I’m a retail boutique owner. I’m facing a frustrating situation with a long-term employee and could use some advice on how to handle it.
I have a key employee who has been with me for over 10 years. She is talented, great at sales, and wonderful at engaging with customers when she is focused. She also happens to be a relative of mine, which adds a layer of complexity.
Over the last few months, a habit has formed where she is constantly on her phone. To address this, I implemented a store-wide policy: Employees are completely free to use their phones during downtime when the store is empty. However, the moment a customer walks in, phones must be put away completely until the customer leaves. I felt this was incredibly fair since they still get plenty of phone time throughout the day.
I sat down and had an in-depth conversation with her about this policy. Despite this, when I check the store cameras, I see the exact same pattern: she will briefly greet a customer, but keep her phone out on the counter and go right back to watching videos while the customer is actively walking around the store.
Because I’ve already re-addressed this over and over, I’m at a loss. How do you enforce a boundary like this with someone who is both a 10-year veteran employee and family, without ruining the working and personal relationship?