Moving is one of the high stress events most people experience, but most people ask two questions: Can you take me when I want to move and quote me a low price? The problem is, the answers you get may bear little relationship to the actual moving experience that a company provides. The total eventual cost of a move may differ widely from the original price quote, depending on how the company calculates the final bill. And customer communication – letting you know, for example, if there’s been a schedule change – is a real differentiator between the best moving companies and the rest. Think that’s not important? Consider this fact: Among those customers who report that their belongings were delivered late, one-third were not informed ahead of time of the delay.

The J.D. Power Full-Service Moving Company Customer Satisfaction Study analyzed responses from nearly 3,000 customers who used a full-service moving company in the past 12 months and found that the company you choose can make a large difference in the quality of your moving experience. We looked at customer satisfaction across five factors: insurance/valuation coverage; loading and unloading service; packing service; shipping estimate; and transportation of belongings.

All moving companies are not equal. Some of the most widely recognized names are less than stellar when it comes to making their customers happy while others consistently perform well. The top three companies in the study stand out clearly from the rest, providing consistently high levels of satisfaction across all measurement factors. That’s good news for consumers, giving them a trio of good choices that offer a real and significant difference in satisfaction.

Who heads the honor roll?

• Two Men and a Truck ranks highest with a score of 809 on a 1,000-point scale. It achieves high levels of customer satisfaction across the board and scores particularly well with an on-time delivery rate of 97 percent, compared with the industry average of 91 percent.
• Graebel Van Lines (808) is a close second in the rankings, with particular strengths in loading and unloading service as well as in insurance and valuation coverage options.
• North American Van Lines (807) is also a top performer, performing strongly in the transportation of belongings and in shipping estimates.

Only slightly more than one-third of all people how’ve used a full service mover say that they “definitely will” recommend their moving company and even fewer say they “definitely will” use the same moving company again. That’s less than a ringing endorsement of the industry as a whole, so it can really pay off in satisfaction and peace of mind to do your homework when you’re selecting a moving company.

Some other illuminating points to consider:

• Nearly one of very two people moving reported lost or damaged items. If you’re one of those unfortunate folks, it pays to follow through on a claim with your carrier, even if the process is complicated. While only 56% of people with a loss filed a claim, those who did reported that they received compensation 17% greater than they expected as fair value for their loss.
• When you move can make a difference. If possible, avoid the spring and summer months, particularly if you’re not doing a corporate relocation or military transfer. Companies give those clients preference and overall satisfaction drops significantly during those peak times because it’s harder to get a move that fits your scheduling needs, particularly from the highest ranking companies.

For more information, view full-service moving company ratings or read the press release.