Are you looking for a reliable moving and storage company? Maybe you’ve never had to find one before and do not really know what you should be looking for. There are several clues that you can look out for, in order to know whether the residential moving company that you are considering is a trustworthy moving and storage company.
Good Reputation
The best way to find a good moving and storage company is to talk to friends and family that have moved before you. If you don’t know anyone that has moved that you feel comfortable asking, you can take a look at the reviews for various companies on websites like Yelp. They will offer unbiased opinions from customers who have done business with the company you are looking into. You want to make sure that you use someone that has a good reputation around town. You are trusting your belongings into the hands of someone you don’t know, so you need to know everything will be alright. You could also look them up at the website of the Better Business Bureau and do a background check.
Minimal Complaints
Keep in mind, when you look up a moving and storage company’s reviews, there are always going to be those people that can’t be pleased. So, don’t be surprised if there are a couple of bad reviews. However, take note of what the bad reviews say. You’ll probably be able to see if it’s just the type of person that doesn’t like to be happy. You can even take a look at their profile and other reviews they have left to see if they only ever leave a review when they have a bad experience. However, the majority of the reviews should be good reviews. If a company has mostly bad reviews, you can assume you won’t have a good experience either. Go for the company with more than 80%-90% good reviews.
Pleasant First Impression
Never trust a company that will give you a quote without coming in person to see what you are going to back packing, moving or storing. Big name companies aren’t always the best option and websites that offer to find the mover for you open you up to be scammed. After you get your recommendations for several companies, have them come out and give you an estimate. Show them everything you have and then get a quote in writing. Pay attention to how they conduct themselves around you and your home. Are they respectful and careful even as they walk around your house or do they act like they own the place? Do they listen and give off a pleasant vibe or are they rude and in a hurry? These are important things to consider.
Competitive Prices
While you don’t want to go with the most expensive company just because you assume they are better, you also do not want to go with a company just because they are the cheapest. A good moving company will have competitive rates but may not be the cheapest, nor the most expensive.
Current License and Insurance
Before you commit to a certain company, make sure that you check that they have a current license and insurance. You can check licenses on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website. Make sure that all the information that they gave is the same as what shows up under their USDOT number. The out of service field should be marked no, there should be information about how many trucks and drivers they have compared to how many moves a month they take care of as well as various other information.
Various Services
You will need to find out what insurance is included in the moving package and what happens if they break or lose something. Some companies will offer further insurance. There are companies that will also offer you packing services an extras as an incentive.
Be very thorough in your search and do not worry about coming off as too paranoid. It is better to be paranoid and keep your belongings safe than to be too flippant and end up having things stolen or broken with no way of getting compensated.
