When Nashville native William Turner founded Home-Aid Moving in Spring Hill in 2019, he was surprised by how much satisfaction he derived in providing this type of service. “I didn’t realize that it would give me the type of moral feel good that it has,” he says. “We’re going into a person's greatest asset with all these intimate memories and handling their most valuable belongings.”
He enjoys the sense of connection to his community as well. “Sometimes the location of the move is five or six houses away from the house I grew up in, and I've had situations where I'm moving the mom of one of my childhood best friends.”
William is now making his own family memories with his wife, Emily, four-year-old daughter, Lillian-Rose, and two-year-old son, Jet. Being a father has made him extra vigilant about making sure that his clients’ children are kept safe and remain happy during the move. He and his wife actually moved when Lillian-Rose was only a year-and-a-half old, so they personally know what it’s like.
Of the 12 guys on his team, two have children, and all enjoy interacting with families. “We love the energy that kids bring and our guys make the whole experience as easy as possible. They’ll crack jokes and make it a fun, light-hearted situation. Our guys create a bond so it feels like the people coming into their house and moving their stuff are trustworthy.”
"Depending on the children’s ages, it’s also important to make them feel like they’re part of the move," he says, "and one way to do that is to give them jobs. You can have them color code the boxes by giving them a box of sticky notes and asking them to put green stickies on the boxes that go in the bedrooms, or red for boxes that go in the living room.” Kids can also be allowed to carry a small bag or even a pillow to get them involved and to have them feel like they’re contributing. “It almost turns into more of a game for the children,” says William. “When we get to the new house, they can maybe start unpacking some of their toys or a special box. Premeditatedly, parents should have a good idea of what boxes are safe to be unpacked by their children.”
Again, depending on the age of the child, tasks can include rolling out the rugs or some other easy chores. “In terms of the furniture and things of that nature, we are definitely more of a white glove service, so that means we’re going to unwrap the furniture, set it all up, and put it exactly where the client wants it. So boxes are probably one of the biggest and only areas that the children could help with.”
But along with these tasks, it’s also important for parents to focus on safety. “Our guys are going to be carrying really heavy stuff, so kids have to be very mindful of where we are and the path we’re taking,” he says. “Parents should have that conversation with them beforehand.”
Another way to make a move easier, especially for young children who still take naps, is communication. “As a parent, that nap time is so intricate in those younger years as far as maintaining mood, so to that point, we will make sure we're on the same page with the client.” For example, if they need to have a crib set up by a certain time, it will be the last thing put into the truck so it can be one of the first things taken out. During nap time, the movers can avoid going into the child’s room.
“Little things like that definitely go a long way during a move,” says William. “We’re closing in on year five and, at this point, we've easily surpassed a thousand moves. One of the pillars we follow is a family approach. By the end of the move, even though we have successfully moved everything needed, if our guys don't understand the story of the client, we don't feel like we've done our job. We want our guys to know what the client does for work, what their hobbies are. We also want to maintain eye contact, smile, give a handshake - all of those intimate human connections go a long way. Truthfully, I think the human connection part of being so relatable to our clients is really what's gotten us so much business through word of mouth.”
William is thankful for his success, which keeps him extremely busy, but he always makes time for his own family too. “When I'm off on the weekends, it’s important for my wife [a teacher at a school in Spring Hill] and me to be able to forge experiences and memories for our kids. Whether that’s Harlinsdale Park on one weekend, Adventure Science Center the next, or the zoo the next, we’re very big on family time.”
The family also enjoys hanging out with their pets. “The dog that my wife and I got a year into our relationship unfortunately passed away this year,” he says. “He was a Doberman named Bodhi. We still have our lab, River, and we now have a new Doberman named Rocky. They definitely are quite the duo.” Home-AidMoving.com