Advantage Moving & Storage offers complete relocation services to residential and commercial clients throughout the Bay Area. The company specializes in household and office relocations and provides packing, crating, and special handling services for both local and long-distance moves.
In addition to its regular moving services, Advantage Moving & Storage offers automotive moving and has full storage capabilities. Customers’ possessions are carefully inspected, wrapped, inventoried and stored, says Vice President Chitra Bheeman, which ensures they’ll be returned in their original conditions. The company’s storage department thoroughly registers all items to control shipments and eliminate the chance of loss.
Advantage Moving & Storage uses its own in-house staff of professionals who have extensive training in packing, moving, safety and risk management. Ms. Bheeman says her employees work diligently to assess customers’ specific needs and make sure they know exactly what to expect. “Regardless of the nature and requirements of the move, our goal is to make the operation seamless and stress-free.”
“Our goal is to be our customers' personal moving consultant–to provide ideas and solutions and afford them the smoothest, most trouble-free moves possible. We pride ourselves on treating their belongings with as much respect as we would our own. We believe every good move begins with a customer receiving professional and accurate information, and that's exactly what we provide.”
Preparation is the key to any successful move.
Any time you waste during a moving project translates to wasted money, so the more you’re able to prepare beforehand, the easier your move will be. Consider the following preparation tips:
Get a written estimate from a reputable moving company.
Getting an in-person estimate will ensure the movers get an accurate idea of what your move will look like, including the extent of your belongings, the size of your furniture and any special items that may be harder to move. “When you get an estimate in writing, you have a clear promise of what your movers will do and what you’ll pay for their services,” says Chitra Bheeman, co-owner of Advantage Moving & Storage in Milpitas. “If everything is clear upfront, moving day will be much less stressful because there won’t be any surprises.”
Use better boxes.
It’s important to use strong boxes with plenty of tape to ensure they don’t collapse in transit. However, an even better alternative to cardboard boxes are stackable plastic storage bins—they’re low-maintenance (no tape needed), sturdy and reusable.
Disassemble furniture yourself.
Fixtures and furniture such as bookshelves, beds, and cribs often need to be taken apart in order to fit into a moving truck or through a doorway. This is a time-consuming task, but you’ll save a lot of time and money by doing it yourself ahead of time instead of leaving it for the moving crew. If you have any doubt that a piece of furniture will fit, disassemble it to be safe. Otherwise, you might be stuck paying for a last-minute disassembly service.
Prepare fragile items.
Remove light bulbs from lamps so they don’t shatter from the vibration of the moving truck. Also, smaller lamps and lamp shades tend to be very fragile, so box them up instead of keeping them out with standing lamps. Tightly wrap framed pictures in blankets and ask if your mover has a special rack in the truck for transporting them.
Consider the location.
If you live in an urban setting, you might need to reserve a loading dock (particularly if it’s a high-rise building) or procure a street parking permit for the day. Remember, these details are your responsibility, not the moving company’s. To obtain a parking permit, you can either go to your local police station or visit the city’s website. Parking permits may not be cheap, but they’re less expensive than a parking ticket or rescheduling your entire move. Other factors that might come into play in an urban area are road closures for maintenance or street fairs, so do some preliminary research to make sure nothing will cause delays on the day of your move.
Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it's even more important for moving companies that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Advantage Moving & Storage, the key to achieving and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction is simple: provide high-quality service at a competitive price, regardless of the extent of the job. "We believe every client deserves personal, detail-oriented service, so that's exactly what we provide," says co-owner Chitra Bheeman. "From our quick response time to our comprehensive follow-up, our goal is to make sure our customers are happy throughout each step of their projects.
Advantage Moving & Storage provides a complete range of relocation services for residential and commercial clients throughout the Bay Area. In addition to handling local and long-distance moves for homeowners and business owners, the company has the in-house capabilities to offer packing, crating, storage and specialized services like international moves.
Unlike moving companies that hire inexperienced day laborers in an effort to reduce their operating costs, Advantage Moving & Storage maintains a staff of highly trained professionals who have years of experience in the moving industry. "All of our employees are full-time and trained on an ongoing basis to ensure they're maintaining our high standards of quality," explains Ms. Bheeman. "They get better with every move, which means our services continually get better as well."
To further differentiate itself from its competition, Advantage Moving & Storage emphasizes promptness in every aspect of its operations, from immediately returning phone calls to spending time with customers who have questions about its services. "As a small, locally-owned company, it's important for us to provide our clients with individualized attention," says Ms. Bheeman. "Every move is different, but by taking a detail-oriented approach to our work and being prompt with our communication, we're able to fulfill our customers' needs and exceed their expectations."