We get it! Moving is arguably the 3rd most stressful time in a person’s life next to death and divorce. There are so many things that need to be done when a family is transitioning into a new home that sometimes, you may forget to leave out the details and ask crucial questions. Our team of family movers in Tampa understands this, because we specialize in dominating every aspect of the moving industry, from customer service, to the legalities of insurance and making sure your prized possessions are protected!
Not all moving companies are bad, In fact, Tampa, FL has several very good moving companies to choose from depending on your residential or commercial moving situation. BUT, there are a few rogues out there. Below I’ve listed a few holes in the Tampa moving industry and we want to make all of our clients aware of these things whether they ultimately choose us, or one of our respected competitors!
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Will you give a complimentary, in home estimate?
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Is the company trying to pull a fast one and just give you rates over the phone? Or are they willing to come out and take a look to best assess your needs? One of the biggest causes of a move-gone-bad is lack of communication between the client and the mover. It is not your job to know how many movers, what sized-truck, what kind of equipment, or how long everything will take. That is the mover’s expertise! (the good ones anyway). As a general rule of thumb at 2 College Brothers for homes with three bedrooms or more, any business, special situations, or ANYONE ELSE that wants an in home estimate, an estimate will be given one-on-one with our experienced moving experts. We have even developed our own specialized proven formula, so when we give a moving estimate, we can actually cap the cost and tell you the absolute most you will pay, and not a penny more, so you know exactly what to budget for!
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What is your company’s damage replacement policy?
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Most Tampa moving companies don’t even want to say the word damage. However, we know this is on the mind of anyone who is getting ready to spend big bucks on moving their expensive furniture. What happens if something breaks? We will acknowledge that in picking up and putting down heavy, fragile furniture, playing Tetris and packing it into a truck, driving it across town (or across the state), and then doing the whole thing all over to get it into a new house, leaves a possibility an accident will happen. A good mover will know exactly what preventative measures to take to avoid any possible negative outcome, like wrapping each piece completely in moving pads and stretch wrap, properly disassembling things that require it, utilizing proper dollies and equipment, and properly packing items into a truck and securing them as needed to prevent shifting. BUT, if all else fails there needs to be a plan of action in place.
The state of Florida only requires movers to offer $.60 per pound of replacement. That’s it! We don’t think that is enough. 2 College Brothers, Inc has a full value protection policy that comes standard with EVERY move, which means we have a 100% repair or replace guarantee. In the unlikely event of an accident, we will repair or replace the item in jeopardy up to 1 million dollars in value. We’ve got the insurance to back it!
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Are the movers you send actual employees, or ‘Independent Contractors’.
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It is incredibly important to understand the difference. An employee is someone the company has full control of (including the ability to uniform and train), pays taxes on a payroll for, and provides worker’s compensation insurance for in the event they are injured on your property. An independent contractor could be anyone looking to make some cash. This could be day-labor or someone with no formal training. Independent contractors are legally not required to wear a uniform, and can do things their way, not necessarily the company’s way. Often times moving companies take shortcuts by hiring independent contractors as movers because, frankly, they are a lot cheaper. They don’t have to pay the payroll taxes on them, they don’t have to pay for their worker’s compensation insurance (which is very expensive for movers), they aren’t liable for their immediate actions (like damages), and they do not have to comply by general labor laws (minimum wage, workplace safety, legal ability to work, etc).
Every single one of 2 College Brothers’ movers are actual employees. They are all pre-screened, uniformed, extensively trained in moving techniques and customer service, and are protected by worker’s compensation so you are not held liable in case they get hurt on your property! This is an expensive and time consuming process to ensure, but we believe in doing business right, and short cuts won’t allow us to be the best movers in Tampa!
