Using the wrong packaging
Packing boxes when moving is a real pain and most of the time people don’t want to pay for decent double walled boxes, so usually settle for those monster munch multi-pack crisp boxes that have no strength in them at all, but are visually a good size to someone who has no thought about safely moving their goods but think its fine for the mover who has to lift them who has been entrusted to move everything without damaging it.
Ive lost count of those types of those single walled boxes with that recycled soft sponge feel cardboard that are of no use for packing possessions, so beware when the box is crushed when stacked with the lightest of items or the underside opens up and the contents spill out. These boxes are after all made to transport lightweight potato chips and not 30 hardback books, a playstation 3 and a precious dining set left to you by your favourite aunt.
Our other bane of contention is those light flimsy plastic crate style with the foldable sides, yes the 5 for fiver from a well known hardware store. These crates seem popular to move dvds and heavy books, I’ve never understood way people do that? These flimsy plastic crates cant really hold any weight and most of the time the sides split or break due to not being able to handle the weight of whats in them when lifted. The mover who has to lift the crates will obviously get the blame when anything breaks, never mind the time (lost) it takes to lift up the stuff thats fallen out and needs repackage.
One of our favourites things is coat-hangers, we love them, people always have those special paper with string handle designer bags from harvey Nichols or some pretentious designer shop thats been made to carry perfume or light designer clothing but not putting 60 coat hangers in. These coat-hangers bags are always over loaded with the hangers sticking out and the string handle is guaranteed to rip from the paper bag or better still the hangers catch on anything you walk past and end up all over the place. Yes, we know you’re very sophisticated and stylish with those bags but please use the appropriate packaging for coat hangers, maybe a decent bin bag so its all sealed up, we won’t think any less of your style for doing so!
Using black bags is fine for clothing and bedding, anything light and soft as long as they are not the 1000 for 50p ones from those pound stores. Use decent ones, as again when lifted cheap bin liners they don’t even rip its more dissolve when touched on contact with the finger tips, thus making the job harder as time is spent pampering and lifting the contents of the ground.
Tip – think about how you pack things if you want them to get to the destination intact, packing by the customer is not the movers problem and if it splits opens or spills out.