MOVER: G’Day, Kent Movers. What can I do for you?

CUSTOMER: Good afternoon. I’d like to inquire about your overseas moving services.

MOVER: Where exactly are you moving?

CUSTOMER: I’m returning home to London. I’ve been in Melbourne for about three years now, and have taken a job back in the UK to be closer to my family.

MOVER: Cheers, mate. Three years is a long time. I’m sure you’ve accumulated a lot of items during your time here. But no worries...we have a lot of experience moving people to the UK. So, first I need to know what kinds of things you’ll be sending back home.

CUSTOMER: I don’t have too much to take with me, actually. I of course will be bringing my clothes, books, and small personal items.

MOVER: Do you have any furniture to take with you?

CUSTOMER: Not really. Perhaps just my dining room table. It’s made of a beautiful wood that’d be hard to replace in England.

MOVER: All right. Anything else?

CUSTOMER: My bicycle. It doesn’t take up a lot of room if you take it apart. I even have a box for it.

MOVER: OK. Given how little you’ll be shipping, you’ll most definitely only partially fill a shipping container. So what we’ll do is combine your items with other shipments going to England. That means it may take a bit longer, but it’ll cost you less.

CUSTOMER: That’s fine. Around how long will it take for my belongings to reach London?

MOVER: Somewhere between 20 and 30 days.

CUSTOMER: Fair enough. And how much will that cost?

MOVER: That really depends. It’s hard to know until we pack all of our items. But if I were to guess, I would say around $2000.

CUSTOMER: I have to give my new company in London a cost estimate, so how can I get a more exact price?

MOVER: Tell you what...I’ll send someone over to your house this week to do a full evaluation and estimate.

CUSTOMER: Really? I’d appreciate that.

MOVER: What days and times would be good for you, then?

CUSTOMER: Any weekday after 5 p.m.

MOVER: I’ll be sending Craig Nguyen over on Wednesday. Would 6 o’clock be all right?

CUSTOMER: Sure. Craig...what’s his last name again?

MOVER: Ngyuen. N-G-Y-U-E-N. He’s got a lot of experience with overseas relocations.

CUSTOMER: So, he’ll come and quote me a price for the move, and then what will happen?

MOVER: If you accept the price, the next step is to schedule a time for the movers to pack and take your things. We bring all of the packing materials, and then take your stuff to a storage unit until it’s time to ship it.

CUSTOMER: Shouldn’t I pack my own things? What if the movers break something?

MOVER: Look, these guys are experts. They are well trained in the art of packing. But just in case there’s an accident, it’s best for you to purchase transit insurance.

CUSTOMER: That’s not included in the cost of the move?

MOVER: I’m afraid not. You need to purchase a plan from a third party. If you look on our website, you’ll find links to several reliable insurance providers.

CUSTOMER: How expensive is that?

MOVER: It’s usually pretty reasonable, but you’ll pay more for full coverage. Basic coverage will take care of, you know, lost items or obviously broken furniture. But full coverage will make sure you are reimbursed for even small scratches on your table.

CUSTOMER: I guess I’ll have to look into it more.

MOVER: Yeah, and make sure to shop around. There’s a lot of competition out there, so you can find good deals.

CUSTOMER: OK. Is there anything I need to do before Wednesday’s appointment?

MOVER: Let’s see... I guess it would help if you had an itemised list of what you want moved. It will speed up the evaluation.

CUSTOMER: I can do that. Will I need to make a deposit right away?

MOVER: We’ll send you a request for a deposit in the days following the evaluation. Then you’ll have 48 hours to wire the deposit to our account.

CUSTOMER: Can I pay with credit card?

MOVER: Yes, of course. Just call us with your credit card number in that case.

CUSTOMER: Thanks. You’ve been very helpful.

Answer Key

1. London

2. Books

3. Dining room table

4. Bicycle

5. 20 to 30

6. Craig Ngyuen

7. Transit insurance

8. Insurance providers

9. Lost items

10. Credit card