Damage and complaints in moving: how to prevent and handle them
Even the best crews scratch a piece of furniture sooner or later. What matters is how you prevent it and how you respond. A complaint handled well can even turn into a good review.
1. Record the condition before the move
During the survey and before loading, photograph valuable furniture and note any scratches or damage already there. Dated photos saved on the job are the basis for any later discussion.
2. Prevent it with packing and routines
Most damage comes from rushing and not enough protection.
- Blankets and film for all furniture, not only delicate pieces
- Protection for doors, corners and lifts
- Fragile items in dedicated, labelled boxes
- Heavy pieces loaded low and secured in the truck
- One person responsible for a check before departure
3. Check together with the customer on delivery
At the end of the job, walk round with the customer and ask whether everything is fine. If there is a problem, it is better to find it now, with the crew there, than a week later on the phone.
4. Answer a complaint quickly and clearly
Reply within a day, even just to say you are looking into it. Ask for photos of the damage, compare them with the photos from before the move and talk to the crew. Offer a clear solution: repair, refund, or, if the damage was already there, explain why with the photos. Before promising a refund, check what your insurance covers and what your contract and local law say.
5. Keep every complaint on the job
Photos, messages and decisions belong in one place, so anyone in the office can answer and you can see whether a type of damage keeps coming back.
In MovesFlow the survey photos and notes, documents and crew chat stay linked to the job, and the customer follows the job from their customer portal.