Hear Ye, Hear Ye!
In future we will not ship bikes which are not sufficiently clean.
In recent times (season 2006/7) people have been arriving at our NZ Christchurch depot with little time to spare before loading for the return journey, with bikes which are not sufficiently clean to pass an Australian Quarantine Inspection Service inspection. Just dumping the bike off at the depot and buggering off to the airport.
We are sick of getting a hard time from AQIS when bikes come back from NZ or anywhere else. We simply do not need hassles from this Govt Dept when the problem is cause by a few wankers who are too lazy to do the right thing.
We may be laid back and relaxed and have let people get away with their responsibilities in the past, but that will change.
Bring a dirty bike for loading and we will refuse to load it. No refunds, no sympathy.
Your bike will be shipped back to Australia only when you have it cleaned and at our convenience and that could be in 8 - 12 months time.
You have been warned!
Another thing, while I'm on the soap box.
One group arrived at the Chch depot pissed as rats. Couldn't get any sense out of them. One had left his wallet in the taxi and the depot staff went to great lengths to track down the taxi and get it returned when they should have been working and not chasing after drunken idiots who should know better.
Anyway wandering drunkenly around a very busy freight yard full of moving trucks, forklifts (small and very large) is dangerous whilst sober and I was not a happy camper.
They eventually rode their bikes back to their motel in the same condition and apparently are pissed off with me because I got grumpy. Comments were made (out of my hearing - how courageous) about Milligan's grumpiness.
Well, fuck me, mate! What do you expect when your behaviour puts you (and probably others) at severe risk and if you had been hurt I would be the one the legal experts would fuck over. Think about it.
The business of shipping clients bikes is a very personal one for me and I pride myself on mostly doing a damned good job. I developed this bike shipping concept from the very start and have grown the business by my own efforts to the point where it now employs Maggie and me. I'm proud of these achievements and while I may appear laid back I take it very seriously. I do not like people treating me and this business in the manner the drunken idiots did. I take it as an insult.
That's why I got grumpy. Consider yourselves lucky I did not offer you a few hometruths on the spot.
I try my best for my clients and I know most appreciate it, but I guess there are a few wankers like this in every crowd; even amongst motorcyclists.
want a laugh?
This message arrived on 1 Feb, 2008
----- Original Message -----
From: Robert R
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2008 2:52 PM
Subject: racial slur "septic"
I saw your ad in "cycle torque" and had a look at your web site with the plan of shipping to and from the USA. Did it ever occur to you that you might be dealing with US citizens who find the racial slur "septic" offensive? Well, I won't be using your services, also a group of friends are shipping to New Zealand but not with you now.
What were you thinking? I guess the name of your business says it all!
This is my reply
Hi Robert,
Thanks for your advice.
I've just printed out your message and passed it around a business meeting I am currently attending. All Aussies and some rather important Australian business figures - we had a damned good laugh at your message. Thanks.
Anyone that small minded and sufficiently thin skinned to be insulted by Aussie common usage rhyming slang such as "Septic Tanks" shortened to "Septics" for "Yanks" is the very sort of person we at Get Routed do not want to deal with.
Immaturity and political correctness are very much something we wish to avoid. We are straight talking, honest people who have gained a very good reputation from our hundreds of Aussie clients. I'm a Kiwi living in Melbourne and am constantly called a "Sheep shagger" by my Aussie clients, but if I took offence at that (and that's a whole lot more direct than rhyming slang) then I would be small minded indeed.
However, if and when you grow up and become a real adult we might be happy to ship your bikes to one of our destinations, but it will be under our Terms & Conditions. The same T&C all our clients are happy to comply with.
As for the name "Get Routed" - may I suggest you consult your dictionary for the word "route". Our business name is not intended to cause offence, however some do see a little humour in it. Again, I think you are being very thin skinned if you could possibly be offended by our name.
In fact, yours is the first complaint in 11 years. I don't think we have too much to worry about.
Kind regards & Happy New Year
Dave Milligan