What to Know When Hiring Professional Chicago Movers

August 16, 2017

When you’ve been in business for as long as we have been and have made so many clients’ lives happier and easier during a move, you learn that you’re not just a service, but also a resource to your customers. Like some of the other top Chicago professional movers, we treat every phone call, every potential inquiry aiming to be as helpful as we can be. We want to make sure everyone who contacts us leaves with the information they need to pick the professional mover that is right for them, such as how what the best packing practices are and whether to tip your movers and how much.

Below, we break down some of the most crucial steps every person should follow when looking to hire a professional moving company because while there are plenty of other great moving companies out there, there are also some not-so-great ones. Here’s how to pick the best professional moving solution for your particular needs.

4 Tips for Hiring Movers in Chicago

1. Talk to Friends and Family

As much as we love Yelp and other online review services, chances are you probably trust a suggestion made by a family member or dear friend over a stranger online (no matter how high of a user rating they may have). The best thing about this step is that it only takes as long as it does to make a few phone calls and send a couple emails to get a suggestions that you know have worked for others. Plus, as your friends and family know you well, they can tailor their recommendations to anticipate your unique peculiarities and needs that an algorithm just can’t.

2. Search Online

If you don’t feel like you gathered as many suggestions as you could have by talking to friends and family, then it’s time to take to Yelp, Google and other platforms like Angie’s List that feature user-generated reviews of local businesses. When using a review site, try to find the reviews made by those who have been on the platform for a while and whose recommendations are highly trusted by other users. After all, some companies will attempt to post fake reviews puffing up their services so look for new users posting overly positive reviews to avoid this all-too-common trap. 

3. No Large Deposits

Speaking of scams, one other common one used by less-than-reputable moving companies is to ask for a large cash or check deposit up front. Trust us when we tell that no reputable company does this as it creates a situation where they’re under no liability if they lose or don’t return your belongings. If you have to put down a deposit, do sow with a credit card that can alert you to any fraudulent activity and keep you protected throughout the moving process.

4. Get It In Writing

No two moves are the same and thus you should never sign a blank or boilerplate contract. Most professional movers will do what we do, which is to create a contract with the pick-up and delivery dates stated, the estimated cost of the move and any extra fees, and an inventory of all of your belongings. While moving companies are liable for anything lost during a move, if you forget to mark down your flatscreen TV and it somehow goes missing during the move, then you will not be reimbursed for it.