When you start searching for a moving company online, you will probably notice right away many of the moving companies are part of big, national chains. However, you can also find many smaller, locally-owned private moving companies, which is the better choice?
When you start searching for a moving company online, you will probably notice right away many of the moving companies are part of big, national chains. However, you can also find many smaller, locally-owned private moving companies, which is the better choice?
Moving prices
If you are moving locally within your city or county, then a locally-owned, smaller moving company is probably going to be the cheaper option. However, if you are moving long distance, than the national companies will probably be cheaper. This is because they offer freighting services (when your belongings are packed with other people’s belongings and driven across county). The national moving company may also have a job waiting for them in their destination, so you don’t have to pay fuel costs for the drive back.
Customer service
Large moving companies will probably have a hotline you can call where a staff of service agents will answer your call. You aren’t going to get personalized customer service, and you probably aren’t going to get any extra services like advice or support. By contrast, local, small moving companies have a reputation to maintain and rely more on word-of-mouth referrals, so they will generally go out of their way to give good custom service. Of course, this is not always the case and some local moving companies give terrible customer service. You have to interview and research the company carefully!
Services offered
National moving companies will offer more services, such as storage, packing and unpacking, vehicle transportation, and boat transportation. Local moving companies generally can’t offer these services, but they might have deals with third party providers and can arrange this for you.
Level of service
With large national moving companies, you are generally going to get clean, well-maintained trucks and equipment because they have it in their budget. Many local, privately-owned moving companies also have great trucks and equipment, but they could also show up in a beat-up old truck – so do your research!
As far as the expertise of the movers, this can vary considerably with both large and small moving companies. You might think that the national movers would be better, but they often have a very high turnover rate and don’t pay their employees very well (often, it is a seasonal job for their movers). Don’t expect the movers to be experienced. The same can apply to local movers, and they may even rely on day laborers instead of a fixed full-time staff. But local moving companies can also invest a lot in training their employees and have good staffs who have been working for them a long time. Again, you’ve got to do your research into the company!
Moving prices
If you are moving locally within your city or county, then a locally-owned, smaller moving company is probably going to be the cheaper option. However, if you are moving long distance, than the national companies will probably be cheaper. This is because they offer freighting services (when your belongings are packed with other people’s belongings and driven across county). The national moving company may also have a job waiting for them in their destination, so you don’t have to pay fuel costs for the drive back.
Customer service
Large moving companies will probably have a hotline you can call where a staff of service agents will answer your call. You aren’t going to get personalized customer service, and you probably aren’t going to get any extra services like advice or support. By contrast, local, small moving companies have a reputation to maintain and rely more on word-of-mouth referrals, so they will generally go out of their way to give good custom service. Of course, this is not always the case and some local moving companies give terrible customer service. You have to interview and research the company carefully!
Services offered
National moving companies will offer more services, such as storage, packing and unpacking, vehicle transportation, and boat transportation. Local moving companies generally can’t offer these services, but they might have deals with third party providers and can arrange this for you.
Level of service
With large national moving companies, you are generally going to get clean, well-maintained trucks and equipment because they have it in their budget. Many local, privately-owned moving companies also have great trucks and equipment, but they could also show up in a beat-up old truck – so do your research!
As far as the expertise of the movers, this can vary considerably with both large and small moving companies. You might think that the national movers would be better, but they often have a very high turnover rate and don’t pay their employees very well (often, it is a seasonal job for their movers). Don’t expect the movers to be experienced. The same can apply to local movers, and they may even rely on day laborers instead of a fixed full-time staff. But local moving companies can also invest a lot in training their employees and have good staffs who have been working for them a long time. Again, you’ve got to do your research into the company!
Difference between small and large moving companies?
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