Moving from one place or city to another with lock, stock and barrel have become a regular norm. Living in rented places is the biggest reason why people move regularly from one place to another, with career advancements being a close second. After a few years of living alone, people have enough luggage and items that need to be moved to the new location. Movers and packers are very much in demand for relocation of homes as well as offices or commercial establishments. There are several criteria people consider before procuring services of these professionals. In India, one needs to be extra careful before hiring Movers and Packers. Here are some tips before you go ahead with it:
Things to consider when choosing Movers and Packers:
Do you know that most local movers and packers don’t even have the proper licenses to operate? If they are local operators that move goods within the city, chances are that they don’t even have an office. What guarantee do you have regarding the safe transit of your household goods and valuables? Whether it is intrastate or inter-state moving, you need to be sure that your goods will reach the destination intact. With so many new packaging companies emerging in the market, it is obviously confusing for the customer to chose the right one.
Here are some points you must consider before you select your movers and packers:
#1 – Authenticity:
A genuine company will have all the licenses and documents in place. They will even carry a few copies with them when they come to meet you. The bills generated need to have registration numbers and you can also check their trade licenses and service tax details.
#2 – Background Check:
Ask them for details of their past customers. Do not rely on the testimonials on their website or their client list. Speak to actual people who have used their services in the past and check how qualified they are in packaging.
#3 – Experience:
Are they new to the market and business or have been in the industry for long? While you consider this point, you can also refer the first two points. If the movers and packers are new but have a good list of satisfied customers, competitive rates and all documentation in place, it is worth the try. Often, experienced and big brands take small shifting projects for granted and do not provide quality service. Be clear of your expectations and convey it to the vendor.
If you are moving a commercial set-up from one location to another, your requirements will be different as compared to moving homes. Understand whether the movers and packers have experience in commercial space shifting or packing and moving household stuff before you finalise.
#4 – Team of Workers:
Does the company provide their own team of skilled packers or have they outsourced the task? If they have subcontractors, then you must have clear communication of the number of people coming for packing and their names and ids. This is of utmost importance for your safety. Also, using stretch films, corrugated sheets and managing the placement of different items in corrugated boxes isn’t an easy task. The Packers need to be experienced in it. A skilled team will complete your work in shorter duration and with more finesse ensuring a smooth movement.
#5 – Cost:
This is obviously an important criteria for choosing movers and packers. The regular exercise of comparing competitor rates is the first approach. Don’t go with the first vendor who provides you the lowest rate. Your decision must be based on the above criteria too.
How Movers and Packers can get more business
- Do not ask for all the money in advance. Indian customers prefer paying a small amount as advance and will pay the major share post procurement of services.
- Add uniqueness to your packaging methods by using coloured BOPP tapes to mark or pack articles from different rooms or sections. This will make it convenient for your customers to unpack. These value added services help in building popularity through word of mouth.
- Provide insurance for the packing and moving services you provide. This helps achieve brand reliability.
- Use good quality packaging material which includes bubble wraps, corrugated boxes, stretch film and BOPP tapes. For commercial packing and moving, you need to use tamper evident mailing bags or security envelopes to store confidential data.
- Customers are interested in how well and quickly you pack their goods and how smooth the movement is. Their valuables must reach the place without any damages and prompt customer support must be provided.
- Provide support till the last leg of the moving and packing. Customers will carry this experience with them and recommend your services to others too. This is the best way to build customer base.
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