Trust that brand

March 18th, 2010

Shifting home or office is stresseful! But then you knew that.

So, where does one start? By opening the Yellow Pages and picking an advert that looks attractive? I suppose there can be some merit in that but what about a lousy removalist who happens to have a great advert? What about a removalist whose had a presence for years but remains a dodgy removalist?

One of THE most important barriers to any sale is the NO TRUST barrier and its not an easy one to overcome.

Brand building takes years and ultimately we all want our brand to become a generic in the fields within which we operate. I can’t suggest to competitors how to overcome this barrier for obvious reasons;but, I can continue to run ab fab The Stress Free Movers http://www.abfab.net.au as THE most professional home and office removals company on the Sunshine Coast.

The ab fab brand has been out there for going on ten years and we have proudly earned our stripes. People on the coast know us..and trust us. They know that we will deliver! We are not the most expensive but we are most certainly not a $90 or $100 per hour removalist. If a removalist IS charging these prices, you’d be very wise to tread carefully. Chances are he’s an owner driver who needs the money and then you’ll need to question how he pays his assistants/off siders ( never mind other business costs!)…and what quality of work you might get from them! After all, we are talking about your belongings.

Can you trust the process? Will they even arrive come move day? What condition will your valuable goods arrive in? Does he lead you to believe you are insured for breakage when there’s every likelyhood that you are not…

Brand building takes years and trust is earned not deserved. I have worked for two start up insurers in Australia; one who has earned their stripes and one who hasn’t. I know who I would not insure my car or house with for sure! Time is the judge and so if you know the brand and you trust the credentials, move with them..don’t worry about saving $50 bux! Its really not worth it.

All of the testimonials at      http://www.abfab.net.au/std_testimonials.aspx are contactable

Now that you have done your research..sit back and let ab fab The Stress Free Movers do the rest incuding the pack, unpack, boxes and insurance.

Posted in Trusted Brand | No Comments »

It’s all about reputation

February 25th, 2010

There are stacks of removal companies and we all continually chase a slice of of the cake. There are new guys that spring up all the time. There’s no problem with that; except that they are invariably owner drivers who have no overheads, have no marketing except for the small adverts and generally just get in the way!

This is after all your personal belongings we are moving. Maybe the small removalist has worked for a larger company and maybe you did know of him. Maybe he is a nice guy…..The million dollar question is “can he back himself when he has your goods in his truck?’…

Sound a bit harsh ? Not really, because there are professional removalists and then there are the hackers who create a perception that removalists  are all shonks. Many are; lets be frank; they have no formal wages for staff and pay “cashies’, no super, no liability insurance and very often no idea!

There’s an old saying ” Penny wise and Pound foolish” and in our game, never a truer word. We may charge a higher hourly rate but we know that we live and die by our reputation. In fact that’s why around 50% of our enquiries are from clients or referrals. Are we perfect? Not at all but in the main we know we do a great job and we know this because our clients tell us so…and they tell their friends.

So what do we do that’s different? I guess we simply make sure that we are professional from start to completion of the move. Unlike some competitors, we don’t bag any of them. If we lose a move to a competitor…ce la vie! Very often they come back…

In fact I had a call just yesterday from a client..tale between his legs because he recently used a competitor who was $10 an hour cheaper than ab fab…the move was a nightmare and guess what? …..He’s back and has asked us to move him out of storage.

Its all about reputation..we know that and we value that. At ab fab The Stress Free Movers we are very proud to be the remover of choice for some well established and well known Sunshine Coast families and indeed businesses.

All of our  testimonials are contactable..put us to the test!

We’d love to move your family and friends..so enquire through the web http://www.abfab.net.au  or call us on 07 5445 8797

Posted in Movers on the Coast | 1 Comment »

Insurance; the necessary evil

November 5th, 2009

Having spent 20 years in the insurance industry, it never ceases to amaze me at just how few people invest in removal insurance. It seems that we as people  are programmed to insure our home and contents and yet when we move the contents and increase our risk of breaking or losing stuff…we choose not to insure! Sure its a grudge purchase; let’s face it, no body in their right mind wants to pay to remove their home contents and STILL have to pay for insurance…right?

It’s fair to say that every removalist has the best intentions in the world. The reality is however, that we are all human and like it or not, accidents do happen.

So can you merely rely on the removalist’s terms and conditions? Well, let’s be reasonable; in fairness. Terms and Conditions are put in place to form the basis of a business relationship, albeit a once off. There   are certain fundamental expectations you will have of your removalist (as you should) and that’s all well and good. At the end of the day its reasonable to need to know that your removalist is indeed legitimate and does have some degree of credibility and integrity ( sometimes a hard few qualities to find today!). This business is full of dodgy removalists and we often have to rescue clients from potentially disastrous situations when they have been let down at the last minute (invariably because the client thought he was “saving” $10 an hour).

When ab fab The Stress Free movers moves your belongings you can rest assured that we will do our very best to make sure they arrive safe and sound at your new home. While we will take the utmost care in moving your belongings, from time to time accidents do happen. ab fab strongly recommends that insure your belongings.

The premium is such a small cost compared to the value of the goods you are moving. So you may have to pay an excess but is that such a bad thing given that you have total peace of mind? The removalist can not be expected to absorb the client’s responsibility to insure. It’s really important that you insure your move! The good news is: -

Removal insurance does not have to cost you a fortune!

ab fab are very aware of the expensive transit and storage cover  that is sold by some removalists and encourages you to compare the quote you have been given to the quality cover at a great price  though Associated Marine. (See the link below)

Removal companies don’t hold a Financial Services Licence and any Transit insurance is arranged through an authorised representative  arrangement with an insurance broker.

At ab fab we chose not to do that and have found that leaving insurance to the experts not only offers you the peace of mind you are looking for but at a cheaper price.

Should you book your move with a competitor (and let’s hope you don’t!), be sure to ask what the rate is per $1000 of cover and be sure to compare apples with apples i.e  make sure you choose comprehensive cover. ab fab recently secured a move from a  “big brand ” on the coast whose cover was $27.50 per $1000 sum insured! The Associated Marine policy was one third of the price!

ab fab has a direct relationship with Associated Marine Insurers, a leading supplier of transit cover in Australia. Call them directly on 1800 009 796 or visit http://www.associatedmarine.com.au/abfab/ Be sure to quote the reference 40/74288.

Initially you may select the Associated Marine sum insured calculator which will enable you to calculate the replacement value of your household goods accurately. You will then be in a position to provide other information, select the cover you require and then purchase the cover on-line, including payment.

Comprehensive insurance provides many benefits including an optional excess, all risks cover, even if owner-packed, and most importantly new for old replacement for all items regardless of age.

So, don’t procrastinate..insure your move and give your self that peace of mind.

Posted in Insurance | 11 Comments »

Boxes..to Hire or to Buy?

October 3rd, 2009

So you are moving right? And it’ just so tempting to go to the local Woolies or bottlo and collect boxes for your move? Thats’s all good but can we just at least encourage you think about the implications for you at least?
You see, chances are you will get loads of boxes that way. You may even save yourself a few hundred bucks and let’s face it. in today’s economic climate, a few hundred bucks is a few hundred bucks!
If you would consider just for a moment the packing of the removal truck; its an art and not just any old Aussie can do it. It’s a bit like laying tetris you see.
By engaging a professional removalist, you are firstly getting someone who knows how to pack a truck for both space saving and damage prevention purposes.
The Woolies boxes are designed to carry tins of food and they are invariably stacked on a pallet and then moved by a fork lift. They can even be thrown around and by the very nature of the cans, they will be pretty safe.
Unlike the food cans, your precious belongings really need to be properly packed in boxes that are designed for personal belongings. Proper removal boxes are of a consistent size and playing “tetris” in the pan teach is so much easier because of that.
So when you are getting ready for that big move, give it some axtra thought because the few bob you might save on the Woolies boxes, you’ll spend in the extra time it takes to pack the truck.The chances are that your belongings will get damaged as a result of using the free boxes…and ther’s goes your saved $’s!
ab fab carry not only the full range of removal packing materials, they also offer both HIRE or BUY options for your removal boxes. You really don’t need to get your boxes from the hire a box people because part of the end to end seamless move with ab fab means you can get what you need in one stop!

You can even purchase second hand boxes if stocks permit and it suits your budget. Just talk to the ab fab Operations Team..and start your Stress Free Move today! or visit us at http://www.abfab.net.au

Posted in Moving Boxes, Uncategorized | 9 Comments »

There’s a herd of turtles out there

August 28th, 2009

Sunshine Coast removals really don’t have to be un cool…There’s so much to think about but its like anything, we either fail to plan or we plan to fail.

The biggest challenge seems to be making the decision to book the move. We really appreciate that there are loads of removalists on the Sunshine Coast. If you just take the bull by the horns and book, the rest just seems to fall into place. ab fab will help you along the way with great communication and value-add things like our moving tips. And what’s more, we’re flexible; if your settlement date changes, we’ll work with you.

The move day itself is really stressful for you and as removalists, ab fab know and understand that.

Our guys are coached to deliver awesome customer service. The general consensus out there is that removalists are rough and tough and just don’t care…and that’s sadly in many cases very true. ab fab face up to the task. We have high expectations of our staff when it comes to dress, good manners and caring for your goods. Hey, we are not perfect but when it comes to standards we have a very low tolerance for any staff member who is not part of the team and who, for whatever reason resists being at the top of his game. The guys know….. ‘you don’t shave, you are not fulfilling our promise and you need to work somewhere else.’ It does sound tough but then we are serious about what we do. There’s a lot to be said for the saying “if you look good, you feel good and you act good” and at ab fab The Stress Free Movers we employ removalists who want to be eagles, not turkeys. Our proud removalists defend our image with pride.

ab fab is not a national removals company with depots dotted all across Australia. We don’t have hundreds of staff (that can be a nightmare to uphold standards). We are a genuine boutique removalist with standards and expectations above so many of our competitors. Why? Because we care about your removal experience; bottom line, we want you back in the future and so we go the extra mile.

There’s a herd of turtles out there and you really should be moving house or office removals with a company who understand that you want a stress free move. You have more than likely heard of the horror stories with breakage and belongings getting lost with some of the bigger names. Relax because at ab fab we take transparency seriously. For example we point you in the right direction for removal insurance. Talk to the experts rather than a removalist!  Have a look at  http://www.associatedmarine.com.au/abfab/

We pack, unpack, supply moving boxes, offer the full range of packing materials and we have well priced storage.

You owe it to yourself to give ab fab The Stress Free Movers a call. We don’t have the cheapest hourly rate on the coast; we know that, but what we do promise is a managed move with a great team of guys and we believe that will save you money. Its great finding a cheaper hourly rate for removals Sunshine Coast but at the end of the day when the guy arrives in a truck that’s too small (which means multiple trips and more money!!) and takes extra hours to move your stuff because the loading of the truck is a mess, you’ve actually spent a whole lot more. Don’t be hood winked; use the professionals; give ab fab a call or visit our web site http://www.abfab.net.au

Posted in Movers on the Coast | No Comments »