With virtual moving surveys becoming more popular every day, now is the time for relocation professionals to take advantage of them.
Even prior to the pandemic, many companies started using virtual surveys to cut down costly commutes, speed up jobs, and reach more customers. When lockdowns started, virtual survey usage picked up.
You may be wondering how virtual moving surveys work and if it’s worth it to use these tools more often. This article explains how different virtual surveys work, why not all virtual surveys are the same, and the biggest ways this technology gives moving companies an edge.
What Are Virtual Moving Surveys?
Virtual moving surveys are tools that allow your relocation company to complete pre-move surveys remotely, without having to travel to the customer’s location prior to move day. Virtual surveys can be split into two categories:
Video Surveys
With live virtual surveys, a moving sales representative uses video conferencing or other software to complete an online, face-to-face survey with the customer. Basic examples of these tools include FaceTime, Zoom, and video moving survey software.
More sophisticated technology like Yembo Smart Consult uses AI to identify items, calculate packing requirements, and build a pre-move visual inventory list for you.
Self-Guided Virtual Survey
Self-guided virtual surveys let customers conduct the survey independently by recording videos of their home and belongings with their mobile device. Simple virtual self-guided surveys operate through a moving survey app that usually requires the agent or salesperson to input inventory items manually.
However, AI-powered solutions, such as Yembo Self-Survey, will automatically recognize items, and create an inventory list for customers.
What are the benefits of virtual pre-move surveys?
Wondering why so many companies are starting to use virtual move surveys? Here are a few ways virtual surveys are helping relocation companies secure a substantial advantage over their competitors:
1. Faster Inspections and Quote Turnarounds
Traditional in-home surveys take around 1-3 hours to complete – with much of that time spent driving to the customer’s home. Simple video surveys cut down drive times, and take only 30-60 minutes to complete.
Even more impressive are AI-powered video surveys, which can be completed in 15-20 minutes. This time savings allows sales representatives to quote 3-5 times more customers and send quotes within an hour of first contact.
2. Lower Overhead Costs
Your sales team is valuable, but time and labor can be expensive. Since virtual surveys allow surveyors to complete surveys wherever they are, companies can generate more business without the extra cost of hiring more sales reps. Eliminating drive times also shaves fuel costs and transportation overhead costs.
3. Sales Can Survey From Anywhere
With traditional in-person surveys, movers need to group surveys by location to reduce drive times. That limits the number of customers you can service.
Virtual surveys allow surveyors to reach more customers in the same time. That means you can prioritize moves based on overall value, referral source, time sensitivity, or any other factor that will give you a leg up.
4. Convenience For the Customer
Often, in-person surveys require potential customers to drop what they’re doing and meet sales representatives during business hours. Not every virtual survey tool will solve this problem, but self-service virtual move surveys can.
AI-powered virtual survey software lets customers complete surveys themselves, at a time that’s best for them. With these advanced tools, customers simply take a video of their home, and the AI will detect and inventory items, create cube sheets, and calculate estimates.
Some providers, like Yembo, only require customers to use the popular Chrome app, allowing users to start quickly with a click.
5. Clearer Documentation
Accurate documentation to help discourage claims and quote under-estimation discrepancies are vital. Virtual surveys support documentation via time-stamped video recordings. This visual record can verify an item’s pre-transportation condition in the event of a damage claim.
Yembo’s platform takes documentation a step further by creating visual inventories from the video. AI-powered surveys increase the accuracy of cube sheets, and can reduce mistakes by 50%. That means fewer mistakes on estimates or other costly errors.
6. Higher Closing Rates
Overall, the benefits of virtual surveys add up to what matters most: higher closing ratios. The speed of virtual surveys allow movers to be the first quote in the door, which increases the likelihood that your moving company will be the customer’s first choice.
Learn What Type of Virtual Survey Fits Your Company
Pre-move surveys are a vital part of the moving process, but they can be time-consuming and costly. Virtual surveys offer a number of advantages for both movers and customers. They're faster, more convenient, and provide clear documentation. Best of all, they have a higher closing rate than in-person inspections.
While most virtual moving surveys hold advantages over in-home surveys, not all moving survey software solutions are created equal. Watch our Smart Consult video below to see how it works, or contact us to learn how to choose the best virtual survey for your company.