Phoning in efficiency, company bans emails

When Gene Evans started counting the number of emails he received daily and the time it took for a simple conversation to take place electronically, he realized there had to be a better way.

Evans, senior vice president at Clearwater-based USAmeriBank, read about large companies outlawing emails for particular days of the week and decided to try the strategy out in the bank's retail division. After implementing “no email Friday” six months ago, he says internal communication has increased and the bank has become more efficient.

“I think that as technology has improved we've gotten lazy about communicating verbally,” Evans tells Coffee Talk. Instead of spending precious minutes — which are worth even more in a sector hurting in the down economy — hammering out four-paragraph emails, Evans sees his staff pick up the phone and solve issues immediately. This has allowed quicker diffusion of information. “Other departments are starting to take note and follow suit,” he remarks.

Externally, the strategy encourages employees to connect with customers on a more personal level and internally it prevents potential conflicts. Evans recalls reading a strongly worded email that wasn't intended to sound abrasive. “People we're getting their feelings hurt,” he says.

Evans plans to continue the tradition to keep up with USAmeriBank's growth. “We're coming up on 10 locations in the area,” he says. “(No email Friday) saves time and builds camaraderie.”