Advice from a Moving Company Owner: Handling the Stress of a Moving Job
- July 5, 2019
- By: Vonigo
This article about helping to manage your moving customer’s stress during a move is by Fred Craig, Owner of Craig Van Lines, a moving company based out of Virginia.
As a moving company owner, I know the stress and anxiety that a move can have on a person. Packing your life into tiny boxes can bring up long-forgotten memories and stir feelings of homesickness.
When moving day finally arrives, it’s not uncommon for your client to get so stressed out that they need to take a break. But whether my clients are moving for the first time or the hundredth, some things never change.
The brunt of a moving service is to transport goods from one location to another — simple, right? But a quality moving company knows that catering to an individual’s specific needs will offer the best results. At Craig Van Lines, we know how to accommodate a range of patrons. After all, we’ve been in the business for more than 40 years.
Managing Customer Service and Moving
We all know the pain and hassle of moving bulky furniture and cherished antiques. Here are some of the factors that cause immense amounts of stress for both your customers and by association, for you, if they’re overlooked. And, I’ll tell you how to how to fix them.
1. Take Care of the Tots
One of the most stressful parts of moving is managing the care and safety of one’s children. While teenagers might be able to help pack, organize, and label boxes, young children have a higher risk of getting into trouble.
During the hubbub of a big move, a child might slip and fall, get into messes they aren’t supposed to, or get under the boots of people moving furniture. Taking care of children is always a priority for a busy parent, but accommodating all of the other responsibilities might become overwhelming on moving day.
But more than 43 million people move every year, many of whom move with children. It might seem tough, I’ve moved innumerable families with children in tow. Ensure the kids are staying safe by coordinating with your customer to block off certain areas of the home — or relying on a child care center on moving day.
2. Taking Time Off Work
It doesn’t matter if they’re moving to the next state or the next town; I’ve witnessed countless customers say that they can’t imagine taking a few days off of work.
Unfortunately, they might be putting too much on their plate. More often than not, these people will buckle under the stress of a move.
Everyone needs to take time off during a move. Between the stress and the stacking number of responsibilities, giving oneself a day to unwind and relax is vital. Even when your team is handling all of the heavy lifting, it will help with their peace of mind to be present for the move and see you handle your work.
Consider encouraging your customers to take a day, or even several, especially if they’re handling the packing and prep before your arrival.
3. Using the Right Tools for the Job
Customers appreciate it and feel a lot more comfortable when they see their movers using the right equipment.
I’ve seen a hundred strong men pull a muscle in their back from lifting a heavy box. One of the best parts about hiring a professional moving company is that we rely on the best tools. How does the old adage go again? Work smarter, not harder.
And I work smart. My team uses a variety of tools and packing equipment to ensure a move goes as smoothly as possible. We use reinforced corrugated boxes for fragile materials and we won’t hesitate to break out the dolly when a box of books is too heavy.
We also utilize furniture pads and straps to help navigate around those tight corners when we want to keep walls safe from harm. Best of all? We know how to properly stack these uneven weight distributions in the truck.
Pro Truck-Packing Tip
Load the heaviest pieces of furniture first. When you follow the “I-Formation” way of loading your truck, your items will ship more safely.
It works like this. Put heavy items like appliances upright across the front of the truck. Desks, tables, and heavy boxes go down the middle, and the last of the heavy boxes go across the back, just in front of the back door.
This leaves space to either side of your “I” for mattresses and box springs on one side, and couches on the other. Backfill the remaining space with lighter boxes and other items as needed.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Because we’ve worked together for so long, you can expect quality experience from our team — we work like a well-oiled machine. That’s another factor that can’t be understated in managing a customer’s stress.
If everyone on the crew is clear on what their jobs are and the foreman is confident in their decision-making, the customer will feel more confident as well.
Want to learn about how our moving company software can help you manage and grow your moving business? Book a free, private demo of Vonigo.
