I understand the younger generations are voracious consumers of text messaging. This fact became clear to me when I tagged along to pick up a new Treo phone. The phone has an Internet connection almost everywhere so you can receive email at any time. The sales rep was pushing an add-on package for unlimited text messaging. Our question back to him – Why do we need text messaging when we have email?
We must of looked like dinosaurs to the young sales rep.
At any rate, here is an article about text messaging that is out of control. I think you will see what I mean:
She turned on her cell phone the next day to discover she’d been terminated from her sales position.”We’ve reviewed your sales figures and they’re not really up to the level we need,” shop manager Alex Barlett wrote in the message. “As a result, we will not require your services any more. Thank you for your time with us.”
Oh, that is bad. Any book on successful employee management should include this story in the chapter involving what not to do. In all fairness to the company, they could not get the employee on the phone after numerous calls. And the company is a body piercing shop. Nonetheless, here is the logic from a director at the company:
“We are a youth business and our staff are all part of the youth culture that uses [text] messaging as a major means of communication,” Bisbie said in a statement e-mailed to the South Wales Echo newspaper. “Therefore, as we wished to spare Miss Tanner the embarrassment and expense of coming into the store only to be sent straight home again, it was decided this was the best course of action to take.”
Call me old fashioned, but I can’t imagine firing someone via email, text message or even via a phone call. Face-to-face is the only respectful way to handle a difficult business action. I can speak to that topic from both sides of the decision.