Well, from my calculations we are two weeks in and since I don't have a job yet, you're getting another blog post. This one is a bit longer as I have a couple of points to bang on about.
This last week has been a bit more focused, and the main point of order has been finding a house. This is quite an interesting exercise and exposes one of the key differences that anyone coming from the UK will instantly recognise.
The balance of power in residential lettings rests with the landlord; the lettings agents very clearly work for them.
The first major difference is the way in which you view houses. We looked on the Internet (still no laptop, so we have to get a bus into the city and use Internet cafes) and got a list of houses we thought might suit, then phoned an agent with a few properties and were advised to go into the office. We had a nice chat with the receptionist (ex pat) and one of the senior partners and all seemed well, till I asked a loaded question:
"So, if we book an appointment with you can you take us to a few houses and show us around as we don't have a car"
Answer: "No, we don't do that. After all, if you don't like the house we would have wasted our time. You need to go on the advertised open time (usually a Wednesday or Saturday, and only for 15 mins). Also, agents have allotted properties and can't show another person's stock. I suggest you get a car."
OK, no problem, so we chatted to one of the agents with a house we liked. We asked when he was opening it next:
"I could show you now if you like, although I am off at 16.30 (it was about 15.45) so it would have to be soon.
Me:
"OK, we don't have a car, and it looks too far to walk, could you give us a lift."
[Long embarrassed pause]
"We don't really do that. Why don't you go on the Internet and check the next opening time then hire a car."
So I learnt three lessons from this. Firstly, you need a car and the Internet to get a house, unless everything is on bus routes. Secondly, you always get a straight answer from anyone who is customer facing in Australia, even if it is not the one you wanted; I like this. Finally: Holy Fuck, estate agents have an easy life here! I mean seriously, we have had them driving us round for a couple of hours in the UK looking at multiple properties. I assumed it was just part of the service.
The upside of the Australia real estate industry is that it isn't populated by lots of young men in their early twenties who buy their shirt and tie combos from Burtons (or Morrisons for all I know), wear long pointy brown shoes (even with black trousers, grr), who seem to behave as though they are on the set of a Danny Dyer movie (and not one of the good ones, neither) and call you "Mate". It is actually quite professional over here. So much so that I actually decided not to wear a Steel Panther t-shirt when going to hand in an application today.
Also, the application form you have to fill makes it feel more like you are applying for a job. Both parties have to supply two referees, not just previous landlords etc., but as actual character witnesses. So we had to find four people who would vouch for us as decent upstanding pillars of the community. That would have been hard even if we had been allowed to include family members! Possibly even harder.
More on houses later, possibly even with pics of a new house.....
The thing that I really like about Australia, and although there is no reason not to have suspected this in advance it is a really pleasant surprise, is that people are really nice and anyone who works in any kind of customer service seems to be there to help you and is generally pleased to do so.
For example, I have a personal bank manager who I can e-mail at any point and ask stuff. I called him Bruce by mistake (his name is Shane) and he didn't mind. I have been to the bank a couple of times and the bank teller actually remembered my face (yes, not difficult I know) and almost remembered my name. They clearly do this as a matter of course. He helped us find a completely unrelated government building that we were looking for and generally went about his business in a friendly and efficient manner.
When we arrived at the airport I asked the guy selling coffee how much a cab would be to where we were staying. He didn't know the area, so he asked another customer and we all had a nice conversation. I got the answer I wanted and went about my way, but they were all still happily discussing this as I wandered out of ear shot.
Nice people talk to you on the bus, not just the weirdos. People smile and nod and say good morning as you walk towards them. A waiter in a restaurant laughed at a reference I made to jugs. FFS even the teenagers are polite! It is likely that if you talk to anyone for more than thirty seconds they will tell you something interesting about themselves along the line of your conversation, or other similarly amusing anecdote. Try and talk to a stranger the next time you are on the bus, tube or train, or even at a coffee stand and see how far you get.
But my favourite story is one that I wasn't even present for. Penny was in a shop (alright, it was an off licence) and the lady in front of her was buying a bottle of wine and fumbling with the currency. Clearly new in the country, she looked up at the shop assistant and asked how much it was:
"That'll be $100"
The lady was horrified.
"Really?!"
"No, not really. It's $24. I just wanted to see the look on your face."
I may have said this before: I love Australia. If you've had enough of customer service in the UK, just move here.
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