When it comes time to move, the process can be exciting and exhausting all at the same time. But one of the things that most people struggle with is choosing movers. These people are going to hold all of their worldly possessions in the back of a truck for the duration of the move and so it is important to choose the right movers. When you create your moving plan, you should allow for plenty of time to find movers and get the move planned and organized with them. Here are some other tips that will help you choose a moving company.
Company Feedback
Your first step is to look at the feedback that a company has received from their previous customers. You can look online if you want, but just be aware that people will often only post a review when something bad happens. They almost never post it if they have had a good experience. So, what you see on review sites might be a little biased.
Check References
You can however ask the company for some references. Call at least three of the references that they provide to you to see how past clients regard the moving company. Check to see what kind of move they had and keep checking references if you are moving hundreds of thousands of miles and the previous client only used them to move across town.
Just as was the case with the negative reviews that you might see online, you might only get glowing reviews from customers. After all, the company is the one that chose which references to give you, and they aren’t going to knowingly give you references of customers who have anything bad to say. However, between the two, you should be able to get a clear picture.
Check Documents
You should check that a moving company has all of the required documentation says real estate agent Ryan Tollefsen. “You’re trusting them with your valuables so you want to make sure that their insurance is valid and that they have all of their ducks in a row. “ Depending upon your specific area’s requirements, the documentation may be different. The most important thing is to make sure that they are a legitimate moving company with a history.
How Has the Company Been Treating You?
Third, you want to think back on how the movers have been during your contact with them. Have they been friendly and knowledgeable? Have the employees been qualified thus far and have they treated you professionally. Do they respond quickly to the emails you send or call you back when you leave a message? A company that does not communicate with potential customers is probably not going to treat your belongings with the care that they deserve. You can tell a lot by the way that a company treats a customer beforehand, but it is no substitute for the other qualifying methods that are described here.
Get an Estimate
The final qualification test that you can do is to ask the company for an estimate on-site. This should only be done after you have checked the company out with the previous items, made sure they had all of their paperwork and that they have good references. The company should send someone to take a look at what you want moved and determine how much it will cost. This is another factor that can help you qualify a company on something other than price. How the technician that comes out to your house acts can give you an idea how the movers will act with your furniture and valuables.
If you can, it is always a good idea to get an estimate in writing so that a company doesn’t charge more later on. If you get an estimate in writing it could be a binding agreement that will allow you to get the price you wanted from the movers. The moving company should list the price of each of the services that they will be providing and you can use that itemization to get that price for each of the services they gave you an estimate for.
