Movers: Recommendations?

[Flame On]

Hey all. Anyone recommend some movers in the Calgary area?
We have a condo and will be moving in not to long, and would love to get some input.
Thanks for any help.
If this should be in the buy & sell thread feel free to move it. Didn't quite know where this fit in.

[Madman]

Ralph's Moving - great prices and the guys couldn't be better. Don't expect guys in a shiny new moving truck and freshly pressed suits, but they are super friendly and take great care.

We have moved with them once and will be moving again this summer with them. They have also moved my in-laws and my sister-in-law as well - each with great results.

[LeftWing]

Avoid AMJ, they over-charged us by 20% and it took almost four months to recover. In that time there was all kinds of unpleaseantness including one of the 'managers' insulting my wife's intelligence.

[4X4]

I wont recommend a mover, but I will give you a piece of advice... I once worked for a moving company (worst 6 weeks of my life) and I learned a thing or two.
Rich (or 'well off') people are annoyingly cheap when they are dealing with laborors. Common folk are amazingly generous in the same circumstances.

If you want your furniture and walls to be in good shape, be nice to the guys that are doing the moving. MAybe go to subway and buy 2 sandwiches, get them cut into quarters instead of halves and have some pop on hand. aHave it on a tray and tell them to just help themselves. The $20 you spend right there will save you ding marks or your walls and they'll actually tie down the furniture in the truck.
Dont follow them around and point stuff out. Dont stand in the truck and ask them if they're sure they're loading it properly. Just back the hell off and let them work.
Have a COLD 6 pack waiting at the other end. Maybe another sandwich or two.
You can tip alot less and the work will get done well.

You'd be surprised at how cheap some people are. I remember moving one guy's mahogany furniture out of one mansion into another and both him and his nasty wife were following us around, making us stop (while holding a f'n mahogany credenza) so that they could inspect the sticker on the back of it and reminisce where they bought it... Stuff like that will result in broken mirrors and severely dinged furniture.

And for god's sake, if you have a cat, vacuum around and behind your couches before the guys have to pick it up.

But I can't stress enough how far a snack goes for these guys before they start lifting. You probably have done some labour in your life whether you've dug a trench in your yard or whatever, an empty stomach sucks. These days, most guys working for moving companies are on skid row. Half of them haven't eaten breakfast. It was a pretty humbling experience working there.

[jam26]

I've had a good and bad experience with movesr.

Good: AMJ Campbell...very professional, friendly, went beyond expectations.

Bad: The Two Amigos...delivered before the agreed-upon date and then charged a re-delivery and storage fee to bring it back the day that we had originally agreed on.

[SteveToms]

I agree with 4X4 treat the Movers well. When my mom moved our of her old house(the one I grew on up in) a few years back, I went to Starbuck's 3 or 4 times, went to Pizza Hut got a couple of pizzas and then Tim Horton's after we got to the new house. Treat your movers well, and your will be very happy, as well they.

Plus if you have any old stuff, that you might not want, you can offer it to them if they want it. I gave one of the movers a old stereo.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by SteveToms

I agree with 4X4 treat the Movers well. When my mom moved our of her old house(the one I grew on up in) a few years back, I went to Starbuck's 3 or 4 times, went to Pizza Hut got a couple of pizzas and then Tim Horton's after we got to the new house. Treat your movers well, and your will be very happy, as well they.

Plus if you have any old stuff, that you might not want, you can offer it to them if they want it. I gave one of the movers a old stereo.

Bingo. Pizza, coffee... Don't harass them if they stop for a smoke... They'll actually work faster, I guarantee.
Sometimes it's even better if you initiate a break for them. Bring some coffee with a bunch of creams and sugars and suggest they take 5.
You spend tops $50 and you save who knows how much in damaged furniture, walls and time.
And I hate for it to sound like you're bribing them to do their jobs, but you just need to realize that these guys are making ~$10-$14 per hour. There are alot of jobs out there that pay that much money. Moving sucks donkey balls. Basically, be happy that you could find the labour.