Employee phone numbers are not public information

[aurelemsrealm]

This is a story from last week. It is one of several issues going on at the store, which makes me kind of glad that I'm only at the store two days a week now that school has started for the spring semester. Mid week last week, manager sent out a very angry text message about company policy regarding not giving out employees' personal phone numbers, especially hers. I knew there had to be a story behind it, but figured I'd find out next time I reported for work over the weekend. Sure enough.....

I don't know the specific details of the situation, but it involved a disgruntled lottery customer that my coworkers and I all find annoying. Apparently he had a couple of big winners last week within the hundred dollar range. However, due to company's cash policies and procedures, coworkers on duty at the time were not able to pay out the winnings in cash. We have a sign clearly posted that we reserve the option of paying out lottery winnings by money order for larger amounts. This is not the first time cashing lottery tickets has been an issue with this particular lottery customer. So, he had a couple of big winners last week, and insisted he wanted cash rather than money order for payout. He was informed he'd have to wait for the clerks to build up sufficient cash. So, he demanded the manager's home phone number. Policy, as I mentioned, is very clear that employee phone numbers are NEVER given out under any circumstances. So, guess what happened, yes, a coworker gave the customer our manager's phone number. He called her at home to complain about not being able to receive his lottery winnings in cash rather than by money order, and how it was ridiculous that this becomes an issue every time he wins big. In turn, she informed him of how unacceptable it was that he was calling her at home on her personal phone number on her personal time, and that she will not be dealing with the issue until she gets to the store tomorrow. As it turns out, he continued playing his precious lottery tickets, and won $14,000, which cannot be paid out at store level per lottery regulations. Luckily, that wasn't an issue to him because he has won big enough before to already know how it works.

[bacchinalus]

i would hope that the employee who gave out the boss' phone # is no longer employed with the store

we had something sorta similar at my old store, where the employee contact list was push-pinned to a pillar next to the registers- right next to where a customer can stand and pull it down to take. THAT didn't go over too well when i saw my info up there, as well as the #s of all the 17yr olds that worked with us (and we'd already had issues with customers propositioning them)

[Millahtyme1983]

One time when I was still working at the supermarket my department got a call, being the only one available I picked up the phone. It was some guy looking for one of our other employees who was not working at the time. I informed him of this and he asked for her phone number, when I told him I could not give her number out he started to get angry and insisted that I do it, he even went so far as to say "I used to be a manager there" wasn't too happy when I said "well then you should know that I can't give out that information and why" He asked for the store manager who pretty much said the same thing.

The kicker, when I asked the woman the next time I seen her, she told me that he really did used to be a manager there (he gave me his name at one point). She said he was a jerk and wasn't there that long, which wasn't surprising. She was glad we didn't give her information out, she doesn't know why he wanted to call him, but she sure as hell didn't want to talk to him.

[MadMike]

She was glad we didn't give her information out, she doesn't know why he wanted to call him, but she sure as hell didn't want to talk to him.

Situations like this are the reason I never, ever give out anyone's phone number unless I know it's OK with them. If someone asks me, I'll check with the other person and ask, "So-and-so asked me for your number, should I give it to them?"

In this situation, I probably would have told him, "If she wanted you to have her number, she would have already given it to you."

[LillFilly]

One of my coworkers did that with my number when someone called saying he was the police. It actually was the police needing to talk to me about an incident I'd done a report on, but I told my coworker he should have told them I would call them next time I was on-duty, because how did he know they were actually a police officer. That made him think at least. Some of my other coworkers, though wouldn't think twice about giving out numbers.

[customersruinmylife]

At my old bar I once caught a co-worker about to give the managers number to an SC. He had it written down on a piece of paper, turned to me and said "I am just giving manager's number to this customer, is that OK?"

I believe my response was "Dear God, NO!" and snatched the piece of paper out of his hand. The customer went nuts and screamed at me for not allowing them to have the number, and then demanded my number for some reason.

[IvorTangrean]

What I do in situations like this is say:

"I cannot give you their number but if you give me yours I can pass the message on to them."

[Lace Neil Singer]

Had that happen a lot; SC gets bitchy about the fact that the manager is daring to have a day off, and demands her phone number. Sorry buddy, not going to happen.

[Android Kaeli]

I've had that happen to me several times, I don't give out numbers or other personal information on current and past co-workers. If these people really wanted to get in touch with someone, their place of work isn't the most ideal place to get that information as it's impossible if not illegal for current employees to be handing out the information of someone else without permission.

[MaseMan]

I used to have a manager who worked for us who gave out my number a couple times. The worst part of this is people would call at the worst times. This one woman called me at 7:30 in the morning...we don't even open the store until 10 AM at the earliest. I told her, "You're calling me at 7:30 in the morning and I'm at home. There's nothing I can do for you. Call the store later."

You have to set work/home boundaries or people will walk all over you.

[aurelemsrealm]

If someone is real insistent about reaching a coworker, I tell them I can take a message and pass it along. There was one instance in which a coworker had a death in the family, and a friend of the family was calling to notify her. I still didn't give out said coworker's number, but did take down caller's information to relay when I had a chance between customers. I didn't go into specifics because it just seemed awkward to relay such personal information, but did tell her caller had some urgent information she might want to know. Turns out, she already knew because she'd told me shortly after answering.

The part I don't understand is why some of these family and friends of coworkers who call the workplace don't already have personal phone numbers for the people they are trying to reach. I mean, I make sure that anyone who needs to contact me has my information so they can contact me directly. I can understand them thinking that the people they're trying to reach might be at work, but not having their personal contact information always makes me wonder why they don't have it (as in the caller doesn't want them to have it). Anyway, I figure that it's really not my concern, and therefore would prefer that they try to find some other way than bothering me at work with something that doesn't really concern me.

[Sunsetsky]

My boss told me that once a client called and demanded to speak with one of our vets. Well the vet was actually at the hospital with her young daughter at the time. My boss explained to the client that she was at the hospital with her CHILD. The client continued to demand that my boss call the vet and when my boss refused the client demanded her phone number so that he could call. He didn't get the number.

I'd be pissed if someone at my work gave out my phone number to a client. If they want to speak with me then they can wait until I come into work to do so. Otherwise they can deal with my coworkers who are there and on the clock.

[HYHYBT]

The part I don't understand is why some of these family and friends of coworkers who call the workplace don't already have personal phone numbers for the people they are trying to reach. I mean, I make sure that anyone who needs to contact me has my information so they can contact me directly.

Oh, but there are any number of reasons that could happen. For example, my mom and my brothers have had the same phone numbers for several years, but because they got them during the cell phone age, I can never remember what they are. (Mom's I know the last four digits, but not the middle three; not very useful). I have them in my phone, and I have them in my computer someplace, but should I ever be without those and have to call any of them I'd be in trouble. Or someone might keep everyone's contact information written down at home, but unexpectedly have to call them from work. Or perhaps, when they were told the new number, they didn't have the "right" place handy and wrote it on whatever was available, then lost it... or they wrote down the wrong number and didn't realize it until they tried to use it, etc. But certainly "I'll call her and have her call you back" is the safer way to handle it.

[draftermatt]

Unless it's a business provided cell phone no one should get your number aside of your extension or direct line at work.

My boss will get bid invites and he puts my name down as the contact. Which is fine, problem is when it asks for a cell # he puts mine down. Problem in my number is paid by me.

Now I've only gotten calls from that a few times but it really ticks me off.

At an old job they had a 24 hour emergency line.

The guy who manned it once got a call at 2 AM from someone needing something. That person then asked "how much does it cost?"

Co-worker replied "if you need to know what the cost is then you don't need to be calling me at 2 AM, you could have waited for when I got to work at 6 AM"

Same co-worker was later fired because of that phone. He was in Wal-Mart and had no service. So customer called the owner of the company at home, who called co-worker at home, then berated co-worker's kids into giving them co-worker's wife's cell #. Co-worker gave the phone back and said he didn't want it if it was going to be like that, so he was fired.

[Dasota]

One of my supervisors was updating the phone list at work. Cutting out old employees, changing numbers for those who do often and at random it seems (Top Manager), and fixing wrong numbers (Awesome Coworker). He then calls me 20 minutes before I have to be into work to ask me if I had AC's number. I did, but I wasn't giving it to him. AC is VERY particular about who gets his number, and if they wanted it, they can ask him, which is what I told my supervisor.

AC was very grateful for me not giving it to the supervisor since he can only work very specific hours and that ONLY the managers are to have the number and call him as an absolute last resort if there's shifts needing to be covered.