I write this blog with a bit of caution because if you are a producer or owner, your cell phone is a necessity. So you get a free pass on this one. For everyone else your cell phone has gotta go!
Imagine you walk into a bank or restaurant and see your attendant or waitress texting someone. You would be livid. So why in an insurance agency should cell phone be allowed on the desk. The bottom line is they should not be! It’s hard for me to justify bringing on additional staff when you see everyone texting or posting on Facebook all day from their cell phones. We need to kick the professionalism up a notch.
The common push back is that the kids may call. I understand this completely. While I grew up in a different time when cell phones didn’t exist, heck car phones barely existed, but I can identify with this. My mom was a school teacher so we couldn’t call her to tell her we got home OK. What we did was call her best friend and my grandma. If they didn’t hear from us they would check in or get her. The bottom line is there is more than one way to skin a cat. We need to get creative. Also, if there was an actual emergency it’s much more efficient to call the agency and have someone find you.
What I know is that a cell phone is a distraction and insurance is protecting the things people love the most. If your auto mechanic was texting while fixing your car, would you question the quality of their work? Even weather pop ups, news alerts and social media notifications break your concentration. If you want to be an insurance all star keep your cell phone locked away, tell friends and family you will talk to them at 5pm and focus on the customers and work at hand.
