How to tell people not to be stupid... professionally

[Corey]

Originally Posted by LittleTaz

Par for the course... 2 excellent and helpful comments and then along comes Partical Man...

Thanks!

By the way, what kind of phones does your company use? Is your company able to limit the access to the phones by eliminating or locking down data access through the phone company, or have them assist you in setting up the limits? Or is it something like a BES setup with a network of blackberry phones that you can restrict access at the BES server level? If the phones are used just as a source of keeping employees in contact with the job, then anything more than a voice plan is a potential source for the problems. Eliminate the data plans and you may be able to cut down on their shit.

[LittleTaz]

Originally Posted by Archren

They accidentally the whole cell phone?

When I saw he had posted that is exactly what I expected to read!

[Particle Man]

Originally Posted by LittleTaz

When I saw he had posted that is exactly what I expected to read!

(and for the record I'm serious enough during the work day that I get tired of it )

[LittleTaz]

Originally Posted by Corey

By the way, what kind of phones does your company use? Is your company able to limit the access to the phones by eliminating or locking down data access through the phone company, or have them assist you in setting up the limits? Or is it something like a BES setup with a network of blackberry phones that you can restrict access at the BES server level? If the phones are used just as a source of keeping employees in contact with the job, then anything more than a voice plan is a potential source for the problems. Eliminate the data plans and you may be able to cut down on their shit.

Unfortunately, everyone has text capability. They either have a text 300 plan or a full data plan if they have a PDA type device. I can block 3rd party charges with Sprint, but I have to do it line by line, can't do it for the whole account. We have about 150 lines and I'm trying to avoid having to spend the time on the phone with a CSR doing that.

[Papa_Complex]

What's their talk time like? Do they generally go over?

One thing that we did, was to offer a dollar amount monthly to be put toward a cell account. If they went over, it was their own issue.

[buzzcutt2]

At my company we are forced to review our monthly bill, sign it and pay for any personal calls that were made or received.

There is a policy somewhere that states it is only to be used for business.

[Corey]

Originally Posted by LittleTaz

Unfortunately, everyone has text capability. They either have a text 300 plan or a full data plan if they have a PDA type device. I can block 3rd party charges with Sprint, but I have to do it line by line, can't do it for the whole account. We have about 150 lines and I'm trying to avoid having to spend the time on the phone with a CSR doing that.

That sucks. What actions are you approved to take in order to enforce the policy? Is the company willing to step up and enforce some kind of monetary punishment or possibly release a person based on the violation of the policy you want to set in place, or are you kinda fucked into wrist slapping and finger wagging? If the policy won't be enforced with obvious consequences and supported by the top brass, then I think you're hands are tied in the actions you can actually take. This has to be enforcable and supported all the way up to the top or else someone will find out that the only thing that will happen is a whole lot of nothing, and nobody will change their habits.

[VFR Rider]

Like they said, you write the policy that cell phones provided by the company are for acceptable business use only (define what consitutes acceptable) and charges will only be reimbursed for business related expenses. Any additionaly charges associated to non-business use will be billed to the employee and/or deducted from their check (have to see if this can be done).

[LittleTaz]

Ok, right now, when the bill comes in I go over it. I have everyone on a pooled minute plan, so I'm not having a problem with going over the total minutes. If I find any of these 3rd party charges, I send an email to the employee, their supervisor and HR telling them what the charge was, reminding them that they can't do that and that the charge will be deducted from their paycheck. HR takes over from there and handles the deduction. The main problem is that the lady that was handling it before me had about 50 other jobs in addition to this one and just didn't have the time to spend on it. So, some of them got used to no one checking it and got a little lax about things. Also, when I send the email, I copy and paste the actual charge line from the bill which never says exactly what was done to incur it, just the company it's from. Then I immediately get the indignant employee saying they didn't download anything and that's a bogus charge. When I start questioning them about other things they may have done, they invariably remember something that they thought was harmless. This policy will be more for new employees, although a copy will be sent out to current employees. It seems simple enough to me, but you know what they say.... Common sense really isn't that common...

[Particle Man]

Originally Posted by LittleTaz

Ok, right now, when the bill comes in I go over it. I have everyone on a pooled minute plan, so I'm not having a problem with going over the total minutes. If I find any of these 3rd party charges, I send an email to the employee, their supervisor and HR telling them what the charge was, reminding them that they can't do that and that the charge will be deducted from their paycheck. HR takes over from there and handles the deduction. The main problem is that the lady that was handling it before me had about 50 other jobs in addition to this one and just didn't have the time to spend on it. So, some of them got used to no one checking it and got a little lax about things. Also, when I send the email, I copy and paste the actual charge line from the bill which never says exactly what was done to incur it, just the company it's from. Then I immediately get the indignant employee saying they didn't download anything and that's a bogus charge. When I start questioning them about other things they may have done, they invariably remember something that they thought was harmless. This policy will be more for new employees, although a copy will be sent out to current employees. It seems simple enough to me, but you know what they say.... Common sense really isn't that common...

Sounds like you need more than a memo...