TL;dr - I would not hesitate to use Pat's Moving and Storage again or to recommend them to others : especially to those unlucky enough to be dealing with extermination issues.
Pat was one of a number of movers recommended to us by a top extermination firm in the city - movers they'd worked with successfully in the past. Many of the movers on that list either didn't return my calls or were no longer willing to work with customers with bedbugs or didn't want to deal with a long distance move with a destination on a dirt road. Pat picked up on the first ring, was immediately both personable and helpful.
One of the key differences to Pat's service is the estimate process. Instead of wanting a list of your items or caring about square feet, number of rooms, etc - Pat actually wants to see what his crew is going to be moving and asks for pictures of any and all large or heavy items to be moved, along with an estimate of the number of boxes you'll be moving. Pat followed up by visiting our apartment a week or so before our move date to personally inspect what we'd be moving. We ended up having 3-5x more boxes than we'd originally estimated - the personal inspection gave us a chance to have a more accurate estimate of our final costs and, more importantly, for Pat and the exterminator to determine the proper size truck and amount of pesticide for our items.
On the (first) day of the move Pat was on time, looking for parking during ASP, and his crew arrived shortly thereafter. I was immediately impressed with the crew. Most took the time to introduce themselves. All were energetic, thoughtful, and there was a clear sense of camaraderie between the crew members as well as between the crew and Pat. They clearly like each other and like working together. And they all care about doing a good job - asking questions, asking for clarification, bringing their own supplies, asking to borrow things when needed, spotting for each other, open to suggestions, offering each other suggestions, open to assistance. Even though all our items, as well as Pat's truck and gear, was going to be exterminated the following day, he still brought special supplies to try and keep the space, the move, and his crew bug-free. It was, without question, the best in-home service call of any kind I'd had during my time living in NY.
Delivery and pickup to/from the exterminator went without problem. Pat and his crew were on the road when expected - maybe even early.
Circumstances made it so that I left the city much later than the moving truck, and Pat and his crew were finished unloading when I arrived at my new home. Despite my absence, he stayed in touch with me throughout the day and coordinated unpacking at my wife's instruction. She had nothing but positive things to say about Pat and his crew.
Pat is a professional and seems to be an all-around good guy. He treats his workers well and inspires an energetic and eager work ethic. He stays in communication with his clients. He's transparent about payment and billing issues. He knows when to joke around and when to buckle down and get the job done.
Was it a perfect move? No, but close to it. One book shelf was chipped, another ended up losing a shelf-mounting bracket - but they are old and not in great shape, and I should've packed the brackets better/separately. Another oddball piece was damaged, but that was probably mostly my fault.
Again, perfect or not, I'd gladly use Pat again and recommend him to others without any reservations. I don't think you're going to find a better mover in the NYC area, certainly aren't going to find a nicer, harder working mover. And if you have bed bugs - Pat is the guy to call for your move. read more