The piano was in the survey notes, somewhere
The surveyor wrote 'upright piano, back room' on page two. The quote included a line for it. The planner, working from a summary, sent a three-person crew with a standard kit. On the day the crew found a piano, no piano trolley, no board and a narrow hallway with a turn.
Now they either struggle with it, which risks the piano, the walls and their backs, or leave it for a second visit that the customer is not happy about paying for.
Why special items slip through
Special items are common enough to matter and rare enough that there is no routine. Each one needs something different, and that something is decided by whoever notices it.
- Special items are written in free text among ordinary furniture.
- The quote prices them, but the crew plan does not know what equipment they need.
- Items needing crating or a specialist are flagged too late to arrange.
- Photos, if taken, stay on the surveyor's phone.
- Customers add items after the survey by email, which never reaches the planner.
What getting it wrong costs
A damaged antique or artwork is the most expensive kind of claim, and often the most upsetting for the customer. A return visit costs a crew and a vehicle for part of a day. Even when all goes well, a crew improvising with the wrong kit is a crew taking risks you would not choose.
How we carry special items from survey to delivery
- The survey form has a special items list that your team defines: pianos by type, safes, gym equipment, antiques, artwork, glass, clocks, hot tubs and so on.
- Each type carries its own requirements: minimum crew, equipment such as piano boards or skates, crating, specialist handling and any extra time.
- The quote adds the charge for each item from your price book.
- The planning board shows special items on each job and warns if the crew or equipment falls short of the requirements.
- Items needing crating or a third party are turned into tasks with lead times, so they are arranged before the day.
- The crew sheet shows each special item with photos, location in the house, destination room and handling notes.
| Item | Typical requirement you set |
|---|---|
| Upright piano | Crew size, piano trolley, board |
| Antique furniture | Extra wrapping, condition photos |
| Framed artwork | Crating or specialist cartons |
| Safe or gym equipment | Crew size, skates, access check |
The handling requirements are yours, set by people who know the work. We make sure they are seen at every step.
What the crew knows before arriving
Exactly which special items are on the job, where they are, how they are going and what kit is on the lorry for them. Crating arrived the day before. The customer was quoted properly and knows what to expect.
Surveyors benefit too. The special items list prompts them to ask about the things customers forget to mention, such as the safe in the garage or the mirror fixed to the bedroom wall, so fewer surprises are left for the crew to find.
Do special items catch your crews out?
- Pianos and antiques appear on the day without the right kit.
- Items needing crating are arranged at the last minute.
- Survey photos of special items never reach the crew.
- Customers add items after the survey and the planner never hears.
- Your most expensive claims involve items that were known about.