Behind the Scenes
An Old Discovery…
There is a time when a person needs to be assertive and a time when passiveness is needed. There are times when you want to shout and times when you want to find some duct tape to keep the words from coming out or getting out. The balance act between these two states I find myself in is the formula for a successful outcome – or disaster. The successful outcome always follows a period of struggle.
To sum up this dynamic struggle in a word is ‘faith’. But faith is hard when you have no control – everyone knows that. And everyone knows that is life.
Moving Problems…
In the last posting I referred to ‘moving problems’ with a moving company that we used to bring my mother’s things from Regina, Saskatchewan to Peterborough, Ontario. Here is the background…
We chose a company out of a group of about four different companies recommended by people that we knew well. I had personal contact with each company through live conversations with a representative with each place of business. From this we found one that seemed to be the right one – big name, good track record and a feeling of comfort were all parts of why I chose this particular company.
Next our air flights were booked around the dates that would allow us to get mom from her apartment lease and also allow the mover the time to get the household goods to Ontario without too long a wait. Our goal was to have as little upset for Mom as possible – and make it easier for Alida, my wife, and me as well.
The plans were perfect – at least it seemed that way. But perfect plans will have glitches as well… and ours did.
Prior to our departure a call from Regina from our moving agent was exciting. The moving date with the pick up of all Mom’s stuff was moved up 5 days earlier. This would mean an earlier drop off of the things in Peterborough in the following week – and more time to clean and close the apartment in Regina after Mom had moved. This was a good answer to the unseen problems that I would possibly face in the move.
Fast Forward…
Mom and our daughter landed in Ontario on the 20th of March… I landed on the 28th. I had lots of time to complete the tasks that needed to be done at Mom’s apartment. The mover’s plans were to unload on the 29th. This was SO good as it came together. The time was to be around 9:00 AM on that Thursday 29th AM that the truck would arrive.
Early Thursday AM we rushed around to prepare for the arrival of 3600 pounds of her earthly possessions. This meant taking her borrowed bed apart and everything out of her room. Mom positioned herself on a chair to wait for her things to get there. There was no place to lay down… so she waited. She was excited and as anxious as we were. 9:00 AM came and no truck… then 10, 11, 12… and eventually 4, then 5 and 6 PM. Our hopes were sinking into the sunset. Just before 4:00 PM I called the local company in Peterborough to find that the goods we were waiting for were in our good city…SINCE TUESDAY… but they wouldn’t be delivered for another five days or so. WHAT!? There was nothing written down on any paper about Thursday at 9:00 AM. It was not their problem! We will get back to you – sometime… when we have the manpower… WHAT!?!
I called the Regina movers to get some idea of what was taking place. Through three more phones calls we discovered that the two hour difference between Ontario and Saskatchewan makes a huge difference when the offices in Ontario close before or at 6:00 PM Ontario time.
Friday came and went… at 5:00 PM my time I called Regina’s office again. The poor man on the phone, who is now my friend after a million calls, tried to explain what was possibly going to happen and also what had happened.
It was near the end of the month – the busiest time for people to move. All local people are moving as well – which requires people to carry and move things. “Our truck” arrived early in Peterborough and couldn’t hang around until I got off the airplane. The driver had work to do… so he boxed what we had and was on his way down the road. The local moving company looked at these nice boxes and said to themselves – ‘This can wait until next week… it is just an old lady’s stuff … only 3600 pounds…” The conversation on the telephone with the local moving rep confirmed this. She emphasized that THEY DO NOT GUARANTEE AN ARRIVAL TIME OF A MOVE UNDER 5000 POUNDS. The lady agent’s name is Jackie – and she knows the fine print of her contracts…OKAY!?!?!?
On Friday I received a few calls from Regina and the last one was the most important – this came at about 7:00 PM Ontario time. Within minutes a local caller from the local company called. A moving crew would arrive on Saturday at 8 to 8:30 AM to unload.
Saturday came and they did arrive at 7:55 AM – bright eyed and bushy tailed. One fellow sang as he unloaded the stuff. He joked with the other two and they were all done in about on hour.
One thing everyone needs to know about a move… there is the local agent that will begin to the move… then there is the Truck and Crew that carry it… and finally there is the local company that will possibly get involved when the links fall apart… when someone screws up.
What Big Moving Companies need to know…
A way back in January and February 2007 when we were deciding on which moving company to use we were asking lots of questions. Personally I contacted a real-estate agent in Regina to get his opinion. He sees and hears of movers all the time. Another relative shared with us some of the names of reputable companies as well. In both cases the company we chose showed up in their lists.
There is an unseen list and advice that will really count down the road however. That list is kept by the local ladies in Mom’s coffee group that meet each morning during the week in her old apartment building. When these ladies found out Mom was going to move they immediately had suggestions and stories about movers. It seems that some movers lose your things and others actually steal your things. Some are highly UN-RECOMMENDED by her friends.
At the time Mom told me the stories on the phone – I thought it was kind of funny that these ladies would even know about this aspect of another person’s move.
There is a time when a person needs to be assertive and a time when passiveness is needed. There are times when you want to shout and times when you want to find some duct tape to keep the words from coming out or getting out. The balance act between these two states I find myself in is the formula for a successful outcome – or disaster. The successful outcome always follows a period of struggle.
To sum up this dynamic struggle in a word is ‘faith’. But faith is hard when you have no control – everyone knows that. And everyone knows that is life.
Moving Problems…In the last posting I referred to ‘moving problems’ with a moving company that we used to bring my mother’s things from Regina, Saskatchewan to Peterborough, Ontario. Here is the background…
We chose a company out of a group of about four different companies recommended by people that we knew well. I had personal contact with each company through live conversations with a representative with each place of business. From this we found one that seemed to be the right one – big name, good track record and a feeling of comfort were all parts of why I chose this particular company.
Next our air flights were booked around the dates that would allow us to get mom from her apartment lease and also allow the mover the time to get the household goods to Ontario without too long a wait. Our goal was to have as little upset for Mom as possible – and make it easier for Alida, my wife, and me as well.
The plans were perfect – at least it seemed that way. But perfect plans will have glitches as well… and ours did.
Prior to our departure a call from Regina from our moving agent was exciting. The moving date with the pick up of all Mom’s stuff was moved up 5 days earlier. This would mean an earlier drop off of the things in Peterborough in the following week – and more time to clean and close the apartment in Regina after Mom had moved. This was a good answer to the unseen problems that I would possibly face in the move.
Fast Forward…
Mom and our daughter landed in Ontario on the 20th of March… I landed on the 28th. I had lots of time to complete the tasks that needed to be done at Mom’s apartment. The mover’s plans were to unload on the 29th. This was SO good as it came together. The time was to be around 9:00 AM on that Thursday 29th AM that the truck would arrive.
Early Thursday AM we rushed around to prepare for the arrival of 3600 pounds of her earthly possessions. This meant taking her borrowed bed apart and everything out of her room. Mom positioned herself on a chair to wait for her things to get there. There was no place to lay down… so she waited. She was excited and as anxious as we were. 9:00 AM came and no truck… then 10, 11, 12… and eventually 4, then 5 and 6 PM. Our hopes were sinking into the sunset. Just before 4:00 PM I called the local company in Peterborough to find that the goods we were waiting for were in our good city…SINCE TUESDAY… but they wouldn’t be delivered for another five days or so. WHAT!? There was nothing written down on any paper about Thursday at 9:00 AM. It was not their problem! We will get back to you – sometime… when we have the manpower… WHAT!?!
I called the Regina movers to get some idea of what was taking place. Through three more phones calls we discovered that the two hour difference between Ontario and Saskatchewan makes a huge difference when the offices in Ontario close before or at 6:00 PM Ontario time.
Friday came and went… at 5:00 PM my time I called Regina’s office again. The poor man on the phone, who is now my friend after a million calls, tried to explain what was possibly going to happen and also what had happened.
It was near the end of the month – the busiest time for people to move. All local people are moving as well – which requires people to carry and move things. “Our truck” arrived early in Peterborough and couldn’t hang around until I got off the airplane. The driver had work to do… so he boxed what we had and was on his way down the road. The local moving company looked at these nice boxes and said to themselves – ‘This can wait until next week… it is just an old lady’s stuff … only 3600 pounds…” The conversation on the telephone with the local moving rep confirmed this. She emphasized that THEY DO NOT GUARANTEE AN ARRIVAL TIME OF A MOVE UNDER 5000 POUNDS. The lady agent’s name is Jackie – and she knows the fine print of her contracts…OKAY!?!?!?
On Friday I received a few calls from Regina and the last one was the most important – this came at about 7:00 PM Ontario time. Within minutes a local caller from the local company called. A moving crew would arrive on Saturday at 8 to 8:30 AM to unload.
Saturday came and they did arrive at 7:55 AM – bright eyed and bushy tailed. One fellow sang as he unloaded the stuff. He joked with the other two and they were all done in about on hour.
One thing everyone needs to know about a move… there is the local agent that will begin to the move… then there is the Truck and Crew that carry it… and finally there is the local company that will possibly get involved when the links fall apart… when someone screws up.
What Big Moving Companies need to know…
A way back in January and February 2007 when we were deciding on which moving company to use we were asking lots of questions. Personally I contacted a real-estate agent in Regina to get his opinion. He sees and hears of movers all the time. Another relative shared with us some of the names of reputable companies as well. In both cases the company we chose showed up in their lists.
There is an unseen list and advice that will really count down the road however. That list is kept by the local ladies in Mom’s coffee group that meet each morning during the week in her old apartment building. When these ladies found out Mom was going to move they immediately had suggestions and stories about movers. It seems that some movers lose your things and others actually steal your things. Some are highly UN-RECOMMENDED by her friends.At the time Mom told me the stories on the phone – I thought it was kind of funny that these ladies would even know about this aspect of another person’s move.
- BUT GUESS WHAT MR. MOVING COMPANY MAN… they, all these older ladies, write back to tell others what happened with their move – and in Mom’s little group there are about 45 ladies that meet each morning for coffee at the Canadiana Apartments, 2345 Broad Street, Regina, Saskatchewan…
- GUESS WHAT all these little old ladies with the 3600 pound loads have kids that move…
- GUESS WHAT MOVING COMPANY PEOPLE – some of their kid’s will BLOG you…
- GUESS WHAT… TADA – “Jackie” the moving lady – they will tell on you…
- GUESS WHAT MR. TRUCK DRIVER… you will get a flat tire some day on the next trip when you least want it….and it will likely come because one little old lady, at 86 years old, sat waiting for her things all that day on her stool…
- GUESS WHAT… her son is a minister that is connected to a moving group of people across Canada and the USA… you guessed that one right – he writes and blogs stuff too…
- GUESS WHAT… the funniest part… the BIG COMPANY sent a survey to me asking to complete a ‘Quality Measuring Survey’ that arrived two days before the stuff did
I began this posting with the statement… “There are times when you want to shout and times when you want to find some duct tape to keep the words from coming out or getting out.” Today – I ripped off the duct tape…!
Finally…
There is a moving man that I trust… his name is Murray August in Regina’s Milne Moving & Storage Company – he is my friend. Thanks Murray for all that you have done.
The McWilliams Moving Systems in Peterborough has a mixture of moving people… some need retraining and serious help…
There is a United - Mayflower Trucker somewhere today that needs a flat tire fixed – I think he is waiting for 12 hours or more for help as he sits on his stool…
The three movers that came in their unmarked moving van on Saturday AM were fun… even though their country western songs were sung off key… “I want to go to heaven… da da..da…”
The BIG COMPANY’s name is United and/or Mayflower…I think they are connected somehow… you decide what you will do on your next move… They are only as good as their local people.
Mom slept in her own bed last night. Her osteoporosis and the bone problem she has needs that bed… Thanks again Murray August…
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
The Unloading in Peterborough, Ontario
posted by Murray Lincoln at
Sunday, April 01, 2007
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