Every occupation and industry sector you can name will have been influenced by technology in recent years, which certainly applies to the removalist sector. Moving home or relocating an office might seem to some as just a process where everything is packed into a van and transported, and whilst that still forms part of what removalists do, everything done before, during, and after that happens has, is, or will change due to technological advances.
Here are ten ways technology is transforming the removalists industry to give you a clearer picture of what we mean.
Virtual (VR) Surveys/Tours
Virtual reality technology can be used in two main ways relating to a house or office move. First, the current property can be surveyed using virtual reality giving the removalists a fuller idea of what will be moved. Second, a virtual reality tour of the new property allows the client to plan the layout and thus specify which room each item is to be placed in.
Virtual Assistants/Chatbots
To aid with customer service and answer many questions from clients quicker and more efficiently, and it has to be said, at a lower cost than hiring customer service centre staff, removalists can use virtual assistants. Often in the form of chatbots, these are programmed to respond to and answer any queries.
Mobile Apps
With more people accessing the internet via their mobile phones than ever before, many removalist companies benefit from having a mobile app built for them. Prospects can use this to request a quote or clients to keep track of their home move or office relocation progress through each stage.
Online Cost Calculators
With these, potential clients can enter variables relating to their move, such as the number and sizes of the items being moved, plus the distance between two locations and an estimate of the cost will be calculated and displayed.
Digital Signatures/Payments
Removalists often work with cash payments, but the move toward digital payments is accelerating through portable handheld payment machines. Also, for those moves or relocations where a contract is created and needs to be signed, signatures can now be done digitally, which is far more convenient for clients.
Biodegradable Packing Materials
Technological advances are often cited as the reason for environmental problems, but they can also help the green cause. One example is new types of packing materials being manufactured, which are biodegradable and thus cause no harm to the environment when disposed of.
Robotics
Removalists often offer storage facilities for clients, for example, where there is a time gap between moving out and moving into the new property or office. We are seeing increased use of robot technology to unload vans, move items around storage facilities, and retrieve them when they are to be reloaded into vans.
GPS Tracking
The ability for clients, and the removalists' head office, to track vans during relocations increases efficiency and peace of mind and ensures that the truck does not get lost en route.
Drones
Drone photography is widespread, and one use it is being put to is for removalists to survey sites from above to identify issues with accessing properties, for example. Moving forward, the day is already here when drones are used to deliver small items, and as drone use and technology advance, removalists could utilise drones with greater frequency and ultimately for returning more significant things.
Driverless Trucks
Driverless cars are here, albeit in a small number of specific scenarios. However, it will surely not be long before they become more widespread. As such, the day must surely come when removalists use driverless vans and trucks.
