Moving house? Congrats! A new home or office always has that wonderful fresh air of a new beginning! But how do you find reliable people to get you there?
Save time in the long run by researching beforehand
Obviously, the first place to turn to when you are searching for literally anything is the internet. However, do not limit yourself to just generic googling. Since you are looking for movers in Austin, target your searches to Austin and its surroundings. This is called “local SEO”, which you can learn more about in this article: it works for searches as well as content creation.
Taking the time to research on your own has some distinct upsides. It is quick and convenient, for starters. Nobody can filter what you read (mostly we mean testimonials and sample contracts) to make themselves look better. You get tons of options to pick from and you can learn about all of those potential companies from different perspectives: their own, their employees’, their previous clients’. Finally, thanks to contact forms, you can directly submit any questions and concerns you might have.
Get personal recommendations
Since you are looking for local movers, or at least a company that has a local base, one of the best ways to approach your search is to get recommendations from actual locals. Seek out the opinions of family, friends, neighbors, or coworkers.
One distinct benefit that personal recommendations have is that the eternally present element of doubt is significantly reduces, if not entirely removed. What we mean by this is, who knows what lies behind a written testimonial? It could be the company singing praise to themselves or it could be a malicious competitor blowing their flaws out of proportion.
With a personal recommendation, you get direct physical access to a past customer. You can ask any question that bugs you on the spot, and you can immediately see the face and tone with which they answer.
Pay attention to online reviews
Right in line with the previous point, be extra attentive when reading online reviews of a company and their service. They are bound to have some testimonials on their website, and these are bound to be carefully curated – meaning, not all that reliable.
Instead, turn your eye to other resources. A third party blog article on finding movers will likely mention a few names to watch out for. Glassdoor is another invaluable resource, because it allow employees to voice their honest opinions on their work environment: the conditions, values, and people.
Focus on the negative. Notice what the most common issues are and how the company responded to each of these complaints.
Always get different options
Never settle for the first! Pick out at least three different companies and compare their services. Also, make a point of getting an estimate from each of them. Usually, companies give them for free. Avoid those that give wonderfully low estimates – they tend to provide service at quality just as low as their price. Your property may end up damaged, lost, or stolen.
Follow these fool-proof tips, and you will definitely be able to find good, affordable, reliable movers right in your local area. After you have settled on two or three potential choices, remember to also take some time and check for these essential things to guard against incompetent service and scammers:
Never trust any company that is not properly licensed. Always ask for their license number and check it with the Department of Transportation. You can find the tool you need for that at this link: https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/hhg/search.asp
Always find out what specific experience they have. Not every moving company will be the right for your moving needs: relocating to a fancy new apartment, for example, is a completely different story from relocating offices.
Also, get them to submit their references to you, , and ascertain the actual physical location of the company offices. This way, you will have a specific place to report to if there is any kind of emergency (plus you can get ahold of them more easily if you need to hold them accountable for any damages to your property).
