# Calling off through mytime



## countingsheep

Saw this on reddit that they are dropping in the ability to call out in mytime. Is this store wide oe is it beinf tested in stores since DC has had it foe a while? 

This is the link to the post


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## Frontlanegirl

This is just wrong.  There is also no follow up to why they are calling out.


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## Ashfromoldsite

It shouldn’t matter why. It’s really none of their business.


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## countingsheep

You also dont get gaslit and abused when your already in an unstable mental space. If someone csnt come in thsts theit business not thr perdon tsking the csll.


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## Tacopie

Frontlanegirl said:


> This is just wrong.  There is also no follow up to why they are calling out.


It’s not their business why.


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## Frontlanegirl

Actually, it is. So, if you have Covid you agree it’s none of their business?  It’s perfectly legal for a business to ask why you are calling out, when you are planning on returning to work, if you have a doctors note so you are able to return to work, etc.


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## rd123

There is always option to call the store later and let them know the reason right ?  This feature is helpful for TMs on early shifts who sometimes cannot reach anyone by phone to call out .


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## Yetive

I feel like this will lead to some kind of point system.


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## dannyy315

Great. This would've come in handy when I had the flu a couple weeks ago. I eventually got connected to someone, but it was a hassle.


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## busyzoningtoys

Tacopie said:


> It’s not their business why.


I agree. It’s not my business why you’re calling off.

Unless you have a valid excuse (Covid, bereavement, medical restriction, FMLA, doctor’s note), if you’re demonstrating a pattern of poor attendance, I’m going to hold you just as accountable for the negative impact on the business your attendance causes regardless of the reason.


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## Frontlanegirl

busyzoningtoys said:


> I agree. It’s not my business why you’re calling off.
> 
> Unless you have a valid excuse (Covid, bereavement, medical restriction, FMLA, doctor’s note), if you’re demonstrating a pattern of poor attendance, I’m going to hold you just as accountable for the negative impact on the business your attendance causes regardless of the reason.


This!


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## Sisyphus

What I hope is the leaders will be able to actually see who called out instead of asking one another who called out. If the person you called out to has left and didn't tell anyone that you called out it becomes a big dust up at my store and they will shred and shame the person who called out for not calling out. So I hope it makes a record everyone can see and be on the same page. Its also would be nice when you have an emergency like your kid is in the ER and you call out only to hear a sarcastic "Whatever" then click or the old [Long Deep Sigh] insincere, trite "hope the kid gets better". Followed quickly by the snide "Are you going to be here for your next shift? (As if you wouldn't tell them if you needed more time than one day)

What does it matter the reason people call out? Its the amount of times they call out and how long they will be out that is important. If you call in because you have food poisoning or you call in and _say_ you have food poisoning and go to Disneyland you aren't there one way or another so the only thing that matters to the store is how many times you do that.
If the person has a habit of calling out only on holidays or Sundays, *and you have no other problems with* *them*, hello, don't schedule them on those days.


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## busyzoningtoys

Sisyphus said:


> If the person has a habit of calling out only on holidays or Sundays, *and you have no other problems with* *them*, hello, don't schedule them on those days. fire them.


I’d call that an pattern of poor attendance 🤔 calling off on shifts that have the biggest staffing needs


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## Dysprosed

busyzoningtoys said:


> I agree. It’s not my business why you’re calling off.
> 
> Unless you have a valid excuse (Covid, bereavement, medical restriction, FMLA, doctor’s note), if you’re demonstrating a pattern of poor attendance, I’m going to hold you just as accountable for the negative impact on the business your attendance causes regardless of the reason.



I would also like to point out that some leaders are genuinely concerned with matters affecting their team. We have given our team cards, done welfare checks, offered ways to lighten their burden, through schedule adjustments, and other forms of expressing solidarity and concern for them. Of course, we don't pry if the person isn't interested in sharing, but sometimes being there for them starts with reaching out and asking.


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## Zxy123456

Sisyphus said:


> What I hope is the leaders will be able to actually see who called out instead of asking one another who called out. If the person you called out to has left and didn't tell anyone that you called out it becomes a big dust up at my store and they will shred and shame the person who called out for not calling out. So I hope it makes a record everyone can see and be on the same page. Its also would be nice when you have an emergency like your kid is in the ER and you call out only to hear a sarcastic "Whatever" then click or the old [Long Deep Sigh] insincere, trite "hope the kid gets better". Followed quickly by the snide "Are you going to be here for your next shift? (As if you wouldn't tell them if you needed more time than one day)
> 
> What does it matter the reason people call out? Its the amount of times they call out and how long they will be out that is important. If you call in because you have food poisoning or you call in and _say_ you have food poisoning and go to Disneyland you aren't there one way or another so the only thing that matters to the store is how many times you do that.
> If the person has a habit of calling out only on holidays or Sundays, *and you have no other problems with* *them*, hello, don't schedule them on those days.


So if Bob calls out most Sunday’s he should be rewarded with all Sunday’s off. Someone like me who never calls out is punished with having to work every Sunday. How is that fair. If you say your available to work a certain day you should have to work it.


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## Dream Baby

Zxy123456 said:


> So if Bob calls out most Sunday’s he should be rewarded with all Sunday’s off. Someone like me who never calls out is punished with having to work every Sunday. How is that fair. If you say your available to work a certain day you should have to work it.


Great point.

A couple of months ago an excellent TM asked for a schedule change so he didn't have to work EVERY Sunday.

It was denied so he put his two weeks in.

In the meantime our store REHIRED an useless TM that quit that I told my TL that they should have fired.

His new schedule stated that he was unavailable on Saturdays and Sundays.

My fellow TM that was quitting saw this and immediately walked out the door.

Finally the idiot they hired back didn't even show up for his shifts.


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## qmosqueen

busyzoningtoys said:


> I’d call that an pattern of poor attendance 🤔 calling off on shifts that have the biggest staffing needs


And ETLs snd TLs are off 4 out of 8 weekend days ???


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## GoForMe




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## nevermind

Thanks GoForMe for posting actual facts.


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## Tacopie

busyzoningtoys said:


> I agree. It’s not my business why you’re calling off.
> 
> Unless you have a valid excuse (Covid, bereavement, medical restriction, FMLA, doctor’s note), if you’re demonstrating a pattern of poor attendance, I’m going to hold you just as accountable for the negative impact on the business your attendance causes regardless of the reason.


And? Who said anything about poor attedance, pattern or anything else? We can take a day off if we are stress And many more reasons. Maybe talk to HR or SD and learn a little about attendance. Still……You won’t get any reason why and you are NOT allowed to ask unless you are HR!


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## Xanatos

Tacopie said:


> And? Who said anything about poor attedance, pattern or anything else? We can take a day off if we are stress And many more reasons. Maybe talk to HR or SD and learn a little about attendance. Still……You won’t get any reason why and you are NOT allowed to ask unless you are HR!


You're right, a single call off is not a pattern of poor attendance. But a single call off every week is a pattern. If you call off weekly because you have homework, you need to reduce your desired hours or find a new job. Or get used to being pulled into the office a couple times per month until you eventually get fired.

Why wouldn't we be allowed to ask? The TM is allowed to decline an answer, especially if it is a medical issue, but the TL can definitely ask why.


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## NotCynicalYet

I get that people don't want to tell their boss the specific reason they aren't coming in, that it can feel intrusive in some limited circumstances. But the way bigger picture is that they will not feel accountable, won't have to face their decision directly, and on the back end, we'll have fewer options as leaders, and will have to apply numbers like our team are faceless units.

TMs who call off frequently should not like this, despite it being emotionally easier to perform the call-off, because this means we have to toughen up on attendance.


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## NotCynicalYet

Dysprosed said:


> I would also like to point out that some leaders are genuinely concerned with matters affecting their team. We have given our team cards, done welfare checks, offered ways to lighten their burden, through schedule adjustments, and other forms of expressing solidarity and concern for them. Of course, we don't pry if the person isn't interested in sharing, but sometimes being there for them starts with reaching out and asking.


Agreed yeah, and most of us root for our team to get their stuff figured out, to improve attendance/performance, work with them on the schedule (sometimes at great expense to the team and ourselves in terms of stress) and we hope they're happy like we would want a friend to be happy. I worry this system could work against that a little, but we'll have to wait and see.


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## busyzoningtoys

Attendance is such a culture problem at most stores, and overall culture, conduct, and performance is so bad in general that this update is definitely lowkey designed to help leaders get rid of people, as the guidance leans towards turning over anyone who doesn’t show up and fall in line and replace them with someone who doesn’t feel entitled to make more than the new hires, and doesn’t feel entitled to their limited old school no weekends availability… because they are a new hire. Instant paper trail for attendance. TMs think “nice, we don’t have to talk to them about it”, and leaders think “nice, we don’t have to talk to them about it”. The burden will be on the team member to speak up to have their absence excused; if I don’t like you, I won’t be asking why you called off. Better have your documentation on why it should be excused ready on the spot when you’re being put on a final or it’ll definitely look like a too little too late attempt to get out of trouble 🤷🏻‍♂️


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## qmosqueen




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## Greenandred

I’m assuming this feature is being tested as it does not give me the option to do it, not that I need or want to.


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## Tacopie

Xanatos said:


> You're right, a single call off is not a pattern of poor attendance. But a single call off every week is a pattern. If you call off weekly because you have homework, you need to reduce your desired hours or find a new job. Or get used to being pulled into the office a couple times per month until y


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## DC Diva

This is the preferred method at DC now. There is a place for comments to explain, and unlike a phone voicemail, proof of call in remains on the app.


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## Logo

If this "test" becomes a thing I hope it will show in myday under team view.  It  would be nice to be able remove TM from schedule when trying to see who is here and who has called out.


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## He77CAT

it's tough to get a hold of anyone at our store anyway, this might be a step up...LOL     to reach anyone in our store it's just the basic public phone number how is it at your store?


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## Hardlinesmaster

The upper mgt didn't tell anyone except my etl. They told us to tell everyone about it.


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## Dream Baby

He77CAT said:


> it's tough to get a hold of anyone at our store anyway, this might be a step up...LOL     to reach anyone in our store it's just the basic public phone number how is it at your store?


I was sick and had to call off last week.

I called the store numerous times then decided to just call Electronics and ask for a TL.

I worked at a call center over ten years ago that had a specific call off number that after you hung up left you with a verification code.


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## seasonaldude

Dream Baby said:


> I called the store numerous times then decided to just call Electronics and ask for a TL.



Grrrrrrrr......

Please just dial extension 9 for a TL.


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## Dream Baby

seasonaldude said:


> Grrrrrrrr......
> 
> Please just dial extension 9 for a TL.


I don't think our store has that option.


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## Ashfromoldsite

It does.


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## versionDefect

seasonaldude said:


> Please just dial extension 9 for a TL.


You think they pickup? My store doesn't. Its funny because I KNOW the closing TLs are signed into the phones because they always flex about it lol.


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## 60SecondsRemaining

Attendance is a problem easily resolved by just paying people more, and offering them actual sick time.  Pay people more money and they'll be less inclined to call off work.  Barring that, *it's completely pointless to ask why a person isn't coming to work.*

They will either be there, or they won't.  And the reason doesn't change that.  Prying a reason out of people just has them call out at the last possible minute.  It's far more effective to just say "Hey, hope everything is OK.  Do you think you'll be back for your next shift?"

If you build this culture - people will naturally tell you _the actual_ reason and will tend to call off earlier which leaves you as a leader in a better position to pivot plan.


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## Xanatos

60SecondsRemaining said:


> Attendance is a problem easily resolved by just paying people more, and offering them actual sick time.  Pay people more money and they'll be less inclined to call off work.  Barring that, *it's completely pointless to ask why a person isn't coming to work.*
> 
> They will either be there, or they won't.  And the reason doesn't change that.  Prying a reason out of people just has them call out at the last possible minute.  It's far more effective to just say "Hey, hope everything is OK.  Do you think you'll be back for your next shift?"
> 
> If you build this culture - people will naturally tell you _the actual_ reason and will tend to call off earlier which leaves you as a leader in a better position to pivot plan.


I agree with everything except one point: how does offering sick time help with attendance issues? Doesn't that incentivize people to call off?


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## DC Diva

60SecondsRemaining said:


> Attendance is a problem easily resolved by just paying people more, and offering them actual sick time.  Pay people more money and they'll be less inclined to call off work.  Barring that, *it's completely pointless to ask why a person isn't coming to work.*
> 
> .


Disagree.  Our DC has sick pay, people treat it like free vacation And a get out of jail free card.   Late for work?  Use sick pay to avoid getting a hit.  Want to go home early to see the game?  Sick pay.  get denied a vacation request because calendar is full?  Sick pay.  And those huge spikes over the past year in wages DID NOT impact call ins at all. When a company hires without screening or interviews, how could they not see these issues coming?


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## commiecorvus

Xanatos said:


> I agree with everything except one point: how does offering sick time help with attendance issues? Doesn't that incentivize people to call off?



It just means that you don't have to use your vaca time when you come down with the flu.
Everyone gets sick and coming into work when you can give it to everyone else is not how we should be handling life.
Providing people with the freedom to call out, to know they don't have to worry about paying their bills, is how things are supposed to work.
And if someone is mentally crashing, just can't face a day at work, letting them take a day isn't a bad thing either.
There is a reason this damned country has such a high rate of untreated mental ilness.


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## Zxy123456

60SecondsRemaining said:


> Attendance is a problem easily resolved by just paying people more, and offering them actual sick time.  Pay people more money and they'll be less inclined to call off work.  Barring that, *it's completely pointless to ask why a person isn't coming to work.*
> 
> They will either be there, or they won't.  And the reason doesn't change that.  Prying a reason out of people just has them call out at the last possible minute.  It's far more effective to just say "Hey, hope everything is OK.  Do you think you'll be back for your next shift?"
> 
> If you build this culture - people will naturally tell you _the actual_ reason and will tend to call off earlier which leaves you as a leader in a better position to pivot plan.


With some of the younger folks paying more isn’t going to help the call off situation. They have something better to do they will call off period.


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## Dream Baby

When I called in sick last week it was the day BEFORE my shift at 6:00 PM *on my day off.*

I was annoyed that my ETL asked whether I would be in for shift tomorrow.

Isn't that why I called?

I do find it odd that Target offers sick pay instead of additional PTO.

I believe it is because not every state let's worker get sick pay so therefore doesn't do it if they aren't required.


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## 60SecondsRemaining

Xanatos said:


> I agree with everything except one point: how does offering sick time help with attendance issues? Doesn't that incentivize people to call off?


Having sick time gives you a bucket in which you get paid for being sick - which generally means people will call off when they're sick or otherwise unable to work.  If they exhaust that sick time, now they're not getting paid at all, and they are less likely to call off.  If you have no sick time, all of your time is sick time - may as well call off for whatever, because there's no difference.  It's a perception/mindset moreso than something grounded in pure logic.


DC Diva said:


> Disagree.  Our DC has sick pay, people treat it like free vacation And a get out of jail free card.   Late for work?  Use sick pay to avoid getting a hit.  Want to go home early to see the game?  Sick pay.  get denied a vacation request because calendar is full?  Sick pay.  And those huge spikes over the past year in wages DID NOT impact call ins at all. When a company hires without screening or interviews, how could they not see these issues coming?


Can you elaborate on these huge spikes?
Working in a DC is miserable in general, I'd imagine folks to call off more often in general, just based on the number of employees in pool.  If those pay spikes were more than 25% increases I'd be willing to bet if you looked at call-offs for employees over 90 days year over year, the numbers are much lower.


Zxy123456 said:


> With some of the younger folks paying more isn’t going to help the call off situation. They have something better to do they will call off period.


This attitude is exactly why younger folks don't give a shit.  It's Target, age is irrelevant.  My third grader could do 80% of the jobs.

The inverse is also true.  Most "old" people, we'll say the 55+ range here, solve issues by just working more, or working harder.  I find younger folks are more receptive to root causing.  Work smarter not harder.  They have a lot of options, if you want them to stop calling off then hire less of them and pay the ones you do hire more.

*Target is not a career for most young people.  It is a job - no one wants to work in retail forever. *


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## Anelmi

Ha. Base pay at my store went up quite a bit plus we are getting the holiday weekend pay and we have sick pay. Did that matter at all yesterday or any other weekend for that matter? Nope.


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## SoftlinesSallie

I really hope we get this feature at our store soon. Contacting anyone at all there is a nightmare. I don't call out a lot, but I was sick as a dog a couple months back calling for literal hours trying to get anyone at all to pick up. Every department, anyone I could get that could transfer me to a leader. Even then, I had a few TMs answer and then hang up on me when trying to park me or transfer me. I kept calling, though, because I was *not* about to get a ncns on my record when I had been calling for several hours before my shift and it wasn't my fault. I'm not the only one who has said this has happened to them, either. I understand the fear that this will encourage more people to call out, but I also see the upside of leaders knowing in advance so they can plan better. People will call out regardless. This makes it easier on the team.

Also there is something to be said for those of us with phone anxiety who get not-so-subtly guilted by the leads answering the phone and have to feel like even more shit for the rest of the day because they were passive aggressive about it.


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## Greenandred

According to a post on the Confessions of a Target Team Member Facebook page, the feature is being suspended.


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## starmaster1000

Greenandred said:


> According to a post on the Confessions of a Target Team Member Facebook page, the feature is being suspended.


I saw that too. Gotta say I agree with Corporate.
The Call In/Late feature was likely being (ab)used too much, including by:

Making it convenient – TMs should have a miserable time trying to get a hold of a Leader, or just someone to answer the phone in general
Making the callout experience guilt-free — TMs should feel harassed by, and pressured to question, their decision to call off for a shift, especially due to personal or unfortunate circumstances. Company first!
Easy on the Leaders, too — the call off or late event would be registered in myTime and a notification sent out, making their job easier not needing to wonder if TM Abcde is coming in today or running late, nor worry about registering the event later manually. We can't have none of that.
Just being used, period — we don't want you using features we release.


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## Hardlinesmaster

We are enforcing 3 call offs & gone to certain folks.


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## rd123

I finally had a chance to call in sick and this thing didn’t send a notification to anyone . Thankfully one of my co TM messaged me why I didn’t show up and then I called my TL and said I called off through myTime . They said it’s not working properly and now we have a notice saying about it and call the store if we have to report absence/late.


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## starmaster1000

Hardlinesmaster said:


> We are enforcing 3 call offs & gone to certain folks.


This thing would've made this easier. They use it three times and boom: gone!


rd123 said:


> I finally had a chance to call in sick and this thing didn’t send a notification to anyone . Thankfully one of my co TM messaged me why I didn’t show up and then I called my TL and said I called off through myTime . They said it’s not working properly and now we have a notice saying about it and call the store if we have to report absence/late.


So maybe it's being rolled back due to issues? Like not working properly? But the DCs have been using it for months so I'm thinking the beta testing and all is over and all bugs revealed by now?


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## Anelmi

Yeah my store is really cracking down on attendance too. We have some TMs who call off more than they work so this is good.


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## Dream Baby

versionDefect said:


> You think they pickup? My store doesn't. Its funny because I KNOW the closing TLs are signed into the phones because they always flex about it lol.


My store just recently put up signs about dialing 9 to get a TL.

Knowing my store it probably has been possible to do that for months but they didn't bother to tell anyone.


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## Amanda Cantwell

Dream Baby said:


> My store just recently put up signs about dialing 9 to get a TL.
> 
> Knowing my store it probably has been possible to do that for months but they didn't bother to tell anyone.


Yes it's been possible for years since they switched us all to the new phone system.


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## starmaster1000

Dream Baby said:


> dialing 9 to get a TL.





Amanda Cantwell said:


> possible for years


Still requires Leaders to be signed into the phones under the Leader line. Rarely do they ever at my store.

I used to sign in under it because no one would answer it and then just put the calls on 80 or 81 and walkie them (basically playing operator). Now that non-Leaders can't do that, no one answers that line either lol.

The phone system hangs up on you after 3 minutes of ringing with no answer.


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## DBZ

They end up getting put through to guest service.


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