“Has Your Move Been Under Bid?"

Selecting a mover based solely on lowest price can have many undesired repercussions. Before you put your company at risk, please consider the following:

Q. What do I have to be concerned about?

A. Since the hourly rates of most office movers are comparable, a low price means the bidder is assigning less resources to your job. If the low bidder is not accurate, the client is burdened with additional costs associated with the move. There may also be considerably more damage and downtime for your business.

It is a mistake to assume all movers know what they are doing. You should take the time to understand what the bid is based on, because the mover might not be aware of the problem until job has already started.

Q. What can really go wrong? Aren’t all movers the same?

A. Planning and managing your company’s move is a “High Profile Assignment”. Everyone in your office is affected and the task is typically assigned to someone who already has a full-time job. Because the task can be overwhelming, your mover can be a valuable resource.

The cost of non-performance can be substantial. Consider what would happen if your firm is not operational or if your equipment was severely damaged. Cutting corners can also lead to other problems like:

Property damage                                             Downtime for departments

Missed deadlines for IT                    Costly and time consuming claims

Unproductive time

Q. Why would a mover “Low-Ball” me?

A. A low-ball bid is not always intentional. Bad estimating can be the result of sloppiness, inexperience or even a simple misunderstanding.

Conversely, you could be dealing with someone who sees an opportunity for lots of changes. Large complex projects are often accompanied by lots of unforeseen changes. An “Intentional Low Baller” is betting on this. If you cannot clearly define the scope of your project, trust becomes very important.

In any event, the service and performance suffer.

Q. How do I compare the mover’s proposals?

A. Try reviewing statistics other than the bottom-line. A mover who knows their business can easily provide you with this information. Compare and contrast the numbers and you will gain confidence in your decision.

Statistics you should review are:

o   Number of total man-hours

o   Number of truckloads to be moved

o   Number of cartons provided

o   Services to be provided such as packing, furniture installation, building protection.

This will help expose misunderstandings among the bidders. You may be shocked that the estimator cannot answer simple questions about your move.

Q. Should I be concerned if there Is a wide range among bidders?

A. Yes. It could be a sign that you are not dealing with experienced office movers or that the information you have provided is not clear or complete. Sometimes you are not able to define the scope of your move the mover’s cost estimate becomes almost useless.