In-Home Estimate or Virtual Survey: Which is best for you?

Whether you are moving across town or across the country, getting a accurate evaluation of your things is critical to your relocation to be set up for success. In recent years, some Pittsburgh moving companies have expanded their initial estimate process to include virtual visits. But did you know that Corrigan las an industry leader offering virtual surveys for over 4 years? We’ve blended best practices and technology since 2018 to offer a perfect virtual estimation process. While competing moving companies were still learning about best practices, Corrigan was on the ball when it came to serving our customers and providing a straightforward, safe option for the up-front move consultation. Even though many customers prefer welcoming us into their homes, having an optional survey done virtually is not going away. So now, which option is right for your situation?

What is a Virtual Survey, anyway?

Prior to scheduling your move with a moving company, will want to have a move consultation so you can find out their price and services. Many moving companies now provide the option of having this initial consultation in your home or virtually. While different movers have different methods, here is what you can expect scheduling a virtual survey with Corrigan Moving.

United Van Lines (who Corrigan is a leading agent for), developed their own proprietary virtual platform that’s paired with Amazon’s cloud platform. This results in a platform that is so secure that many government agencies use it! Prior to your appointment, all must do is download our Virtual Survey App from your phone or tablet’s app store. After downloading, you’ll be set for your appointment!

The day of your appointment, you will get a text and email message from your move consultant to begin. This message will contain a link to the Virtual Survey App. Voila – you have a move consultant right there in your home! Your consultant will take as much time as is necessary discussing your move details and finding out what’s important to you with respect to your move. After that, we’ll have you walk through your home with your phone, narrating and showing the consultant what items you’d like to move, the details of your home, driveway, etc. When you’ve completed logging all of your belongings, your consultant will create a detailed inventory and move plan just for you.

Fact vs. Fiction

Are Virtual Surveys Accurate?

It takes time to learn new technologies and new ways of doing something. However, a lot of moving companies have integrated virtual surveys. Why? Because they work!

“When a move consultant is in a customer’s home, they’re talking with the customer along with creating the inventory. Virtual surveys allow our consultants the chance to review survey videos, think through the best solutions, ensuring accuracy. Being able to rely on that video throughout the move process, to allow the move coordinator to see it, sharing images from the videos with crew members and drivers can really eliminate surprises on the day of the move,” said Ashley Walsh, Head of the Virtual Survey Team for Corrigan.

“I worked exclusively in-home for about 7 years before transitioning to virtual surveys 100%,” Walsh continued. “I personally feel I am more accurate and thorough when working with a customer virtually. It allows me to focus on one thing at a time, which also allows the customer to focus on one thing at a time. They’re more likely to slow down, remember and relay all the details that are important to them, so nothing gets missed.”

People who aren’t used to virtual surveys also are afraid that critical information, like whether or not a semi-truck can fit at the home, may be missed using a survey virtually.

“This really isn’t the case,” said Walsh. “When a move consultant drives to a customer’s home, they’re making notes before they knock on the door. How long the driveway is, where the truck should park, the best access into a neighborhood, are all things that are important for a moving company. When doing a survey virtually, we have several tools we use to get the same information. We most commonly use Google Maps, Zillow and Google Street View before starting the appointment. We can even measure the exact length of a road or driveway from satellite images. That allows us to know what we’re about to see, and tailor our questions and dialogue accordingly. Essentially, we’re capturing the exact same information as in-home consultants.”

Is it faster to have a virtual survey?

We often hear customers chose a virtual survey appointment “because it is faster”. This isn’t technically the case! Our move consultants handle both virtual and in-home appointments during business hours, so scheduling a virtual appointment doesn’t free up time for you to be seen any quicker. If you have to have an appointment after regular hours, a virtual survey does offer more flexible available appointment times.

When is an in-home survey better?

There are some times when having a consultant come to your home is more beneficial. Here are some reasons to lean towards an in-home move consultation:

 

• If you have a poor, spotty or unreliable Wi-Fi or mobile data connection
• If you have multiple delicate works of art, glass tops, collectibles or statues that need exact measurements for crating (this can be done virtually, but you’d be the one responsible for taking these measurements)
• If you do not own a smartphone or tablet device

 

Which is right for me?

Essentially, the choice between an in-home or virtual survey when choosing a Pittsburgh moving company is all about personal preference. All consultants with Corrigan will offer you both types of surveys and both methods have been incredibly successful for us.

“Virtual surveys are an accurate, convenient option that we’re happy to permanently offer. Allowing our customers to choose which consultation method fits their needs is just another demonstration of how Corrigan Moving Systems prioritizes the customer experience,” said Walsh.

So, which one will you choose? Contact Corrigan Moving today to set up your free, no-obligation, in-home or virtual estimate!