The First Question Your Office Moving Company Will Ask (And What You Need to Ask in Return)
“Do you have stairs?”
Whether it’s the copy machine, all your desks, conference tables, heavy file cabinets, or other bulky office equipment, the “stair question” is the first one your movers will want answered. If you don’t have an elevator that’s big enough for your largest items, they know they’re in for a tough job.
The problem is, you’re trying to hire the most qualified, professional – and affordable – office moving team to move your office furniture. You expect them to have the best stair climbing office moving equipment on the market. And that’s what you want to ask them in return:
“What kind of stair climbing equipment does your company use?”
How they answer this question will help you figure out if they’re the best office movers for you. What kinds of answers might you get? Here are four things they might say, and how you should respond to each.
4 Stair Climbing Office Moving Equipment Answers
Answer #1: “We do it by hand. We have strong guys who love to carry the big stuff.”
Your response: Run for the hills and don’t look back. Office equipment isn’t like home furniture. It can be very expensive and specialized, and too much jostling can damage items with mechanical/electrical components. OFR Boise says “Office moves are distinctly different from home moves – in part due to the sheer weight and/or scale of the furniture, which may require special crates, dollies, and other equipment.”
Even the toughest guys will cut corners when they get tired. These burly guys might be great for single house moving jobs (though even then, you’re risking a lot), but for offices they are simply not qualified for the job. You need an office mover that uses specialized equipment.
Answer #2: “We use hand trucks and just go up one step at a time.”
Your response: This is a two-parter. First, you ask, “What kind of hand trucks?” If they just use the simple manual ones, then take them off your list – they are not up to the task of moving lots of heavy office equipment. If they use some kind of specialized stair climbing office moving equipment, then they still have some potential (see Answer #3 for more detail).
What’s wrong with manual hand trucks? When you think about copy machines, large desks, and big filing cabinets, little hand trucks are barely able to carry these items, and they will carry a lot more risk as well, such as:
- Damaged equipment – items can fall off the side when jostled or going around a corner
- Injury risk – Much greater when trying to maneuver up or down stairs and around tight corners
- Wasted manpower (and dollars) – You need so many workers to get just one large item up the stairs, let alone around other tight spaces
Manual hand trucks are fine for small moves. But for large offices, they invite increased costs, increased risk of injuries, and are inadequate for much of your office material.
Answer #3: “We use a specialized stair-climbing hand truck.”
Your response: Most of the time, this used to be what you were looking for. You want someone who understands the challenges posed by stairs:
- Turns and tight corners
- Curved stair cases
- Different surfaces – stone, carpet, tile, linoleum, wood, slate
- Various sized steps
The problem with stair climbing hand trucks is that when there are many items to be moved, it doesn’t work very well. You can do a search for stair climbing moving equipment, and see pretty scary videos of men (it’s always men…) trying to look very impressive while using some of this equipment. This is what the big burly guys prefer once they find out it exists. It makes moving big items easier, but it still allows you to show your muscles in the process.
Does it work? Yes, in a way.
- But it’s real, real slow – usually climbing one step at a time.
- It still often requires multiple workers, which means higher costs to you.
- It still entails significant risk of injury – and you have to pay for the insurance for this. This is in the fees they’re charging you, even if insurance isn’t explicitly stated in your moving agreement (though it should be!)
There must be a better way, right? With all the amazing technological invention of the 21st century, surely someone has created a truly revolutionary way to move heavy items up and down the stairs. Right?
Answer #4:“We use an E-Z Climber™.”
Your response: “I never gave up hope. I knew you were out there.” No, you don’t have to be that dramatic. But this is the answer you’re looking for. Only the most professional and customer-centric office moving companies will use an E-Z Climber™. Why?
The E-Z Climber makes moving up and down the stairs as easy as doing it on a flat floor. Actually, in some ways, it’s even easier. The E-Z Climber moves along stairs kind of how an army tank moves along uneven ground.
Here are the best reasons you want your office movers to use an E-Z Climber:
- No damaged items – secured transport all the way up and down the stairs. It’s strapped on.
- Little-to-no risk of injury – may lower insurance costs. It can be operated by controls on the side. No physical strength is required to move huge items up long flights of stairs.
- Only one worker – you don’t need a team to get each item up the stairs. Once it’s strapped on, one worker can take it from there while the others move on to other items.
- Faster job completion – and that means lower costs. With fewer workers required, and less time to get each item up or down the stairs, your office move will be completed way sooner than it could be done with traditional stair climbing moving equipment.
If your office is growing and you’re looking to move, stairs no longer have to be a hindrance when choosing an office moving company. Find a company that uses the E-Z Climber, and assure yourself the best possible moving experience.
You’ll have enough trouble dealing with all your technology and IT stuff. Don’t let stairs and bulky items add to the stress.
