Just wondering how common it is for companies to issue a mobile phone, then restrict it. For example we can call office, workshop, other drivers etc but cannot ring customers. We get customer contact numbers occasionally but are expected to use our own phones for this. Answerphone is disabled too so if office wants us they will ring until we pick up. Is this also common?
Personally I think companies have a cheek expecting you to pay for their business calls (I have so many free minutes but why should I use them?)
Got a company blackberry and can call and text anybody. As long as i didn’t take the ■■■■ I could jack my personal phone in all together and just use the company one.
Ours are restricted to office only, redirected to security office after hours, you can’t even phone other drivers to let them know of any problems ahead, roads closed etc, unless you use your own.
Muckaway:
Just wondering how common it is for companies to issue a mobile phone, then restrict it. For example we can call office, workshop, other drivers etc but cannot ring customers. We get customer contact numbers occasionally but are expected to use our own phones for this. Answerphone is disabled too so if office wants us they will ring until we pick up. Is this also common?
Personally I think companies have a cheek expecting you to pay for their business calls (I have so many free minutes but why should I use them?)
answer the phone and tell your boss to ring the customer and ring you back,
Blimey, they stuck in the 90’s, we had this at first then the company realised we wouldn’t use our own phones to call customers prefering to use diesel driving round hunting them down or waste time ringing the office getting them to call the customer and ring us back (they hated this as it took extra effort).
They unlocked them in the end and just logged our personal calls (numbers on file) anything excessive we agreed to pay for but where rarely charged.
False economy and immature management style spring to mind.
maga:
Got a company blackberry and can call and text anybody. As long as i didn’t take the ■■■■ I could jack my personal phone in all together and just use the company one.
+1
…'cept mine ain’t a Blackberry, it’s a battered old Nokia.
We are expected to use our own. My business phone is PAYG so i will only phone when i need to, not when they want me to. They don’t get my private number (contract)
I’ve found most of the small firms I have worked at have had unlocked phones, but the bigger ones have them locked. On maritime we had to call mcvities 2 hours before loading. Easy money, park at tamworth, set alarm for 0245, insert card. After 15 min checks, call night man to ring customer then go back to bed with card on break. Up for half 4 and go 
Dipper_Dave:
Blimey, they stuck in the 90’s, we had this at first then the company realised we wouldn’t use our own phones to call customers prefering to use diesel driving round hunting them down or waste time ringing the office getting them to call the customer and ring us back (they hated this as it took extra effort).They unlocked them in the end and just logged our personal calls (numbers on file) anything excessive we agreed to pay for but where rarely charged.
False economy and immature management style spring to mind.
Good solution DD, this worked at a previous employer.
Firm i used to work for had mobiles calls to office and other company phones were free. We could ring customers and was alowed up to £30 a month on calls. Never went near it myself as i only used it in emergency for personal calls but a few did run bills up in the 100s
We have our own customer services so we phone them on the cab phone and then they can phone any of our delivery/collection locations.
Works phones are PDAs where all our jobs are given to us on, and get signatures for PODs. Can call anyone we like on them but I don’t fell the need to use the company phone for my own use when mine has plenty of free minutes and texts. Can use works phone if I needed to in an emergency without being questioned about it though.
Most of my drivers have given there company phones back… EE do an unlimited international roaming tariff for £41 per month including internet. They have all got these !!!
Unlocked here, don’t take the P so never a word said.
We ring each other now and again, some overdo it IMO but again nothing said.
Thankfully its a simple basic Nokia, don’t want a kids toy i want a phone that makes and receives calls reliably without needing an IT degree to work the bloody thing.
all unlocked unlimited calls, texts and internet but we all pay £5 a week for that, if a driver don’t want it then the phone would be a cheaper limited tariff, seems fair to us where can you get a totally unlimited call/internet package of a fiver a week
He pays my personal phone bill. It’s 20 a month unlimited everything and a iPhone 5s
The only reason companies impose restrictions is because drivers take the p*ss…
rambo19:
The only reason companies impose restrictions is because drivers take the p*ss…
Expecting me to pay to call customers is taking the ■■■■.
Our phones are free and open to anywhere.
Muckaway:
rambo19:
The only reason companies impose restrictions is because drivers take the p*ss…Expecting me to pay to call customers is taking the ■■■■.
Not so much now but got back a few years free minutes were unheard of
Or when they were def wasnt unlimited
Alot of drivers did take the p spoiling in for the majority
I know a few drivers who phone bills were bigger than wages
So companies locked them out
Esp european until recently calls were very exp
Mine are now on ee and unlocked and can use as much as they like
2 of them got rid of their personal phones
But they have to pAy the eu internet if they want to use it
I would £36 month for them on ee with euro free calls and. Basic phones with no internet use (dont need it for work) they had the option for i phones with 3mb ukinternet
At £51 a month they pay the difference and pay the £25 eu data bolt on
2 of themwent that option as cheaper than there personal phones on pay as go
A few companies i know that were locked out in pass are uo king now with unlimited mins etc - but some of the bigger companies arnt as tech there is tax liabilities
If a driver has a phone to use for personal use same as a company vehicle
So can see why some of the bigger companies are still locked out