Mobile Phone Plan

What's everyone doing for your maintenance teams regarding mobile phones? Seems like the trends have shifted. We've supplied phones in the past, but now most of our team just wants to carry their own. How about you? Are you supplying a phone? Giving an allowance?

Yes, I've been through several variations of this. Currently: we just use 2-way radios onsite and there is an "on call" cell phone that the person on call takes home with him at night (whether he wants to carry an extra cell phone or not). The allowances idea seems good, but then, if the maintenance team member breaks his phone, gets disconnected for nonpayment, etc. it interferes with work.

We provide our maintenance teams with cell phones using our Company group data plan, most maintenance team members have some version of the Verizon HTC.

We have done this several ways. Best is to invest in 2 way radios. Why? I found that if my workers carry their own cell phones that their work orders take longer. Seems that they check emails, Facebook, answer friends calls and play games on their cells during work hours. Ever since I started to require them to leave their cells in either their cars or at their work desk, productivity has increased.

We supply our maintenance staff with cell phones- the Casio Commando. The phone is one of those very rugged phones that are waterproof and can stand a lot of damage. I think our staff likes having company phones that they don't have to pay for and don't mind having their own personal phone separate.