Big crowds at the parcel point at the home of Michelle Hoetmer from Amsterdam. Black Friday, Sinterklaas and Christmas have been generating piles of packages for weeks. Michelle receives up to five hundred customers every day. “The neighbors occasionally bring me a hot soup.”
The racks on the ground floor are full of boxes and bags. They all have a colored post-it. “I work according to a strict system,” says Michelle. “Every day has a color and I write the name and date on it.”
No big Christmas bonus
Two large buses are emptied within half an hour. “Those were only the first buses. I expect sixteen more today,” she laughs. “On average, I spend about eighteen to twenty hours a day on it. In the evening, when the door is already closed, I am still busy stacking the packages for the next day.”
Despite the hard work, the busy period is no guarantee for a big Christmas bonus. “When you look at the finances, it’s disappointing. But the best bonuses are the drawings and the gifts you get from customers who appreciate what you do.”