1-800-I'm-calling-off-sick

[Bright_Star]

One of the things that was discussed at our "Grass Roots' meeting today was that Sam's Club will soon be implementing that call off number that Wally World uses whenever somebody calls off for whatever reason. It's a 1-800 number that you call to get a confirmation number that you write down & then you call your store & give them the confirmation number.
That be like calling directory assistance to have them dial a number when you can just dial direct. Eliminate the middle man.
Why does stuff like this gotta be so complicated? It's far easier to call the store directly & tell whoever that you're calling off rather than jumping through hoops to acheive the same goal.
Wal-Mart corporate is so messed up.

[Misanthropical]

What a huge waste of time. Was the person that came up with such an idea on drugs or just stupid?

If I'm sick or going to be late, I call BossMan directly, it's much easier that way and he isn't looking around wondering where the hell I wandered off to this time.

[Aethian]

We have a 877 number to call in for "Unscheduled Absence of Leave" the computer can't understand you have the time and even when you say no to something you still have to listen to WHY it's a no...even when you know it's a no. Also for me the witch likes to hear my 'no' as 863...always 863...

We get a confirmation number and your post office gets a e-mail saying that you called in.

[Bandit]

Actually, that makes a lot of sense to me - there's a 3rd party (the corporate number) that can prove you called in.
And since it's a toll-free number, they will know the number you called from.

While it would make more sense for the system to generate an e-mail automagically, having the confirmation number to call into the store eliminates the chance that a cow-orker might <ahem> forget to tell the boss that you called in.

B

[nomorecarts]

it's a great idea on paper, if your manager forgets to write it down(and you all know how many times managers get stopped) you have the number. in practice people call the 1 800 number and never talk to a store level manager but have the code so nothing can be done. they were probably sued over it because of a couple dumbass assistant managers treating call outs like NCNSs

[JLRodgers]

I can kind of see it as being a good thing -- like if managers mess up or co-workers do or something. But it sure seems to be drastic overkill in other ways.....

Why don't they just have the system contact your store and tell them you won't be in? But they they'd probably say it's not as reliable or something (which I could see)....

I wonder just how much money the company has to spend for people calling off will cost them vs a simpler system of "call number x at your workplace, and a computer at your store will log your sickness and transfer you" -- in the long run anyway.

[Shangri-laschild]

I've heard plenty of stories on here about people who called in, but got in trouble because the message was never passed on and it was their word against the other person's. Maybe it's not the best method, but the theory of it isn't completely bad.

[friendofjimmyk]

We have that here at work. I think its easier because its all automated and I don't actually have to talk to a supervisor which always makes me cringe...sometimes the sup will ask for more details than I feel is necessary. With our 800 number, I leave a message stating my reason for calling off and I can be as vague as I like.

The only issue with our call off line is that certain people in my department depend on those coming on shift to relieve them to go home. Most of the time, they are not notified that the person coming on is not coming in. I always try to call that desk if I am the relief, but it hasn't always worked that way. One day, dispatch called me at home and woke my sickly butt up and wondered where I was ....told him I had been at the hospital and I had called in the night before. He felt bad, but I felt bad about not calling him.

Oh well.

[Slytovhand]

We've got that now. We ring when we're sick (and thus, it's only for absences).

The theory is, once you've rung them, no-one at work rings you and hassles you to come in. doesn't always work that way - especially since an email is sent to all the management team... presuming there is someone from management there to get the email! (and, presuming the head manager doesn't send a 34Mb file, to chock up everyone's email account...)

I think it's better - no more nasty questions. My only problem is that they can't usually find me on the system