Moving company marketing: earn trust before the quote

Someone choosing a mover is about to let strangers carry everything they own onto a truck, and many of them have heard a story about a bill that doubled or a couch that never arrived. Moving company marketing starts there. Before a customer asks you for a quote, they look for proof that you're real, that your price holds and that you deal with problems when something breaks.

This guide begins with the proof that takes the least money: reviews, including when to ask on a long-distance job, what the crew lead says, texts to copy and how to reply about price disputes and damage. Then it covers your Google profile, pages that explain your pricing, realtor and property manager referrals, and whether ads pay off in a slow month. It's written for an owner with a few trucks, who may still be on a crew on Saturdays.

Moving company marketing: where to start

Start with reviews, then your Google Business Profile, then pages that explain your prices and your claims process. After that, build referrals from agents and property managers, and bring in past customers. Paid ads come last. A small moving company in a category people distrust usually gains more from visible proof than from buying more quote requests.

Google says "More reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking" (Google Business Profile Help). Here's a rule-of-thumb order for a small mover.

When to ask moving customers for a review

Ask moving customers after delivery, once the last item is inside and the paperwork is signed, and send the link that evening or the next morning. They're worn out on the day. On a long-distance move, the job ends at delivery, however friendly the crew was at pickup, so the request waits until then.

Set the rule by type of move, write it down and use it for everyone, including the customer who haggled over the stairs.

The claim row needs care. A customer with a broken dresser still gets asked, on the day the claim closes, in the same words as everyone else, whether they liked the result or not. The wait exists so a request doesn't land in the middle of an open dispute. Skipping them altogether would mean asking only people you expect to be happy, and the FTC's guide on soliciting reviews says "Don't ask for reviews only from customers you think will leave positive ones." Keep a note of each held request so none is forgotten.

1. 1

   Booking

   Get permission to text on the estimate or booking form.
2. 2

   Delivery

   Last item in, walkthrough done, crew lead says the one sentence.
3. 3

   Next morning

   The office sends the text, with one reminder a few days later.
4. 4

   Claim open?

   The text is held until the claim closes, then goes out unchanged.

What the crew lead says after the last box

The crew lead asks, in one sentence, after the walkthrough and the paperwork, and says a text is coming from the office. Keep it apart from the tip. A customer holding cash for the crew shouldn't feel that a review is part of that moment, so finish the paperwork, thank them and ask on your way to the door.

Google's policy lists "merchants requesting that staff solicit a certain number of reviews" and asking for "specific content" among things it prohibits, and says merchants "should not require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises." So no crew bonus per review, no "mention Marco by name," and nobody standing in a customer's new kitchen holding out a phone. Here are made-up versions.

• You

  That's the last of it. Bed frames are together, and we've checked every room with you. Here's your copy.

• Customer

  I can't believe it's done. Thank you.

• You

  Thanks for having us. We ask every customer for an honest Google review. We're a small company and it helps people decide who to trust. The office will text you the link tomorrow, if you'd like to.

• Customer

  This corner of the desk wasn't like that when it left my house.

• You

  I'm sorry. Let's take a photo and write it on the paperwork now, so it's on record. Dana handles claims at the office, and here's her number. She'll call you tomorrow.

Moving company review templates: text and email

Send a text the morning after delivery with your company's name, a mention of the move and one link. Text only customers who agreed to it, and email the others. A card in the last box catches anyone left.

The FCC's rule (47 CFR 64.1200) requires prior express written consent for texts that include an advertisement or count as telemarketing, and it treats a "stop" reply as a reasonable way to revoke consent. This is general information, not legal advice. Add a line to your booking form or estimate, as the texting rules guide explains.

Consent line for a moving estimate or booking form

CopyPrint

I agree that [Business name] may text me at the number above about this move and to ask for a review afterward. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out. Agreeing is not a condition of service.

Text: morning after a local move

CopyPrint

Good morning [First name], it's [Business name]. Hope the first night in the new place went well. Would you take a minute to leave an honest Google review? [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

Text: after long-distance delivery

CopyPrint

Hi [First name], it's [Business name], who moved you to [city]. Now that your things have arrived, would you share an honest Google review? [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

Text: after a claim closes

CopyPrint

Hi [First name], it's [Business name]. Your claim is now closed. We ask every customer for an honest Google review, and we'd value yours, whatever you'd like to say: [review link] Reply STOP to opt out.

Card for the last box

CopyPrint

You're in. Thanks for moving with [Business name]. If something's missing or damaged, call [Name] at [phone number] first. We'd rather hear from you.

If you have a minute, an honest Google review helps a small moving company like ours. Scan the code or visit [review link].

Email: after a move

CopyPrint

To

[Customer email]

Subject

How did your move to [city] go?

Hi [First name],

Thanks for trusting [Business name] with your move. If anything's missing or damaged, call [Name] at [phone number] and we'll start on it.

If you have a few minutes, would you leave an honest review on Google? It helps other people in [town] decide who to hire.

Leave a review: [review link]

Thanks, [Your name]

[Business name], [street address, city, state, ZIP]. Don't want emails like this? [unsubscribe link]

Get your Google review link and print a Google review QR code on the card. Moving shoppers often read Yelp too, but Yelp's content guidelines say "Businesses should never ask customers to write reviews," so keep Yelp off the card and the texts.

Replying to moving reviews about price disputes and damage

Reply to moving reviews within a few days, in three or four sentences. Say you're sorry about the problem, explain your general practice and give a name and number. Don't post amounts, inventory lists or claim details, and don't argue over whether a scratch was already there. The next shopper reads your reply to judge how you'd treat them.

Here's a rule-of-thumb list of complaints a mover can expect.

Here are two made-up replies.

PPaul N. (example)

Google

Quoted me one price on the phone and the final bill was almost double. They kept adding charges for stairs and boxes. Felt like a scam.

Reply from Two Bridges Moving (example)

Thank you for telling us. A final price can change when a move differs from what was quoted, and our crews should explain any change before doing the work. If that didn't happen, I want to know. Please call me at [phone number] and we'll go through the paperwork together. Aisha, owner

RRenee C. (example)

Google

They scratched my dining table and it's been three weeks since I filed a claim with no answer.

Reply from Two Bridges Moving (example)

I'm sorry about the table and the wait. Three weeks without an update isn't how we want to treat anyone. I'm calling Dana about it today. Please call me directly at [phone number] so I can make sure you get an answer.

Handle each claim by your normal process, whatever the review says. Google prohibits "requests for revision or removal of a review or rating in exchange for an incentive," so never offer more on a claim if the review comes down, and don't write that into a settlement. The FTC says a business can't use an "unfounded or groundless legal threat" or intimidation to stop or remove a review (FTC questions and answers). How to respond to negative reviews goes further.

Your Google Business Profile as a mover

Set up your profile with your real company name, the area you actually serve, a moving company category and each service listed. If customers don't come to your yard or office, hide the address. If they do, for storage or for boxes, keep it visible. Fill in the hours someone really answers quote calls.

Google's guidelines say "you should hide your business address from customers" if you're a service-area business, and that your area "shouldn't extend farther than about 2 hours of driving time from where your business is based," though larger areas may suit some businesses. So list the region you work from, even if you take long-distance jobs, and describe those jobs on your website. Google also says "including unnecessary information in your business name isn't permitted, and could result in the suspension of your Business Profile."

Google's services page explains Edit services. List what you really do: local moving, long-distance moving, packing, loading and unloading, storage, office moves, piano moving. Keep prices and phone numbers out of custom service names, as Google asks.

Earn trust before the quote: pages that answer the fear

Your website's first job is to answer the fear behind the quote request: will the price hold, whose crew shows up and what happens if something breaks? Write a page that explains how you price, then one page per service. A moving customer comparing three companies tends to trust the one that explains the most before anyone calls.

On the pricing page, say whether local moves are hourly or flat, what the minimum is, how travel time works, what you charge for stairs, long carries, heavy items and packing materials, and what happens if the customer has more than they told you. A low phone number with no explanation attracts the customers most likely to write the "almost double" review. Offer a walkthrough, in person or by video, before you quote a large home. A rule of thumb: the quote can only be as good as the inventory it's based on, so the walkthrough protects both sides.

1. 1

   Our own crews and our own trucks do every move. We don't sell your job to another company.

   Who does the work

   Only say this if it's true. If you're a broker or use partners, say so plainly.

2. 2

   We walk through your home, in person or by video, and send a written estimate listing what we saw.

   How we quote

   A written inventory settles later arguments.

3. 3

   Items not on the list, stairs we didn't know about, or a blocked truck. We tell you before we do the work.

   What can change it

   This heads off the most common complaint.

4. 4

   Call Dana at [phone number]. Here's how to file a claim and what coverage you have.

   If something breaks

   A worried shopper looks for this before anything goes wrong.

Interstate moves: read the federal rules yourself

If you move household goods across state lines, read the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Protect Your Move pages for yourself, starting with What if there are problems?. This guide doesn't restate those rules, so check the current version before you describe any of it in an ad or on your site.

Rules for moves within one state differ by state, so ask your state's regulator. This is general information, not legal advice. If you do hold a federal number or a state license, show it near your quote form, since a wary shopper looks for it.

How to get more moving customers: referrals and repeat work

Get more moving customers from the people who see moves coming: real estate agents, property managers, apartment leasing offices, senior living communities and storage facilities. Then keep your name in front of past customers, because they move again and hear about friends moving.

A real estate agent's reputation is on the line when a client asks "who should I hire?" So bring proof: your Google profile, your certificate of insurance and a promise to answer their client's call the same day. Do one move well for an agent and ask to be on their list. If you work with agents a lot, how realtors get reviews shows what they're dealing with on their side. Property management marketing describes who you'd be talking to on the rental side.

1. Slow months

   Visit leasing offices and agents. Ask what went wrong with their last mover. Update your pages.

2. Before busy season

   Hire and train crews. Print cards and box stickers. Tell past customers early dates fill up.

3. Busy season

   Turn ads down or off when booked. Answer the phone and keep asking after every delivery.

4. End of month

   Leases turn over, so expect a rush if you serve apartments. Keep dates honest and offer mid-month slots.

You may reward someone for a referral. You can't do it for a review: Google prohibits offering "payment, discounts, free goods and/or services" for one. Neighbors also ask each other who they used, so read how to get recommendations on Nextdoor.

Paid ads for a small moving company

Paid ads make sense for a moving company when you have open trucks and someone to answer the phone. Try Local Services Ads first, in the area around your yard, then search ads for specific moves. Turn them down in busy months.

Google's Local Services Ads page lists "Moving services" as a US category and says you pay "only when a customer gets in touch from your ad." Its screening page explains the checks by category, so read the entry for your category and allow time.

A rule of thumb: set a monthly test budget you could lose without missing payroll, and ask every caller how they found you. Count booked moves instead of calls, because a mover's phone rings with people who only want the lowest number. If bookings don't cover the spend after a full month, change the service or the area before adding more.

Common moving company marketing mistakes

Wasted moving company marketing usually skips the trust work or pays for leads you can't price honestly. These are the mistakes that cost the most.

• Asking at pickup on a long-distance job, before anything has arrived.
• Skipping customers who had a damage claim, instead of asking once it closes.
• Asking while the customer has cash for the crew in hand.
• Offering a better settlement if a review comes down.
• Replying to a price complaint with the customer's bill and inventory.
• A low phone quote on a whole house, with no walkthrough.
• Calling yourself a local company with a rented address, or hiding that another company does the move.

Moving company marketing setup

• Set the review rule by type of move, including open claims
• Agreed one sentence for every crew lead
• Added a texting consent line to the booking form
• Named one person for claims and printed their number
• Corrected the company name, hours and service area on Google
• Written a how-we-price page and a claims page
• Read the FMCSA pages if you cross state lines
• Visited two agents and two leasing offices
• Added 'how did you hear about us?' to every quote

0 of 9 done

Where Reputation Beam fits

Reputation Beam sends review requests by text and email from one dashboard. If you run jobs in Housecall Pro or Jobber, visits can come in from there and a request follows each one unless you turn that off on the connection. Since a packing day or pickup can be its own visit, and this guide says to wait for delivery and for open claims, check how your moves are set up, or turn it off and send requests from the dashboard. Templates use placeholders for the customer's name, your business name and the review link, and follow-up reminders can go to people who haven't responded. Each request has its own link. Imported customers aren't texted until their permission is recorded. Google and Yelp reviews arrive in one feed, and you can reply to Google reviews from there.

Keep going

Google's review policy has the full rules on asking, and the best time to ask for a review covers timing for other businesses. For showing what customers wrote on your pricing page, see using customer reviews in marketing. Another trade that works in customers' homes has its own guide in plumbing marketing ideas.