The relocation industry in India is a booming business. With over 1.3 billion people and a rapidly growing economy, the demand for relocation services is higher than ever before. However, there are a number of issues that have arisen in recent years that are threatening the future of the industry.
This has had a deafening impact on the growth of the industry. The consumers don’t trust relocation companies and are finding their own ways to move rather than hire them, a mighty blow for a burgeoning industry.
The problems that is threatening the industry stem from various issues. First is the fact that the vast increase in demand for relocation companies has spawned numerous fake movers and fraudulent establishments. Some of them even blatantly copy the name and web designs of popular brands and impersonate them.
There are other issues as well, ranging from a lack of regulation and skilled labour to outdated practices and infrastructure. Although, they haven’t brought the sector to a halt, the increasing suspicion and dissatisfaction is stagnating its growth to an extent.
The upside in all of this is that there are several organisations working towards solving these issues and one of them is a Bangalore based startup called AssureShift.
The Company in Question
AssureShift (www.Assureshift.in) is an online platform that seeks to mordernise the moving industry and solve the inherent issues of the industry along the way. Less than a decade old, the company has already established a firm foothold in the garden city and in recent years, has expanded to pretty much every tier I city in the country and a few tier II cities as well.
Their success has led them to rapidly expand within the subcontinent and they are currently operational in as many as 29 cities.
The founder of AssureShift makes no attempt at hiding the secret behind their success, saying that they simply set about to solve the vast amount of problems in the moving industry and before they knew it, they had become a key player in the sector.
If you want to hire a mover from them, you can go on their website, select the city of origin and give them your requirements for the move. You will be good to go in a few minutes time. For example, if you stay in Pune, you can just visit the pune page (https://www.assureshift.in/packers-and-movers-pune) and submit your requirements to get started. Now, let's get to the problems in detail.
The Problems
Like I said before, there are no shortage of problems in the Indian relocation industry. Something or the other needs fixing in every aspect of it whether it is operationally, administratively or legally.
This blog will detail the kind of problems that are running rampant in the industry and how Assureshift is solving them quietly in the background and in the process redeeming the image of the industry in the foreground.
Widespread Fraud and Lack of Trust
The first and biggest issue with the relocation industry in India is widespread fraud and fake moving companies. There have been numerous reports of people being promised one thing by a relocation company, only to be delivered something completely different. In some cases, people have even been stranded in unfamiliar places with no way to get home and cheated of their money and belongings.
This has snowballed into a situation where there is suspicion and a lack of absolute trust between customers and relocation. This is clearly not acceptable, and it's something that needs to be addressed immediately.
The Fix:- To combat fake and fraudulent moving companies, AssureShift only lists genuine movers that are verified by them. The organisation has a stringent screening process for onboarding any moving company which has been set up by their in-house experts. So you don’t have to worry about fake movers.
Lack of Standardisation and Regulation
One of the biggest issues facing the relocation industry in India is the lack of regulation. There are no laws or regulations in place that govern the industry, which means that anyone can start a relocation business without any training or experience.
This has led to a lot of fly-by-night operators who are not qualified to handle the complex process of relocating someone's home or office.
There is no authoritative platform as well that sets standards that are followed by moving companies in the country, resulting in movers setting their own standards and throwing the industry into chaos. For expmaple the charges for packers and movers in India are not standardised as well, so anybody can set the prices at their whim.
The Fix:- AssureShift, in this regard acts as the authoritative platform, setting the standards and regulations that every mover partnered with them must follow. They are inspected frequently and failing to follow the regulation leads to strict punishments that could affect the relocation company’s revenue stream directly.
Lack of Transparency
There have been several instances where relocation companies have failed to disclose important information about the costs and conditions of their services. Upselling, cross-selling and levying hidden charges are rampant in the industry. This lack of transparency makes it very difficult for people to make informed decisions about whether or not to use a particular service.
The Fix:- Here, AssureShift acts as the overseer. They always have a copy of the billing details and the details of the entire move. They ensure complete transparency between the movers and consumers. The organisation assures 100% transparency with any extra charges clearly defined in the price estimates.
Unskilled labour and Lack of Professionalism
This can be seen in a number of ways, from unqualified staff to unethical practices. Oftentimes, companies will hire staff who are not properly trained or experienced in handling relocations. This can lead to damaged or lost belongings, as well as delays in the moving process. Furthermore, some companies engage in unethical practices, such as overcharging customers or providing false information about their services.
Another issue is a shortage of skilled labour. The vast majority of relocation companies in India are family-run businesses that have been passed down from generation to generation. As a result, there is a lack of formal training. This lack of skilled labour leads to subpar services and further damages the reputation of the industry.
The Fix:- AssureShift ensures that all the onboarded relocation companies are professional in their conduct by undertaking routine inspections and feedback from previous consumers. Unprofessionalism is severely punished by the platform. In case of a minor infringement, the rank of a moving company is affected and in case of serious issues, they are blacklisted permanently from the platform.
Poor Infrastructure and Equipment
One of the biggest issues facing the relocation industry in India is a lack of infrastructure. This includes everything from a lack of reliable moving companies to a shortage of storage facilities and equipment. This can make relocating to India a very stressful experience, as it can lead to damages and sorting out the logistics yourself.
The Fix:- The platform has made great strides in mordernising the entire moving process and equipment. AssureShift has moved the relocation industry online in an effort to mordernise it. There is a minimum requirement that every mover has to meet in terms of equipment, infrastructure and facilities to be a part of the Assureshift network and Assureshift enforces it strictly as well.
To Conclude
Its quite easy to see how the relocation industry is changing lives and yet there are numerous issues that plague the Indian relocation industry. Although it has stunted its growth a fair bit, organisations like AssureShift are working towards eliminating them. Although the work has just begun and we have a long way to go before eliminating all the issues, a brighter future seems to be just over the horizon.
