(This review is written after this company has packed my household. I will post an update if any…read morenoteworthy changes occur when my things are delivered)
So point number one. Because of the company I work for, this moving company was chosen for me. From the moment the company was contacted by my employer, they put themselves in touch with me via e-mail and by phone to confirm that date they were to arrive. They would later contact me three other times through a pre-inspection and with phone calls to ensure everything was correct.
After hearing some of the major issues other people have had with moving companies in the past, I'm not understanding the disconnect between the company constantly checking in with me and the ability for me to identify potential issues. In this regard, G&G did an awesome job with all of the logistical coordination. Times, locations and all of these things were not an issue.
Point two, the actual movers themselves were, a bit rougher around the edges. Honestly, I get it. It's a labor-intensive job and I want people who handle my things to be comfortable doing so. However, I feel like matching t-shirts would have gone a long way in terms of professional appearance. However as hard-working these gentlemen were -and they were EXTREMELY hard working- they resembled a team of workers assembled that morning.
The first time I got an uneasy feeling about the process was when my point of contact (the foreman, and pre-inspector) arrived at my house with the crew. Once we walked through and identified what needed to be moved, he took off to another site, leaving me with the movers. I suppose it was naive to think he would have stuck around or even done any lifting, but the fact that he "handed me off" so easily was a bit uncomfortable.
The team that was physically moving me started the day with three men. They worked very fast and efficiently, and spot-resolved issues with me directly. (Ex. pointing out things that could not be packed, things that could be disassembled)
My second issue came when mid-way through my packing they starting switching crew members without telling me. One of the three members left for whatever reason, and was later replaced by another man. With my door propped open and boxes of my possessions all over the lawn, people were walking into my house unannounced and moving my stuff. Me introducing myself to your employees is a pretty terrible (and a SUPER simple to correct) issue to have.
What you readers probably most want to know is how they handled my stuff. The valuable and delicate things in particular. What's good to know, is that everything gets packed. Regardless of if it's a hard-plastic cooler, or an ornate decoration, it's going to get wrapped and taped. The bad news is that slow-packing moving companies rarely make money.
Ask yourself this: have you treated everything at YOUR job with the same respect you treat your own things? Well, the brutal truth is that a few things are probably going to arrive at my next house a little chipped and cracked. My advice is to minimize the damage by doing as much pre-pack work as you can. Wrap your own things the way you want them wrapped, double-check your high value items and make your own packing list, and address issues you have before they become issues. Seriously, make a stink.
Long story short: they're professional movers who packed my shit quickly.
I had my entire (and very small) house moved by the end of the day, and I would say with great success. I gave G&G three stars because I never had any major issues with them, and what issues I had were minor and only on the actual move day. However, G&G also gets three stars because I felt like a number of issues could have been mitigated by a box of company polo shirts and a 15-minute "stand-up" meeting of standard customer service practices.
And if you think a 3/5 is bad, you should hear what people are saying about the other companies. Sounds like G&G is the front runner of the area.
- Personal Notes:
I had a lot of success with buying a small sandwich plate from the local grocery store. Nothing fancy, but about a dozen cold-cuts. At first, they were polite and said no, but after a few hours in they all caved and had some. I've talked to other people in my office that have had similar success by providing food, and I believe it's in your best interest to do the same.
Pre-pack in moderation. I did a TON of pre-move work to make it easier on them. Personally, I think this made a positive impact, but not enough to warrant how much work I did. Empty your trash cans, sweep and mop for sure. But don't go overboard with separating and organizing, focus on making sure you account for every item you own.
Last, keep a first-aid kit handy. That's pure personal experience talking.
