EWS Group MoversSuite (223 × 62 px) (1)

Moving Words – Struggle

Written by Timothy Brady.

If there is no struggle, there is no progress. – Frederick Douglass

Very few words encapsulate the moving business better than struggle. This industry is filled with activities that are challenges to our physical strength, to our intellect, even to seemingly defying basic physics.

We struggle looking for customers, determining a fair estimate for each customer’s needs and wants which is profitable for both agent/moving company and van operator. Then, configuring  shipment schedules to match the pick-up and delivery times of other shipments that are going in the same general direction. We struggle finding quality van operators and trained (or trainable) movers and packers. We face the challenge of working with customers who are dealing with their own trials, tribulations and emotional struggles regarding their move which simply increases our challenge in completing an event-free move. In addition we also face struggles which are self-created through our just being human or from our interactions with others. Last but not least on the list of ‘to be overcome or worked around’ are those unanticipated events caused by the weather and road construction. To keep ‘moving’, we must respect each of these struggles in order to overcome them as they present themselves.

The best means to overcome each struggle as it presents itself is proactive planning. Acknowledge each potential struggle, but match it with an actionable plan to deal with it and move past it.

This can include move management software to deal with sales, which aside from estimating shipments, provides a uniform, detailed approach to each move. Then this same software handles the scheduling, dispatching, and routing of each shipment. It also tracks the accounts payable procedures with correct invoicing of services rendered, and payment and collection  of each invoice. It tracks and manages handling damage claims with precision and care to ensure fair and expeditious payment to those filing a claim. This software tracks each shipment as to who packed what, loaded, hauled, stored, delivered, and unpacked each shipment; guaranteeing the right party is compensated correctly for their services and subtracting any advances provided to any of the parties involved with each shipment.

To deal with any struggle  it really comes down to how our people are trained to handle the inevitable challenges we face as movers each and every day. While we can’t get rid of the struggles, we can diminish the impact of delays and the domino effect they can cause if not handled correctly. While we can’t anticipate when each of these challenges will occur, we can be prepared by having a game plan in place to handle them.

“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” – Oprah Winfrey

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