There are some significant differences between a commercial moving company and a residential firm. These differences are worth paying attention to, because a residential firm may claim it can manage commercial jobs as well. However, without the proper experience, a crew is likely going to do more harm than good, and may lose or badly damage expensive equipment and furniture. Business managers, then, should not commit to just any firm, and should only consider professional crews that have extensive experience managing office moves.
What are important qualities in a commercial moving company?
Business movers require different skillsets than residential movers, so it’s essential that the firm has enough manpower and equipment to adapt to the greater workload. Some other traits that business managers should consider in a company include:
- The right kind of equipment – Office equipment and furniture is heavy and bulky, and also sensitive to poor handling. Printers, for example, contain ink reservoirs that can leak and cause massive damage to the printer if the equipment is handled roughly or carried upside down. For this reason, a firm may need a range of transport equipment, including lifts, cranes, and special equipment for navigating down stairs. Cranes are particularly important when the job involves removing office furniture from a high rise building.
- Thorough planning processes – Professional firms have to spend some time before loading everything up on trucks, as this will ensure there are no errors on the day of the move. A commercial moving company should survey both properties in advance, and determine the optimal approach to getting everything out, and then getting everything arranged at the new office. In fact, some firms will sketch out the floorplan and determine where everything will go, recording this information for future reference. A firm should also take a detailed inventory of everything and label items for easy identification. For instance, the crew will bundle wires and cables together, then color code them for easy identification.
- An ability to offer additional services – Sometimes, there isn’t enough room to fit everything at the new office. Sometimes, the new property isn’t completely ready, and some items will need to be kept elsewhere while the office is finished. A commercial moving company that can offer storage can ameliorate these concerns, and ensure that everything is protected in a facility until it is needed. It’s extremely convenient for business managers to stick to a firm that also offers storage, because anything that can’t be placed in the office can be kept on the trucks and immediately taken to the storage facility for safe keeping.
And, of course, business managers should expect their firm to be professional and communicative, keeping their clients updated before and during the process. Fortunately, all of these traits can be found with a reputable service, as long as business managers are willing to do a bit of research.