Traits of a legitimate moving company

Relocation is difficult and stressful enough without having to worry about your movers. From buying and selling to packing and cleaning, you already have a lot on your mind. Don’t add a fraudulent moving company to that list! Hire proper, reliable movers instead! How do you recognize trustworthy movers, you ask? Well, that’s easy! Just look for the traits of a legitimate moving company! To make that easier for you, movers in Tennessee have created a bit of a cheat sheet. Here are the absolute must-haves of legitimate movers!

You need to make a plan when searching for perfect movers

The very first thing you have to do is to make a plan. Many people tend to overlook this because they think it’s either way too trivial or that it wastes much time. Don’t hesitate to invest as much time as you need to think through everything. That will result in a detailed and well-thought plan that’s going to keep you focused throughout the move. Along with the plan, it’s recommended to make a timeline schedule and a to-do list. By doing so, you will be able to track the progress you’re making. It’s a great way to stay motivated throughout these stressful and exhausting times.

On the other hand, if you simply don’t have enough time or don’t want to do it on your own, you can always hire professionals. They are going to make it look effortless since they are trained experts with a lot of experience behind their back. This especially applies to people with businesses. You should think of hiring commercial movers Memphis since they are going to relocate your office without a single problem. This way you will be stress-free and heave peace of mind knowing that everything is going to be alright.

An overview of the traits of a legitimate moving company

Picking the right movers isn’t always straightforward. You want to find someone who fits your budget and your needs. After looking into a few of your top choices, a lot of the time you will end up going with the company that simply feels right. This isn’t a trait that you can investigate beforehand. But there are other specifics that you can look into during your search to help narrow down your options! Residential movers Memphis are a perfect example! However, it is essential for any legitimate, reputable moving company to have:

• credentials you can easily verify (specifically, license and insurance)
• experience in the industry and a good reputation
• positive reviews from satisfied customers
• free estimates that you can trust
• a good relationship with their clients

Any company that doesn’t tick at least these boxes should raise some red flags for you.

Traits of a legitimate moving company: verifiable credentials (license and insurance)

In order to legally operate within the US, a moving company must be licensed and insured. Most of the time, you can find your movers’ license and insurance information on their website. But you should also feel free to ask for it from the company’s representatives when you get in touch with them. Since license and insurance is legal requirement, they should have no problem sharing this information with you. You can then cross-check it on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website to make sure it’s legitimate. This government body regulates moving companies and will have the most reliable and up-to-date information on their credentials.

Interstate vs. intrastate movers

A moving company that operates within state lines only needs a state license. But if you’re looking at long distance moving, the movers must also be registered with the FMCSA and have a US DOT number which you can check on the FMCSA website.

Traits of a legitimate moving company: experience and reputation

You want to hire movers who know what they’re doing and that only comes with experience. So read up a little on the company you’re considering. Their about us page should have some useful information about how long they’ve been in the business, their services and strengths as well as their policies. Learning something about the owners may also help you get to know the company a bit better. How? Well, most local movers are family-owned businesses. Getting to know the people behind them should give you a good idea of how the company operates!

Traits of a legitimate moving company: positive reviews

When you’re working in the service industry of any kind, satisfied customers are your best marketing strategy. No one knows better how good the movers are than the people who’ve tried their services before. This is why positive reviews are essential when you’re considering a moving company. Thankfully, we live in the era of the internet where everything is just a few clicks away from you. Go online and join groups and communities where you can discuss everything with other people. Additionally, read their customers’ experiences and check out the feedback they’ve received. Focus on the latest comments to get the most accurate and up-to-date picture of the customers’ satisfaction (or lack thereof).

Where to look for reviews?

Most movers have testimonials posted on their official websites so this is a good place to start looking. But you have to be careful because some moving companies are paying people to write fake reviews. Because of that, you need to be able to differentiate real from fake comments. Of course, you should also look at some more neutral ground for more objective feedback. Check out the company’s rating with Better Business Bureau and look out for any complaints that may have been filed there. Yelp and Facebook are good ways to find honest reviews too!

Spotting fraudulent reviews

Since it’s the internet era, fake moving reviews are not uncommon. You really have to be extra careful every time you’re searching for some kind of service on the internet. You wouldn’t believe how many fake profiles and people there are online. Learning how to spot them will help you discard them as irrelevant. You want to focus on the actual comments from real customers to get an accurate picture of the company. You’ll recognize fake reviews as being too over the top. Too good or too bad, too detailed or too vague – all of that is suspicious. They will also often use contrived and stilted language and sound robotic. If a review isn’t something you can imagine yourself or anyone you know saying, it’s probably not real.

Also, another great way how to spot fake comments is profiles that have posted them. Once you see the comment that looks suspicious, make sure to check the profile of the person who has posted it. The first red flag is if that profile doesn’t have a picture. After that, make sure to check the activity of the profile, such as likes, comments, and engagement in general. Moreover, see the date when that person has joined the platform. For example, if a suspicious person has joined a week ago, that should be a red flag and it’s most likely a fake profile.

Word of mouth referrals

One of the best ways to get proper feedback and recommendations is face to face. So ask your friends and family who have recently relocated. Make sure to contact them and ask whatever you want to know such as what moving company did they hire. How was their experience? Were they happy with the service they received? Who do they recommend and why? Their referrals are a great way to find reliable movers simply because you trust those people and their judgment. 

Traits of a legitimate moving company: reliable estimates

You must be able to trust your movers. So it’s important that the estimates they give you are as accurate as possible. Always get a few estimates from different companies to compare. Any that stands out as being way too good to be true? They probably are! Focus on estimates that seem realistic. Are they binding or not? How much did the amount change between the first time you contacted your movers for an initial estimate and a final in-person estimate? Legitimate movers will be able to ballpark their price pretty accurately and should stick close to their original estimates!

Traits of a legitimate moving company: client focus

Good movers understand that every relocation is different. So they will try to understand your needs, meet and exceed them. In order to do that, they must be able to approach you in a personalized and individual way. They should also be open to answering any questions and doubts you have. If they aren’t, you should probably look somewhere else because good movers focus on their clients’ needs!