You need a professional piano mover if you are going to move your piano. Pianos can weigh anywhere from a few hundred pounds to upwards of half a ton and range in value from thousands of dollars to half a million. Not to mention the possibility of personal injury to yourself or the friends you would otherwise cajole into helping you! For a whole host of reasons, when it comes to moving your piano, the best choice by far is to hire professionals.
Finding the right piano mover is important. When researching Atlanta piano movers, there are a couple of things you can do to make sure you end up with movers you can trust.
1. Ask around.
Reputation counts for a lot. If you have family or friends who have had a piano moved recently, ask them about their experience. Approach people in the music industry, such as teachers and professional musicians, or other people who may have had occasion to hire piano movers, such as hotels or restaurants that have pianos. With just a few phone calls, it’s likely that one or two Atlanta piano movers will float to the surface as the best one(s) in town – and it may be that you’ll also learn one or two companies to avoid at all costs!
2. Know what you’re getting.
When you have a list of two or three companies you’re considering, you’re ready to move on to specifics. Be sure you take the time to get full and complete answers from each company and that you thoroughly understand the responses to each question as well as everything that’s involved with the process of hiring each mover and getting your piano moved by them. Here are a few questions to get your conversation started.
-
Do you offer free quotes? If not, what is the fee to get an estimate for the move?
-
How far in advance do I have to book with you, and what’s your cancellation policy?
-
Do you deliver in the evenings or weekends? (Of course, if you’re available during the day on weekdays, you can skip this one.)
-
What payment methods do you accept? Do you require a deposit, and if so, what are the details of that? Is there a minimum charge, and how are rates determined once the minimum is met?
-
Are there extra charges, such as travel from your office to my home, or moving up
stairs, et cetera? -
Do you have full-time (trusted) employees or hire temps or day labor? Day labor is not uncommon in the moving industry, but if a piano mover hires people whose experience and training they are unable to vouch for, you should definitely look for someone else!
stairs, et cetera?3. Make sure your piano mover is properly licensed, bonded and insured.
This is so important that it gets its own section rather than being mixed in with the list of other questions you should be asking. Make sure your mover has appropriate insurance against damage to property or vehicles, the piano itself, and workers’ injury. Also, make sure your piano is insured for the proper amount. Many movers will assure you that they’re fully insured, but DON’T JUST ASSUME! It is imperative that whomever you hire to move your piano be fully licensed, bonded and insured. Ask for proof. Any piano moving company who balks at this question should be dropped faster than a hot potato. This is the most important reason to hire a mover!
With a little homework on your part, finding an expert Atlanta piano mover should be a cinch. And when you see your piano delivered safely, you will be glad you made the investment. Piano moving is a skill and an art, and it’s also hard work! Your piano, your back and your friends will thank you for trusting experts for this task.