Wednesday, February 2, 2011

"SHRINK-WRAP" Shrink-wrapping Furniture/Sofa? YES or NO?

    There may be no greater waste of time than for professional movers to shrinkwrap everything in your house.  Big moving companies love to do this and it may even be their policy.  Two reasons:

     1)    Traditional moving companies employ a multitude of rookie movers.  These guys do not know how to properly carry dressers/desks/sofas etc.  If it is the policy of the company to shrinkwrap everything then they do reduce the risk of these guys destroying furniture/homes via their lack of skills. 
     Aside:  Typical true story about rookies...  10 years ago, before All Pro Movers started in Wilmington, NC, I was working at a "circus" moving company fully stocked with idiots.  I watched 2 rookies struggle to figure out how to carry a triple dressed down 2 flights of stairs.  About 5 feet from the top landing (25 feet in from the ground) they leaned the dresser forward.  6 of the 9 drawers launched out of the dresser and over the side of the building into space.  Needless to say, drawers and contents were reduced to atoms.  After that incident these idiots began to shrinkwrap everything in sight.  They probably still don't know how to carry a dresser.  That's why I left.
     2)  Shrinkwrapping an entire house takes time.  Lots of time.  On the clock.  If a moving company buys a roll of shrinkwrap for $50 and uses it on a few jobs  they, after you factor in labor, will sell that roll for about $90,000.  Give or take.  Annual shrinkwrap revenue for these companies is in the billions.  maybe.

anyway,
SHRINKWRAP DOES NOT PROTECT YOUR FURNITURE.  Yes, it can be good for holding drawers in place if you don't know how to carry a dresser.  But your movers should know how to properly carry a dresser!! Without shrinkwrap!!  Anyway, if rookie movers smash your curio into your piano then shrinkwrap is not even in the equation.
     It has been witnessed that the shrinkwrapping of couches/sofas/and upholstered items may prove a nightmare when items are going into long-term storage or non-climate-controlled units where humidity is high and variable.  Air, not allowed to circulate due to the shrink wrap, traps moisture and harbors mold.  Mold can turn a solid colored couch into more of a floral pattern pretty quickly.
     Furthermore, in regard to furniture pads - if your movers want to pad all your furniture inside the house before they load it on the truck - look out!  Often times this gives them a carefree attitude when carrying your goods/sliding/slamming/grinding.  Real movers carry furniture directly to the truck, pad it on the truck (pad pile stays on truck) and load padded furniture accordingly.  That is the fastest way to operate.  That is how we do it.
     One more funny shrinkwrap story, actually this was a conversation that occurred many years ago on a move job, but I still get some laughs when I recall the brief exchange:

CUSTOMER:  "Are you going to "shrimp-wrap" my couch?" 
ME (chuckling):  "We can shrimp-wrap it, but that can be pretty expensive."
MY PARTNER:   "Naw, it's a lot cheaper if you leave the heads on."

We were howling.  Customer, not so much. 

If you need help moving near the Wilmington, NC area please give us a call for a free estimate.  We only operate in Wilmington, NC and the surrounding area.  910-232-6052  We don't use shrinkwrap unless the customer specifically requests this service.  We do not currently offer "shrimp-wrap" either.  It is out of season.

http://allpromovers.biz/

TIPPING MOVERS - Gratuity/Tips WHEN & HOW MUCH

    Q:  "What is a fair tip for the movers at the end of the job?"
     A:  "The sky is the limit."

     Okay that is my answer, but, of course, I am a full-time mover.  Let's talk reality...

     I was trained in Portland, OR and tips were great for movers.  Usually.  When we relocated to Wilmington, NC I was hired on at a local moving company.  I had 3 years experience at the time I was hired and was instantly, far-and-away, the best mover at that company (the owner included). 
     My tips plummeted.  I am talking ZEROS on 4 out of every 5 jobs.  STIFFED.
     The movers here told me that "People in the south don't tip."  I was astonished daily.  The actual problem was that I was hired at a moving company that was what we call a "circus".  A constant rotation of idiotic, mindless, criminal, drunk, high, weak, lazy "movers".  They drifted between jail, prison, and when they made it to the halfway house, they came out and moved furniture at the circus.  And when they get fired they rotate to a different circus.  "The longer the job takes, the more they makes."  They were sooooo slow.  Nobody I worked with had any idea what to do on a move job.  They could break anything or everything they touched.  These jobs were memorable.  Not in a good way.  I worked there 3 months and then started ALL PRO MOVERS where, from day 1, we have avoided these sketchy movers altogether by simply not hiring them.  But, I digress...

   Well, I can tell you that people in the south do tip.  People everywhere leave gratuity.  You just have to provide a great service. 

    HOW MUCH? 
     You should not decide how much to tip until the job is complete.  Watch the movers work.  Is the job going faster than you expected, or is it dragging?  Are the movers doing things to speed up the job or are they intentionally throwing up delays on the clock?  Is the crew making your move more, or less, stressful?  Is the crew leader adding unforseen charges?  Are they taking a lot of breaks?  (at All Pro Movers we probably average 1 ten minute break every 2 hours, but this is not a good benchmark for break-taking as we work a lot harder/faster than regular movers). Do they care about your furniture and residence? (that is obviously a critical factor that is easy to observe - are they slamming, dragging, dinging, etc.).  Do they know what they are doing?  Are they movers?  Do they know where they are?
     On a quick little local job, 1- 2 - 3 hours, you are probably going to start at $10- $15-$20 per mover for gratuity.  Adjust the amount, up or down, depending on the service level provided and the final bill; was it worth hiring this company?  If service was very bad, just pretend like you don't know about tipping movers.  If the job took 3 hours but it should have been done in 2, then $5 to $10 per mover.  Probably $5.  (they got the rest of their tip with the extra hour on their paycheck).   If the job took 2 hours and you thought it would take 4 or 5, then pass some of the money you saved on to the movers! 
     On large or long-distance moves you can start at 10% of the bill for gratuity and adjust up or down accordingly. 
     Feel free, in fact, be encouraged to tip individually.  If one guy is clearly a heads-up mover and is running the show like a maestro in a monkey house, then pull him aside at the end and give him extra gratuity as thanks for his efforts.  If one guy is slack, stiff him completely and tip the others on the side. 
 
 Hopefully this gives you some idea of how much and when to tip movers. 
     Customers who intend, from the onset, on tipping the movers are well advised to inform the movers of this fact straight out of the gate.  At the beginning of the job tell the movers directly that if the move goes quick and clean then the will be compensated, in cash, for their efforts.  You are almost guaranteed to have your movers paying attention. 
      Best of luck.
     Visit our website for more tips and ways to save money on moving day!

allpromovers.biz
    

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

If you are going to HIRE PROFESSIONAL MOVERS...

     Okay, today I am going to give one simple piece of advice to those of you who elect to hire professional movers.
     A common misconception held by the public is that "movers" know how to move furniture.  This is, of course, not always true.  All movers have to learn the trade.  The way you learn how to move furniture, sadly, is by making mistakes (or watching other movers make mistakes).  Mistakes on a moving job equate to damage, injury or both.  "Rookie" movers, movers in their first year or two, probably account for 90% of all damage on move jobs nationwide.  Almost all national moving companies employ rookies because they can pay them a pittance and reap huge, HUGE, profits off of their labor. 
     When you hire professional movers, your experience with a specific company will be based, most times, on your actual moving crew.  You do not know who will arrive.  A common 2-man crew, in most national moving companies, will consist of a "veteran" and an (ever-changing) rookie partner.  I could tell you horror stories about rookie movers.  They imperil everything and everyone on the job site.  Beyond that, they will require constant instruction from the veteran.  Provided they have dispatched a veteran. 
     So here is my advice:  No matter which moving company you hire, do yourself a favor and ask for an ALL VETERAN CREW.  Tell them specifically that you do not want any rookies on your job.  The person who is booking jobs for your moving company will know exactly what you are talking about.  If they cannot guarantee this stipulation then you need to find a different moving company.  No question.
     At All Pro Movers, a "one of a kind" moving company working in Wilmington, NC, our name really says it all.  Our business model, for 10 years now, has been to exclusively employ true professional movers.  No rookies.  Potential employees for All Pro Movers must have 3 years proven experience in all facets of moving, pass a criminal background check, and then finally pass a skills test to gain employment with us.  We avoid damage by avoiding rookies.  You should do the same!  Best of luck.