We have moved twice in the last couple of years and previously used a better-known moving company. Each move consisted of a normal amount of furniture and boxes for the size of the townhouse and condo we lived in at the time, both being 900-1100 sq feet, 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The better-known company did each move in 2 to 2.5 hours including a 15 minute travel time between places while also moving a washer and dryer and a large entertainment center. We had no reason to think this move wouldn't take about the same amount of time.
When we found We Love Moving, we were excited about supporting a small, local business. The hourly rate was reasonable: $63 if paid with cash with a 2-hour minimum. I emailed with the owner of the company to set up our move. He was very professional, friendly, and flexible.
On moving day, I got a phone call confirming my appointment and a reassurance that "you've got my 2 best guys coming." He then asked if we had talked about gas and mileage reimbursement, and when I told him no (because we hadn't) he was understanding and didn't press the issue, but it was very last minute and came across as a little unprofessional.
When the guys arrived they were punctual, professional, friendly, and easy going. They immediately got to work, but instead of saving their energy by using a dolly, they carried boxes out two or three at a time by hand. They had to travel down a covered apartment hallway about 100ft just to get to the elevator and another 100ft to get to the truck. It was a long way to carry 40+ boxes by hand and much slower.
If we hadn't been busy packing and cleaning, I would have mentioned it, but from inside, it seemed like a lot of progress had been made. When I stepped outside, I realized that most of our belongings were either in the hallway or sitting outside the truck.
When we realized we were going on three hours and still had a ways to go, we asked them to focus on the larger pieces of furniture such as the couch and bed. We hadn't budgeted for a five or six hour move and figured we could move the smaller items ourselves. We didn't leave the apartment complex until the 3-hour mark and we still had to drive to the new house and unload. We were very frustrated because after they finally finagled in all our furniture, there was still enough room for what I've come to find out was 5 car loads more of stuff. If they had been more efficient with moving and loading, all of the remaining items could have been packed up on the U-Haul.
Unloading was much faster and efficient at about 30 minutes. In order to again save on time I just had them place a few larger items and put the rest all in one bedroom regardless of where it actually belonged. Again, we couldn't afford to have them help arrange the new place because we were already considerably over our original estimate and budget.
With the well-known moving company I paid $400 total with tip. I didn't have to deal with the hassle of picking up a rental truck or the pain of driving one, filling it up with gas after a long move, and returning it by our specified time. They moved all of our belongings in one trip and as they unloaded, placed the furniture and boxes in the rooms they belonged in. In hindsight, it was worth it to pay more hourly and deal with less hassle.
When I presented my frustration to the owner he explained that he trusts his movers to make a judgment call on how to go about a move and that sometimes when there is a concern for tracking in dirt that they won't use a dolly. I tried to explain that I lived in an apartment complex where the hallways are nearly completely enclosed and the weather wasn't a factor but he was not interested in my concern for how long it had taken. I don't feel like he validated our concerns or cared to take note of constructive criticism at the very least, but also, didn't want to attempt to make an unhappy client happy. Tracking in dirt didn't concern us anyway- we still had to clean our empty apartment to get our security deposit back.
Ultimately, this company has room for improvement such as mastering a more effective work technique. Something as seemingly minor as using a dolly not only saves the movers' strength and energy, but it also helps keep a steady speed and makes for a more efficient job. The better-known moving company we used previously really had their technique down; they were so efficient and barely spoke to each other as they wrapped furniture and moved it out.
A move that should have cost less than $250 ended up costing me over $400, a lot more work, and added stress. It wasn't worth it to try to save a buck by supporting a smaller local business and we wouldn't use their services again or recommend them to anyone we know. read more
