Help Clients Make the Most of Moving Day
Professional Hints on Getting from Home A to Home B
By Melanie Bergeron
Long-term relationships are an essential ingredient to success in today's real estate marketplace. Your jobs as realtors should not end at closing - by providing a little extra "TLC," you can potentially secure lifelong business. Helping commercial and residential clients find a safe and reliable moving source can be a great start.
Moving is one of the most stressful activities in a person's life, hands down. But with the right kind of planning and care, you can help make your client's relocation a piece of cake.
Step One: Planning Ahead
When plotting cross-town moves, most people don't feel like lifting a finger. This explains why more and more residents are taking the safe, affordable and convenient route of hiring a company that specializes in local moves. By trusting professional movers to handle the heavy lifting, families and businesses can focus on the countless other details associated with changing addresses.
Encourage clients to start planning their move at least four to six weeks before the desired moving date. Waiting until the last minute can be a recipe for serious headaches, especially when it comes to retaining the services of a mover. Summer is always the busiest time of the year for movers, and the beginning and end of each month are traditionally busier than mid-month (rent and mortgage payments are due on the first), regardless of the season.
National van lines tend to have bigger (53') trucks that are better suited for longer and larger moves. However, these companies sometimes cannot nail down the loading/unloading schedule to a specific day. And since they often try to maximize the extra cargo space, a customer's belongings may be packed in with other people's items on the same truck. Finally, customer belongings might be handled several times if trucks are swapped along the way.
On the other hand, local and regional moving companies use smaller (26') trucks during the moving process. They also offer more convenient scheduling for moves (customers are given a specific date and time), and belongings are loaded and unloaded just once.
Step Two: Obtaining a Moving Estimate
Do a little research before presenting clients with the names of three moving companies. Because regardless of whether you're recommending a contractor, cleaning service or Chinese restaurant, you put your reputation on the line when making a referral. Steering a client down the wrong path could come back to haunt you, so make sure you can vouch for the businesses you endorse.
You should advise clients to contact each mover and have them explain the services listed in the estimate provided. They should then compare each estimate to see which mover best suits their specific needs.
The Internet can be a good starting point for finding a moving company, but should not be used to obtain an estimate. Customers can help guarantee accurate estimates by contacting the moving company and speaking directly to a trained representative.
Since most disputes over moving agreements occur when the customer is confused about pricing, Two Men and a Truck created the 12 Questions to Ask Moving Companies guide to help customers understand all aspects of the estimation process. The helpful list can be found at
www.twomenandatruck.com.
Clients should want movers to treat their possessions as if they are their own, so make sure they ask the following questions before hiring a local moving company:
- Do you charge by the piece or by the hour? Most times paying by the hour with an accurate estimate is better. No matter how the rate is calculated, customers should find out everything that is included in advance so that there are no extra charges down the road. After all, nobody likes surprises during the moving process. Pricing for moving companies is regulated in many states. The best local movers will customize each move within a specified budget, regardless of if a customer wants to transport a single couch or the entire contents of a large estate.
- Are my items insured during the move? Be sure to ask for an explanation of the company's policies and options. Customers should make sure the mover is insured and bonded for the valued amount of their merchandise.
- Do you have full-time employees, or do you use temps and day labor? Be cautious of moving companies that use temps and day labor; they are usually not adequately trained.
Step Three: Packing Wisely
Before your clients hit the road - whether on their own or with the help of a local mover - they should devote valuable time and effort to the packing process. Start by compiling a room-by-room inventory of things that need to be moved to the new residence, items that can be moved to storage or another facility, and those that can be discarded or donated to charity. Note that many moving companies also offer packing and unpacking services and supplies.
And remember: the heavier the items, the smaller the box. A common packing 'no-no' is to simply toss everything into one huge box, which will only make the haul more challenging.
Melanie Bergeron is president of the Lansing, Michigan-based Two Men and a
TruckŪ International. Founded in 1985, Two Men and a TruckŪ is the nation's largest local commercial and residential moving franchise system, with more than 116 locally owned and operated locations in 25 states, with a current fleet of more than 740 trucks. Visit
www.twomenandatruck.com
for more information.
On the Web
The U.S. Post Office has made its Movers Kit available online at
https://moversguide.usps.com/. Visitors can complete the Change of Address form and access other information to make their relocation official.
www.MaketheMove.com is a convenient Web service that enables people to transfer utility, phone, wireless, Internet and cable services with a few clicks of the mouse.
Here are a few other helpful links to pass along:
(06/03/2003)
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