Why Social Proof Matters When Choosing a Removal Company

You probably read that title and clicked out of curiosity more than anything.

You want to know the best removal firms in your area, whether it is worth trying to move home yourself, or where you can find the most helpful home moving advice, and apparently, social proof matters, whatever that is.

What is Social Proof?

Well, the social proof psychology concept states that people put great faith in the things that have worked out well for others in the past.

If it worked for them it should work for you too right?

How is that important to you when choosing a reputable removal company for your home move? Well, it is. Very important.

Choosing the best removal company, or electing to do a home move by yourself, is not something that you learn to do from personal experience, after all, it is not something the majority of people do regularly.

Therefore we try to learn from other people’s experiences, to have them convey to us what worked for them and just as importantly, what didn’t work so well during their home move.

Other people’s experience is valuable because it allows us to make a more informed decision as to what is the best way to carry out our own home move, the pitfalls to avoid, and the things that will make our move so much easier.

You may also like to read: How to Make Home Moving Reviews Work for You. In this guide, we show you how to seek out the reviews that relate to your particular home move, how to interpret what those reviews mean, and the things to look out for when reading reviews.

Can You Trust Online Reviews?

Not 100%. No.

Reviews can make or break a removal company and it is not unheard of for companies to pay to have fake reviews posted, or bad reviews removed.

However, online reviews set the benchmark these days for many products and services.

But you need to exercise caution when relying solely on information found on the web.

So whilst in this case, social proof is the accepted norm, there are firms out there who will abuse the system.

You should look for an independent removal company review website that does not charge companies to be listed on their site.

Additionally, you would want a review website that checks the validity of the reviews being posted.

The best review websites will even give you the option to contact the reviewer yourself so that you can ask specific questions or satisfy yourself that the review is genuine.

Websites such as removalreviews.co.uk have been in business for over a decade and have one of the largest databases of removal company reviews in the UK. Which.co.uk is another website that many people have found to be trustworthy when looking for a removal firm.

Having found a reputable review website you now need to filter those reviews so that they actually relate to your own home move.

Look for reviews from people who have moved from and to a similar region as your intended move.

Similar size home moves would be useful too, as would any reviews that mention things that are particularly concerning for you such as delicate or antique pieces of furniture, or a piano for example.

The more recent the date of the review the more relevant it will be.

Take note also whether a company takes the time and effort to respond to the reviews whether they are good or bad. This indicates that they care about the feedback they receive from their customers.

Reading bad reviews will also help, as not only will you see the type of things that can go wrong with a home move, but you can also see how the removal company dealt with the issue and if they resolved it.

If there is a recurring theme in the reviews, for example, damages to a piano, and you want to move your Baby Grand, then that is probably a company best avoided.

Bear in mind that it is impossible for a removal company to get every move 100% perfect, you will never please every customer.

However, you should avoid any company that has a large number of bad reviews.

Also, pay attention to any filtered reviews. These are reviews that the algorithm on the site deems to be suspicious or from a known marketing source.

A high number of filtered reviews may suggest that the company is trying to manipulate the number of good reviews they have.

You may also like to read: How to Compare Removal Company Review Websites. There are dozens of review sites on the web, but not all have the interests of the people who use such reviews as their priority. In this guide, we show you how to spot a good review site from a bad one.

Online Home Moving Blogs, Guides, Tips, and Resources

The fact that there are so many home moving blogs and advice on the internet indicates that there is a need for such information.

Nobody would take the time or effort to create such content for websites unless people were searching for home moving advice.

So although there is clearly social proof that people seek guidance when moving home, where they get that information from is crucial.

Moving companies often have their own blogs, although often they are designed to promote their services or steer you towards booking a home move with them.

Ideally, you should look for impartial advice from an authoritative source. These are a few things to look out for:

• Read the author’s bio, and see what skills and experience they have
• See how long the website has been in business
• Are their guides and tips comprehensive and helpful?
• Is the content fresh and well-written?
• Is the purpose of the content to get you to book a home move or to genuinely help you answer your question?

You may also like to read: Which are the Best UK Home Moving Blogs? Blogs can be a really useful tool for every aspect of your home move. In this guide, we share our favourite blogs that we think are really useful for anyone moving home in the UK.

Removal Industry Associations

What have removal industry associations got to do with social proof, or choosing a removal company for that matter?

Well, generally you will find the longer-established, better removal companies belong to one or other of the removal trade associations or websites that list services by companies that maintain certain standards and work ethics.

So if they take the considerable time and effort required to join these associations then it must be a good thing.

Belonging to any club or association tends to say to others that you are serious about your hobby or trade and that you are proud to be a part of that community.

For you as a home mover it is a good indicator that the removal firm adheres to certain quality benchmarks and also that there are certain safeguards to protect your home move should things go wrong.

This can be especially important if you are planning on moving overseas but equally applies to all home moves.

There are two main trade associations for removal companies in the UK: the British Association of Removers (BAR) and The National Guild of Removers and Storers (NGRS).

You will also find trusted removal companies listed on sites such as Which? Trusted Trader Scheme and Trading Standards Buy With Confidence Scheme.

There is in-depth information about these removal trade bodies in the article: Home Removal Industry Associations and Trade Bodies, where you will also find lots of useful information about international removal company associations.

So, having spent well over a decade as a trusted removal company review website, and with the years of experience our staff have, what have we learned about how to move home?

Read on to discover how easy it is to move home yourself and how to hire the best removal company for your home move.

Is It Worth Trying to Move Home Yourself?

A quick browse online will reveal many self-move stories, both good and bad.

Often the size of your move will dictate how you will move home, and larger home moves will almost always be carried out by a professional furniture removal company.

Generally, if you have furniture to move or are moving long-distance then hire a removal company, if you are only moving a few boxes then a self-move is probably your best option.

You may also like to read: Moving Home Yourself vs Hiring a Reputable Removal Firm. Here we list the pros and cons of trying to move home yourself vs hiring a removal company.

However you intend to transport your things to your new home the overwhelming consensus from home movers is that packing is the worst part of moving home, often due to the amount of time and effort that packing takes.

For that reason, the majority of people moving home will elect to hire professional packers.

A professional packing service will take half the time to complete the task than you probably would, and they will have the skills to pack things to prevent any damage.

Often what it will cost you to hire a professional packing team is regarded as exceptional value for money.

You may also like to read: Are Home Packing Services Worth the Cost? In this guide, we tell you all you need to know about professional packers to help you decide if they are worth hiring for your home move.

Others will elect to pack their items themselves and have a removal company transport the goods to their new home.

If you have no experience driving a van, and bear in mind the sheer stress that doing so can cause, then that in itself is a good enough reason to leave it to the professionals.

When it comes to moving yourself there are plenty of things that can go wrong and many hidden costs that can soon blow your home moving budget.

Moving home yourself is exhausting and stressful and should only be an option if you are physically able to perform the move and have plenty of reliable friends to help you.

If you do decide to move home yourself be sure to read the advice within our home moving blog which will make your home move easier, cheaper, and safer.

Should I Hire a Removal Company?

If moving heavy and large furniture, or over a long distance, do not have friends or family that can help you, or you do not have the physical ability to move yourself, and certainly if moving overseas, hiring the services of a good removal company is the best option.

However, if you have never hired a removal company before, where do you even begin to narrow down your choices from the hundreds of companies out there?

Well, hundreds of thousands of people a year turn to online quote estimation websites.

It is quick, easy, and free to request a home move quote and you are under no obligation.

It is risk-free, many thousands of people use this service every year, and it saves you precious time ringing around endless removal firms.

So it makes sense to go with the crowd on this occasion.

This is your first step of many when trying to pick a good removal company.

Finding the right removal company is so crucial that we have created a step-by-step guide for you that shows you exactly how to go about this task: How to Pick a Good Removal Company – The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide is an invaluable read for anyone moving home.

Moving home is never cheap or easy, and there are plenty of things that can go wrong on moving day.

So it pays, in every sense, to do plenty of research about the whole process.

That way you can avoid the pitfalls that others have encountered, and you can also enjoy the good experience that a reliable removal company will give you.

As the song says “It’s that good advice that you just didn’t take” that can end up costing you a small fortune and a lot of heartache.

The internet can be a great source of information but is also awash with bad or inaccurate information.

Take everything with a pinch of salt unless you can satisfy yourself that what you are reading is in all probability accurate and truthful.

Remember that at the end of the day only you can decide what is best for your home move.

Question everything you read and rely on your gut instincts as much as you will rely on social proof.