When you want to choose a good removal company, it can be hard even knowing where to start.
Removal companies will offer a number of different services, for varying prices. However, a reputable home moving firm will not let this detract from the high standard which should form the core of their business.
We have listed below the basics a good removal company should have. If you have made an enquiry and they can tick these boxes, you can be confident that you are dealing with a trustworthy company.
1. Are they insured?
At the very least, any removal company you are considering hiring to take care of your move should have insurance. This will cover you if anything is damaged during the move. Surprisingly, insurance isn’t a legal requirement for any company, not just removal firms. However, if you are trusting someone to look after your belongings, you need to know what will happen in a worst-case scenario.
We offer our customers two levels of insurance for complete piece of mind. The basic insurance is provided if you pack yourself and a comprehensive option is given as standard when we pack for you.
It might seem obvious but a good removal company should also have vehicle insurance as well as a valid MOT certificate for the vans they will be using for your move.
2. Are they recommended?
Nothing beats a personal recommendation, and that goes for any product and service. However, if your friends and family haven’t recommended a removal company, online reviews are the next best thing.
Good removal companies will be happy to provide you with customer reviews and testimonials upon request. However, you should find online reviews for them easily enough without having to ask.
There are several different review sites out there, and just because a removal company isn’t listed on one of them doesn’t necessarily mean they have no reviews. For instance, we prefer Yell, TrustPilot and Facebook for our reviews. Mostly because these are well-known and trusted by our customers.
3. Have you met them face-to-face?
All removal companies should offer you a free quotation. However, a good removal company will take the time to visit your current home, at a time to suit you, and conduct a home survey. It might sound cheesy but really no two moves are the same. You are the only person who has your belongings in your home. Without seeing this with their own eyes, how can a home moving company know what to expect on moving day?
What’s more, without taking the time to listen to you, the customer, a removal company is not going to know what your exact needs, requirements and concerns are going to be. This may only lead to unexpected complications for them and unwanted costs for you.
Following your survey, will send you a written quotation which will contain a price for each of our three bespoke moving packages. The packages are pretty self-explanatory but our customers always find it useful to discuss these with us in more detail, so they know exactly what they are getting for their money. Therefore, the home survey provides us with an ideal opportunity to have a chat and to answer any questions you may have.
4. Do they use protective covers and specialist equipment?
Sometimes, you might need a man and van to pick up and deliver some items from A to B. However, when it comes to moving home, you need someone who will take care and look after your belongings. Many removal companies may offer both full removal and man and van services. Therefore, always make sure that they will be using the correct protective covers and lifting equipment for your move.
A good removal company will carry covers for items such as:
- TVs
- White Goods
- Mattresses
- Sofas
- Arm Chairs
- Dining Table
- Dining Chairs
- Front Doors
Where protective covers aren’t available, a reputable firm will use blankets or bubblewrap to give an additional layer of protection to items before using shrink wrap to keep them safe and secure.
5. Do they have trained and expert staff?
It would be no good having all the gear but no idea! One of the reasons people hire removal companies is so that they do not have to worry about the logistics of the move or handle the heavy lifting. A good removal company will put both their customers and their employees first.
We provide each of our employees with manual handling training as a minimum. This protects their health and well-being first and foremost but also teaches them how to handle our customers’ heavy loads with care. Our more experienced team members also attend a course on home packing training. This ensures that any goods we pack for you is done expertly.
Furthermore, since being established in 2012, we have built up a team of experienced professionals. To date, we are proud to have nearly 20 years experience amongst our team. The best thing about this means that our knowledge can passed through to the younger generations in our team, ensuring the growth of expert removalists for years to come!
Are they a member of a regulatory or industry body?
Finally, reputable removing companies will want to ensure their operations meet industry best practice. The best way they can do this is to join a regulatory industry body. To be accepted as members, the regulatory body will conduct background research and due diligence as part of their application and on-going membership process. If nothing else, this saves you a lot of time and hassle looking into each company yourself!
Our continued Move Assured membership demonstrates a commitment to meeting high removal standards. It is important for us to show to our customers that their belongings are in good hands. Through our partnership with our friends over at Move Assured we are able to do this.
Furthermore, we are also licensed waste licence carriers and members of the Federation of Small Businesses. Each of these demonstrates our commitment to business and legal compliance too.
If you have any further questions, or would like to know more about our services or standards, please feel free to contact us on 0121 517 0368 or email info@jones-services.co.uk for more information.
