The Fayetteville Observer, N.C., Columnist Myron B. Pitts column

Feb 12, 2013 (The Fayetteville Observer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- These days, employees who don the red and blue uniforms of Chuck E. Cheese's on North McPherson Church Road will have to check their cellphones at the door -- or they'll be fired.

Danny Jerrell, who owns the child-oriented restaurant, sent out this memo, dated Feb. 4: "All employees prior to clocking in MUST turn in their cellphone to a manager. Any employee having their phone in their possession while on the clock will be subject to termination. This includes coat pockets, purses, backpacks, etc ...

"Managers will purchase some sort of lock box to keep in the office. Do not use the safe.

"This rule is not up for discussion. If an employee or parent does not like this policy then they are free to seek employment elsewhere. Danny." Jerrell told me that he implemented the policy as a better way to serve customers. He said he does not believe the Chuck E. Cheese's workers -- who are as young as 16 -- let cellphone use get in the way of handling birthday parties. But he is convinced that if they have phones on them, they will text while on the clock.

He has a 19-year-old daughter who has texted him from her job, he says.

"You know how kids are," he says. "They can text without you even realize they are texting." The policy seems to me a bit extreme; a softer approach might be to just tell the employees to put their phones on silent or vibrate. Even Jerrell says that he did not come up with it in response to specific behavior he had observed at the Chuck E. Cheese's.

"I don't think they blatantly had their phones on ring tone," he says.

On the other hand, cellphone use and texting can indeed present a barrier to good customer service. We've all been "waited on" by someone who is more interested in his phone than paying customers.

Not surprising, the new policy at Chuck E. Cheese's has not been embraced on all sides.

Someone who said he or she was an employee sent an email to the Observer, forwarded a copy of Jerrell's memo and complained: "I have worked at Chuck E. Cheese . for almost 2 years now, and we have been able to keep our phones in our pockets on silent .

"A lot of us are high school students so the part about the parent is rude." I wasn't clear on what was rude about Jerrell's mention of parents, unless the employee is saying high-schoolers are old enough to make their own decisions.

In any case, Jerrell is standing by the policy. Parents who need to get in touch with any of the employees can reach them on the restaurant's phone, he says.

"There's a time and a place for personal cellphone use and work is not one of them," he says. "It's not a part of their uniform; it's definitely not essential.

"I would prefer they leave them in the car or leave it at home." Columnist Myron B. Pitts can be reached at pittsm@fayobserver.com or 486-3559.

___ (c)2013 The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.) Visit The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.) at www.fayobserver.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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