'The lady of the house simply will not permit it': Movers tasked with impractical sofa bed delivery, use their own contract to avoid carrying it up stairs

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Aug 29, 2023 11:00 AM EDT

No one ever said moving was easy, and this customer seems determined to make it as hard as possible. That's no problem for her, because she's not doing the heavy lifting — a group of movers are. 

U/_korvan_ shared this great story about the time they just wanted to do their job and go home, but were stymied by a customer. Being a mover is a physically demanding job each and every day. These folks work hours each day to take people's boxes and furniture from their old house to their brand new living space. 

When all your belongings are in someone else's hands, it's no wonder moving can be so stressful. As this person shared, the customer they were delivering to was barely involved in the whole process. Instead, she chose to delegate the task to her own employees, who then told the movers exactly what they could and could not do. It was the end of the day, and these delivery folks were "in no mood" for messing around with entitled customers. 

Check out this satisfying story below! Then, this whole family is arguing because the dad graciously gave $3 million in donations — but gave nothing to one of his daughters on her wedding day. 

Advertisement
  • 01
    Sleeve - X
    via Christelle BOURGEOIS on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - r/r/MaliciousCompliance Posted by u/_korvan_ 11 hours ago S The lady of the house insists...
    via u/_korvan_
  • 03
    Font - Saw a post a few weeks or so back that unlocked this particular MC memory for me... Apologies for the long read, but I really wanted to make sure I properly captured the haughtiness of the customer in this story.
    via u/_korvan_
  • 04
    Font - About 30 or so years ago, I dropped out of high school. My first job was as a truck jockey for a bloke who owned his own removal truck, and had a delivery contract with a local chain of furniture stores. The work was hard, and days were usually pretty long (I have an old payslip somewhere for an 84 hour week), but I was young, fit and healthy, and the work saved me from needing a gym membership. Plus the cash was really good for a 16yo kid.
    via u/_korvan_
  • 05
    Font - One long, reasonably warm Saturday, we're heading to our last delivery before going home. It was close to 6pm, and we'd still have a ~45-60min drive home after, so the boss was in no mood for f ing around. The delivery was in Melbourne's (at the time - probably still is) wealthiest suburb: Toorak. Lots of big houses and old money.
    via u/_korvan_
  • 06
    Font - Anyway, we rock up at this place and the boss heaves a sigh of relief: massive double entry doors at the front. We were delivering a 3- seater sofa bed. F ing things were heavy, with the metal fold-out bed inside, so anything that made the delivery that little bit easier was seen as a positive. As usual, the boss hops into the back of the truck and starts unwrapping the load to get it onto the tailgate, while I go knock on the door, clipboard in hand. I ring the bell (old fashioned turn t
    via u/_korvan_
  • 07
    Font - Him: "Yes?" Me: "G'day - we're here to deliver a sofa bed for" *checks clipboard* "Mrs Richb (name changed to protect the rich b and coz I can't remember/don't care) Him (gesturing around to the right of the house): "Delivery entrance is around the side." Me: "Oh, OK." 11
    via u/_korvan_
  • 08
    Font - I trot around to the side door, thinking it would be a straight up delivery into a room nearer to that door. I wait, and he (eventually) opens the door. Per our SOP, I ask him to show me where the furniture was going, so I could map the route out for the boss. He gestures to (I'm genuinely not. Fing. Kidding.) a godd spiral f ng staircase.
    via u/_korvan_
  • 09
    Font - Me: "Up those stairs? Him: "Yes" Me: "But I noticed there's a lot more room at the front doors, plus the bigger staircase there. Can we deliver via that route instead?" Him: "The lady of the house wishes for it to be delivered via the rear staircase." Me: "Really? There's no way we're getting that sofa bed up there without hurting ourselves, or the furniture or house. Why can't we deliver via the front?" Him: "The lady of the house simply will not permit it." Me: "Oooookaaaaay. I'll go le
    via u/_korvan_
  • 10
    Font - By the time I get back to the truck, the boss has the sofa sitting on the tailgate, ready for us to carry it in. Boss: "Ready?" Me: "Not quite. You're not gonna believe it, but they want us to deliver via a side entrance and up a spiral staircase." Him: "The f they do!" k Me: "Yep - old mate in the suit and tie said SO." Him: "How many times did you ask him?" Me (unsure why): "A couple - wasn't sure I heard him right the first time, but he said the customer won't allow it." Him: "Nah - bu
    via u/_korvan_
  • 11
    Font - The boss strides up to the front door and rings the bell, perhaps a little aggressively. Butler opens it, words are exchanged, the boss gets pretty heated and demands to see the customer - Mrs Richb
    via u/_korvan_
  • 12
    Font - RB: "What's all this nonsense?" Boss: "Your fella here said we can't deliver through these doors and up that staircase behind you. The other way is too narrow - we'll bust our backs trying to get it up there!" RB: "That's not my concern. My desire is for the furniture to be delivered via the side entrance." Boss: "Nah - we're not doing that. Just let us go this way and we'll be out of your hair in no time." RB: "I insist that you deliver the furniture in accordance with the terms of the c
    via u/_korvan_
  • 13
    Font - *CUE M.C.* The boss straightens up, squares his shoulders. "Ok. Sure. No worries. We'll get it done, as you said, in accordance with the delivery contract."
    via u/_korvan_
  • 14
    Font - He walks back towards me, massive fling grin on his face, and tells me to grab the highlighter (fluorescent marker) from the cab. I go grab it and hand it to him. He highlights something on the delivery docket on the clipboard, tosses it onto the sofa, and gestures at me to grab my end. I'm wondering what the f is about to go down, but I know my boss well enough to know we aren't about to carry this blody thing through a side door and up a spiral staircase. As we get near the front doors,
    via u/_korvan_
  • 15
    Font - RB: "I'm not signing anything yet - you haven't delivered it to where I want it." Boss: "Ah, but we have now. Please read the section I've highlighted." RM (reading said bit): "Oh, well that changes things. Through the front doors will be fine." Boss: "Sorry - please read the second highlighted section." RB (reading second said bit): "But I've changed my mind."
    via u/_korvan_
  • 16
    Font - Boss: "Sorry - as you can see, it says that deliveries must be made the safest way possible without risking injury to us and if we still disagree after three attempts at making delivery, the customer takes responsibility for completing the delivery from the front of the premises. We asked four times so, as you requested, I'm delivering per the terms of the delivery contract you signed." RB (going red): "But how am I supposed to get this upstairs?" Boss: "I'm afraid that's no longer my pro
    via u/_korvan_
  • 17
    Font - I took that as my cue to off, pack up the wraps and straps, and prep the truck for departure. We managed to hold in our laughter until the end of the driveway.
    via u/_korvan_
  • 18
    Font - VoyagerVII +2.11 hr. ago Always, always make sure you know what the contract says. Reply Share Vote _korvan_ OP +1 - 11 hr. ago Lol - my boss certainly did!
    via u/VoyagerVII
  • 19
    Font - still-dazed-confused +1 - 10 hr. ago That was a contact written on the (injured) back of years of experience, very well played to your boss of the time. Vote Reply Share _korvan_ OP +1 - 10 hr. ago Yep. Family owned chain, I suspect they wrote it when they were still small enough to be doing their own deliveries.
    via u/still-dazed-confused
  • 20
    Font - Windronin +1.10 hr. ago It be very hard not to go "what was it you said? Oh yeah, not my concern"
    via u/Windronin
  • 21
    Font - +2 10 hr. ago SirVatka Delicious Malicious!
    via u/SirVatka
  • 22
    Font - phdoofus +1.3 hr. ago I like how he used his executive decision making powers to count 'we asked four times' to 'we attempted to deliver four times'. That's some peak experience talking right there. The customer was obviously so befuddled by the reversal of the power dynamic they didn't even push back on that. Reply Share Vote Cybermals +38 hr. ago Okay. This boss is now my fing godda hero. Put a cape on that bl
    via u/phdoofus
  • 23
    Font - SontsHie Amazing! Had to read it twice because it was that good! Vote . 10 hr. ago Reply Share _korvan_ OP +1 10 hr. ago Lol - cheers. It's been banging around in my head for a couple of weeks or so, after I read a post about someone making a delivery and not being allowed to prop the door open.
    via u/SontsHie
  • 24
    Rectangle - +1.4 hr. ago saltyandhelpfuluser Lady didn't give a flying f whether you'd injure yourself needlessly going up the spiral staircase. So glad she had to deal with the sofa! about
    via u/saltyandhelpfuluser
  • 25
    Font - itrightboy +1 -3 hr. ago But why would she not let you deliver using the other stairs? f Like it literally would ONLY make your life harder and have ZERO effect on her life. Vote Reply Share mizinamo +3.3 hr. ago Can't have menial servants traipsing through the areas of the house reserved for decent folk!
    via u/itrightboy
  • 26
    Rectangle - UCgirl 3 hr. ago Way to go to this boss looking out for himself and his people.
    via u/UCgirl
  • 27
    Font - jollycanoli 4 hr. ago edited 2 hr. ago I am so pleased for you, that must have felt great. Screw that person, what a sad little life, having to assert her importance in such ridiculous little ways.
    via u/jollycanoli

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

jobs work stories job malicious compliance staircase work malicious-compliance-reddit couch stairs truck moving sofa wealth wealthy boss karen-customer customers delivery
Scroll Down For The Next Article