According to the British Association of Removers (BAR) as margins in the moving business become ever tighter, customers need to be increasingly vigilant to make sure they are getting both the price they want and the service they need.
It’s natural for any business to drop its prices during a downturn to give itself the best possible opportunity to secure what little work is around. Unfortunately there is a level below which it becomes impossible for moving companies to provide a professional service: that’s when consumers can be in danger.
The professional moving industry, represented in the UK by the British Association of Removers members, takes good service seriously. Its members train their staff well, use first class materials, have high-quality vehicles and equipment, and operate to a strict code of practice that is approved by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). This level of care ensures that customers get a good service from all BAR companies.
Unfortunately non-BAR companies have no obligation to provide such a high-quality service or to operate to the OFT code of practice. This means they can reduce costs even further and undercut their BAR competitors. That might be fine for customers that want nothing more than the cheapest price, but for customers that care about service too, it can lead to disappointment – or even disaster.
“Business is very tight right now,” explained Paul Swindon, Marketing Manager for the BAR. “Our members have cut their prices as far as they can to make sure they have the best chance of securing new work.” The implication is that any moving company that is undercutting BAR members in this current economic environment must be cutting back on something important. As the recession deepens this will become even more apparent and people who are moving home should be vigilant to ensure their chosen moving company provides an excellent level of service as well as an attractive price. The best way to achieve this is by choosing a BAR member.
