When you’re packing up your house for a change of address, it makes sense to call in movers. You’re going to do most of the packing, so all you need is some labor to handle the heavy lifting and transportation. But, an office move is a lot more complicated. Your office is often full of delicate equipment and complicated furniture. If you want everything to survive the move, you may not want to hire a mover for the job.

The Risks of Hiring Office Movers

Things get damaged during shipping. It’s one of the reasons companies like UPS include basic insurance on all of their packages. Unfortunately, moving companies may not offer the same level of coverage. Movers and moving companies often use temporary labor with no training specific to office furniture and hardware. As a result, you might have a big bill facing you at the end to replace all of the damaged equipment and furniture items. If you’re lucky, the moving company will have insurance that may pay for a small percentage of the damage. (You may also want to read about the types of insurance you need before a move in our blog: What Kind of Insurance Do I Need for an Office Move?)

If you’re not so lucky, the replacement cost of the broken office furniture can add a substantial fee to the cost of an office move, while also putting you behind schedule.

How Trained Technicians Reduce Your Risks

Trained office furniture installers are office movers plus more. They take a very different approach to packing and moving your equipment. Take a look at a workstation. Modern workstations can have more than 75 individual pieces. A trained technician will know the proper sequence of disassembly so that every station can ship safely. Leave the same workstation to a mover and it might ship partially assembled, increasing the likelihood of damage during shipping.

Electrical equipment is another issue to consider when office moving. You might have heavy-duty power supplies and extensive wiring that goes along with your equipment. Anyone not trained to deal with the electrical side of a commercial move might cause accidental damage. Without a full product warranty to pay for any issues, you can expect a surprise invoice after unpacking at your new location. With expert furniture installers, you get trained technicians that know how to handle the unique needs of commercial customers in a timely fashion.

You may also want to read our blog post about the differences between a furniture installer and certified office furniture installer:

When to Call in the Office Furniture Installers

Office furniture installers don’t just handle grand openings and new businesses. They also help you pack and move so that you can minimize productivity losses. If you’re planning a move, reorganization or remodel, you can include office movers to help along the way. Furniture installers can do all of the following:

  • Handle deliveries during and after office hours
  • Work at night and on the weekends to minimize office disruption and down time
  • Modify existing furniture to fit a new space or layout
  • Help with space planning and allocations
  • Make purchasing recommendations

You wouldn’t ask your primary care doctor to write you an eyeglass prescription, and you shouldn’t ask movers to help with moving your office equipment. It is simply a question of expertise. Here are five questions you may want to ask before hiring a furniture installer for your space.

Saving Time and Money Working With Experts

A single piece of office furniture can cost thousands of dollars to replace. Office furniture installers bring industry-specific expertise to the task of packing, storing, shipping, and moving office equipment. Not only can they help with the heavy lifting, but they might also be able to help you minimize the need to buy new furniture. By offering layout tips and helping with modifications, furniture installers can keep your moving costs down and fully complete your office move faster than an average mover. 

Published On: November 17th, 2016 / Categories: Facility Managers, Office Move /
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