Ive recently added a news blog to my website, see it here http://www.ajstephensonremovals.co.uk/news-blog Now I'm no expert on these things but I wasn`t sure if I could duplicate posts both on here my Blogger site and on my website? I didn't want to upset any robots or spiders so I decided to keep the new posts on my website only and just do the odd random post on here, like this one. Maybe someone can tell me differently?
Anyway since my last published post from my blogger site on 15th March I have posted 2 new blogs from my news blog. The first was to celebrate Jo`s 10 years of service with A J Stephenson Removals the other was also staff related and was titled Can you deliver a quality removal service with unskilled removal men?
Both these posts are in recognition to the staff I employ and their hard work and dedication to me and my company. As any business owner knows you are only as good as the promise you make and you need quality people to deliver and in my case they give a bit more. Failure to deliver on what you say you will do, is a road to ruin. In my case I am confident promising the world as I know my staff will deliver it time and time again.
This is underlined by the fact that we have not only won the Most Loved removal business in the UK award, (and made it to page 8 of the Gazette as a result!), but we are regularly on the top ten list of the Guild of Removers website for most recommended removals companies. This top ten list accounts for the top 3% of the Guilds membership, understandably prime real estate. We are currently at number 10 but hope to creep up for April. We were number 8 in February. See the current positions from this link- National Guild of Removers and Storers Mover of the Month
That's enough drum banging for now! its all well and good putting it all down to the staff who deliver your service but the thanks must also go to our customers who kindly fill out the feedback cards for return to the Guild. You can see them on our removal testimonials page, aswell as some talking reviews on our new Video Testimonials page for both removals and storage services.
I am very lucky to have such great staff and customers. I am very grateful to them all.
So whats next? Well Summer is just behind those clouds! There`s loads of exiting things ahead for the year, the Queens Jubilee the Olympics (Ive got tickets for the synchronised swimming!) and of coarse the Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflowers anual Summerfest event on the 17th July 2012. Last year we ran a competition to guess the number of tapes in a crate, and we raised over £100 for Rotary. This year we will have an equally fascinating competition the details of which are yet to be decided. So why not pop down and see what were up to and hopefully we will have good weather this year!
Wednesday 2 May 2012
Thursday 15 March 2012
Who is the most Loved Removal Company in the UK?
Its official! We were voted the most loved removal business in the UK according to the Best of`s National 14 days of Love competition in February. I know we deliver outstanding service and our staff are fantastic, but this was really a pleasant surprise. Most of our clients have either been recommended to us or have moved with us before and I am so grateful to them for giving the feedback that has made this a reality.
"Billericay’s premier removal and storage business has been officially revealed as the Most Loved Business in Billericay. If this wasn’t enough, AJ Stephenson has also taken the national title, receiving the most on line testimonials in the country for a removal business in our national Valentine’s campaign to find Britain’s favourite local businesses."
Having been moving people for nearly 30 years in Billericay and the surrounding areas, its a real honour to receive this award. My staff are not only trained in Removal skills they are also customer service trained and I think this is the key. We make sure that our customers are guided through the process from start to finish and I know we often go beyond the call of duty. I cant remember the last time we had an unhappy customer.
 |
| Proudly receiving the Award |
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| The combined trophy |
Id like to thank Andrew and the Best of for providing the forum for us to achieve this award, and also for his help and support. This all comes in the week where we found out that our unique moving report "The Top Ten Removal and Storage Disasters to Avoid" has been adopted by the National Guild of Removers and Storers Limited, in their current training seminars.
Monday 20 February 2012
What kind of mover are you?
Moving home is not as straight forward as you may think, or not as the case may be! There are many variations and considerations when moving. Listed below are some of the various types of moves and any potential problems associated with them.
Completion Day Moves
Moving locally- This is the most common type of move. On the moving day the funds will come up through the chain starting with the first time buyer and depending on the length of the chain and the length of solicitors lunch! could mean you don't get yours keys until late in the day. Your remover will need to have you packed and loaded by about 1pm but may not be able to unload until later in the afternoon for this reason most will charge waiting time charges and some will offer a waiting time charges waiver, we offer this and it is usually around £35 + VAT. This will cover these costs should they arise.
The other problem we come across on completion day is waiting for the new property to vacate. Not everyone books a professional remover some opt for a man and van or even worse decide to move themselves. This usually involves a delay as the workload is usually underestimated and can severely delay the move, causing one of our major frustrations. There is a more detailed account of this happening in my report on Removals & Storage, called "The top Ten removals and Storage disasters to Avoid" Chapter 7 "True Stories"
Moving Long distance- All the above are still true but as there are implications regarding driving hours and nights out we try to avoid the unexpected. If your move is roughly between 40-200 miles away we will usually load on completion day and park the vehicle inside our warehouse for security and set off early the following day. This will involve the client finding accommodation for one night or just roughing it with a pump up mattress! this is a very popular option because it avoids the delays associated with completion day and most clients of ours that have done this have felt that it is much more relaxed and allows them to give the property a really good clean ahead of all the furniture & effects arriving.
For moves over 200 miles we will generally load on completion day and travel up staying overnight usually outside the property. The crew will usually stay with the vehicle in the special sleeping area of the lorry ready to unload the following morning. Essential items can be unloaded when they get there such as beds & essential supplies. Its very important that you make arrangements for the keys to be made available should you have a delay on your journey and very important that you don't wait around at the old address waiting for the money to transfer, instead once you have cleaned the property, drop off the keys to your estate agent and get on the road. If you don't you may be too late to collect the keys for the new property and your remover may have to wait until the following morning when the Estate Agent opens possibly adding additional costs.
Moving from or to Rented
This type of move is becoming more common as people find they are unable to get mortgages and so rent while they save for deposits etc, by definition this type of move is better for removers as there is no delay for the completion and release of keys, however there are still potential delays. The main one is the delay caused when the handover is done on the moving day, this can be up to 3 hours long and some agents will not allow any items moved in until they have completed the hand over. It is always a good idea if possible to get an overlap between properties, this will allow time to get the handover done the day before moving and also if it is a big move will allow removal of goods over a longer period of time which could reduce your moving costs and will certainly reduce your stress. By arranging an overlap and maximising the flexibility of your move you are more likely to get the remover you want.
Moving into or out of store
Loading into containerised store involves more work than the usual completion day or rented move as the removal company will have to wrap the furniture and complete an inventory both of which add time to the process. We offer containerised storage and it is very convenient as the storage containers are brought to your property on a specialist vehicle and are lifted off with a forklift. This method reduces the handling as when the items are returned the forklift loads the containers back on to the lorry. So in effect your goods are handled twice instead of 4 times like you would if you went into a self store site. Loading containers also takes longer than loading loose into a lorry. For theses reasons we always try to load most if not all of the goods the day before completion. When delivering from store we very rarely deliver on completion day as there are potential delays, we often deliver days or even weeks after completion as many clients take the opportunity to carry out work on the new property without all the furniture in the way.
Whatever your type of removal we will be happy to assist and offer advice to make your move as smooth as possible. Either call 01277 653268 or email info@ajstephenson.com or visit http://www.ajstephensonremovals.co.uk/
Completion Day Moves
Moving locally- This is the most common type of move. On the moving day the funds will come up through the chain starting with the first time buyer and depending on the length of the chain and the length of solicitors lunch! could mean you don't get yours keys until late in the day. Your remover will need to have you packed and loaded by about 1pm but may not be able to unload until later in the afternoon for this reason most will charge waiting time charges and some will offer a waiting time charges waiver, we offer this and it is usually around £35 + VAT. This will cover these costs should they arise.
The other problem we come across on completion day is waiting for the new property to vacate. Not everyone books a professional remover some opt for a man and van or even worse decide to move themselves. This usually involves a delay as the workload is usually underestimated and can severely delay the move, causing one of our major frustrations. There is a more detailed account of this happening in my report on Removals & Storage, called "The top Ten removals and Storage disasters to Avoid" Chapter 7 "True Stories"
Moving Long distance- All the above are still true but as there are implications regarding driving hours and nights out we try to avoid the unexpected. If your move is roughly between 40-200 miles away we will usually load on completion day and park the vehicle inside our warehouse for security and set off early the following day. This will involve the client finding accommodation for one night or just roughing it with a pump up mattress! this is a very popular option because it avoids the delays associated with completion day and most clients of ours that have done this have felt that it is much more relaxed and allows them to give the property a really good clean ahead of all the furniture & effects arriving.
For moves over 200 miles we will generally load on completion day and travel up staying overnight usually outside the property. The crew will usually stay with the vehicle in the special sleeping area of the lorry ready to unload the following morning. Essential items can be unloaded when they get there such as beds & essential supplies. Its very important that you make arrangements for the keys to be made available should you have a delay on your journey and very important that you don't wait around at the old address waiting for the money to transfer, instead once you have cleaned the property, drop off the keys to your estate agent and get on the road. If you don't you may be too late to collect the keys for the new property and your remover may have to wait until the following morning when the Estate Agent opens possibly adding additional costs.
Moving from or to Rented
This type of move is becoming more common as people find they are unable to get mortgages and so rent while they save for deposits etc, by definition this type of move is better for removers as there is no delay for the completion and release of keys, however there are still potential delays. The main one is the delay caused when the handover is done on the moving day, this can be up to 3 hours long and some agents will not allow any items moved in until they have completed the hand over. It is always a good idea if possible to get an overlap between properties, this will allow time to get the handover done the day before moving and also if it is a big move will allow removal of goods over a longer period of time which could reduce your moving costs and will certainly reduce your stress. By arranging an overlap and maximising the flexibility of your move you are more likely to get the remover you want.
Moving into or out of store
Loading into containerised store involves more work than the usual completion day or rented move as the removal company will have to wrap the furniture and complete an inventory both of which add time to the process. We offer containerised storage and it is very convenient as the storage containers are brought to your property on a specialist vehicle and are lifted off with a forklift. This method reduces the handling as when the items are returned the forklift loads the containers back on to the lorry. So in effect your goods are handled twice instead of 4 times like you would if you went into a self store site. Loading containers also takes longer than loading loose into a lorry. For theses reasons we always try to load most if not all of the goods the day before completion. When delivering from store we very rarely deliver on completion day as there are potential delays, we often deliver days or even weeks after completion as many clients take the opportunity to carry out work on the new property without all the furniture in the way.
Whatever your type of removal we will be happy to assist and offer advice to make your move as smooth as possible. Either call 01277 653268 or email info@ajstephenson.com or visit http://www.ajstephensonremovals.co.uk/
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