5 Tips for Appreciating Your Moving Crew

Olympia Moving CrewOur policy at Olympia Moving & Storage is to do everything in our power to make your move as smooth and easy as possible. Our crew will always work hard for you through rain, heat, and 4th floor walkups. However, we do sometimes have clients ask what they can do for our hard-working guys.

Our crews are there to do a job and never expect anything more, but if you want to go above and beyond, these are the five little things the crew say they appreciate the most on moving day:

1. Keep them hydrated.

Keeping cold water or Gatorade available is a lifesaver, especially on hot days.

2. Plan ahead.

You can cut down the crew’s heavy lifting if you know where the items will be placed in your new home. Label your boxes and make a floor plan for the furniture. Moving the sofa from room to room to decide where it looks best is tiring for the crew & adds time and money to your moving bill.

3. Provide lunch.

If the crew is with you for the entire day, it’s always a nice gesture to order pizza or sandwiches for their lunch break.

4. Tip for a job well done.

Though not necessary, if you feel your crew did a great job, a tip is always appreciated. Click here to learn what’s customary for tipping moving crews.

5. Pass on the praise.

When you move with Olympia, you’ll receive and e-mail survey asking for your feedback. Any specific comments about the crew get passed to their supervisors, so they can reward good work and improve training. You can also support your crew by posting on online review of their work on Google+ Local, Yelp, Angie’s List, and more. Click here to view all the links to our online review profiles.

Also check out:

Videos of our Moving Crew in Action
How to Prep and Protect Furniture For Moving
Tips for Moving With Kids

Sponsor of Annadale Bed Race to Benefit Special Olympics VA

Special Olympics Bed Race
Our crew with the cardboard truck they created for the race!

Annadale, VA residents on John Marr Drive Saturday morning were treated to a strange sight: teams of people decorating hospital beds to look like vehicles and racing them down the street! It was all part of the Annadale Bed Race, a kooky fundraiser to benefit Special Olympics VA.

Team Olympia got into the spirit by re-creating a cardboard version of our famous black trucks. Competitive as always, our crew won their first heat and won second place overall in the race! Check out this video of the Olympia crew racing to the finish line!

Our "racing truck" being built in our warehouse
Our “racing truck” being built in our warehouse

As the logistics sponsor for the event, Olympia Moving & Storage transported thehospital beds needed for the event free of charge. The event raised thousands of dollars to provide year-round sports training and competitions for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Did you know that Olympia Moving & Storage is providing free logistics support for 10+ Special Olympics events this year? We’re currently busy planning the logistics for the upcoming Special Olympics MA Summer Games at Harvard & Boston University. Learn more about our sponsortship of Special Olympics at olympiamoving.com/specialolympics

4 Moving Mistakes to Avoid During National Moving Month

National Moving MonthHappy National Moving Month from Olympia Moving & Storage! May kicks off the busiest moving season. Relocating can be tricky enough, but moving during the most popular season can add some complications.

Moving isn’t something most of our clients do very often, so it’s understandable why families sometimes make mistakes that can add stress to the relocation.

Here are the four most common moving mistakes we see, and how you can avoid them:

1. Scheduling moving dates too late.

Risk: The most popular summer moving dates can fill up a month or more in advance! If you procrastinate to call movers, you could lose your preferred date. That could complicate your closing or other relocation plans.
Olympia increases capacity every summer to accommodate as many of our clients as possible, but we encourage clients to contact us 4 weeks prior to move day to ensure availability. Check out our moving planning calendars to stay on track!

2. Hiring a “rogue” mover.

Risk: An unlicensed, uninsured company may have a lower price, but may result in a costly moving horror story. Unfortunately, we’ve all heard about movers sending untrained crews, hiking prices prior to delivery without reason or holding shipments hostage. This is all easily avoided by just checking for a few warning signs.
Olympia is a licensed, insured, full-service mover, a member of the American Moving & Storage Association, and was Wheaton World Wide’s 2013 Mover of the Year among other awards and recognitions.

3. Packing procrastination.

Risk: If you’re packing yourself, not finishing packing by move day leads to disorganization and stress. If a crew arrives a home expecting everything to be packed, they may not have enough extra supplies to finish the job for you. Worse, now that the crew has to finish your packing it could lead to your move going over estimate, as the estimator based his quote on a fully packed home.
Olympia checks in on clients’ packing progress the week prior to the move. We also provide full or partial packing services customized to our clients’ needs and budget. Use our free printable moving box labels to keep organized.

4. Not communicating with your moving company.

Risk: Planning a successful move takes time! Not filling in your mover on details or changes to your move (such as changes to your inventory, access to your home, or the addition of extra stops) results in an unprepared crew.
Olympia assigns each client a dedicated move coordinator. The coordinator stays in constant communication to ensure that both Olympia and our clients are fully prepared for move day.

Now that you know which mistakes to avoid, let Olympia deliver a smooth move for you! Request a free moving estimate, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Also check out:

Choosing a Mover: Making My Decision Easier
9 Essential Items You Shouldn’t Bring on Your Move
Change of Address Checklist