5 Reasons why you must compare packers and movers before relocating

Relocation isn’t like grocery shopping – it isn’t something we do everyday. Which is precisely why it is important to pay greater attention to every little detail when you do decide to change your address of your home, office, car, bike or other valuables. And that includes comparing packers and movers minutely from all available choices.

The first reason is safety. You goods carry special significance, and often that goes well beyond monetary terms, such as personal moments and memories. This is where the involvement bit makes a big difference. While a lot of packers and movers will flaunt  technology, fleet and resources, where many will lag is the level of individual involvement. While the first part is indeed important (and must receive your close review), what should tilt the final decision is whether every little step is carefully monitored and apprised at a personal level. Only a team that understands the true value of your belongings – and the attachment you have with them – will go out of their way to prioritize this issue.

The second reason is professionalism. This goes well beyond just a flawlessly ‘choreographed’ relocation exercise where every little piece of the assembly line runs like a well-oiled machine (which, of course, is important) – and covers areas such as on-ground networks (expedient contacts that can iron out and smoothen hiccups along the way), compliant systems (papers and registrations in accordance with all legal and misc frameworks), intimate knowledge of traffic, short-cuts & geography and the option of insurance – to name some. Only relocators who have been around for a certain time in the space and are experienced enough to know the elements that can potentially go wrong – will be in a position to address and pre-empt these issues adequately.

Then there’s the matter of personalization. As you compare their services, you will find that relocators and packers and movers can, broadly, be categorized into two broad buckets: One – those who like to dictate things and be ‘in command’. The other – who are happy to adjust a little so that your specific needs and conditions can be accommodated to the best possible extent. Goes without saying that all other things being equal, it is always better to go for a relocator who is flexible with factors like budgets and packages. It is relevant to mention at this point that ShiftKarado – a tech driven packer & mover – is taking the aspect of flexibility and personalization to never-before highs by letting their customers customize their move.

Fourthly, remember that versatility counts. As you pick and choose between packer and mover options, try to figure out who has the widest repertoire. This means dexterity across the spectrum: Be it moving house, office, cars, bikes, precious valuables or any other genre. While you may not need to move all these at the same time for your next relocation, the very fact that the company is versed in all these different areas tells you that they possess the priceless feature of ‘inter-domain exposure and experience’ – something which comes in handy during unexpected contingencies and uncommon challenges, or when cross-category insights need to be combined to address a crunch situation.

Finally, there’s the matter of cost – an area that is closely related to transparency. Being an ‘unregulated’ or ‘unorganized’ industry, shady deals and unscrupulous contracts aren’t too uncommon. Almost all of us know a friend, a colleague or a contact who’s had an unsavoury financial experience with packers and movers at some point. Insist, therefore, on a relocation company that provides a single, inflexible price estimate right at the outset – one that doesn’t keep changing during the journey and ensure that it is a reasonable and transparent offer.

In this connect, it may be useful to note that new generation players in the space – such as ShiftKarado – have decided to take up this issue head-on. ShiftKarado, in particular, is changing the rules of the game single handedly by offering potential customers a quick, up-front quote that is accessible at the simple swipe of the thumb, thanks to their cutting-edge app driven process.

There are several variables when it comes to packing and moving. While having options is great, make sure this ‘problem of plenty’ doesn’t confuse you. Make a thorough and analytical study of your available options, don’t be swayed by emotions and hearsay, and trust your instincts to make an unbiased judgment that works out best for your specific project or task.