Rogues gone Rogue
Rogue operators are not only know for taking consumers’ belongings hostage, but they are taking the moving industry’s image hostage and impacting revenues. Rogue operators have extreme power when it comes to overshadowing reputable moving companies, and that power is hurting the reputation of the moving industry as a whole.
In May 2012, the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs filed a lawsuit against several moving companies claiming dozens of cases in which movers held customers’ items hostage until they paid charges that were more than the quoted price. However, in reality, these moving companies were innocent and the rogue operators were the ones guilty of the alleged hostage-cases. But, again, it is the moving industry who suffers from the rogues’ actions.
Unfortunately, bad news always travels faster than good news as well. Consumers who have something bad to say about a company or industry are quick to post a negative review online or complain to friends, while happy consumers usually don’t take the time to share their positive experience.
The works of rogue operators and unhappy customers have created a tainted moving industry reputation that needs to be fixed. President and chief executive of AMSA Linda Darr stated that “Successful movers are the kings of the trucking world and stand out above all others because movers possess a unique set of talents: the strength of Hercules, the navigation skills of Sinbad, the psychological skills of Freud and the patience and perseverance of Mother Teresa.” Therefore, the world should see them as such.
What can your company do to work against the rogues? Be proactive. Speak out against the illegal activities and report these companies to authorities. Educate consumers to avoid rogue operators and warn hem about the dangers of unlicensed activity. Encourage them to hire established, professional firms.
It is important to consistently and collectively work to improve the image of the moving industry. Things that happen to the moving industry at the national, state, and local levels have the potential to impact your company directly. We can’t just sit and watch things happen. Be proactive and do whatever it takes to improve the moving industry’s image.
2 Responses
The problem of rogue movers are not as black and white as this article would make it out to be.
When I first got into the moving business I operated illegally. I didn’t know better. Then I got educated and now I am licensed and insured. But when I was operating illegally I still had the utmost respect for my customers and went out of my way to ensure that they had the best move and the lowest cost possible.
I also studied and researched this phenomena and found that most of the scam movers were in fact perpetrated by licensed and insured companies. In fact 80% of scam movers, I found, were licensed and insured movers. Most of which was van liners.
That being said I also went out of my way to expose all the bad movers out there. Legal and illegal alike.
Because scam movers do more harm to the moving reputation than any rogue mover. And scam movers can be either licensed or not.
The world of business has changed. Liabilities are one of the biggest worries for moving companies now. Years ago, operating rogue may not have been as bad as it is now. But the fact is, that now-a-days, people cant trust a handshake or an invoice that isn’t backed up legally.
Most rogue operators know better, however I will give you credit for being the noble one who didn’t.