German Efficiency?

[lady_karelia]

There was a time when Germans were known for their efficiency. Even I remember those days, and I'm not quite ancient yet. But wtf happened, I wonder.

I spent about, oh, a good five weeks trying to find some moving company to ship our belongings (admittedly a "small" lot since we didn't include any electric stuff) from here to the US. No luck at all. Dorkboy started looking for a company last week Thursday, and by Thursday evening, I had paid the deposit and had a date of the pick-up, today. So, today, I woke up early because the time-span was between 8am and 5pm that the German company, a partner of the English one, would come to pick up our belongings. I didn't exactly expect anyone to turn up at 8am, but with Germans, you never know, so I was ready by 7.55 just in case. We waited. And waited. And waited. Come 3pm, I phoned the English shipping company asking them to confirm that someone would turn up today to pick up our belongings. Yes, I was told, definitely today, by 5pm. 5pm arrived and went. At 5.15pm I phoned them again, and they gave me the reference and tel. no. for their Germish partners. So I phoned them. First of all, I was told not 8-5, but 8-20:00 hours. Okay, I could live with that, but I was a tad edgy by then, ya know? So, the nice lady on the phone agreed that she'd check with their local agent and have them phone me back. At 6pm I got a phone call, telling me they didn't know anything about it and what the fuck was I talking about. I thought WTF??? I told them, gave them the reference numbers etc. They finallly woke up, telling me someone came around early afternoon but couldn't find my name on the bell. So I asked why they didn't phone me. Oh, they didn't have a phone number. So, how did they have my phone number now? Uh. Um. Erm. Yeah. Okay. Can they pick it up today, pretty please? Because if I don't get to England tomorrow, I'll die. Oh, no, we can't do that. Working hours are over.
In the end, I offered a bribe of €30 if they could pick it up today, I'd wait up no matter what time. Half an hour, they arrived.

I'm not impressed, but at least our belongings are on their way, and we're now free to return to the UK. *sigh*

Comments

[atlantel.livejournal.com]

At least, everything is ok now! Travel safely. When will you be leaving for the US?

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm so so so relieved. I'm getting too old for all this moving across continents, for sure!

Thank you! I don't know the date yet as we have to wait for the actual visa to be issued, but I reckon another 2-3 weeks. :-)

[atlantel.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's not going to be easy then if you have not your belongigs anymore.
But is it a permanent move? And stupid question, but why do you have to go to London? the US Embassy in Berlin couldn't do what you have to do there?

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Well, most of our belongings have been packed for about six weeks already. So it isn't too bad, especially as we've done quite a bit of travelling since then.

It's a long-term move. Maybe not permanent, but surely long-term. London because we're residents of the UK and when Dorkboy's company applied for the visa, our place of residence was London. We *could* have changed the embassy of our choice to Berlin or Frankfurt, but that would've taken another three months. And somehow, I don't think the sponsoring company would have taken kindly to that wait.

Aside of all that, I'm actually looking forward to saying good-bye to England. I have both wonderful and awful memories of England, but I'll always be fond of London. So, spending our last few weeks of Europe in London suits me just fine. I might even get to see Phantom again in the West End. :-)

[ellaselenelupin.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. German efficiency went over board a long time ago.
I remember when I still went to school the post was in our letterbox at 8am, today you can call yourself lucky if it's in the letterbox at 10am; usually it's around 11.30am.
And the last time the guys from the waterworks came to read the meter, they came at 5pm(!); their letter said between 11am and 1pm.
A lot of things really go downwards here. You just have to watch TV and see how many TV shows deal with Germans who emigrate to Spain, South Africa, Sweden, the UU, and even Paraguay(!).
I'm thinking of emigrating to Canada some day, maybe, if I'll ever finish university. LOL! I'm sure I won't get a job in Berlin, it would be great to find a job in Germany, but I know I have to look for a job all around the world.
I hope the rest of your move will go smoothly and without German "efficiency". Btw, German bureaucracy is even more insane. LOL!

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Letters? You actually receive letters to your address? Gosh, you're lucky! LOL.

You will finish uni, and then you'll find a job you really like worry not. :-)

[gypsy-morph.livejournal.com]

Oh, you poor dear. I feel for you. You've had a rough time of it. I would have been so super pissed. You have a much better temper than I do. I would have pitched a fit long before you did. There are some good things to be said for America. If companies try to screw you, all you have to do is call customer service, lodge a complaint with the supervisor, and you'll be taken care of. :) I'm glad everything finally got finished. Have a wonderful trip! *hugs*

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Thanks, my sweet. I'm unwinding now, finally. Those last few weeks were indeed a wee bit trying *snerk*. I am so looking forward to leave here... Never thought I would, but yeah...

[apisa-b.livejournal.com]

I wish you all the best. Travel savely!

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Part of the journey is now complete that we've reached London, and I've had a couple of hours to myself. I think that was the hardest part - having Little Man 24/7, without the chance to unwind because he took his dad's request to look after his mom very seriously - wouldn't go to sleep until I was ready *sigh*. Things are positively improving now. :-)