When you’re planning a move, your main considerations in choosing a moving company may be schedule and price, and you may be hoping to save on the price by getting a low quote. But is that all you’ve considered? The cheapest movers that are available on the day may not be your best choice.
I’m willing to bet that you’ve got friends who can talk about moving nightmares, and that the movers themselves feature in quite a few of those tales. Pass up the opportunity for getting horror stories to dine out on with these insider tips:
Don’t take chances with your stuff
Just owning a van is not a qualification for moving furniture and belongings safely and without damage. Transporting vegetables and packing up antique pianos are two very different types of transport! Although you might get a good offer from a general van service, resist the temptation in favour of someone who knows how important it is to keep furniture scratch free and who knows what ‘this side up’ actually means.
You also need to check if your movers have insurance covering your household goods and their staff. If one of the mover’s crew falls down your stairs, you don’t want to end up footing the medical bill. On the flip side, even professional movers can have accidents with your belongings. Make sure you’re covered.
Find out what people are saying:
The internet is hotbed of uncensored information. By all means, read the positive reviews on a mover’s website, but know that they’re not going to post customer complaints there! Do some general searching to find out if they have any bad press. Unhappy clients love to vent, and if a company has delivered poor service ever, to anyone, in their entire company history, chances are you’ll find it online.
Unfortunately, people aren’t as keen on posting good reviews. They say ‘thanks’, pay the bill, and that’s that. So if you don’t find anything positive, it’s not because there’s nothing positive to say. Read any negative reviews you find critically. What made that irate client give them a bad rep? Do they deserve it?
Ask a few questions:
•Do they offer a packing service? Most professional movers do, so it’s worth asking even if you prefer doing your own packing.
•How do they protect your furniture? Good movers will have blankets or packing material to ensure that furniture items don’t get scratched.
•Ask specific questions about how they will move any items that are particularly precious to you or that may be delicate.
•Last but not least, expect a written quote and ask if this covers ALL the possible costs and charges. You don’t want surprises when it’s time to pay.
Talking to your movers will also give you an indication of professionalism and should give you a hint as to whether you can expect courteous service. If the person you’re talking to doesn’t sound like they give a damn about your questions, alarm bells should sound.
Ready to choose your movers? Let us give you a quote and test us out on all of these points. I’m ready to guarantee that we check all those boxes.
