Instruction E-Mail or Memo: Cell Phone Use and Texting While Driving

As one of the managers of Capri, a hair care and skin products com- pany, you are alarmed at a newspaper article you just saw. A stockbroker for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney was making cold calls on his per- sonal cell phone while driving. His car hit and killed a motorcyclist. The brokerage firm was sued and accused of contributing to an accident by encouraging employees to use cell phones while driving. To avoid the risk of paying huge damages awarded by an emotional jury, the brokerage firm offered the victim's family a $500,000 settlement.

You begin to worry, knowing that your company has provided its 75 sales representatives with cell phones to help them keep in touch with the home base while they are in the field. You are also worried about texting while driving. At the next management meeting, other members agree that you should draft a message detailing some cell phone safety rules for your sales reps. On the Web you learn several tips: Anyone with a cell phone should get to know its features, includ- ing speed dial, automatic memory, and redial. Another suggestion involves using a hands-free device. (Management members decide to purchase these for every sales rep and have the devices available within one month. )You also learn that cell phones in cars should be within easy reach so drivers can grab them without removing their eyes from the road. If they get an incoming call at an inconvenient time, they should allow their voice mail to pick up the call. They should never talk, of course, during hazardous driving conditions, such as rain, sleet, snow, and ice.

Texting while driving is totally out of the question! In addition, taking notes or looking up phone numbers is also dangerous. The more you think about it, the more you think that sales reps should not use their cell phones while the car is moving. They really should pull over. But you know that would be hard to enforce.

Your Task. Individually or in teams, write a memo or e-mail to Capri sales reps outlining company suggestions (or should they be rules?) for the safe use of wireless devices in cars. You may wish to check the Web for additional safety ideas. Try to suggest reader benefits in this mes- sage. How is safety beneficial to the sales reps? The message is from you acting as operations manager.