Actors and Cell phones...

[Dark Scares]

I was wondering how many haunts allow their Actors to carry their cell phones on them in the haunt?
Because of issues we had last year, we have a no cell phone policy. This is in their contract with us, and they have been told repeatedly. Yet we are still having issues with coming down the hall and there is a actor in between groups texting. This had become a real frustration for us and were giving out warnings last night and it seems now we are the bad guys.

[Mike Goff]

Make an example of someone by firing them. The problem will go away. There are no sacred cows, no one is above the rules. Fire them. Keep firing until the problem stops.

[DarkTikiEntertainment]

Another option...

http://www.jammerall.com/

[Tom]

Make an example of someone by firing them. The problem will go away. There are no sacred cows, no one is above the rules. Fire them. Keep firing until the problem stops.

The problem with that is, it's just a temp job to them with not very high wages. So it's not as big of a loss to them to quit or get fired as it is to the haunt owner with no actors.
The problem might go away, but so will the actors (in some haunts).

I had a haunt above me and they enforced the no cell phone policy and by the end of the season, they were short "alot" on actors. I on the other hand laid down some simple rules to minimal usage during slow times but when it gets busy, it's time to work (I work with you, you work with me). I didn't have a problem (I checked on them regularly just to make sure).
Give them a little respect and they might just return that respect.

If the haunt gets busy, then they shouldn't have time to text/call.

Today in this world, you take away their cell phone, they would rather die. I hate to say it and I don't like it myself but this is the way it's going.

[mikeq91]

One way to help it is to make sure your good about giving them breaks, and emphasize that these are the times when they can use their phones. Might take an extra actor or two to rotate around to relieve people, but it gives them an opportunity to rest and stay fresh, and hopefully get out their texting needs. I think it's be hard to prevent your actors from using their phones for the whole night, but controlling when they do is the important part, so your customers don't walk in on a monster texting.

[Mike Goff]

The problem with that is, it's just a temp job to them with not very high wages. So it's not as big of a loss to them to quit or get fired as it is to the haunt owner with no actors.
The problem might go away, but so will the actors (in some haunts).

I had a haunt above me and they enforced the no cell phone policy and by the end of the season, they were short "alot" on actors. I on the other hand laid down some simple rules to minimal usage during slow times but when it gets busy, it's time to work (I work with you, you work with me). I didn't have a problem (I checked on them regularly just to make sure).
Give them a little respect and they might just return that respect.

If the haunt gets busy, then they shouldn't have time to text/call.

Today in this world, you take away their cell phone, they would rather die. I hate to say it and I don't like it myself but this is the way it's going.

I understand your point, but if your actors don't care about losing their jobs you have bigger problems than cell phones.

[Tom]

I understand your point, but if your actors don't care about losing their jobs you have bigger problems than cell phones.

True Mike, very true.

Luckily, I had some good actors (for the most part).

[Mike Goff]

Educate your actors

I think that it is critical to constantly educate your actors. Make them feel like part of the discussion to improve the show. There are many reasons why it is important to stay in character, explain them to your staff. I like to use the chain analogy. Every actor is a link in the chain, if someone breaks character, they break their link in the chain and the whole chain fails. Once the customer sees the "man behind the curtain" it is all but impossible to bring them back to fantasy land. Make them understand this, and more importantly make sure that they care. If someone doesn't care, you need to get rid of them before they corrupt the ones who do.
Look at it like this, you owe it to the actors who care to get rid of the ones who don't.

[monsterwax]

It can be a difficult balancing act. The larger haunts need LOTS of actors, and it only makes sense to fill a lot of the less demanding roles with volunteers. At the same time, however, you have to be willing to turn away the ones who behave poorly or they contaminate the others.

[Badger]

A haunt I used to work for allowed actors to bring cell phones but they had to be put in the office where one of the managers would keep watch over them. If the actors had an emergency they could call the main number and that manager would get the message to that actor. They were allowed to get their phones while on breaks and that's it. If they were caught with a phone in the haunt, they were fired.

[zombietoxin]

I think that it is critical to constantly educate your actors. Make them feel like part of the discussion to improve the show. There are many reasons why it is important to stay in character, explain them to your staff. I like to use the chain analogy. Every actor is a link in the chain, if someone breaks character, they break their link in the chain and the whole chain fails. Once the customer sees the "man behind the curtain" it is all but impossible to bring them back to fantasy land. Make them understand this, and more importantly make sure that they care. If someone doesn't care, you need to get rid of them before they corrupt the ones who do.
Look at it like this, you owe it to the actors who care to get rid of the ones who don't.

Best answer again.

Might help to bring it up in actor meetings and then ask, by show of hands, who thinks cell usage during the show brings the show down. Then ask if they want to work with someone that is degrading all the effort they are putting into it. I'm pretty sure you're going to see the votes you want- and maybe it'll coerce the rest into compliance.

Yes, it seems infantile to take that approach, but it seems like a decent tool to put in the tool box. Leading sometimes seems more like herding...