Overall: Subpar, needs improvement.
I moved recently from a one bedroom apartment whose items were stored at a single family home to a four level townhouse. The amount of items I had was pretty minimal, however, the quote received from Inner City Mover was the most reasonable. Let's look at a breakdown of the service.
Initial Consultation: 4 stars.
Being proactive, I scheduled my move a month out prior. At the time, I didn't have an accurate count on how many boxes were currently in storage so I submitted an approximation. The quote was given pretty quickly, and the admin followed up with me consistently. Great start.
Finalization of Move: 2.5 stars
After I confirmed I wanted to use them, it took too long for them to follow up with the adjusted quote [I recounted boxes, anticipated the additional boxes I'd have to pack, and updated my list]. Almost a week and a half to the point I was going to just look for someone else. I think over three days is unacceptable, particularly as we neared to the date.
Pricing: 2 stars
While ICM is likely the most reasonable for the amount of things I was moving in this current economic climate, they are also the hardest to figure out how their pricing is calculated. Literally, if I added ten more boxes the price jumped nearly 200 dollars more without consideration to the size of boxes etc. I'd like them to publicize how their flat rate fee is calculated as it seems if you make any additional changes prior to the movers dispatching they just tack on however much they want. Also, in my case, I actually ended up having significantly less boxes than I anticipated [around 30 versus the 40-50] and I was still charged the initial quote which tells me that honesty is not a best policy if you use ICM on your part. Underestimate how much you move -- they don't validate it, and the byline 'you won't pay more than the flat rate' should also say 'and you won't pay less.' The movers also only moved two of the chairs I listed and didn't notice, which informs me they don't really look at the inventory list.
Movers: 3.5 stars
The movers themselves are the highlight. Their demeanor is quite polite and they are efficient and patient. For the most part, I was pleased with their performance except for two oversights. 1) ICM claims to be full service, however, they only bubble wrapped one of my pieces of furniture and upon moving into my newly constructed townhome, they damaged my wall. This could have been avoided had they taken the time to bubble wrap my dresser. 2). They were unprepared with supplies. They had no plastic bags to cover their feet. One shouldn't have to need that requested on an inventory sheet -- you are going into people's homes with hardwood, carpet, etc. That should be standard. I inquired about this and the gentleman said he'd have to call someone to bring them the supplies -- he never made the call. This was annoying. Luckily I had gone shopping at Target the previous day and still had a lot of those bags in my trunk, otherwise, there would have been a problem.
Payment Options: 0 stars
Apparently, they only accept cash or check in 2018. And furthermore, I inquired about payment early on in the quote -- the admin didn't think it important enough to mention they only accept cash or check so when they were completed, I had to drive back to the previous location to get payment. Again, it's 2018.. get Square. I realize they don't want to pay the 2.5% transaction fee, but make it convenient for your customer. People typically don't go around carrying around hundred dollars of cash or have accessible checkbooks anymore.
Attitude: 5 stars
The one shining beacon of light is the attitude of the employees. Everyone was very professional in how they spoke and handled calls and pleasant. I appreciated this.
Honorability: 0 stars
So the initial quote I was given noted there would be three people -- only two showed up. This was an inconvenience to me considering my quote amount changed several times based on 10 or so boxes being added. If you're going to charge me for more personnel, honor that. Additionally, as previously mentioned, less boxes than noted on initial quote, and two chairs missed. Furthermore, I sent an email detailing all of the above after the move -- maybe that night or the following morning and received no response. I had to call them, in which they stated they would talk about it with the manager and figure out a way to compensate me before calling me back. It's about two days later, and while I've seen no call they did deposit my check. That left a bad aftertaste in my mouth.
All that said, if you are looking for cheap movers, this is definitely the right go for you. Just don't expect top notch service, and as they produce a flat rate fee based on the amount of items you anticipate, always undersell how many things you have. read more