I completed these moving furniture Case Studies following a series of in depth interviews with customers who have recently moved with Crown. I wanted to better understand the relocations experience of actual customers, for the benefit of Crown's improvement programme and for other potential customers considering the services of a professional moving company.
Angela Jackson is the National Quality Manager for Crown Relocations New Zealand
Moving to Australia with Crown Relocations
Shane and Alison Crawford moved privately from Nelson to Australia for work-related reasons; Shane having received a job offer in Western Australia. The pair initially moved to Carnarvon (900kms from Perth) and during this period kept their effects in storage with Crown Nelson. After a period of time they subsequently relocated to Perth and called for their effects to be shipped over at that stage.
they were doing more than I would have done.
Alison arranged quotes for her move 4-6 weeks beforehand; contacting Crown and one other international moving company. Crown was the only one to respond to her, making it a straightforward decision. Her first impression of Crown was very good, and this opinion was reinforced when she was visited by a consultant, who she says was “very helpful”. As the pair were unsure of their exact requirements and what items to take, the consultant gave them a range of options on how to best cater for their “pretty unique circumstances”. Ultimately, they put their belongings into storage and decided their initial move to Carnarvon would be unaccompanied. Alison arranged the insurance with Crown to keep everything in one place.
Before her pack out date Crown’s service continued to meet Alison’s expectations; the documentation was clear and easy to fill out, as she has worked in administration it was no worry at all. When it came to the pre-move organization and planning, there were initial concerns about how they could label things in store, in case they wanted to split their consignment in the future. This issue was resolved when Alison was told that all boxes were to be labeled, itemized and inventoried. She was more than pleased with the response and flexibility shown by Crown during these planning stages.
When it came to the actual move date, the removals crew were punctual, even slightly early, as well as “very friendly and helpful”. Alison received a briefing from the ‘Team Leader’ and was fully informed as to the required procedure. Everything went smoothly, and Crown provided open lines of communication and support to assist the couple. Alison was content with the packing skills exhibited by the crew, saying “they were doing more than I would have done.”
very friendly and helpful
After leaving Carnarvon, Shane and Alison moved to Perth and called for their effects to be shipped from Crown Nelson’s storage facility. Unfortunately there was a delay in the shipment that caused inconvenience, however Alison was very happy with the communication from both Crown Nelson and Crown Perth. They understood the frustration caused by these delays and kept her informed every step of the way.
On delivery day in Perth, Alison was again impressed with the crew; the unpacking team was on time and very helpful, exhibiting a high skill levels and expertise. Crown Perth maintained open lines of communication throughout this process, Alison had a number of issues she conveyed to the company; including an item of furniture that needed fumigation, and some difficulties she was having in locating a missing item. Crown responded to these issues in the manner expected and they were resolved quickly and with no fuss.
Looking back on her move, one of the highlights of Alison’s dealings with Crown was the flexibility to access her stored goods, in Nelson. During the period that the Crawford’s goods were in storage their daughter, who lives in Christchurch, decided to move into a flat. She found she did not have enough furniture and household items. Alison and Shane were able to arrange for some of their stored items to be uplifted from the Nelson store and delivered to Christchurch.
Overall, Alison had an extremely positive moving experience with Crown Relocations, describing the service as “far exceeding” her expectations. The learning that can be taken from this Case Study for others considering an international move is the importance of communication between the mover and the client. The shipping delay would have caused far greater frustration to the Crawford’s had it not been for Crown keeping in close contact and then hurrying through the clearance processes upon the containers eventual arrival in Perth. Through open communication lines, all problems were resolved. Alison commented that she would “definitely” use and recommend Crown again.
