Guests don't like us using our cell phones? Well kiss my ass then!

[BowserKoopa1]

I work at the movie theatre. Right off the bat, I know most of you will probably say its inappropriate to use it at work. However, our manager has been pretty laxed about it and doesn't really care, so long as we are not ignoring customers and so long as we are only texting. I have seen many employees texting and yes I am just as guilty doing it.
Yesterday we were greeting guests as they leave the theatre and I get a text, so I pull it out and text back. That's when an employee tells me....
CW: Dude, put it away.
ME: Why?
CW: You're not supposed to be doing that.
ME: Everyone else is doing it, and management does not care.
The above statement is absolutely correct. Management will not care if we do this, so long as it does not interfere with our work. The next thing he said made me very curious.
CW: The customer may complain if they see you texting.
ME: So? Its none of their dam business!
And that is very true. Why would a customer complain if they see me or another employee texting on their cell phone? Unless I was doing a theatre check and was in there where everyone could see me texing, with the bright light distracting them, which I certainly do not do. What right do they have to complain? Us texting on our cells doesn't affect their movie going experience. Plus they text and sometimes even talk during the movie on their cell phones. I paid for my cell phone service, and I should be able to use it. Why should they complain? And yes, I know some customers will complain at just about anything especially if they think they can get some free stuff.

[Aisling]

It's really, really easy to get overly-absorbed in a text conversation. When you're texting, you're not paying attention to the area around you, which makes you less able to do your job (which I assume is, at least in part, to help customers should the need arise). Maybe you've got superhuman abilities to pay attention to everything at once and not get distracted by texts, but that doesn't mean all your coworkers are quite so capable, and I doubt anyone here would advocate playing favorites amongst employees. Thus, it's easiest if there's a blanket ban on cell phone use.

However, your coworker shouldn't be getting on your case about it if management doesn't do anything, because that's not their job.

[Lachrymose]

It's really, really easy to get overly-absorbed in a text conversation.

As seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCHdZxO4_tQ

[bainsidhe]

Patiokitty is absolutely right.

[Aethian]

I aggree with patiokitty on every point.

[sms001]

Gotta disagree actually.

While my natural (for my age ) inclination is to say 'No texting at work." I try to use the mindset of the current generation, which is that texting is talking. So if I walked into a theater (or any other place of business) and saw an employee talking face-to-face with an acquaintance, I wouldn't be too concerned or bothered, unless it was interfering with their job. (We've all had that moment in a store - where the person you need to transact business with is a little TOO caught up in their conversation....)

The flip side to this is that I've never been too fond of workplaces that try to deny that their employees are humans and might have friends. If I go somewhere to do business and someone I know personally can't take a second or two to say hello, I generally think less of the business, not the friend.

All that said - take your fellow employee's warning as I hope it was intended: that there ARE customers who will make things miserable for you if they see you doing anything besides being a drone at their (even just potential) beck-and-call.

[malmalthekiller]

To me it depends on when it's happening. I live smack dab in the middle of a college town, which I don't mind because most food places are open later. I went into a burger joint with my SO and the cashier was on her phone, but placed it down as soon as we walked up to the counter. This didn't bother me at all.

But, at the grocery store in the middle of my transaction? No.

Doctor or nurse whipping it out in the middle of surgery? Obviously not.

If I'm doing something that doesn't require your assistance (like saying goodbye at the end of a movie, for instance), I don't care. But if I come up to someone who is blatantly ignoring me (whether that be texting or talking to another employee), that is the point where it should be stopped.

[Exaspera]

I vote with patiokitty also. It looks unprofessional. The texts can wait. Even if the managers don't mind, blatant use could result in a complete shutdown of cellphones where you work. "Everyone else is doing it," is a dumb excuse. How many times have you seen this line in the SC section?

Just trying to help out here.

[Green_Fairy]

work is work time. not talking to your friends time. the point of texts is that they can wait. you don't have to answer them right away. wait for your break or when you're off or at least until you're away from customers. it's very unprofessional to text while at work, even if it doesn't interfere with your job. in ever job i've worked, texting hasn't been allowed. and i agree with those policies. there's a time and place for everything and you're getting paid to do your job, not text your friends.

[Cookie]

Meh. Maybe it's not the way I would run a place, but dang, if management has no problems with it, then it's not your CW's place to say anything. My only fear is that management would pass the buck on you if a customer did complain, just because management can suck like that. I wouldn't complain on you since, as you said, you don't let it interfere with your work.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I agree that texting while on the clock and on the job isn't appropriate.

I also agree that it wasn't the co-worker's place to say anything to the OP about it. If it bothers him so bad, he can go find a manager to tell about it.

[HYHYBT]

If management doesn't care, and you're not ignoring your customers to do it, it's none of their business. Besides, how do they know it's not work-related? I used to text the Drive-Thru times to our store manager every evening when dinner rush was over, because he'd call and ask for them otherwise. True, I usually did this from the office. I've also had customers complain (to me; whether they or anyone else called the office about it I don't know) about my using a cell phone behind the counter. Never mind that it was a call to tech support to get the card readers or drink dispenser running again, or else the area supervisor calling me because day shift had turned the ringer off on the store phone again and I hadn't caught it, or the store manager calling my cell because it was a local call and the store's phone was long distance; why would that be relevant?

[casey13]

Were you attempting to be discreet about it? I don't mind as long as the person is discreet about texting. If you are standing in the open with it right in front of your face, then it should go away. When I worked at Wal-mart, we would use our cells to look up directions for customers sometime when they wanted an obscure item like violin bow wax.

[BowserKoopa1]

I am very discreet about it and I do not text in front of customers. I only text when I have a free minute, although I'm not 1 of those who is texting all day long like a couple of my friends I know. And it has not interfered with my job in the slightest way. I do my job the way I am supposed to, and the cell phone has not gotten in my way at all.
As for the managers, they have not pulled me aside and talked to me about using my cell phone, so as far as I'm concerned, there is no problem. I know when to use it and when not to use it. Oh, and I don't make any calls at all unless I am on my break.

[Solumina]

Where I work we have a policy of text only, no calls, and you can only have your phone out behind the desk (where it is not possible for the guests to see) and when there are no guests in the room (even the other end of the room is not okay), also all cells have to be on silent, vibrate is not okay. It seems to work pretty well, especially since the guests tend to come in waves with rather dead periods.