We spoke to our Move Manager, Charmaine Wehrle about her time at Crown Relocations and to give us insight into the common questions she gets asked by customers.
How long have you been with Crown, and can you tell us more about your role?
I feel like one of the originals at Crown, I will have been with the company for 35 years on the 3rd of November 2022! I first joined way back in 1987, safe to say a lot has changed in that time.
As a Move Manager my role is to assist clients from the very start of their journey with us. Giving them peace of mind that Crown is here to take care of all their relocation needs. Part of this includes visiting clients if needed, providing a quote and organizing transportation.
What is the biggest change you’ve seen during your time at Crown?
One of the biggest changes I have seen is how technology has made a huge impact on our working lives. We are able to assist our clients with conducting Virtual Surveys, which was a hit especially during the COVID Pandemic as we were in lockdown. Even though we are relatively back to our normal working environment, the virtual surveys are still very popular and are able to conduct them from anywhere in the world.
What is the most unusual move you have supported?
We had a client who moved from Pietermaritzburg to Botswana. Apart from the household effects, our client had so many orchids and delicate plants we needed to use a second vehicle to transport the plants. The vehicle had to be modified to make sure the plants arrived safely, we built shelves and hooks in the truck to accommodate the plants. The client also had heavy sleeper logs together with water features! It was an intricate move due to the fragile nature of the plants, very proud of the team. Everything arrived in Botswana intact with no damages reported.
What’s the moment in your Crown career that has made you the proudest?
I was the first recipient of the Crown WorldWise “Giving Back” Award for EMEA back in 2015, receiving recognition from my colleagues has meant a lot to me. I’m also very proud of my long service with Crown this year!
What are your favorite things to do outside of work?
I have a lot of interests outside of work, including crafts and gardening. I also very involved in local community work. Honestly, there are probably far too many interests outside of work for me to mention!
If you could move to live abroad, where would it be and why?
If I could move anywhere in the world, I would like to move to the UK to be closer to my daughter.
