The Man's Message
Established 2003 | "Tetritus fortis sine gym"
Friday, September 19, 2025
Crew Of The Weeks
A controversial case of depotism or pure, distilled quality customer service at it's finest? This issue's CotW, Rob "ert" Greenway & Jake "The Snake" Joyce build a strong case for the latter with a praise-worthy review from an extremely satisfied customer.
"Extremely punctual. I received a call to inform me they were on their way which was extremely helpful. Thank you. I lavish accolades of praise on Rob and Jake. They were professional, extremely well mannered/spoken and caring of my requirements whilst efficiently moving my belongings. The personification of customer service. I am most grateful to them for providing a seamless move."
Nice one turbo team. Catch Jack Tandy around the depot to collect your bounty.
Kenzie talks hair loss
A big trim for a big cause!
"Hey y'all!
Earlier this year my mum, Annette, was diagnosed with a stage 4 sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that's often misdiagnosed. While it's been a challenging year for our family, we're all staying positive and supporting each other as she goes through treatment at Peter Mac.
Now, mum loves a fundraiser, and I've been growing my hair out for over a year now (also over 10 years since I've been clean shaven!). So I thought let's have some fun with it, chop it all off and raise some money for cancer research while we're at it!
All money raised will go to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) who conduct vital research into all types of cancer.
We will have a little gathering at my place in Preston on Saturday, 18th October to complete the fundraiser and reveal my cranium to the world.
Click this link to my fundraiser page: www.clickhere.com
Muchos gracias!
Kenzie"
Boomshakalaka!!!!!
MWAV's cult favourite basketball team, Shifters donned their chef's hats on Wednesday night as they attempted to cook the Rigatoni Boys al dente.
Unfortunately, their teflon coated ring kept the ball slipping out before reaching the net. Despite dominating the play and bringing the loudest fans in the stadium, Shifters went down fighting 29-41.
Shifters may be down but they are certainly not out. They just need to pray to the God of removals, Liftos™, and win their next three games to make finals in their first season together. Get behind them and cheer them on in the final stretch of the regular season games and get them up the ladder!
Wed, 24 September @ 7pm vs Rigatoni Boys - Rematch (6th)
Wed, 1 October @ 7:45pm vs Make a Swish Foundation (5th)
Wed, 8 October @ 7:45pm vs No Look Turnovers (4th)
Praise Liftos™
Share your lifting hacks
The Man still longs for movers to share their lifting knowledge.
If you come across a scenario which regularly causes damage to furniture and property and or injury to your body, we want to watch a short 10 - 60 second video of your hack. If you're on the job, simply:
1. Log a break (so the customer isn't charged - break will be removed after)
2. Film the scenario >> in Landscape<< (with customer permission)
3. Send it through (to Tandy's mobile or managers@manwithavan.com.au)
Once the OHS committee has reviewed and ratified its training merit, the payroll master will add $100 to your pay. That's $100 per video! The more videos the better.
Some examples of training content can include but are in no way limited to:
How to successfully avoid wall damage - without
When and How to protect floorboards - For moving along heavy items without scratching or gouging.
How to wrap a fridge - then take it up a tight flight of stairs
How to dismantle and reassemble with ease - A guide to gas lift beds
Wear your Steel Caps
Steel cap crack down
You need to wear your steel cap safety footwear on the job. Yoiu have them so wear them.
As anyone who has ever dropped a washing machine or a concrete table directly onto their unprotected toe can attest, injuries suck. You must wear steel capped safety shoes at all times while working at MWAV. It's a safety issue and a uniform requirement. If you're lifting furniture, you must wear your safety shoes.
If you're not wearing your safety shoes, you will be sent home. This is being enforced.
Boot camp
A guide to choosing the right protective shoe from the winner of the 2022 Gold Liftie™ and guest contributor, Anthony "Barnacle" Perry
If you're always on your toes or perhaps more solid footed, this may affect the style of boot your tootsies need. The following is a list of pros and cons of the different styles as well as some sage advice from seasoned wearers of the fabled steel capped safety shoe.
High top - laces & zip
Personal favourite of of a few workers here. Offers ample ankle support, generally waterproof and the zipper helps with quick removal. The downside being the larger boot can be a heavier shoe that can feel clunky and less flexible on the ankle for squats. Doesn't breathe well. Will be hot in Summer but warm in Winter.
High top - slip on
Easy to slip on and off, slightly less ankle support, can be clunky, medium flexibility for ankles during squats. The elastic wears out quicker and the window to being warn out after being warn in is quite small. Doesn't breathe well. Will be hot in Summer but warm in Winter.
Low top - laces
Halfway between a high top and a runner style. Lighter than a full size boot, no ankle support, generally water proof, more ankle flexibility for squats. Doesn't breathe well. Will be hot in Summer but warm in Winter.
Low top - runners
A lighter protective shoe, flexible and breathes well. Best for those always on their toes. More ankle flexibility for squats but generally not waterproof. Doesn't last as long as boots. Cool in Summer and cool in Winter.
No Hang Time
It seems to good to be true. You're running out of space in the pack but you need to store the trolley somewhere. Then you have a great idea "Hang them from the rails!" This seems perfect but it's actually horrible. The weight of the trolley and its bouncy nature puts too much stress on the rails and they will pop out from the wall of the truck. A very big problem. You can strap your trolley in with the white goods or under some boxes or a cabinet.
Do not hang trollies from the rails.
Ya can't park there, mate.
We have been feeling the wrath of local city councils this fortnight with MWAV staff and customers alike copping parking fines citywide.
Before whipping the truck into a no standing zone, remember to always discuss a dicey parking situation with your customer first.
Many of us have been caught out for parking over the footpath, especially in the outer suburbs.
If they agree to accept the cost of any potential fines, write it in the private notes immediately on the mobile website so we have a record of this agreement. Failure to do so may result in you having copping the fine if the customer later denies responsibility.
Lastly, if you receive a physical ticket/fine during the move, please don't leave it with the customer or worse, throw it away.
Bring it into the office at the end of your day or send a photo through to the managers email so we can make sure no one cops any late fees.
Dude, Where's my shift?
In case you haven't noticed, the depots have been relatively quieter than expected this last fortnight. Consider this to be the quiet before the storm.
Next week is a short week with the public holiday on Friday so jobs are filling up the trucks - we're even short staffed this coming TUESDAY!
Our busy days are Mondays, Thursdays, & Fridays for now but this is subject to increase as we get further into Spring then into the hell's kitchen of Summer.
Tommy's Tales
Following on from the earlier trolley troubles, this issue's tale comes from a fridge slipping off the trolley due to the base being bent and cracked. Hanging off the truck railing bouncing along Melbourne's turbulent roads can cause irreparable damage to these precious lifting assistants so to avoid stitching up your fellow mover, please remember not to hang the trolleys off the bars in the truck.
With a solid damage report by the movers and plenty of helpful pics on hand, the customer called up earlier this week to suss out a remedy. Depending on the type of flooring material, this type of work can cost anywhere between $500 - $1500 big ones, certainly nothing to sneeze at. Luckily, the property owner has a good friend in flooring and provided us with a mates-rates repair quote, top shelf stuff.
Don't forget to make a report and give the office a call if you happen to notice potential damage or issues with your vehicle's trolleys, dollies, straps or any other equipment.
The Vibe
While the vibe generally rides high, a few bummer reviews made their way through this fortnight bringing the overall score down a touch. Key customer feedback includes flagging capacity and damage risks ahead of time with a few customers a little disappointed they weren't informed of these issues earlier. If there are extra items than listed, remember to speak with the customer as soon as it becomes apparent there will be extra cost or that everything may not fit.
Suggestion Box
Suggestion: "With summer coming up I’d like to suggest some needed changes to the trucks to keep us safe. Full air conditioning unit in the back of the trucks that can keep the box at a nice 10 degrees and ice machine off the side of the truck with some slushie maker cups in the trucks. This is the only way forward."
Response: This is completely unworkable but you raise a good point. Please read the short and easy to read heat policy on the wiki to know the current best practice of staying safe in the warmer months: www.clickhere.com
There are also Zooper Doopers™ in the depot freezers ready to cool those hot bodies.
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Would you like to send in an anonymous suggestion to make MWAV a better place to work? Please do so with complete anonymity right here:
tny.mwav.org/report
Gig Guide
Do you have an upcoming gig or event you would like to promote? Send through the details to 238@mwav.org or 453@mwav.org and we will lovingly publicise it in the message for free*.
*Whilst here is no fee, a small gratuity is appreciated.
Quote Of The Week
"F*&^% outta here with that depotism s#!@" - Anonymous