Understanding a Shipper's Moving Needs

Understanding the shipper's moving needs is first and foremost in order to have a safe, organized and successful move. It all starts with either visiting with the customer and viewing their shipment or asking the right questions over the phone.

It is always recommended to view the shipment. This ensures that we see and understand the specific needs the shipper has, such as: crating of specific pieces, exact packing needed, bulky items that need special equipment or manpower, size of the shipment, obstacles that may impede the crews progress, stairs, elevators, parking distance, long carrier, shuttle, and most importantly...finding out what the individual shipper is most concerned about or what is most precious to them.

Now it is not always possible for an on site estimate to be done. Due to timing, sometimes we must find out as much as we can over the phone. We always start off with the size of the home. This gives us a great indication of the amount of furniture, size of crew needed, and weight of shipment. We go further than that. We find out if they have what we call specialty items, such as: pool tables, trampoline, grandfather clock, large glass, marble, granite, plasma TVs, or antiques. These are all extremely important when it comes to estimating a job. We do this to know if we need crating for marble, glass, or granite. In addition, pool tables require 3rd party services to remove the slate, disassemble the table and then reassemble. Grandfather clocks require the pendulum and weights and require re-installation and resetting the clock at destination.

All these are extremely importing when estimating a move and understanding the specific needs each individual customer. We pride ourselves on understanding these specific needs in determining a fair and accurate estimate.