Moving Words – Moving
Written by Timothy Brady.
“It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Moving is what we do. It’s interesting that even though Teddy Roosevelt wasn’t speaking in terms of the moving industry, he aptly described what we do as movers.
It is through our physical labor (and occasional pain), that we complete each move. Moving household goods plus many of the special commodities we handle requires lots of physical effort, whether it’s bringing that baby grand piano up four flights of stairs, manhandling a computer chip oven off a lift-gate through a narrow door to its final location, or running store display cabinets through a bustling mall to the store in the center of the upper concourse, it all requires strength and diligent, careful effort to accomplish the details of each shipment.
Many times we have to reach deep down within ourselves to find the extra boost of energy to move that one piece that seems to refuse to go where it’s needed. And then there’s the courage you need to muster when faced with the 300′ long carry up a 7% grade driveway in the snow.
Plus there are the concerted efforts of everyone at the home office. Without the estimator’s skills, moving vans would be running with half-loads or in five different directions at once. Without the dedication to customer service of everyone behind the scenes, shippers wouldn’t get claims information filed so they could get paid for damages, have the movers show up on time when the house needs to be packed, or find the furniture in the correct placement in each room when the moving van pulls away from the curb.
The files at the home office are just as important in their use as the inventory sheets of the van operator. Phone calls and on-spot visits, however many it takes, are extremely important to the success of each moving experience. Providing excellent service to each member of a large firm that’s contracted for moving services for the upper division of their executives means dealing calmly and professionally with the whiner, the grumbler and the gossip who are each ubiquitous in any shipper’s corporate setting.
With over 100 years since Teddy spoke these words many things remain the same; however, there is one huge difference today from back in the early 1900’s. We have technology that wasn’t even dreamed of those many years ago to assist us in all the details of a move. While we still need the physical labor and ingenuity of every van operator and his/her crew, the advances in software that makes the planning, execution and followup more efficient and yields each project’s completion is what keeps us ‘moving‘ forward.
“Looking back isn’t going to help you. Moving forward is the thing you have to do.” – McKayla Maroney (Gymnast at 2012 Summer Olympics, where she won a gold medal in the team and an individual silver medal in the vault event.)
