Management chat #1: "Put a call in to"

There are often subtle differences in the way we use language at work compared to at home. Almost imperceptible, the nuances are often fascinating. For me, anyway.

Here's one:

ENGLISH: "Call"
MANAGEMENT CHAT: "Put a call in to"

At home, you'd say "I'm going to call Mum", or "Did you call your sister?" At work, it's often more like "I put a call in to the agency" or "I need to put a call in to marketing".

The first is simple - just a verb to describe using the phone. But the second contains an additional layer of meaning to suggest you're unlikely to get an immediate response to your call, but it will at least strike the fact that you've got to call someone off your to-do list.

When you 'put a call in to' someone you're almost always wishing for a voicemail as you know the alternative will almost always mean you're going to be asked to do something else, or hear something you don't want to.

(Then you start thinking: "Hmm. Probably best to send an email, anyway...")

Am I wrong?