Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Now it's just comical...

The move process, that is. Last night around 9:00 p.m. GMT, I received an email from our shipment agent in the USA. She told me that Allied Pickfords, the UK company they use once the container has reached British shores, had contacted her to let her know that our shipment would arrive this morning! You can imagine our delight, excitement and relief.

HOWEVER, we had heard nothing from Allied Pickfords since the letter to say that our stuff had cleared customs, and they'd contact us within 48 hours of the delivery time. So, I called AP this morning. After several phonecalls which initially led me to voicemails, I finally got through to our UK agent. Turns out - get this - there are two Baker families with shipments in this area, and she got us mixed up!!!! You'd think, wouldn't you, that a company that deals with international shipments, would be able to deal with high volumes of deliveries and details such as this!!

Part of our conversation went like so:

Agent: I am terribly sorry, there are two Baker families and I mixed you up with them. All I can say is that I am sorry.

Fi: Ok... well where is our shipment?

Agent: It is in Glasgow

Fi: GLASGOW? That's one hour away from here, and we won't get our stuff until MONDAY???

Agent: (Slight laugh) Yes, I am really sorry. I have had like, ten shipments this week and it's like, oh my gosh... really busy. yeah, lots of people must be moving to your area at the same time (said with another little giggle).

I kid you not. I couldn't be bothered to get annoyed, to be honest. I am trying to have grace and understanding. After all, we're all human...

1 comment:

Captainwow said...

Some days it feels like there's always something slowing things down! gar! We do enough getting in our own way with our own ineptness, so when someone else's ineptnes gets in the way it's crazy!
haha. Well, I hope that you get that container on Monday!