Summer update on moving date availability- beyond June.

So far its been a very busy summer.  Once van line reported that the last week of June is the busiest week they have had in many years.  But.. so far so good. 

July is at this point looking pretty good for move date availability after the 15th.  A number of the van lines reported that the first part of July is very busy due to sorting out some hold overs from June, but after that it is looking okay to schedule new moves.

So, if you or a client is planning to move at this point, encourage them to get started in the process, and plan to move the second half of July or beyond. 

June Newsletter is out.

 

If you would like to receive a copy of our informative June newsletter contract us through out website

www.consumersrelocation.com

Book your late May and June moves now!

If you are planning to move in June, you should be thinking about choosing the mover and booking your desired move dates soon.  If you are moving between now and the end of May, you need to book your move NOW. 

Date availability last year for May and June, into July became very tight.  Many van lines closed out available dates for May and June very early.  While we have made provisions with our largest van line partners to increase capacity for booking moves during this time period, we do caution all of our customers to book their moves as soon as possible, and not wait.  Things can change very quickly and the van lines are getting very busy with new move requests.  At Consumers Relocation we have seen a significant increase in activity over last year already.

As one of the top executives in the industry told me; 

"It really helps to get orders booked as quickly as possible. ... customers should book early in order to get a seat on the plane!"

Call you Consultant to get your move scheduled soon.

New kind of physical survey for moving estimates

CRS has always been a strong proponent of having a physical survey by van lines representatives for all moving estimates.  It is really the only way to receive a reliable estimate of costs.  Recent improvements in the techniques used with hand held computers some say have made the process more accurate and efficient. 

Sometimes the physical survey is difficult due to the location of the customer moving or just plain old timing.  One agent who met with us last week has a new way of taking care of this situation.  She Skyped with the customer in their home!  The process took about 30 minutes; about the same time a physical estimate might and she was able to thoroughly inventory the house and actually see everything that was being taken.  In the past a phone survey might have been the best solution.  However, in this situation, the Skyped appointment proved to be very accurate. 

As it turns our, two other companies were able to provide onsite surveys, and their weights came in at 8300 and 8500 lb.  The Skyped survey's results were right in the middle of those two at 8400 lb.  The survey enable the agent to see everything, and actually go back and take a second look if necessary, ask questions, and get a good feel for the shipment.

What a great use of technology in business!

Binding not to exceed moving estimates

If you are getting ready to move this season, you will most likely see different pricing estimates from movers.  One of the common pricing formats is a binding or binding not to exceed estimate.  If the representative from the moving company has confidence that they surveyed everything the customer is planning to move, they may "bind" their estimate with a "binding not to exceed" price. 

"Binding not to exceed" normally means that if the weight of the household goods is greater than the representative estimated, then the customer will only pay the price based on the estimated weight.  If the weight is less than estimated, the customer will pay the lesser amount based on the weight. 

If the customer adds items to their shipment that the representative did not see, then the "binding not to exceed" is null and void since the shipment has changed.  If at the time of loading, the driver feels that the shipment was added to, the driver can contest the weight; requiring the representative to come out to the loading and either agree or disagree with the driver.  The cube sheet (list of items to be shipped) prepared by the representative at the time of the estimate is usually the guide for the "not to exceed" estimate and pricing. 

Adding to the shipment can sometimes be subtle or very dramatic.  But none the less, adding to the shipment without first checking directly with the moving company and representative can automatically void the "not to exceed".

Early Summer Moving Restrictions

Many of the van lines are thinking ahead  to what is normally the busiest and craziest time in the moving season; June 15 to July 15.  As a result minimum weights, discounts and transit times during this period may differ than before or after it. 

Many companies will enforce a 2000 to 3000 lb minimum weight.  This means that if you are moving one room that would normally weight 1,000 to 1,500 lb, you will be charged for the minimum weight.  We have seen some agents of van lines increase the minimum weight higher if they will be "self hauling" the shipment in June and July.

Discounts on interstate shipments may decrease during this time as well.  Since the demand is expected to spike, many van lines will price their shipments for the period with a lesser discount; therefore costing the customer a little more during the busiest times; much like any other industry,

Transit times may increase as well as van lines try to realistically set their delivery dates.

So, if you plan to move during the busiest of times this summer, then you need to expect some modifications to the logistics normally in place the rest of the year.  The best advise, is to always try to avoid the second half of June and the beginning of July for either loading or delivering your shipment.

Auto Shipping- quotes fluxuate like airfares

Consumers Relocation coordinates the shipments of hundreds of vehicles every year.  Sometimes the shipment is part of a move, but just as often the shipment is only the vehicle.  Shipping vehicles to kids going to college, new purchases, snow birds, or many other individual reasons may create the need to ship a vehicle. 

While there is usually some consistency in the range of cost, it can fluctuate up to a couple hundred dollars.  Its like airline fares.  Vehicle shipping companies adjust their rates to meet their business demand as well as to remain competitive.  Often times if you are shipping an auto in the future, you should check back with us to see if the rates have changed.  The terms of delivery times,  the amount of insurance/valuation offered and the terms of storage(if you can't take delivery right away) vary between the vehicle shipping companies we use. 

Call
us and ask to speak with a Consultant the next time you ship a vehicle.  Ask what differences their may be between companies we use.

Busy Moving Season Fast Approaching

Those that work in the relocation industry and those that moved last summer, will remember the issues with capacity.  The moving industry downsized over the past several years due to the severe recession.  As a result, the number of trucks, drivers, and crews available last summer to handle a large spike in moving activity were inadequate.  Blacked out dates for loading and moving became the norm.  Relocation companies like Consumers Relocation scrambled to find moving partners to accommodate the higher volume of moves. 

Over this past year, many of the van lines have been working to increase their capacity by training new drivers and adding new equipment.  In a meeting with the executives of one of the largest van lines they indicated that their were trying to increase their capacity to handle last summers spike of volume.

None the less, when planning for a move between May and September, as much lead time as possible should be taken in starting the move process.  If at all possible try to move either before or after June; the very busiest month.  Call Consumers Relocation and speak with a Consultant to gain more insight into planning your move and the critical timing.

Phone- 802-824-3496
www.consumersrelocation.com

Crazy weather may hamper moves

Moving this winter?  Just think if you were moving from Connecticut this past week!  Just heard that in Madison, CT; schools may be open today for the first time all week.  If the school bus' can't get through to pick children up, then a moving van surely will not arrive.  If weather forecasts call for bad weather; heavy snow, ice, or some other form of bad winter weather, plan to have delays on loading.

If you are moving to an area where bad weather is predicted; or poor weather en-route, the same possibilities exist for delays.  Plan to rearrange travel schedules, and other plans if it looks like poor weather will hamper the logistics of your move.



Picture taken near the top of Magic Mountain, Vermont

CRS Celebrates 20th Year of Great Customer Service

Another View of our new home; Weston,VT

The Vermont Country Store!  A destination to visit for  sure!  Good food and great shopping.

Our  offices are right down Main Street from the Vermont  Country Store- dangerous penny candy department!

We are totally up and going now

After the phone and line move problems, our phone supplier figured it out and all is good! 

We have moved!

We're in!  Better have been smooth since that is the business we are in!  Phones, computer networks... the whole deal is in and working.  We are really excited about our new offices and will post some pictures in the near future.  One thing that is thrilling; our new offices were built in 1847, it's 5 below zero outside and nice and toasty inside.  Never know in these old buildings.

Our new address is:

616 Main Street
Weston, VT 05161

Our new mailing address:

PO Box 27
Weston, VT 05161

Everything else is the same!  Same phone numbers, same emails, same extensions.

802-824-3496
800-839-6683
www.consumersrelocation.com

CRS Moving Day 1/22!

Today we are officially cutting over our phones to our new offices.  The cut over will be between 8am and noon if all goes well.  We look forward to serving all of our customers from our new home in beautiful
Main Street, Weston, Vermont! 

We're Moving!

Consumers Relocation is moving to our new headquarters building in historic Weston, Vermont!  We purchased an old (circa 1840) building which is on the National Historic Register right on Main Street.  Years ago the location was the former Mildred's Coffee Shop and most recently a residence.  We have spend the last month and half, 24/7 making conversions to accommodate our new offices.

We are really excited about the move.   We plan to make the final switch over to new home on January 22.  Keeping our fingers crossed that the phone switch over will go smoothly without much interruption to phone service.  All of our phone numbers and contact information remains the same.

Les

Some are seeing break in real estate market

This month we have been getting some calls from new customers who have sold their homes much faster than they expected.  One customer, who called this morning, had a showing at 6:30 this morning and they sold their home on the spot.  They weren't planning on moving until April!

It seems these calls are coming from places that were hardest hit by the recession.  Funny time of year to see positive real estate market signs; the dead of winter!  But, anyone connected with the real estate market, as we are,  will take it!

Being very cautious here, we will not say that this is a long term trend, but it's so nice to see people selling homes and moving in January.