How To Separate Good Moving Companies From Bad Ones

The difference between good moving companies and bad ones is paramount. Discover what they are and why it matters.

The average cost of hiring moving services in Canada is approximately $1,648. That translates to about $2 billion spent on moving services in 2019 alone.

While the need to hire a mover is straightforward, finding good moving companies you can count on is anything but easy. Scams involving moving services are nowadays rife, and you need to be highly discerning to avoid losing your money and property.

Here is an in-depth look at a few things that help distinguish exceptional moving companies from suspicious ones.

1. Presence of a Local Office
   It’s pretty simple – if a moving company is to best help you, they need to be reachable. A local office helps resolve issues for customers in the local area that remote consultations won’t manage to solve.

   If a moving company does not have a local office (or if they do not permit visitors to their offices), you should take that as a red flag portending a bad moving service provider to steer clear of.

   Once you find a firm that has a local office, don’t only take their word for it. Take time to visit the office and verify that it’s legitimate physically.

   While at their physical premises, pay attention to the small details that can help you discern their level of service. Are they caring for their property, or is everything run down?

   It’s hard for a moving company to not care for its facilities better than it would care for your property when handling your move. More likely than not, the same culture that the company has internally in relation to paying attention to detail is what the staff adopts when they attend to each customer.

2. A Functioning Website
   Today’s businesses are adopting technology in every facet of their operations, and that includes running a functional website. It’s an essential requirement for a reputable moving company to operate a website that can help its clients around the clock.

   As such, one way to distinguish a melon is to check out its website. If they do not have any, you should skip to the next alternative. It could be that they can’t afford a website or that though the firm may have the funds, they don’t see the value of giving customers a useful point of service. Either way, you can see how it paints a less-than-stellar picture of the moving company in question. If they do have a website, take time to check whether it can help you glean more information about the company’s operation and reputation.

   Does the site’s design make it easier for you to find the information you are looking for? Are you noticing basic errors on their website that can be corrected relatively easily? The level of attention a moving company gives to its customer-facing assets such as a website should signal what to expect from them. If a moving company does not find it critical to pay attention to detail on such a vital customer-facing tool, then they definitely won’t pay as much attention to your property.

3. Their Reputation
   The widespread reputation of a moving company among the public is also useful in helping you avoid hiring the wrong firm. If you can, reach out to past customers who have worked with the moving company to find out about their experience. As you interview these past clients, pay special attention to how the firm served them during any complications or problems. Once you talk to two or three previous (or current) clients, you can begin to gain a clearer picture of the moving company’s dependability.
   Additionally, you can also go online to check out reviews about the firm. When you are assessing online customer feedback, pay close attention to the negative reviews. What are the particular pain points for each negative review? How well (or not) were they resolved? Did the form take the initiative to reach out to the aggrieved customer? How swiftly did the company reach out? These are all indicators that spell out a moving company’s ethos, which gets reflected in its reputation.
4. Multiple Payment Methods
   If a moving company tells you they can only take cash, you should steer clear of that service provider. That’s because a reputable moving company will always lay out multiple forms of accepting payments to cater to its clientele. When it comes to checks, don’t accept it when they say they won’t handle checks as they can’t verify them. That is a straight-up lie. All checks can be validated, and if a firm is worried about your check being legitimate, they can retain a validation company to guarantee it. Alternatively, the firm can simply wait for your check to clear before they facilitate the move.
5. Valid License
   It goes without saying that the only moving company you should pay must have a valid license. In Canada, there aren’t as many regulations as there are in the United States to govern moving companies. In this Wild West, it’s quite easy to get scammed. Therefore, it’s prudent to ensure that you check with the Canadian Association of Movers before paying any money. The organization has a running list of all legitimate moving service providers, which you can use to determine the legitimacy of the firm you plan to hire.
6. Not Asking You to Pay All the Money Upfront
   Do not, under any circumstance, hire a moving company that requires you to pay all the money upfront. A reputable moving firm will typically need you to pay a deposit of around 10% upfront before they facilitate the move. If your move is a local one, you will then pay the balance as soon as it’s done. Should you be hiring the firm for a long-distance move, the firm will require you to clear the balance when the truck arrives and before they begin unloading your property.

Protect Your Property When Moving With Good Moving Companies
Moving companies offer a critical service, and it’s the essential nature of the job that many fraudsters prey on to scam unsuspecting customers. To avoid losing your money, and even property, in such a scam, you’ll need to learn the traits that separate good moving companies from the less reputable ones. Make an effort to look beyond the immediate perception and query what lies underneath, if you are to make the right choice. Metropolitan Movers is an award-winning moving company focused on quality customer service. Talk to us today for customized, stress-free, and reliable moving services.