So these guys got me out of Yelp retirement.
I have read so many fake reviews on Yelp about movers. I actually caught the same guy reviewing two different companies at the same time on the "most recent reviews" section saying both were great, 5 stars. Lots of other horror stories of other companies offering discounts in exchange for 5 star reviews. I actually started sorting reviews by the worst ones first, because at least I could assume they were real(ish).
In Boston there are dozens of companies, ranging from the national to some guy with a van. The prices are an amazing variety as well, Gentle Giant quoted a ridiculous number at over $1300 to move a 1 bedroom from Allston to Quincy. Another one said they could do it for maybe $350. Add to that all the fears about guys taking breaks, getting "lost", and having to make two trips with the van in order to stretch the hourly rate, I was seriously not looking forward to hiring a moving company.
Enter Safe Responsible Movers. As one article put it, "a name that only a search engine could love."
Right off the bat a reasonable quote, not the lowest, certainly not the highest, actually just below average for what I had gotten back so far. No extra charge for stairs (good thing, because I was up 4 flights with no elevator), and a flat fee for travel and gas. That actually took me by surprise, because other companies were going to charge me for the gas and time it took for them to drive BACK from my place to their garage once the move was over.
They wanted me to be very specific about what items I had to move, how many boxes, etc. This gave them a result of a 16 foot truck and three guys (another surprise, most other movers only offered two). Also there was a minimum of two hours work time, including driving to Quincy. Ok, sounds good. Lets do it.
I got a call from either the office manager or the owner a few days before (btw, if a review names all the people they worked with down to the truck driver, dead giveaway it's a fake), unfortunately I don't remember his name, but he was very friendly and courteous. Three hour window, between 1 and 4 on Saturday. Ok.
Day of I got a call from the guy leading the crew. He was wondering if he could swing by a little early, !2:30. I said hell yes.
What happened next feels like a hot sweaty dream, and while not the kind I normally go for, was still a hell of a lot better than what I was expecting.
The day was hot. Like 95 no joke. I was sweating standing there. These guys rush in, take one professional eyeball at everything, and get to goddamn work. Boom, stuff is already going down the stairs within two minutes of saying hello. I think Andrew was his name, not sure, but he was the leader of the group of three, which all together looked like a kickass 80's punk band. He coordinated loading of the truck, which made me glad I'd never faced him in a game of Jenga or Tetris, cause the guy could STACK.
They redefined hustle. No breaks, I offered them some Gatorade, because up until that point I felt completely useless. Literally before I knew it, they were wrapping the TV in blankets, taping it up, and taking it out. Nothing left. Empty. Done. 1 hour.
My wife had taken the car so she was waiting at the new place already. I was going to take the T and meet them there. The guys set out in the van, I got on the B line. After a transfer to the Red line to Wollaston my wife is frantically texting me. "They're almost DONE! You have the checkbook!"
BTW these guys do everything right there, no bills, no invoices, also no credit cards. Good old fashioned cash or check on the spot. I appreciated that, no hidden fees later. Problem was the checkbook was in my pocket and I was four stops away.
By the time I got there the guys were sitting on the curb, sweaty and tired, but done. A little over two hours folks. Including travel time. Unbelievable. The final cost was almost 150 less than I expected, so I made it up in their tip (cash).
So these guys get a wholehearted recommendation from me, they had absolutely no reason to hustle the way they did, especially in that heat, but they did.
Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear sweaty band tshirts. read more