Execu Move disappoints

Hi Anne

I must say your response has left us all somewhat gob smacked given, as you say, the good initial impression from not only your side, but mine as as well, as I personally did your on-site survey. I also recall you had grown up right next door to our MD in Cape Town - you remembered him fondly and you asked me to please pass on you kind greeting to him - which I duly did - both he and his wife remembered you well.

The reason I mention this, is that given the good relationship, surely, if you were unhappy about something, you would at least contact me, the GM, allowing me to fully investigate the matter before blasting forth with a negative Hellopeter report?? Contrary to what you may believe Anne, Hellopeter cannot help you - only we can - so let’s try and do that.

I have now had a few moments to investigate your shipment and the various correspondences between yourself and Nadine and have taken that information in context with the vagaries of groupage (shared) type shipments.

In your defence I can only imagine how disappointing it must have been, having been told only a few days after packing your effects at the end of May - that our linked groupage network had indicated to our Jhb Office, that together with your shipment, the container would be 90% full.

Unfortunately, unlike exclusive containers shipments, groupage (shared) shipments are subject to many "unknowns" and we clearly spell that out in the "Groupage Declaration" that you agreed to and signed. One of the industry's greatest challenges (globally) is that of groupage departure dates which remains an unknown as the container has to be full “on paper” before we can load and ship. This is to give you the customer the benefit of a "pro-rata" pricing advantage.

Simple enough and in a perfect world 90% would indeed indicate to anyone that it only has 10% to go. But the reality is that all manner of curved ***** are thrown at us the shippers and we are all only really sure when the container doors are eventually closed and the shipment is heading for port.

Groupage shipments work on a first come first serve basis and we strictly adhere to this but we are also dealing with people in flux who are facing all sorts of new emigration challenges and plans can and do change. As frustrating as it is for both parties when this happens, we simply have to roll with the punches. We may have a full container "on paper" ready to ship when, with little notice, a customer has a visa problem or a house sale falls through or they wish to add more things - and as you can imagine this throws the planning.

In your case a customer who was packed earlier decided to add a lot more things which automatically changed the load schedule programme, moving your effects to the next shipment.

I will agree however Anne that we could have given you a better, more caring explanation and I have addressed this directly with Nadine - who in fairness is fairly new in that position. She acknowledges it and will personally apologise to you.

Please trust that we have nothing to gain by any untoward delay in a groupage shipment as we hold your effects in our modern and secure warehouse, entirely at our expense - and we work hard and constantly to fill containers and ship as expeditiously as we possibly can.

I am sorry that you felt it necessary to vent on Hellopeter - but I do understand your frustration. We will keep you in the loop and will ship the moment we have sufficient volume. Overseas removals are particularly active at the moment.

Kind regards

Peter Theron (GM Execu-move)