Trust & Control
Or should I say Trust vs. Control.
I always find it interesting/challenging/character building to have to put my trust in (unknown) others. I’m one of those people where if it were actually feasible I would pretty much do everything myself. And why yes, I am well aware of all of the downsides of this tendency. And mostly, I can logic myself into a rational strategy for most scenarios.
In some cases (e.g. surgeons) there is a lot of public data to access. In others, perhaps I’ve read some reviews on Yelp or checked out the BBB website and am simply hoping for the best.
I moved last week. I planned a few days leeway from my lease end date just to be safe. I prearranged things like internet and utilities a few days early, again to be safe. And I had contingencies for my contingencies in case it all went sideways. But instead it all went flawlessly, and so this is a shout out for Cannonball Movers based in the greater Denver area in Colorado. I found them via Yelp looking for local movers with great reviews.
But you never know how many of the so-called reviews were done by affiliates vs. actual customers. And they only have 5 reviews, albeit all great.
Let me start with the things that caused me to pause and be nervous:
- They have a website but I could not reserve the date/check availability on the website.
- While the website had a phone # that I could call or text, I could not send a message or request via the web.
- Once I connected with Ernesto by phone, he mailed me a contract via USPS for a deposit. I could not make a deposit via paypal or even a check – must be cash or money order. And the contract had to be mailed back by USPS, not via scan, email, etc.
In spite of these low tech quirks, their BBB profile is/was A+
And so, I got my very first money order and mailed off my deposit. I remember thinking that this could/would likely be a $100 learning experience. And I built contingency plans in my mind.
Instead, Ernesto and his team were on time. 10 a.m. on the promised day. They called about 90 minutes ahead of the appointment as a check in. He’d promised me 3 movers; he brought 4. My one bedroom apartment was fully loaded into their truck in about 1.5 hours. The building manager was astonished when I told him we were through with the elevator & elevator pads. Anything that I had not covered with shrink-wrap was covered by the Cannonball Movers’ team with moving blankets and shrink-wrap; quickly, completely. I should have let them do everything – it was included with the price and they were better at it. They laughed at my empty filing cabinets and dresser. Apparently this was not necessary.
After the 20-30 minute drive to my new place; the team had a brief lunch and started unloading. Unlike my prior 1st floor condo, this move required everything going up a flight of narrow stairs. There were no dings or damage to the walls. They were completely done by about 1:30 p.m. This included – unwrapping all of the furniture they’d wrapped and packing out the refuse; rebuilding my steel frame bed (easy assembly but heavy!) making sure all heavy boxes and pieces of furniture were where I wanted them. Of course I was their “easy” move for the day. They were headed to a job which they anticipated would require 4 truck loads and 12+ hours. They were hoping to get done by midnight before getting some rest for the next day.
After two recent cross-country moves (Denver-Tallahassee-Denver) using PODS – (side note: I love the PODS business model and for a very flexible move schedule and secure storage I feel PODS is worth their premium prices) however, my experiences hiring day labor for loading and unloading (decent place to find helpers) varied. Moving Help is great because it holds the payment in escrow until the work is done. The real risks are – how much time the job will take? How many hours should you prepay? Will the team walk off after the # of hours pre-paid to go to their next job or take cash to finish your job? Or in the case of one of my moves, will the team track mud clumps without notice or apology through every inch of your dwelling?!
So, compared to my PODS experience, Cannonball Movers was the best. By like 1000x. I paid by the truckload and knew that I could fit all of my stuff in one truck. I tipped like a fool because the experience so far exceeded my past experiences and my fears for the day. And, I should not write this but I will; they undervalue their time. A lot. 5 star experience; 2 star pricing. Even with my 25% tip I feel like I got a bargain. If you move during the middle of the month, their pricing is apparently even more generous.
If you are in the front range of Colorado, and are moving; I highly recommend this business.
Cannonball Movers
Ernesto Guerra
720-255-4368
*no affiliate links; just a happy customer.