In-Home Estimate or Virtual Survey: Which is best for you?

Whether you’re moving in-town or cross-country, ensuring a accurate documenting of your household goods is crucial to your relocation to be set up for success. In recent years, many Bay City moving companies have augmented their initial moving estimate process to include virtual visits. But were you aware that Corrigan has been leading in virtual surveys for over 4 years? Since 2018, we’ve combined best practices and technology to create the perfect virtual estimation process. When some moving companies were still learning about best practices, Corrigan didn’t miss a beat regarding serving our customers and giving them a straightforward, safe option for the up-front move consultation. Even though most customers would rather welcome us into their homes, having an optional survey that can be done virtually is not going away. So, which option is best for your move?

What is a Virtual Survey, anyway?

Prior to scheduling a relocation with a moving company, you want to have a move consultation so they can discuss their pricing and services offered. It is common that many moving companies give you the option of doing your initial consultation either virtually or in your home. While other movers have different approaches, here’s what to expect when scheduling a virtual survey with Corrigan Moving.

United Van Lines (who we are a leading agent for), created a proprietary virtual platform paired with the Amazon cloud. This results in a platform that is so secure it is used by many government agencies! Ahead of your appointment, all you will need to do is download the unique Virtual Survey App from your device’s app store. After you download it, you are ready for your appointment!

At the time of your appointment, you will get a text and email message from your move consultant to begin your survey. This message contains a link which will open your Virtual Survey App. Then, voila – you have a move consultant in your home! They will spend as much time as needed to talk with you about the specifics of your move and figure out what’s important to you with respect to your relocation. After that, we’ll have you walk through your home with your phone, talking and showing what items you’d like to move, the logistics of your home, walkways, driveway, etc. When filmed and discussed everything, your consultant will create a detailed inventory and move plan just for you.

Fact vs. Fiction

Are Virtual Surveys Accurate?

It takes time to learn new technology and new ways of doing something. However, most moving companies have integrated virtual surveys. Why? Because it works!

“When a move consultant is in a customer’s home, they’re talking with the customer along with creating the inventory. Virtual surveys allow our consultants the chance to review survey videos, think through the best solutions, ensuring accuracy. Being able to rely on that video throughout the move process, to allow the move coordinator to see it, sharing images from the videos with crew members and drivers can really eliminate surprises on the day of the move,” said Ashley Walsh, Head of the Virtual Survey Team for Corrigan.

“I worked exclusively in-home for about 7 years before transitioning to virtual surveys 100%,” Walsh added. “I personally feel I am more accurate and thorough when working with a customer virtually. It allows me to focus on one thing at a time, which also allows the customer to focus on one thing at a time. They’re more likely to slow down, remember and relay all the details that are important to them, so nothing gets missed.”

People who aren’t familiar with virtual surveys may also fear that crucial details, like whether a semi-truck can fit at the home, will be missed when doing a survey virtually.

“This really isn’t the case,” responded Walsh. “When a move consultant drives to a customer’s home, they’re making notes before they knock on the door. How long the driveway is, where the truck should park, the best access into a neighborhood, are all things that are important for a moving company. When doing a survey virtually, we have several tools we use to get the same information. We most commonly use Google Maps, Zillow and Google Street View before starting the appointment. We can even measure the exact length of a road or driveway from satellite images. That allows us to know what we’re about to see, and tailor our questions and dialogue accordingly. Essentially, we’re capturing the exact same information as in-home consultants.”

Are virtual surveys faster?

We often hear customers chose a virtual survey appointment “because it is faster”. This isn’t technically the case! Our move consultants take care of both virtual and in-home appointments during the day, so choosing a virtual appointment does not free up time for you to be seen any quicker. If you require an after-hours appointment, a virtual survey does give you more flexible available appointment times.

When is an in-home survey better?

There are some times when having a consultant come to your home is preferred. Here are some circumstances to think about an in-home relocation consultation:

 

• You have spotty, poor or unreliable Wi-Fi or mobile data connection
• If you own breakable works of art, collectibles, statues, or glass tops that must have exact measurements for crating (this can be done virtually, but you’ll be responsible for collecting these measurements)
• You don’t own a smartphone or tablet device

 

Which is right for me?

In the end, the decision of an in-home or virtual survey when scheduling with a Bay City moving company comes down to personal preference. All of our consultants will give you both options between both and we’ve been incredibly successful.

“Virtual surveys are an accurate, convenient option that we’re happy to permanently offer. Allowing our customers to choose which consultation method fits their needs is just another demonstration of how Corrigan Moving Systems prioritizes the customer experience,” said Walsh.

So, which will you choose? Contact Corrigan Moving today to set up your free, no-obligation, in-home or virtual estimate!