If you are planning to hire a movers and packers in India for long distance home shifting service, and you are unsure about what to ask a potential shifting service provider before hiring, then this post will be very helpful for you. Domestic shifting requires lots of planning and preparations, and hiring a mover is one of those crucial decisions that can make or break your shifting experience. So, be very careful, and evaluate each and every offer properly before hiring a mover. Before finalizing and signing the deal, you should ask some really important questions to the movers and packers companies, and ensure that they are well placed and capable of handling your shifting assignments. Take this as an opportunity to interview and verify their abilities, rates and charges before choosing a shifting service provider.
Thinking what are the important questions that you should ask a potential movers and packers before hiring? There are many, but we’ll focus on the following 8 questions which we think is really important.
1. Registration and Licenses
Demands for the movers and packers are growing everyday in India. Due to this increase in demands, hundreds of new service providers appears every year and start their venture. Some of them succeed, while the others go out of business sooner than expected. Hence, it’s important to check their licenses and status of the company. Packers and movers companies will also charge service tax and for this, they should have a service tax registration. Therefore, you should ask a potential movers and packers to show all their licenses and certificates of registration, that’s related to their business. Industry is still not well organized, so it’s really important to check such important documents.
This is obvious, but still I am mentioning this because rates of shifting services are not fixed and due to the complications of the process, there are several heads. Ask you movers and packers to explain everything and insist on getting itemized rates for each and every process such as packing, handling, transporting, service tax, toll tax and etc.
On a side note, it’s always better to compare rates from three different shifting service providers before hiring so that, you get the average/fair rates and deal with the movers accordingly. You will be surprised to see that every mover talking to you will give you different estimates, and it would vary in between 10% to 30% or even more.
3. Hidden costs and value added services
Some shady movers and packers companies, who don’t have any reputation and value money, could charge you for odd reasons. But, there is no excuse for any hidden costs what so ever the situation might be. Ask your mover to confirm that the quote which is submitted is final, and that there is no additional charge for anything. Sometimes they will charge you for value added services, which they won’t disclose unless the deal has been signed and order placed. But moving forward they may charge you additionally, such as charges for disassembling certain furniture, or extra carriage charge because they could not park their truck near your home. There is no point arguing with the movers and getting frustrated with their excuses. Ask all the rate related questions to a potential shifting service provider, and get good understanding of rates before hiring them.
4. Local transportation
Sometimes when you don’t have a full load, they’ll suggest you about shared shifting as a tool to save money. Obviously, that’s the only practical solution because no one will send a truck with just one bed. But in such arrangements, since they send your goods using a shared truck, they will leave it on highway and ask you to arrange local transportation from their warehouse to your house. But that’s a kind of a cheating, right? Therefore, clearly demand for door to door shifting services. In door-to-door service, they will pack and transport your goods from your house and give delivery at your door step, in whichever city you want to move. Ask your mover and packer about this before you decide to hire them.
5. Unloading and associates
For long distance shifting they might not have a branch in every city, but in such situations they co-ordinate with their associates. Every movers and packers service provider in India may not have a branch of their own in every city, so in such cases, they assign the job of unloading to their associates. That’s how the packers and movers industry works in India, and there is no issue with that. But, you should be aware of who is going to unload your goods, and what arrangements have been made after the goods reach their destined place. If they want to involve their associate, then ask for their contact numbers, and positively get in touch with the service provider.
6. Insurance and process of claims
Transit insurance is a very important thing to have, especially for long distance home shifting (domestic shifting) in India. Conditions of road and behaviors of truck drivers are quite well known to all of us, right? Hence, ask your movers and packers service provider to advise you regarding insurance. Just insuring is not enough; you should get a very clear understanding of what is covered and what’s not and most importantly the process of making claims.
7. Complains and customer support
Every movers and packers company in India has a customer support number. So ask for contact details of their customer support team. If the moving company that you are dealing with is proprietorship firms, then ask them for alternate numbers in case they are not available in the other one. If any associate or one of their own branches is involved in the process, then ask them for the contact details. Also take down the number of the driver who is driving the truck. Basically, the idea is to have all contact numbers in one place so that you can ask for updates when needed.
8. Referrals of past customers
Last but not the least; ask them to connect you with some of their past customers. This task may be crucial of all because, a real customer can always give you real feedback about the service provider. If they hesitate, that means there is something wrong and beware of such service providers.
Over to you
Ultimately, it’s the movers and packers who will be taking care of packing, transporting, loading, unloading, unpacking and everything else that has to be done during your move. So, it’s important to ask right questions and get good understanding of the process and their plans. Fortunately, there is no charge for asking questions. Infact, it’s going to give them a better impression and make them serious. Put everything on paper because verbal commitments may not stand all the time.
What questions do you think matters the most and should be asked to a mover before hiring? Share it with us.
