Wed, Sep 12, 2018
By: Patrina Sykes
Planning a move can be stressful and time-consuming. For many people, hiring a moving company is the solution to alleviating some of the stress.
That said, not all moving companies are created equal. At Gilmore Services, we pride ourselves on providing the highest possible level of service so that our clients’ moves go smoothly.
But what really separates the good moving and storage companies from the great ones? We’ve put together these pointers to help you tell the difference and hire the moving company that will provide the service you need.
Honesty and Transparency
The first characteristics to look for in a moving and storage company are honest and transparency. If a company isn’t honest with you from the beginning, you shouldn’t expect them to be honest going forward.
For example, imagine that you see an ad for a moving company that promises a particular hourly rate for moving services. But, when you call to ask a few questions, it turns out that the rate advertised doesn’t apply to you or doesn’t include a host of fees and charges that weren’t in the ad.
What you would know from that experience is that the company in question is not being transparent about their fees, and that they’re trying to attract new customers using dishonest advertising. There’s no reason to expect that they’ll be honest or transparent with you going forward because your very first interaction with them lacked these qualities.
A great moving company will advertise honestly, disclose all fees up front, and answer questions thoroughly.
Reliability and Promise-Keeping
The next qualities to look for in a great moving and storage company are reliability and promise-keeping. That means that if a representative of the company promises to do something, they do it – and if for some reason they must break that promise, they communicate with you about it and recommit to doing what needs to be done.
One of the most common complaints people have about moving companies is that they say they’ll arrive at a certain time and don’t. We always love it when we hear from clients who confirm that our employees are the most reliable they’ve worked with.
Communication
The art of communication is something that a great moving company will have mastered. You shouldn’t be the one following up with them, trying to communicate what you need and when you need it. The company you hire should be proactive, reaching out to you to confirm what you need and asking questions as needed.
Part of communication is having stability at the moving company – employees who work with clients over the course of multiple moves. We had one healthcare client write to us telling us that our employees were highly communicative, not only with them but with their patients. They clearly explained what would happen and how everything would work, and that minimized any stress or uncertainty that the patients might have been feeling.
"Mr. Gilmore, I wanted to take just a moment and tell you that we are so grateful for the professional and impressive work of Nick and Will (especially Nick). So, I have done tons of healthcare moves in my career and one with another company recently (only because Gilmore was booked). Hands down, Gilmore is a preferred vendor and part of that is due to people like Nick and Will. First of all, Patrina is always very responsive and efficient and easy to work with. That makes things so much easier for us!
"We have gotten Nick as a mover several times before and he is amazing. Very positive, upbeat and “can do” attitude. He remembers our names and he remembers what he has done for us in the past. He is very sensitive to patients in the area and timing of things in the practice so as not to be disruptive. He is a pure delight and I wanted you to know that. He is also very thoughtful and helps us “coordinate” the best way to do this or that (back and forth from the warehouse or other floors in the building, etc). Mr. Will just smiles and is so polite and also a “we will take care of that for you ma’am” kind of attitude and it’s just wonderful. Anyway, I thought you needed to know you have a wonderful team!" — Carla Johnson, West Florida Hospital
Empathy and Compassion
Hiring someone to help you move might seem like a straightforward endeavor, but because it can be so stressful, it’s essential for a great moving company to hire employees who will treat clients with empathy and compassion.
As we noted in the example above, communication is a big part of empathy. By communicating with everybody affected by the move, our employees can help to keep everybody feeling calm and confident.
We understand that you might be nervous about moving fragile items or things with a great deal of sentimental value. We always take care to ensure that items are packed properly, and we do everything we can to reassure our clients that we will be good guardians for their valued belongings.
Conclusion
Good moving companies are easy to find, but great ones are few and far between. To be sure that you’re hiring a great company that embodies the qualities we’ve reviewed here, we suggest that you read reviews and ask for references.
To learn more about Gilmore Services or book a move with us, please click here.
