How Moving Furniture Can Save Families in Need

By bloGGer | April 19, 2012 | Community, New York Moving Company, On the Trucks | Comments

Gentle Giant Moving Company has been able to grow consistently over the past three decades by safely and quickly moving every piece of furniture they have ever been faced with. We have moved antique, incredibly fragile pieces, as well as large steel pieces that we could’ve sworn weighed more than a Buick LeSabre. You name it, we’ve moved it successfully. We’ve even moved a Buick LeSabre…

For us, furniture is our livelihood, so we have a certain respect for it (even the furniture that refuses to fit out a doorway). Without furniture, our jobs would be easier, if not unnecessary. Our customers, however, sometimes have a much different relationship with furniture. Either a particular furniture piece will be their most valued possession and will request Gentle Giant treat it like a delicate newborn baby, or they will hate a piece of furniture like it was their arch nemesis and will request Gentle Giant to drop it off the back of the truck while we cruise down the highway.

Of course, we would never do this, but in the past, if ever a customer wants us to “get rid of” a piece of furniture for them, we would take it back to our warehouse and find it a good home. While this worked, it was a long process lacking organization, which is why Gentle Giant New York has teamed up with the Furniture Sharehouse, a fabulous organization that takes unwanted furniture and allows families in need to come “shop” through their Sharehouse, for free.

Gentle Giant recently visited the Furniture Sharehouse in Westchester County, and we were blown away by the volume of different furniture items they have carefully organized and inventoried. We are very happy to start contributing even more to this great organization. Gentle Giant will be communicating with our New York customers, letting them know that any unwanted furniture furniture can easily be donated to a family in dire need of a livable home.

For more information, please visit http://www.furnituresharehouse.org/how-you-can-help

10 Questions You NEED to Ask Before Before Hiring a Mover

By bloGGer | March 12, 2012 | Charlotte Moving Company, DC Moving Company, Massachusetts Moving Company, Moving Tips, New Hampshire Moving Company, New York Moving Company, Real Estate, Rhode Island Moving Company, San Francisco Moving Company, Seattle Moving Company, Virginia Moving Company | Comments

The entire moving process is long, complicated, and stressful, so the last thing you want to worry about hiring an unqualified, unprofessional moving company to move you and your family to your new home. This is why Gentle Giant has compiled a list of 10 Questions you NEED to ask while you are researching moving companies. These questions will allow you to easily identify legit moving companies over other companies that cut several dangerous corners to keep their prices low.

To help, we have supplied Gentle Giant’s answers to each question.

1.) How do you select your employees?

Gentle Giant has an intensive interview process, complete with a full background check and a physical endurance test to make sure the candidate will make a successful Giant.

2.) Do you provide benefits for the movers?

Gentle Giant provides health and dental insurance, 401k, short and long term disability, as well as additional Health and Wellness benefits, including compensated gym membership.

3.) How many moves do you complete a year?

Across our national company, Gentle Giant completes over 13,000 moves every year. This number has continued to rise as we expand across the country and work closely with Realtors in the regions we work in.

4.) If there is a problem during the move, who will be handling it? Which department, individual, or a third party?

The Crew Chief’s Gentle Giant places in charge of moves are experienced, expert movers that have received extensive training which can often times can lead to the proper handling of claims right on the spot as they happen. However, if a problem needs further attention, Gentle Giant has a highly trained, in-house Quality Control Department that professionally and diligently handles every type of claim that comes in. In most cases, claims can be handled on the phone or in person by a handy Quality Control Field Representative, who can fix, repair, or replace almost anything.

5.) What type of estimates do you offer?

We offer hourly estimates and “not to exceed” estimates for local moves. Binding estimates are offered for interstate moves.

6.) Do you take credit cards?

Yes, as well as checks and cash.

7.) Are you (your company) a member of the American Moving and Storage Association, The Better Business Bureau, or are you listed as a Pro Mover?

Not only is Gentle Giant a part of the AMSA, but we were recognized by them as the Independent Mover of the Year in 2009. In all of Gentle Giant’s regions, we are members of the Better Business Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce.

8.) Does your company offer secure storage?

In all of Gentle Giant’s regions, we offer secure, fully insured storage options. Gentle Giant’s storage comes with a detailed inventory list for easy access to specific items in storage. Climate controlled storage is also available in most regions.

9.) Do you offer insurance for moving?

Gentle Giant offers Full Replacement Value Insurance, Actual Value Replacement Insurance, and a Basic Liability Insurance. Insurance options are carefully explained to each customer during the booking process, and can be changed on the day of the move with the job’s Crew Chief.

10.) What makes you different from all the other movers?

Gentle Giant has been a leader in the moving industry because of our intense focus on customer service, the athleticism of the crews we send out on jobs, and our 100% Money Back Guarantee. Unheard of in the industry, this Guarantee states that Gentle Giant customers are entitled to a 100% money back satisfaction guarantee for each member of their moving crew: packer, driver, local mover, or long distance mover.

We hope that this has been helpful, and if in the end you want to go with Gentle Giant in one of our regions, including San Francisco, Seattle, Charlotte, Washington DC, Lorton, VA, New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, or Massachusetts, then please call us at 1-800-442-6863 or Request an Estimate Online.

In New York and Throughout the Country, Gentle Giant Moves People Forward!

By bloGGer | March 1, 2012 | Community, Fun Times, Massachusetts Moving Company, New York Moving Company, On the Trucks | Comments

Over 30 years ago, Gentle Giant opened for business and changed the moving industry forever. We took a simple process and perfected it where it needed perfection. Before Gentle Giant stepped onto the scene, most moving companies would simply hire guys who were able to withstand the physical torture that came with just muscling furniture all day without the proper technique. These guys would get burnt out and disgruntled quickly because there was no training or support, and if they couldn’t continue moving, there was always someone younger and dumber to take the job.

Larry works out with some new hires at the Harvard Stadium

Larry O’Toole, Gentle Giant’s Founder and CEO, saw this process and decided moving was the perfect opportunity to engage with customers, focus on service, and truly change what was expected from movers. Larry focused on hiring personable, athletic men and women that cared about what they were doing, and looked at moving as a challenge they could conquer with hard work and a strong team, not a chore they were unlucky enough to be tasked with. Proper training was a major focus for Gentle Giant since the early days, and has only improved as we’ve grown to be a nationwide company. The same goes for the Giants we hire. We look for individuals that not only rise to the physical challenge of the job, but see the value in running a crew, working face to face with customers, and managing complicated jobs day in and day out.

Gentle Giant is so incredibly proud of every person that has ever worn our maroon shirt. Many Giants have come and gone, but as Larry always says, “once a Giant, always a Giant.” Essentially what he means is that Gentle Giant instills a set of values that can be applied to any profession. Many doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and other professionals got their start at Gentle Giant, but will frequently check in with us to say that a big part of their success was learning how to work hard at Gentle Giant.

To see for yourself the high caliber of people we hire, call us at 1-800-442-6863 or Request an Estimate Online.

How Gentle Giant New York Separates Itself From the Rest of NY Movers

By bloGGer | February 10, 2012 | Community, Fun Times, New York Moving Company, On the Trucks | Comments

Being the online voice of Gentle Giant, I get to spend a lot of time in all of Gentle Giant’s Regional offices, keeping up to date on all the great things our Giants do across the country. One of my favorite branches to visit is our New York office. Not only do I love all of the Giants that have made this branch one of our best, but i also enjoy all of the unique challenges associated with moving in one of the wildest, most jam packed cities in the country.

Although a lot of the work our New York office does takes place in beautiful Westchester County, Gentle Giant does head into Manhattan often enough to see how some of our competition do their business. Spoiler Alert, some of these companies do some dicey work.

The first competitor we saw was driving through the Upper East Side in front of us. Without a signal, he took a fast and hard left, side swiping a parked car hard enough to make a woman walking on the street scream and dive out of the way. What did this company do? They did what an non-reputable company did; they kept on going. Left the car just as they had found it, still parked but with significantly more moving truck caused damage. We couldn’t believe it.

When we arrived at our job, we were met with another moving company finishing up their job. Because of how this building was set up, we had to share the loading dock. We were blown away by the sight of the other movers emerging from the elevator with clouds of cigarette smoke behind them. Gentle Giant is a non-smoking company, but even if we weren’t, I can’t even fathom the amount of inconsideration and unprofessionalism it would take to smoke inside a residences elevator.

I will say however, for every company making these poor decisions, there are very reputable companies in our industry that take their profession very seriously. Those are the types of companies we are proud to say are our brothers and sisters in this wild industry.

To book your move with the best of the best in New York, call us at 1-800-442-6863 or Request an Estimate Online.