Covid-19 has changed the way we live our lives.

As the dust settles and the new normal is established, our industry must now adapt to the changes brought on by the pandemic. Let's take a quick look at in-home estimates.

Truth: Physical in-home estimates are losing bids. Virtual is the new wave and it is here to stay.

In this blog post, we're going to explore the decline of physical in-home estimates and how to perform virtual surveys better than anyone else.

A new problem with physical in-home estimates

Going physically to a customer's home will soon be a rare occasion. This is inevitable. No matter how much you insist that your sales team will be sanitary, bring protective gear, and take all necessary precautions, customers are sometimes just not going to want you anywhere near their master bedrooms and kids. There is too much risk involved and too much at stake. Even though the country is slowly re-opening, letting a stranger enter their private residence is a completely different story.

So now there's friction. It's hard to do an estimate virtually and physical estimates might lose more bids than before. This is unfortunate because the most professional, likable and accurate company is going to win the sale.

Why virtual surveys can suck sometimes

With no other alternatives, virtual surveys are now happening everywhere. And although doing a virtual survey has a lot of benefits, conducting one using face-time or Skype is very clunky and clumsy.

First the benefits. You no longer have to drive to each site. You can feed the inventory into your calculator and tariff as soon as you're done. You can also schedule conveniently to fit the customer's schedule. It's flexible, fast, and friendly. Customer now expect this experience more often than not.

However, it's not easy. You have to verbally train the customer while give them cues on how to scan each individual room, and guide them as if you're playing Marco Polo. Without proper tools, you can't record. Connections are spotty and sound can be troublesome. Customers hate feeling slow. You hate it also.

What are good ways to help solve these frustrations?

Some helpful tips on how to improve:

• Ask for permission to record the video. And use video recording software.
• Send them the video afterwards to build trust. Mark timestamps of the video to show that you watched it carefully.
• Educate the customer beforehand so it's less awkward. Send them a quick video example of what a good walkthrough looks like.
• Have a good intuition for where objects might hiding since it's a video camera.
• If you can calculate fast enough, send the proposal to them at the end and walk them through it. Answer questions and send multiple versions.
• Have fun, and be enjoyable to talk to!

And if you want all of that to be automatic, check out our video demo.

Using Supermove's Virtual Moving Estimates

Supermove combines the best of both worlds. We offer a way to perform in-home estimates by overlaying video tools, recording capabilities, annotations and more. Supermove also helps your customers prepare for the estimate in advance. It'll feel like you're there in person.

The reason why virtual estimates didn't happen earlier is because virtual was never easier. But now it is.

This feature is currently in beta. If you're interested in joining the waitlist, send us an email at team@supermove.com.

Stay tuned for Part 2: How to handle move paperwork and payments with zero physical contact.