Local Movers - Information You Need Before Hiring A Company

It takes little to no effort at all to hire local movers. You simply browse through the appropriate phone directory, pick a name, and hire them. But while this will get someone out to your house on the right day, it will do very little to ensure you have hired a quality company. If you're interested in that, you'll have to do a bit of research. While combing the internet for reviews and asking your friends for recommendations is important, your best information will come straight from the horse's mouth. Here is some information you should ask for before making your decision.

Cost

It is not necessarily a great idea to go with the cheapest local movers in the phone book, but you deserve to know a company's rates before you make a decision. Many companies will charge by the pound as well as the distance. Some charge by the hour. You need to get an estimate before you agree to the terms. While there can be changes between the estimate and the final cost, you may want to look for (or demand) a clause that states the change can be no more than 15% different. This will prevent you from thinking you're paying one amount before being billed for something outrageous.

Using Subcontractors

Some local movers will sometimes use smaller companies for lesser projects. This is obviously more likely to be the case if you are dealing with a large company with several locations. Some of the national chains are particularly likely to do this. Now, merely because a company uses subcontractors, should they be discounted? No. Hopefully, they will ensure that these drivers meet their standards of service. They are representing the larger company after all. Still, it's something to investigate if you know this is the case.

Reputation

\Local movers live and die on their reputations. After all, repeat business isn't going to be their bread and butter. Most people will not move enough to make that a profitable business model. Some companies feel as though this gives them carte blanche to treat the customer any way they want, save breaking the law. This is rapidly changing in the era of the internet. Word spreads fast and bad reviews spread even faster. Make sure you check out a company's reputation before you start thinking of hiring them. If other customers have had bad experiences, there's no reason to expect that yours will be any better.