Choosing a removal company is easier than it looks. Some removalists can be a real help, telling you how to handle your self-storage, and may also provide multiple services and charge good rates. Others can charge a lot of money and provide not much more than basic services at inflated rates.
The issues
Removalists have been getting a bad rap for good reason. Some services are very substandard and quite indefensible as business practices. You have to question the logic of anyone in business providing so much material for comedians and consumer complaints.
Damage to goods, poor quality service, excessive charges, you name it, removalists have had arguably more than their share of complaints. You don’t hear much about the good removalists, though. Tens of thousands of people move every day of the year, and it’s worth remembering that not all removalists are idiots.
The problem is finding the good removalists in a directory that might have literally hundreds of removalists listed. It’s very important to know how to tell a good removalist from a shoddy one. In practice, the differences can cost a lot of money. It’s best to define a good removal company rather than provide a series of “Don’ts” in this case.
Good removalists are easily identified:
- Competitive rates: The good removalists may not have the lowest charges, but they never have the highest, either. The removalists are a business, after all, and they work to sell services competitively. You also have to wonder about anyone who doesn’t recognize the problems of pricing themselves out of the competitive zone.
- Range of services: Good removalists provide packing materials, storage containers, packing services, and often good straightforward customer service and problem-solving solutions for moving issues.
- Corporate image: Ironically, for once, the corporate image means something. The best removalists provide good materials for their staff, and they don’t use beat-up old trucks that look like they’re from the Stone Age.
- Comparisons: The best removalists tend to supply more services at mid-range rates, and you’ll find their quotes more comprehensive. The comparisons soon weed out the less appealing removalists and will narrow down the choices to a few good companies.
Talking to removalists
The next stage is direct contact.
Ask a few questions:
- What sort of packing do I need?
- Have you got any containers I can buy?
- Do you have furniture covers?
- I have to move some electronics. What have you got for these?
- Do you provide a packing service?
The best removalists will answer each question:
- What sort of packing do I need? We’ve got a full range of packing materials for anyone; I’ll send you a list of our products.
- Have you got any containers I can buy? Yes, what do you need?
- Do you have furniture covers? We have fabric, bubble wrap, and tarps, etc.
- I have to move some electronics. What have you got for these? We’ve got special containers for computers, TVs, DVD players, gaming consoles, whatever you need.
- Do you provide a packing service? Yes, and we can organize your packing to your moving schedule.
