We’re not less friendly, just more secure
For the more than 28 years I’ve been at The Beaumont Enterprise, members of the public have been able to walk in the front door of our building and proceed on their way to the office of whomever they came to see. They can still do that, with a slight delay.
Now, instead of walking in the front door and jumping on the elevator, people who want to go beyond the front lobby of The Enterprise building have to wait for an escort, complete with appropriate security clearance, to take them where they want to go. We’re not trying to be difficult; we’re just trying to provide a safe, secure, work environment for our employees.
Most readers of The Beaumont Enterprise probably have a vague idea that our building is located somewhere in downtown Beaumont, but few have probably actually been here, unless it was on a building tour when they were in elementary school.
Most people who do business with The Enterprise don’t actually conduct their business in our office. They interact with an advertising representative, newspaper carrier or handle their business via the telephone or Internet. And that works well in most cases.
Some people prefer to come to the newspaper office to pay their bill, place a classified advertisement or drop off their news release. And that’s fine too. All of that is still perfectly acceptable.
For the convenience of our customers, much of their business, including basic classified advertising, can be conducted in the lobby area of our downtown building. A staff member there can assist them with most ads and another can take their subscription payments or sell them back issues of our newspaper. We even have baskets where customers can place their news releases for pick up by our editorial department staff.
But visitors can’t go to offices in other parts of the building without an escort who has a security pass to provide them access. Longtime customers who know our building, our staff members and our procedures, might find this a bit extreme, but it’s our way of controlling our work environment and making sure our employees are safe.
Just as you can’t walk into offices of many other businesses and institutions in the region, you can no longer make the rounds of the offices at The Enterprise without an escort. Please don’t let that stop you if you need to see us, simply check with the staff members in the lobby and they will let us know you’re here.
Now, instead of walking in the front door and jumping on the elevator, people who want to go beyond the front lobby of The Enterprise building have to wait for an escort, complete with appropriate security clearance, to take them where they want to go. We’re not trying to be difficult; we’re just trying to provide a safe, secure, work environment for our employees.
Most readers of The Beaumont Enterprise probably have a vague idea that our building is located somewhere in downtown Beaumont, but few have probably actually been here, unless it was on a building tour when they were in elementary school.
Most people who do business with The Enterprise don’t actually conduct their business in our office. They interact with an advertising representative, newspaper carrier or handle their business via the telephone or Internet. And that works well in most cases.
Some people prefer to come to the newspaper office to pay their bill, place a classified advertisement or drop off their news release. And that’s fine too. All of that is still perfectly acceptable.
For the convenience of our customers, much of their business, including basic classified advertising, can be conducted in the lobby area of our downtown building. A staff member there can assist them with most ads and another can take their subscription payments or sell them back issues of our newspaper. We even have baskets where customers can place their news releases for pick up by our editorial department staff.
But visitors can’t go to offices in other parts of the building without an escort who has a security pass to provide them access. Longtime customers who know our building, our staff members and our procedures, might find this a bit extreme, but it’s our way of controlling our work environment and making sure our employees are safe.
Just as you can’t walk into offices of many other businesses and institutions in the region, you can no longer make the rounds of the offices at The Enterprise without an escort. Please don’t let that stop you if you need to see us, simply check with the staff members in the lobby and they will let us know you’re here.
posted by Sheila Friedeck at 3:28 PM
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