Stick a pair of ear buds in your ear, then tell me about how safe it is to drive.:rolleyes:
I like the idea of feeling approachable. If I had a guy working on my electrical (with ear buds) I would feel like I was interfering or âinterruptingâ him by asking a question. I also like to be able to hear everything around me, crisp and clear.
There has been CCUâs where we put a radio in the aerial lift, but it is a loud and some-what obnoxious environment, not to mention everyone has stereos blaring.
I guess I could see ear buds of you were by yourself, 5AM doing route work. But then again, I would still want to hear if someone âbe creepinâ.
I used to do it on my motorcycle every ride, until I installed speakers and a boom mic in my helmets. I can take and answer calls on my phone while riding, tooâŚon thisâŚ
But not these
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I love my music too. It seems I have got out of the habit lately of using the ear buds, not sure why. For me it seems like when I have used them and I get near my client or their family members I feel like I need to be ready for interaction, whether itâs to comment on a childâs science project they are working on or anything else that allows us to build a relationship. It feels awkward for me to be around others and not acknowledge them or be ready to acknowledge them. When Iâm not going to be around anybody I will use them low volume. Usually outside work only.
As a racer, Iâm so used to wearing earplugs and being able to adequately hear rpm speed for shift points and clutch drops 
Music while hitting the canyons is a horrible, horrible idea for me. Itâs like throwing on the right tunes while working out, it just gets you amped, and feeling invulnerable on the street is a no no lol
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Commercial or residential, the buds are only in on exterior. If inside, theyâre out. If the customer is out and about outside, theyâre out as well.
Being professional and approachable are highly important to me, whether my sanity likes it or not. 
While you are racing you are totaly focused on your shift points and other input that comes in many ways or you lose or are hurt or dead. On the street the info you need to be safe is external, and alot of it is audio. Buds ainât I think a good idea on the street.
Not to speak with authority, just to pass on what I have read. Reguardless of everything said about multitasking, the brain does not multitask. It may do what it does fast, but it does it one thing at a time.
So I speak to safety, not customer interaction.
Be it ladder work, poling, or hanging somehow from rope or others.
You donât need to be entertained, you need to be focused on what you are doing at every moment.
No exceptions.
I have often wondered about this too. Every now and then, I throw my cell phone in my front pocket and put Pandora on. This is usually only when the homeowners arenât home or on storefronts. I donât see anything wrong with one ear listening to something as well.
Agree with most but not all.
I clean residential windows pretty good with my headphones on
I only listen to my tunes when a residential customer is not home, or when Iâm doing Genie work.
Good enough, just be careful my man, be careful.
We had a guy in East Peoria get hit by a train because he âfailed to hearâ the whistle. Totaled his car, but he survived. He was wearing ear buds.
And I donât think alcohol was involved, just sheer stupidity.
That happened to my dentist 2 years ago⌠But he was walking! Dead instantly.
I think outside is OK
Inside I would take it on a case by case basis, and if you do decide to wear them maybe only keep 1 ear in. If you can tell the customer is going to be super chatty I would leave them out⌠If they could care less that yo are there and are busy with there own stuff 1 ear could be ok.
One bud in, one bud out. All day. With the column low enough so that if the customer was standing next to me and I removed my ear bud, they could not hear it. I also use it to talk on the pone while wfping.
I almost had an accident because the guy who was working for me at the time couldnât hear me calling him because my ladder was unstable. Needless to say I got down. I ripped the ear buds out of his ears and threw them in the woods.
I tell all my employees now - if they get caught with headphones I will take the cord and wrap it around their neck and theyâll also be fired immediately.
I donât need a workers comp claim because some numbskull has to listen to Madonna while working.
Epic
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The repetition of cleaning windows is enough to drive a sane man crazy, let alone a cleaner like me thatâs been doing 'em over a decade!
YES, I do wear 'em. Especially on route work both inside and out.
Havenât used headphones, earplugs. As mentioned it screams âignore the customerâ and safety is not a priority.
I just live in the âGarden of my mindââŚ
//youtu.be/OFzXaFbxDcM
Did you ever find a good bluetooth headset to listen to music and take calls?
I am on the hunt now for one.
