How to Tip Movers

Wednesday, 19 January 2011

Here is another article on a topic that is rarely discussed on moving websites. The original article appeared on eHow.com

By an eHow Contributor:

It is difficult to entrust your possessions to movers you’ve never met, and it’s often difficult to find movers who seem to care about your sentimental valuables. When you find a crew who is especially careful with your household items, make sure you tip them properly to show your appreciation.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Offer your movers coffee or cold drinks, snacks and plenty of water while they’re at your home or office. If the move takes most of the day, ordering pizza or sandwiches for lunch is a great way to motivate them and show additional appreciation for their services.

2. Tip one or two movers $25 to $50 each, depending on the time required, the number of boxes and the number of stairs involved. Give them cash at the end of the move, thanking them for being considerate with your things.

3. Give the supervisor and crew members each a cash tip of $20 to $25 if there is a large moving crew, making sure you have enough cash to cover everyone. Avoid giving the entire tip to the boss so you don’t give him the opportunity to stiff the crew and keep the cash for himself. If you received exceptional service from the move supervisor, however, give him an additional $10 to $20 before he leaves.

4. Keep in mind that tipping is not required, and is done only when you are satisfied with the moving job and the movers’ customer service skills. It is not required to tip rude people who drop your favorite keepsake or carelessly gouge your dining room table.

5. Call the moving company’s supervisor if the crew provides exceptionally bad or exceptionally good service. You aren’t expected to tip for service you’re not happy with.

Read more: How to Tip Movers | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2214704_tip-movers.html#ixzz1BQZhD89r

Movin’ in winter weather

Tuesday, 07 December 2010

Moving is hard under normal circumstances!

Trying to accomplish the same thing during an unplanned blizzard or extended cold snap can be especially grueling for everyone unfortunate enough to be challenged by the circumstances.

The ice, snow, freezing temperatures and slick surfaces that accompany Ol’ Man Winter when he blows into town usually present some unique – and frequently unexpected – financial and logistical hurdles for those involved in any type of local or long distance relocation.

That’s one of the primary reasons so many people plan to move during the warmer summer months. Frequently, however, many families are forced by necessity try to take advantage of holiday school breaks to accomplish their move.

Understanding how the moving process changes during colder months won’t solve the problem but may help alleviate some of the frustration. Here’ a short list of things you should consider if planning your relocation during the winter.

The customer is responsible for the safe access and egress of the moving crew and the vehicle being used to transport their goods. Essentially this means that all roadways, walkways, stairs and equipment being used to accomplish the relocation must be allowed to operate unencumbered.

This applies whether you’re using family, friends or a hired crew to accomplish the move or paying professional movers to complete the job. Not only must the roadways and parking area be cleared of ice and snow, but so must the pathway between your residence and the vehicle.

Many courts have found negligent homeowners responsible when they haven’t taken the proper precautions or implented the nessaary safeguards to protect workers from ‘slip-and-fall’ type accidents.

Delays in pick up and/or delivery caused by adverse winter conditions are considered ‘Acts of God’ and are usually NOT subject to delay or inconvenience reimbursement by professional movers or relocation service providers.

Foot traffic will soil and possibly damage some flooring surfaces. Wet, muddy shoes and boots exposed to harsh chemical deicers can quickly ruin unprotected floors and carpets. Make sure some type of adequate floor protection is applied before starting. Clean any areas that become dirty as soon as possible.

It takes longer to move during the winter. It is much more difficult for workers to wrap, roll, lift, carry or transport household furniture items when they’re bundled in winter garb or operating in hazardous winter conditions. Extreme cold requires more energy which means laborers may need more frequent breaks to retain their stamina.

And don’t forget that you don’t have as much natural daylight to accomplish the task of loading and unloading. This can affect worker performance, particularly if you’ve already had the utilities shut off.
Make sure to thoroughly dry everything that’s been exposed to moisture. This is especially important if the items will be stored for an extended period of time. Otherwise unexpected (and potentially unhealthy) mold and mildew can eventually contaminate all household goods in the immediate vicinity.

It can cost more to move during the winter. Especially if you’re paying for a local move by the hour. Not only can equipment rental, travel and labor charges increase because of the longer amount of time required, but the expense of snow and ice removal can quickly add unexpected costs to your relocation budget.

What’s the best part about movin’ during the winter? You don’t sweat as much … and you get to enjoy a hot toddy in your new home when the job is done!

Aussie rules – Telling it like it is !

Tuesday, 05 October 2010

The Australian Removers Association website gives this advice to moving families. I guess if Canadian movers could “tell it like it is” they might give the same advice. Do these “Aussie rules” apply in Canada or are we too polite to bring these suggestions to the customer’s attention.

Don’t:

Don’t leave any articles you don’t want packed in the house

Don’t hover around the removalist (movers) and offer suggestions

Don’t leave dirty dishes or dirty clothing unattended

Don’t leave food in the fridge

Don’t empty the BBQ bottle by simply letting the gas out into the atmosphere or burning it off

Don’t pack ammunition, aerosol cans and other explosive items

Don’t criticize the workmen in how they do their work

Don’t insist on the workmen packing your things the way you want it done

Don’t let any of your goods be packed without the correct paperwork being received and signed

Sometimes, because of the stress you may be under, your behavior can become inappropriate and these simple points may be the difference between an easy or a difficult removal.

From “Australian removers association“

Mongolian Movers

Thursday, 23 September 2010

To most of us, moving is something we want to do as little as possible – it’s a hassle to go through all your things, pack them up and then finally get settled in that new place. Even with a professional mover, it’s a stressful experience.

To a Mongolian nomad, it’s a way of life.

Living in Mongolia is a challenge in more ways than one: you have to deal with the threat of flash floods, sand storms, bitter cold winters and steppe soils that barely contain enough nutrients to feed your flock. Mongolians deal with these constant environmental pressures by moving every six months. Each April or May and November or December the Mongolian families pack up all of their belongings and move onto, literal, greener pastures.

And when Mongolians move, they even include their house. The traditional Mongolian tent is called a ger (or yurt in Central Asia) and is completely collapsible and portable. But it is hardly a pup-tent, gers are remarkably comfortable and intricately decorated with paintings and a shrine to Buddha and their ancestors. But it is designed for a 3 hour takedown and 6 hour set up at the other end.

Every spring the sparse neighbours come over and help a family pack up all their belongings, take down the ger and pack all of their life possessions onto the local truck and take off to a new homestead. This truck they use is hardly a Highland cube van, it’s a tiny pickup truck. This truck carries the ger, the furniture, the clothing, rugs, children, the single Mongolian fire oven and occasionally, a few baby goats and sheep.

So today if you are planning your move or it’s the day of your move and you are looking for some wisdom about how to move well – remember – you have Highland Moving to help you and you have more than a single pickup truck to carry your entire life. No matter how high you pile it.

“author and guest blogger Dr. Torah Kachur from ScienceinSeconds .com”

Foreign Assignments are Opportunities of a Lifetime

Sunday, 19 September 2010

Foreign assignments are a great way to experience another country and explore. If you have been offered a foreign assignment with your company, you have been given an opportunity of a lifetime. In order to make your transition easier on you and your family, the first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with your company’s relocation policies and procedures and the extent of the assignment. Often times companies will put you in contact with a contract relocation service provider to help you. If you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with a full-service provider like Starline, it will facilitate the relocation process. Full-service providers, like Starline are fantastic because they handle everything from packing, storing and transport, which helps monitor and control the process. Having a moving coordinator that is responsible for your move, helps tremendously because you have one point of contact for the move, leaving you free to focus on other pressing matters. Further, they will help prepare you for the assignment. The purpose of these professionals is to familiarize and facilitate your entry into the country.

However, if your relocation is primarily your responsibility you can still enjoy the adventure. You will just have to do your research and understand what services are available to you and use them to their fullest potential. Understanding what is allowed into the country and the rules that govern foreign entries are the most important for you to know. Once you have arrived and settled, you now have the opportunity to travel and explore, which is the best part of foreign assignment.

foreign-assignments

What is your Moving Company Doing For the Environment?

Wednesday, 04 August 2010

Before you make your decision on which moving company you want transporting your goods find out what different companies are doing to reduce their carbon footprint.

MOVING OUT

Ask questions to make sure your mover is doing their part to be grass an eco-friendly company – helping you to make your move a Green Move.

Highland Moving & Storage holds a FAIM certification which requires that the company maintains certain environmental standard. Below are just a few of the policies Highland Moving & Storage has implemented to Move their company on Greener path:

Use only remanufactured printer toner

Use filtrated tap water to purify rather than bottled water

Recycle all drinking cartons.

Recycling program for all drinking cartons has been implemented.

No styrofoam cups or plates are used in the office.

Recycle bins at every work station.

All cardboard/paper material is recycled in the warehouse.

All oil/filters etc. are collected and recycled.

Building temperatures adjusted nightly to save energy.

HVAC system uses outside air to cool the building when appropriate.

All lights in the building are shut off nightly.

All light fixtures and bulbs are being replaced with new energy efficient technology.

All cleaning agents used within the office are eco-friendly.

No idling policy cuts fuel emissions.

Shortest route possible policy and speed monitoring cuts fuel consumption.

Recyled stationary and packing materials are purchased whenever possible. Lower grade material is produced using less processing/manufacturing. faim

Supply delivery is done utilizing a 48 hour schedule to put efficiency route into place.

For more information on the FAIM certification please click on the following link. FAIM

Edmonton Movers Makes Eco-friendly Moving a Breeze

Friday, 30 July 2010

This Edmonton mover has some simple tips to help you prepare for your next move in an eco-friendly fashion. Whether Highland is moving you locally in Edmonton or Calgary or if you’re heading west to B.C. these tips will help you along the way.

DOWN SIZE & DECLUTTER

Moving forces you to come face to face with all your stuff. What better time to decide what goes and what stays. You may have the urge to throw everything out rather than taking the time to organize your goods and either donate, sell or recycle them.

Below are a few great alternatives dumping your goods in a landfill site:

Sell your goods online. most people will come to your home and pick up your unwanted items right from yard-sale

your home. Both Kijiji and Ebay are easy ways to sell used goods online.

Hold a yard sale. Take a weekend to sit back relax and get rid of all your stuff the good old fashion way.

Donate your good to a charitable organization. Go to Charity Villiage to find the charities in your town or city that will accept furniture or clothing donations. Also look for drop-off and pick-up information on this helpful site.

If dropping off unwanted goods ask your movers about scheduling an additional drop-off on the day of your move. This is a great alternative to making several trips with your vehicle. It will save you time, money and reduce your carbon footprint!

All images provided by flickr.com

Eco-friendly tips from Edmonton moving company, Highland Moving

Last blog we gave you some great alternatives to throwing your unwanted goods in the trash. Once you’ve decided what will stay it’s time to pack. Below are some suggestions from Edmonton mover, Highland moving and Storage to keep in mind while packing your goods.

PACKING UP!

If you are packing your own goods:

Avoid using styrofoam peanuts and bubblewrap. These packing materials are not only bad for the environment but they are also not the best method to use for padding your fragile goods.

The best option for packing and wrapping fragile goods is paper made from recycled products. Highland Moving uses only recycled paper as packing material.

Before you book your move ask your sales rep or coordinator if recycled materials are being used.

Use linens and towels as padding or to wrap your breakables. This is a great eco-friendly alternative.

Use recycled boxes – ask your Relo Coordinator to purchase recycled boxes for your upcoming move. Not only are you being environmentally cons flowers