Interview: Grosvenor Removals

EXPERT INTERVIEW

A helping hand is on its way

Dan Fuller is a man on the move, as the founder of Grosvenor Removals he lets us in on his world helping people (and all their worldly goods) from point A to point B.

How do you tackle a house move? Is it top rooms first then downstairs or do you have your own method?

It’s a cliché to say it but it’s like a giant game of Tetris. You identify the perfect item to fit the previous one and look carefully around the house. You can’t just clear one room at a time or move heavy items first or you’ll have big problems, there’s a real art to the job.

That makes sense, so it’s not one room at a time?

No you can’t do that. A lot of firms do end up doing that particularly if they’ve a training person on the side but it doesn’t work, you have to pick a specific piece for the next run. You’ll end up with gaps so you have to search the house to find that bit. It’s important that the load is tight, you can’t have any gaps when it’s travelling. The way for items to travel well is to ensure nothing is moving in the back - from one side to the other it must be perfectly fitted together from the top to the bottom. If nothing moves, nothing can break.

Talk us through your process from getting that first enquiry?

Well, first of all, I will receive a telephone call and arrange to do a home visit. I never, ever do quotes over the phone. People try to make you do it all the time because they’re too busy, but you can’t see what they’ve got. Also, you can explain to people when you’re going around to quote that they will have to empty a chest of drawers, because we carry them whole; if you see a very fragile piece you can explain to them how it will be packed. A lot of people are worried around big pictures - basically they are wrapped in the lorry and they go behind mattresses. Essentially, you are comforting them as you are explaining how you do it when you go around to give a quote. It is telling them the process as well, they often like to pack it themselves - well how do we pack clothes? I tell them you don’t. If it’s on the hanger we say we’ve got plastic wardrobes and we hang them on the day, and we do it all for you.

How do you convince your clients to book the move?

I don’t do follow-up calls. I’m old fashioned. A lot of people do follow up calls asking who they’re using, I hate it when people do it to me. So, once I send the quote through by email it’s up to the customer to contact me. They usually say ‘yes, we would like to go ahead’.

What’s your relationship like with the clients you work with?

If we move someone once, we move them again. 100%. They’ve got quite a lot of banter because my staff have done this for so many years. Their work is just second nature to them which I find relaxes our customers. That first hour is the most important part, I’ve done all the admin side but when they see us walk in and take note of our proficiency, and we don’t ask too many questions, customers soon come around and by the end of the day they say ‘you must come back for a cup of tea when you’re around’. That’s why we all love what we do, different places everyday, different people everyday.

So, you have a tight knit team at the firm?

All our staff are paid above industry standards, which is one of the reasons why many of our employees have been with us for 7, 15 or even 20 years. Once they start they stay - which is also why we’re considered so trustworthy.

Dan Fuller, Grosvenor Removals T: 01892 685741| E: grosvenorremovals@gmail.com