Make Your Move
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday January 20, 2001
Jeremy Bass reports on how to find the best removalist for the job.
Jeremy Large gave his removalists a drink and a bit of lunch, paid them and saw them off, then went back inside and opened two boxes full of smashed crockery. He rang the mover immediately.
``I got voicemail, and that's all I ever got. The guy never returned my calls and he only had a mobile number, so I couldn't trace him through the phone book. He wasn't cheap, either. Lucky the crockery was."
Heard any good removalist stories lately? Tales of simians with spider-web elbows and love-hate knuckles, of scratches and chips, missing jewellery and disappearance or vehement denial? They're not hard to find in an industry with a reputation as a sanctuary for here-today gone-tomorrow itinerants, visa overstayers, and all sorts you wouldn't normally let into your suburb, let alone your home.
As a cause of stress, moving house is up there with job loss, divorce and the death of a spouse. So it's lucky that it's not hard to find genuinely good removalist stories, either.
Removals aka relocation is a highly competitive industry, so while it still has its share of charlatans, serious practitioners now see customer service as imperative to survival. All the more so since the arrival of the new tax system which, if the anecdotal evidence is anything to go by, has driven plenty of smaller operators out of business.
For those still in the game, there's a huge amount of business available, just through word of mouth if they do their job well. Both the companies mentioned in this story claim that about 70 per cent of their work comes through repeats and referrals.
So what's involved in ``doing the job well"? More than you'd think, says Jan Haste, spokeswoman for the Australian Furniture Removers Association (AFRA). AFRA is the industry's peak body, a voluntary association that aims to keep the industry reputable.
``It's a problem that anyone can buy a truck and a mobile phone and hang a shingle out the front of their house saying, `Removalist'," she says
``Every week we get complaints from people who've had things damaged or stolen, and there's nothing we can do about it if the mover isn't a member of AFRA.
``But at the reputable end of the market are skilled professionals with years of experience who select the right people and train them up well.
``They know their occupational health and safety stuff and keep up-to-date on new techniques and technologies. They look after themselves, their people and their equipment, and it shows in their appearance and attitude."
AFRA makes members put their money where their mouths are. They are subject to a stringent code of conduct and are regularly audited for quality of service. They have to lodge a bond of several thousand dollars to cover disputes with disaffected clients, which the association adjudicates.
``There's security and peace of mind in it for clients badly needed, given how stressful it is to move," Haste says.
The most reputable companies offer insurance as an option, which Haste describes as essential.
Of the more than 400 removalists in Sydney, only 70 are AFRA members. But those include the big names. Nationally, AFRA members account for 80 per cent of relocation work, turning over $500 million a year. AFRA's Web site (www.afra.asn.au) has a list of members and offers useful tips on finding and dealing with removalists, what to look for and so on.
But because AFRA membership is costly and voluntary, there are plenty of removalists who aren't members but whose work is good enough to garner them plenty of business through word of mouth. Service levels vary from simply putting things on a truck at one end, then taking them off at the other, to packing and unpacking, cleaning up vacated premises, storage, dismantling and reconstruction.
AFRA doesn't set or even recommend rates, but expects they would be charging $115 to $150 an hour for two men and a truck. The market indicates otherwise, with rates varying from about $75 to $110.
John Shawcross, of Bow Tie Removals, says clients should understand the value of preparing for a move. ``It's not uncommon to turn up and find they haven't packed a thing. A lot of removalists get into scraps with clients about it.
``And it's a service-driven industry, so we can't just look at it as money in the bank for a bit more work, especially since we work off fixed-price quotes. Our main aim is to have them coming away feeling like they have a good deal. We don't like to get a shock when we arrive, nor do we like giving them a shock with the bill. So you have to learn to mix diplomacy with commercial reality."
For Bow Tie, this is a matter of making it clear exactly what they're quoting on up front: just the moving or the packing as well.
Checklist:
Be organised prepack everything you can and bring it downstairs.Use small boxes for books.
Explain to the removalist which items are precious.
Separate items you need during transit.
Burn off gas from barbecue bottles.
Make water available.
If you are willing to help, tell the removalists.
Don't hover around the removalist offering advice.
Don't offer the workers alcohol during the job.
Do you need to insure?
Bow Tie's John Shawcross says the main areas to cover are transport problems, such as road accidents or fire, and risks such as removalists tripping over or getting bitten by a dog.
If a removalist doesn't cause an accident, the company isn't liable.
``You just wouldn't believe some of what can happen," says Shawcross. ``We did a big job where a dog bit the head off a sprinkler next door. It sent a jet of water straight in through the back of the truck."
For indemnity insurance covering market value, expect to pay $10 per $1,000 value on your goods; for new-for-old, you'll pay about $15 per $1,000.
Susan Williams, of The Finishing Touch, was working for a Melbourne removalist six years ago when she saw a demand for an unpacking service.
``Once the removalist has dropped everything off, our ladies unpack," says marketing manager Fides Santos.
The basic service costs $286 (35 cartons in eight hours). Phone 1800 812 348 or visit the Web site at www. ftouch.com.au.
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The fixed rate
Pastabilities owner Donna Monahan and her partner needed to put their furniture in storage while they renovated their apartment. She rang Bow Tie; the company ended up moving her as well.
Bow Tie (9311 4311) aren't cheap $110 an hour (GST included) for two men and a truck. But the price is tempered by the company's system of fixed-price quotes.
``They gave me an estimate over the phone, but could only firm it up once they'd had an estimator come and look at the job," Monahan says.
The whole process took two days, from initial contact to locking Monahan's goods in storage. When the movers had finished, Monahan felt compelled to ring and compliment the company on the job.
``When you have your own business you notice these things. They took pride in their work, and they did it with patience and good humour even a sideline job involving taking a fridge upstairs in a terrace house."
Bow Tie also took a detailed inventory of Monahan's goods, carefully noting the condition of each.
The company will also pack boxes for you for about $6 a box, depending on what needs to be packed.
Paying by the hour
``I've only ever had good experiences with removalists," says Caroline Cervantes. ``But maybe that's because I do a lot of careful prep stuff prepacking everything and placing it so that they can get it to the truck easily."
Helping out keeps the cost down, too. ``I normally help in whatever way they want me to. If they have to go upstairs to get a small box of cassettes, they're not happy."
In their recent move from Sydney to Wollongong, Cervantes and her partner used Rhino Removals (0412 363 930) on referral from a friend. She noticed how careful the owner/operator Benny Menczer was, ``not just with my worldlies, but with his own stuff as well his truck, his gear and his body. He knew how to lift safely and all that. Plus they had good spatial sense and technique. They knew exactly how to get things through doors and round corners without knocks and scratches.
``When we got there he gave us ideas on how to settle our stuff in the new place quickly; he put a futon together for us and made plenty of recommendations on where to place things in rooms, but never unsolicited. He was very calm and friendly, even though it was a very hot day and a big job involving a big truck and a trailer."
Menczer, who has been in the business 12 years, says customer pacification is part of the job. ``Especially when people aren't moving because they want to," he says. ``Even when they are, it's very stressful for them. They often need reassurance as you go."
About 70 per cent of his business is repeat or referral. Rhino charges $80 an hour weekdays, $90 Saturdays and $100 Sundays.
Finishing touch
Susan Williams, of The Finishing Touch, was working for a Melbourne removalist six years ago when she saw a demand for an unpacking service.
``Once the removalist has dropped everything off, our ladies unpack," says marketing manager Fides Santos.
The basic service costs $286 (35 cartons in eight hours). Phone 1800 812 348 or visit the Web site at www. ftouch.com.au.
© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald
