Moving Words – Expedient
Written by Timothy Brady.
“A good and faithful judge ever prefers the honorable to the expedient.” Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus; the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.)
In the moving and storage game, ‘expediency’ is the enemy, not our friend. The definition of expedient, according to Merriam-Webster: characterized by concern with what is opportune; especially: governed by self-interest. The operative word here is self-interest. In the HHG industry, looking out for only your self-interest creates difficultly with your shippers, as it is their prized possessions you’re handling, not your own. So the expedient way is not the best way. It is far more important to look for the ‘honorable’ means by which to accomplish a task.
While it may be expedient to pack multiple room items into a single carton, or place glassware and pots and pans into the same dish pack, is it honorable?
Our job as movers is to make every move uneventful for the shipper, so we must, throughout the process of the move, consider what’s in the best interest of the shipper; not necessarily what is most expedient for ourselves.
The vast majority of us in this industry understand this concept of doing our jobs with the best interest of the shipper always in mind. We do our utmost to fulfill it every day on every move. However, we must be careful not to become complacent in our efforts, so that when things get difficult, we start looking for the most self-serving/expedient means by which to complete the job. When we do, this is when the move tends to head south and into trouble.
An example of this:
Packers were in a storage shed packing garden tools and outdoor items when they found a medium moving box of crystal plates and bowls from a previous move. The carton was water-damaged but dry; the items lightly wrapped in newspapers that mice had shredded to make a nest. The items looked to be securely packed. The expedient way would have been to mark the carton CP (carrier packed), re-tape it, and start packing the next box. But was this in the best interest of the shipper? What would happen when the carton was unpacked and there were chipped and broken items? Did the person who packed it know if those items were undamaged when he/she just taped up the carton? Who would be responsible for this damage?
The bottom line is, while the expediency of the moment might have saved the packer the time to unpack and then properly repack the crystal correctly, the results were not in the best interest of the shipper and could prove very costly to the mover.
Expediency is seldom the answer. Doing the job correctly and with the best interest of all persons impacted is the only way that works in the moving industry.
“You ask yourself not if this or that is expedient, but if it is right.” Alan Stewart Paton (South African author and anti-apartheid activist.)
