In this post, we would like for you to meet Lynda Lane, our origin and destination coordinator for all branches of Oler Relo.  She has been involved in the moving industry since 1995, and we were lucky to have her join our team three years ago when she moved to Houston.

Please read on to learn all about Lynda, and why she said that she couldn’t imagine being in Texas and not working for Oler Relo.

How did you get your start in the moving industry?

It was actually because of my mom and my dad.  We had moved from Tennessee to New Jersey, and were just pulling up to our new home when our neighbors were saying goodbye to their movers.  We had just pulled up in our car, so we didn’t have our rental truck with us.  It was at the hotel.  It was after dark and the neighbor asked where our moving van was. He said that he could have had his guys help move us in, because he ran a moving company and could have paid them a little overtime to help us unload our truck.

The next day, the neighbor came over and asked my mom if she had a job, and my mom said that we moved here for my dad’s job and that she had to quit hers.  So, he said she should come into his office for an interview, and she became the office manager there. That’s pretty much where it began.

Tell us a little bit about your experience in the moving industry.

I have successfully been with Oler Relo for three years, but I’ve only been doing origin and destination services since January of last year.  I’ve done a lot of jobs in the moving industry, from packer to inventory taker, to claims, to operations, and I actually think that this is my favorite job so far.

My dad was a driver for a brief period of time, and I was his unofficial inventory person.  So, I learned how to write inventories before I could write a haiku.

What are your main responsibilities in your current role?

My daily tasks are mainly to work with the other UniGroup agents.  They are basically my customers, so I’m working to build relationships with them, so that they will want to utilize Oler Relo services in all three of our locations.  Even in Texas we will expand our reach and help out in other areas if we can.  So, I’m their eyes and ears in Houston, Corpus Christi, and New Orleans.  When they have a customer that needs help, I schedule their surveys and any packing and loading services that they need.  I also do some international origin and destination work.

What aspect of your job is your favorite?

My favorite thing is actually being able to network with the other agents. At the last UniGroup agent that I was with, I was a national account and COD coordinator.  So, I was the person who was talking to the person in my shoes now. I appreciated the relationship that I had as a coordinator with my origin and destination services coordinator. Now I’m on the other side of that relationship, and it’s just really exciting.  No day is the same, no requests are the same, and no needs are the same.

What led you to join Oler Relo?

I ended up here primarily because of the previous relationship I had with Blake Oler, Bryan Oler, and Belinda Laake while at my last job.  My husband had the opportunity to move to Houston to take a promotion with his job, and I said that if I’m going to stay in the moving  industry, there is only one agent that I’m going to go to, and if they don’t have room for me or they don’t want to hire me, then I am done in the moving industry, because there is no way I’m going to be in their city and work for their competition.

Where did you live before moving to Houston?

I moved here from Delaware.  I’ve also lived in Nebraska, Missouri, New Jersey, Tennessee.  So, I’m a mover who moves.

How have your own moving experiences helped you in this business?

I am able to understand the perspective of a family that moves, because I moved when I was 8-years-old and 12-years-old, and so I got to see it from the other side. I would like to think that I’m a little bit more sensitive to people who are moving with their families, because I have been in a moving family.

When not working, what do you like to do?

I love to read. I am a huge history buff.  I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in history from Rutgers. I love anything historical, and it has to be nonfiction.  I get lost in the daily responsibilities of the moving industry, and sometimes it’s stressful, so I go home and read about the stresses of these other people, and they had real stress.  So, it helps me keep things in perspective.

What’s the best way for people to contact Oler Relo?

If anyone has questions or needs help with an upcoming move, we invite them to contact us anytime! We are always here to help in New Orleans, Houston, Corpus Christi and anywhere else they might need to move.

The post Meet Lynda Lane appeared first on Oler Relo Commercial, Corporate Relocation & Final Mile Logistics Services.

In our business, we are reminded every day that we are moving much more than furniture and possessions. Moving is all about people.  It’s about our customers and how we can make their lives a little easier during a highly stressful time. That is a great responsibility, and one that we take very seriously. That is why providing excellent customer service is our primary focus.

But what does it really mean to provide excellent customer service?  That’s pretty much the claim of most movers in the industry.  However, all moving companies are not created equal, and you need to know who you are trusting with your most personal possessions.

So, what set’s Oler Relo apart from the pack?  Perhaps the best way to demonstrate that is by way of a real-life example, with a real-life customer.

Here’s the story…

Andi Kirkland, Oler Relo’s Certified Move Coordinator, was contacted by Robert and Tracy Wamsley for help. They had moved from Houston, Texas to McCall, Idaho, and their household goods were being held hostage in a warehouse by an unreputable company attempting to hide under the cover of a national van line. The company refused to release the goods to the customer, so Andi jumped in, convinced them to do so, and then coordinated a rescue mission for the Wamsleys.  The Oler Moving Crew (or heroes, as we like to call them), consisted of Eric Verduzco, Carlos Gonzalez and Justin Young.

Mission accomplished!

Once the mission was accomplished, Robert Wamsley had this to say, “I first used another moving company that turned out to be a rogue company. Thanks to Andi, she came through and got my stuff delivered. Andi helped me through the booking process and the three crew members were the best!”

The customer experience

Here’s how the Wamsleys described their experience:

“We greatly appreciate the help you and your company gave in rescuing us from the other company, which we had initially hired to move us.  The price of the move doubled once they had loaded our stuff onto the truck, and their customer service was horrible.  Andi, you gave us hope when we really needed it, and calmed our anxiety.  The other company was holding our possessions hostage in a slum strip center, grouped together with other peoples’ possessions.  The Oler Relo crew that showed up to liberate our possessions was prompt, courteous, professional, and took charge of the move.  They documented all the things the other company broke moving our stuff to their storage room, and also pointed them out to me.  The Crew Lead also dealt with the other company’s manager, who was a total jerk.  He also showed me a picture of the Oler Relo storage facility, which looks fantastic, and is a HUGE upgrade from the other company slum.

The crew that moved our possessions to Idaho were fantastic.  They actually had to off-load our stuff onto a smaller U-Haul, and made three trips from town to make it up our driveway.

I just wish we had chosen United first.  You gave us a fair price, you didn’t throw any ugly surprises at us (like doubling the price), everyone was professional, courteous, and helpful, and everything you loaded arrived unbroken.  Thank you for helping us with our move from Houston to McCall, Idaho.”

Making a difference

It’s hearing from our customers in this way that underscores the real difference we are able to make in their lives.  And truly, that’s what sets Oler Relo apart from the crowd.  We recognize that our customers have a choice when it comes to choosing a moving company, and we greatly appreciate every opportunity we are given.

As Andi puts it, “Being on the coordinating side of the phone, I’m sometimes faced with hearing distress in customers’ voices.  That is the most disheartening part of what I do. At that point it becomes my personal mission to do everything I can to help the customer, whether they book their move with our company or not. It is important to me that they know that someone is there for them during such a stressful event in their lives.”

A profile in customer service

Helping this customer and receiving such wonderful feedback is really what it’s all about. It is a profile in customer service, punctuated by the team spirit that is embedded within the culture of our company.

When faced with unusual or challenging situations, our instinct is to jump in and figure out how to make something work by providing the best solution.  At Oler Relo, it’s always a team effort grounded in the very principles of providing excellent customer service.

For more information about Oler Relo and how we can help you with your next move, please Contact Us anytime!

(Pictured in the photo at the top of the page are: Carlos Gonzalez, Justin Young, Andi Kirkland and Eric Verduzo)

The post What it takes to be the best moving company appeared first on Oler Relo Commercial, Corporate Relocation & Final Mile Logistics Services.