The different perspectives of Ghost Calling

Ghost calling happens and it is a dismissible offence.

 What is Ghost Calling?

Ghost calling is when a salesperson submits a report or some kind of data showing them to have visited specific customer(s) when they haven’t seen the customer(s). It is falsification of all or part of a report to cover up for the lack of visiting.

Is it really dismissible?

According to Théa McClure of McClure HR Services it is indeed true and it is not urban legend. She says, “Depending on how many times this has happened (severity of the matter), the company will probably charge the individual with either Dishonesty or Gross Dishonesty. Should the charge be Gross Dishonesty, it is highly unlikely that the accused will retain their job after the hearing.”

McClure added

“Depending on the circumstances (and being careful not to stack charges), the company could look at additional complimentary charges such as:

1.      Failing to perform your legal, lawful duties as assigned to you

2.      Dereliction of duty

3.      Bringing the company name into disrepute

4.      Non-compliance with prescribed procedures, rules, regulations and / or instructions

5.      Breach of Company policy and procedure

6.      Giving false evidence, making a false statement / declaration, supplying false documentation

7.      Prejudicial conduct

8.      Breach of Employment Contract

The company needs to consider the burden of proof on each of these charges before formulating the charge sheet. For this purpose it is important that the company ensure they fully know / understand what transpired, why it happened and the effect on the business to ensure that they utilise the right charges. It is always recommended that the company make use of an external, unbiased chairperson in hearings.“

Given the severity of the consequences of ghost calling, why does it still happen?

Ghost calling in all probability starts with one appointment and maybe one day and it then escalates. When the person gets away with it once, it is tempting to try it again and before we know we have a pattern. Of course, patterns may seem invisible, but they are very visible, especially when a manager is looking for evidence or things do not feel right. It takes an inordinate amount of energy to falsify records and it is not only a planner, call report and conversation, but also mileage, petrol, parking, toll roads and other expenses. Our world is exceedingly more automated and trackable than it ever was which means that the chances of being found out are very high. Ghost calling is more provable now with cell phone tracking and car trackers and only one per chance conversation between a customer and the person’s manager can blow it all into the open.

The Ghost caller space

Let’s look at the space that the ghost caller may be in. Anyone in sales will know that there are some days where it is just not possible to face the customer. There are some companies and managers who have coffee shop days or jarmie or PJ days. I was one of those managers who allowed coffee shop days, but the rule was that the salesperson had to tell me. It is possible to track the frequency then of “once every so often” becoming too regular. It is possible to intervene before it is too late.

Ghost calling may in a rare situations start with the sales person who is just being lazy and skiving off work. They may not feel like daily calls or may even not be cut out to be a salesperson. Things may also be at the next level where the salesperson is behind in sales and making targets and delivering on deadlines and they disappear into the feeling of overwhelm.

The salesperson may also be confronted with situations like a sick or dying parent, financial worries, abuse, retrenchment, grief, fear, change and a host of other situations where they can very quickly slide into the freeze part of fight or flight together with depression.

We need to ask what impact months of lockdown is having on salespeople? It is well documented that more people now have depression.

At some point, the salesperson knows with every fibre of their being that ghost calling is wrong. It starts with that the very first call that they do not go to because they did not get out of bed, or they went somewhere else and that then that has to be covered up.

It is also very easy for the situation to overwhelm that “knowing”. It is quick to reach the space where one call becomes one day becomes a week of staying in bed. That feeling of the walls moving in and not being able to breathe may even become a numb deadness of feeling nothing.

What can the employee do?

Seek help for the situation that you are in. Options are your company wellness programme, your HR, your manager, an external person like a Coach (www.comensa.org.za), Lifeline (www.lifeline.co.za) SADAG (www.sadag.org)

There are most certainly options for you. Reach out today. Waiting can only make things worse.

You may think that your call for help is really loud, but so often it is silent or others do not understand the message. Make sure you are heard.

Please know that it is not only salespeople who ghost call. Managers do too.

What can the employer do?

Have a Wellness programme – it is easier to prevent ghost calling from happening.

Have in depth conversations with your employees so that you see the change in pattern.

Make a life coach available to your employees for whomever would like to go and see one.

As managers – be willing to go deeper than surface in your relationship with your team.

Would your employee be comfortable coming to you with the situation they are in?

Do not be tempted to ask, “What were they thinking?” The truth is that they were not thinking. The thinking part of the brain switches off.

If you do discover ghost calling, can the person be rehabilitated? Yes it sets a precedent, but if the underlying cause is addressed can we have a different outcome?

For those employees telling me right now as you are reading this that you are not a charity - Absolutely, employees do not need to operate in a space of “Oh shame” sympathy, but operate from a position of empowering empathy.

Colleen Qvist is a Life Coach, Business Coach, Facilitator and Speaker and available as a Coach for your employees.

If you are in a situation – whatever that may be and need someone to speak to, you are welcome to contact me.

Colleen Qvist is a Life Coach, Business Coach, Facilitator and Speaker. She is a COMENSA Master Credentialed Coach. Her company CQ Associates (Pty) Ltd where she is co-director includes the brands CQ Consulting, The Pink Diamond Club, Discussing Parenting and 44.

Colleen can be reached on +27825503568 and [email protected]

Théa McClure of McClure HR Services can be contacted on [email protected] and website www.mcclurehrservices.co.za

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