October 29, 2021
Moving Day Halloween Horror Stories
With Halloween around the corner, it’s the perfect time to talk about moving day nightmares and how you can avoid them!
We’ve all heard the horror stories about moving, both from the perspective of the mover and the customer. From condemned apartments full of feral animals, to customers severely downplaying how much furniture they have, to the fear that movers won’t show up at all, moving day can be frightening for everyone involved!
Customers are navigating one of life’s most stressful experiences, so movers should expect that some will fear the worst will happen. Here are some tips for managing those nightmare expectations!
Nightmare #1 – The Movers Don’t Show Up
A common fear for many customers, thankfully the moving company not showing up at all rarely happens in real life. To quash any fears, be sure to maintain contact with the customer in the lead up to the move.
If you’re even a few minutes later than the agreed upon time, customers might start to panic and assume you’re not going to show up at all. If you get stuck in traffic or are struggling to find parking, make sure you contact the customer as soon as possible to let them know that you’re on your way and they don’t need to worry!
Nightmare #2 – A House of Horrors
From an entire apartment built as a shrine to Jennifer Anniston, to an elderly woman’s house stocked full of animals stuffed into glass containers, to hundreds of porcelain dolls lined up in every room, we’ve heard it all! Every building a mover enters has the potential to shock them, but some moves can become true horror stories.
We know of a mover that showed up to a house and found it crawling with many cats (and the mess that unattended cats leave behind…). The house was condemned, the person was in the process of getting evicted, and the house was declared a biohazard. The safety of the crew is paramount and nobody should ever expect movers to operate in a house of horrors!
Nightmare #3 – The Boxes Go Missing
Another common customer fear, missing boxes or damaged items is a nightmare situation for everyone involved. As a mover, you’re responsible for the safe transportation of every single possession your customers own, including the items that are most sacred to them in the world.
Customers are understandably nervous about letting people they don’t know move their entire life, so putting them at ease, and building trust with them during every interaction before, during, and after the move, can help to quash this fear. For the rare occasions when something does get damaged on the move, moving insurance is your best friend.
Nightmare #4 – The Customer Bends The Truth
You’ve all been there. “It’s only two rooms”, they said. “Not much stuff,” they promised. “It won’t take you long. Two hours TOPS.” When you get there, you realize it’s five (large) rooms, there IS a lot of stuff, and it will take you (plus an additional mover), the rest of the day!
A thorough and detailed inventory can stop this nightmare situation. At Oncue, we help give our movers a clear idea of what they’re dealing with on move day with texted photos, a cubed out inventory, or both. It’s also important to explicitly state in your terms and conditions that anything NOT included on the confirmation email (Oncue includes a detailed inventory here) is subject to extra cost.
Nightmare #5 – The Moving Company is a Scam
The internet is rife with nightmare tales of moving companies stealing money from customers and disappearing into the cold, dark night with their belongings. Although this is rare, potential customers are likely to remember the horror stories they’ve heard and might assume that any moving company they select has the potential to scam them.
This is where your customer reviews and referrals can be the most beneficial. Ask every customer for a review as soon as the job is complete. Share good reviews on your website and on social media. Social proof is one of the most powerful tactics you have at your disposal, and people are drawn to companies that others have already had good experiences with. Shout your good reviews from the rooftops so potential customers can start building trust with you from their first interaction!
