcing it they will say: "You never said anything to Bob, Carol, Ted, or Alice and they did it all the time and I just did it this once!"

Thanks for the reminder... for years, the only personnel problem I have had is the cat walking across the keyboard and I have forgotten what a plus that is.

We stopped all cell phone use behind the teller lines and in the public areas of the branch when we found tellers taking pictures with their phones.

We did as well. If it was an emergency call they had to call the branch number and vice versa for outgoing emergency calls.