30 Stories
We live on the 30th floor of our building. There are two elevators with 4 apartments per floor. All of these numbers mean that the delivery of our house shipment wasn't that big a deal. The movers were able to commandeer one elevator exclusively for delivery of our 80+ boxes into the apartment. Long story short, everything went well until the very last item was due to come up.
We had been quickly unpacking the boxes as they were delivered. Actually, we fell behind and then movers told us that that they were also there to help unpack and store the contents of the boxes *wow*. The only item missing was the couch that had become the subject of dreams. We simply couldn't wait for it to be delivered and here I was, having checked off 79+ boxes as delivered and still no couch.
The head mover pulled me aside and told me that they were having a problem with the couch. It was in front of the elevator in Basement Level 2 and ... it wouldn't fit into the elevator (did I mention that we live on the 30th floor?). I gently asked him the standard set of stupid questions like, "Did you stand it on end, did you try pushing it in diagonally, how close is it?" He had tried everything but he said it was still 4 inches too tall for the elevator. Knowing Stacy, I understood that if I didn't get a couch delivered that day, I probably shouldn't bother sleeping in the apartment.
I accompanied him down to B2 to assess the situation for myself. We got down there, ripped off all the covers, legs and other items from the couch and confirmed that our actions did not, in fact, make the couch four inches shorter. We were left staring at the couch, our backs to the elevator, me and the head mover:
Me: *There's no way this is going up in the elevator. Maybe I can exchange it for one of the couches in the lobby?*
HeadMover: "I don't know how we're going to get this up to your apartment."
Me: "Isn't there any other option?" *He's going to make me say it, isn't he? He won't suggest it on his own. He's going to make me ask!*
HM: "I don't think so. No cargo elevator, too high for going through the window. You might have to leave it."
Me: *If I were a better negotiator, I'd be able to make him make the suggestion. Damn!* "Well...could we rip out the stuffing to make it smaller and then try?"
HM: "Frame's too big. Won't change anything."
Me: *I'm going to have to say it. I hate this.* "There are other ways to get to the apartment..."
HM: "What do you mean?"
Me: *I'm a complete ass for sugesting this and I've totally turned into a corporate goon for even thinking it.* "There are the stairs..." *Thirty flights of stairs. What's the tip for that kind of behavior?*
HM: (Smiling) "Yeah, I guess we could try that."
Anway, they made short work of it and carried it up the thirty flights of stairs. To boot, they didn't put up too much of a fight and wouldn't accept a tip at the end (I honestly tried). The couch looks great!
Other horror stories of this type emerged later. One person mentioned that a friend of theirs had the movers actually cut the frame of their couch so that it would fold in half and fit into the elevator. Back in the apartment, they put the frame back together and the couch is probably stronger than it was before. Anyway, this story indicates that I probably let the movers off easy with their exercise up the stairs.
We had been quickly unpacking the boxes as they were delivered. Actually, we fell behind and then movers told us that that they were also there to help unpack and store the contents of the boxes *wow*. The only item missing was the couch that had become the subject of dreams. We simply couldn't wait for it to be delivered and here I was, having checked off 79+ boxes as delivered and still no couch.
The head mover pulled me aside and told me that they were having a problem with the couch. It was in front of the elevator in Basement Level 2 and ... it wouldn't fit into the elevator (did I mention that we live on the 30th floor?). I gently asked him the standard set of stupid questions like, "Did you stand it on end, did you try pushing it in diagonally, how close is it?" He had tried everything but he said it was still 4 inches too tall for the elevator. Knowing Stacy, I understood that if I didn't get a couch delivered that day, I probably shouldn't bother sleeping in the apartment.
I accompanied him down to B2 to assess the situation for myself. We got down there, ripped off all the covers, legs and other items from the couch and confirmed that our actions did not, in fact, make the couch four inches shorter. We were left staring at the couch, our backs to the elevator, me and the head mover:
Me: *There's no way this is going up in the elevator. Maybe I can exchange it for one of the couches in the lobby?*
HeadMover: "I don't know how we're going to get this up to your apartment."
Me: "Isn't there any other option?" *He's going to make me say it, isn't he? He won't suggest it on his own. He's going to make me ask!*
HM: "I don't think so. No cargo elevator, too high for going through the window. You might have to leave it."
Me: *If I were a better negotiator, I'd be able to make him make the suggestion. Damn!* "Well...could we rip out the stuffing to make it smaller and then try?"
HM: "Frame's too big. Won't change anything."
Me: *I'm going to have to say it. I hate this.* "There are other ways to get to the apartment..."
HM: "What do you mean?"
Me: *I'm a complete ass for sugesting this and I've totally turned into a corporate goon for even thinking it.* "There are the stairs..." *Thirty flights of stairs. What's the tip for that kind of behavior?*
HM: (Smiling) "Yeah, I guess we could try that."
Anway, they made short work of it and carried it up the thirty flights of stairs. To boot, they didn't put up too much of a fight and wouldn't accept a tip at the end (I honestly tried). The couch looks great!
Other horror stories of this type emerged later. One person mentioned that a friend of theirs had the movers actually cut the frame of their couch so that it would fold in half and fit into the elevator. Back in the apartment, they put the frame back together and the couch is probably stronger than it was before. Anyway, this story indicates that I probably let the movers off easy with their exercise up the stairs.
posted by agoel at
8:00 AM
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