If you do something every day, all day, you get very good at it.

If you do something infrequently, you’ll never be as good.

Before you read the blog post, have a quick read of this link. It is relevant. If you are already aware of the ‘10,000 hours theory’ by the super intelligent Malcolm Gladwell then go straight to the blog post, if not, enjoy this webpage

The answer to the title question;

For M&G just one, seemingly however for some firms they may supply 4.

‘Why is this an issue, and why are you making me read such drivel?’ Is a question you may wish to ask right about now.

Recently I have been in quotations / surveys where I find a member of the public, with a completely normal house move has had idiots in telling them they’ll have a ridiculous number of staff effecting their move. Sometimes even, for a normal size move (where we supply a 3 man crew) people are being promised 5, 6 or even 7 ‘men’. Which is done simply to try to make it sound like they are giving more, more, more, well, more than M&G perhaps…

See I don’t know about you but here at M&G we realise that humans are not all created equal to start with. Even less so if one human spends Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday eating biscuits and playing on their playstation prior to going out Thursday and Friday for eighty quid cash in hand to move someone, as opposed to a salaried, professional member of staff who performs house moves Monday to Friday, all year round.

If we switched from salaried staff to casual labour our staffing costs would fall by @60-75%. Of course, so would the service and quality of the people that arrive in your home…..

If we, as a reputable mover with a huge track record consider, for example, that a 4 person crew is fit for your move, then why, from a firm with little track record would you choose to believe you need 7 or 8, for the same money. Without questioning if there might be a difference in value?

More importantly without considering the skill, and fitness differences there may be between the staff. Great staff achieve more, are capable of more, get paid more. But only because they’re good. And it is constant practice and development that makes them this way.

If somebody only half as good, can only move and achieve half as much, then is it any wonder you need twice as many?

As a wiser man than me once said ‘price is what you pay – value is what you get.’

And that is before we look at the obvious pitfalls……..

On a 3 man crew, you can fill a ‘standard’ (ish) 1600 cuft vehicle across 3-4 hours. Which is perfect, not just for the customer moving, but also because if the volume came out any quicker the van packer couldn’t cope.

You can only pack a vehicle so quickly.

Plus……How many people can utilise the stairs at once, or share the hallway?

And then, the obvious point about pay…

I spoke to someone (public) a few weeks ago who had been offered a five man crew for £300……and insisted that this was a professional mover!

Please, people, apply some common sense.

It takes one person to change a lightbulb, and if somebody offered you three people it could be

a) quite reasonable as the light bulb is in a crocodile infested room guarded by ninjas

(or, in a normal room, and…..)

b) unsure if the first person is intelligent to work it out, and even three together may struggle

c) if one doesn’t turn up, the customer won’t complain at two

d) the individuals are so cheap – why the hell not!?

Personally, just send me somebody who knows what they are doing, as opposed to 2 or 3 that will just ‘wing-it’.

The truth is that 1 experienced, talented, and skilful member of staff from one company is worth 2 unskilled, unprofessional ‘labourers’ from another.

Matt – matt@mgtr.co.uk

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