Moving sales scripts: what to say on every call, and why.
Every moving company has a sales script. In most of them it lives in the head of the one person who is good on the phone. When that person is busy, out sick, or gone, the call is answered by someone making it up.
This Playbook writes the call down. Four moving sales scripts, word for word: the inbound call, the call back to a new web lead, the long distance call, and the follow-up. After those come the customer service calls that follow a booking. Each part has the reason next to it, so your reps can change the words without breaking the call.
The short answer
If you only read one box
Every call runs in the same order. Greet. Confirm the basics. Ask about access. Count the bedrooms. Explain the price. Take the list room by room. Offer packing. Give the price. Ask for the job.
Under 3 bedrooms, you quote on the call. At 3 bedrooms and up, you book a survey instead. One honest discount, and nothing said about your schedule that is not true.
The scripts work with a flat price or an hourly rate, and with a deposit or without one. Those lines are written both ways. You say the one that is true for your company.
A script is a system. Experience in someone’s head is not.
The same order on every call
A moving company phone script is not a speech. It is an order of questions. The words can sound like the person saying them. The order stays, because each part sets up the next one.
| Part of the call | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Greet, and confirm what they are doing | The customer hears a person with a name. You learn in one sentence whether this is a job you take. |
| ZIP codes | Is it in your area, and is it local or long distance? That decides which script you are in. |
| Home type and access | Floors, elevators, and the walk to the truck change the price. Ask now, not on move day. |
| Bedrooms | This decides the path. Under 3, you quote now. At 3 or more, you book a survey. |
| Date, and storage or straight there | The date is what you check against your schedule. Storage changes the job. |
| How the price works | Said before the inventory, so the customer knows why you are about to ask so many questions. |
| Room by room, then boxes | The price is built on the list. Start in the living room, because it is the easiest room to describe. |
| Packing, in three levels | A choice between three is easier to answer than a yes or no. |
| The price, then the ask | Your price, what it covers, your deposit terms, and a direct question. |
| If not today | The estimate by email, with the name spelled right. No time is set for the next call. You just make it. |
Script 1: the inbound call, local move
In every script below, words in [brackets] are for you to fill in or follow. They are not read out loud.
Some lines come in two versions, marked [Flat price] and [Hourly rate], or [No deposit] and [Deposit]. Say the one that is true for your company and delete the other. How to set your prices and whether to take a deposit are separate decisions, covered in moving company pricing strategy and moving company deposits.
The customer called you. They are ready to talk, so do not make them wait for the questions to start.
Open, and the basics
Thank you for calling [Company], this is [Your name]. How can I help?
Happy to help with that. Who am I speaking with?
Thanks, [Name]. I'll ask a few quick questions so I can get you a price. Is that okay?
What ZIP code are you moving from? And where are you moving to?
Is the place you're leaving a house, an apartment, or a storage unit? And the new place?
[Apartment, at either end] What floor? Is there an elevator?
[House, at either end] Are there stairs, inside or up to the door?
[Storage unit] What size is the unit?
At each end, about how far is it from the door to where a truck can park?
How many bedrooms?
What date are you looking at? Is that date fixed, or is there some room?
Is everything going straight to the new place, or do you need storage in between?
You ask permission before the questions, so the customer knows a price is coming and the questions are how they get it. You ask about floors, elevators, and parking early, and at both ends, because those are the things that turn a fair price into a wrong one.
The date question has a second half on purpose. If the date can move, you can offer a day when your schedule is lighter.
3 bedrooms or more: stop and book a survey
Do not quote a home with 3 or more bedrooms from a phone call. There is too much in it for anyone to list on a call, and a missed room makes the price wrong. With a flat price, you pay for the mistake. With an hourly rate, the customer does, on move day. Book an in-home visit or a video survey, and give the price after you have seen it.
3 bedrooms or more: book the survey
For a home that size, I'm not going to guess a price over the phone. A guess is how people end up with a surprise on move day.
I'd rather look at everything with you once, and then give you the price in writing.
We can do it on a video call from your phone, or I can send an estimator to the house. Which is easier for you?
I have [day and time] or [day and time]. Which one works?
Can you spell your full name for me? And the best email? I'm sending the confirmation right now.
One tip before then: think about the closets, the garage, the basement, and anything outside. Those are the places people forget.
How to run that call, and how to turn the recording into an inventory, is in the Playbook on virtual moving surveys.
For homes under 3 bedrooms, keep going. Explain the price first, then take the list.
How the price works, then the inventory
Here's how our price works.
[Flat price] I take a list of what you're moving, and you get one price for the whole job: the movers, the truck, the travel, and the equipment. If the list stays the same, the price stays the same.
[Hourly rate] It's [rate] an hour for [number] movers and the truck, with a [number] hour minimum. I take a list of what you're moving, and the list tells me how long the job should take.
So let's get the list right.
We'll go room by room. Start with the living room. What's in there?
[After each room] Anything else in that room? Anything on the walls?
[After the last room] What about closets, a balcony, a garage, or storage in the basement?
Is there anything very heavy or fragile? A piano, a safe, a glass table, a large TV?
For a home this size, people usually end up with around [number] boxes. Does that sound right, or would you say more?
Customers know their furniture. They do not know their box count, and they tend to guess low. So you suggest a number from experience and let them correct it.
Packing
Now the packing. There are three ways to do it.
One: we pack everything for you.
Two: we pack only the hard things, like TVs, artwork, and mirrors.
Three: you pack it all yourself.
Which one fits you best?
The middle option is there because TVs, artwork, and mirrors are the items customers struggle with most. A customer who does not want a full pack may still want those done properly.
The price, and the ask
Okay, [Name]. I have everything on the list, with [packing option].
[Flat price] Your price is [price]. That is the total for this list.
[Hourly rate] It's [rate] an hour for [number] movers and the truck, with a [number] hour minimum. For this list I'd plan for about [number] hours, which comes to about [amount]. You pay for the time the job takes.
That covers [what your price includes: the movers, the truck, the travel, blankets and wrapping for the furniture, taking the beds apart and putting them back together]. [If anything is charged on top, such as travel time, say it now.]
If anything changes on the day, we tell you what it costs before we do the extra work, not after.
I'm looking at [date] on our schedule right now. [Say what you see: we have a crew open that morning.]
If you book today, there's a [X]% same-day booking discount, which brings it to [new price or new rate]. It saves us the follow-up calls, so we pass that on to you.
[No deposit] There's no deposit. You pay [when your company collects payment].
[Deposit] To hold the date we take [amount] today, and it comes off your total. The rest is due [when your company collects payment]. [Say what happens to the deposit if they cancel.]
Shall I book that for you?
With a flat price, say one number, not a range. A range tells the customer you do not know yet. With an hourly rate, say the rate, the minimum, and the hours you plan for. Then say what the price covers and what is charged on top, because what customers fear most is a charge that shows up on move day.
On paper, a flat price is a binding estimate. Leave the word “binding” out of the call. Customers hear it as a commitment on their side, not yours. An hourly quote is your honest estimate of the time, and the bill follows the real job. Say that in plain words too.
When binding fits and when it does not is in binding vs non-binding estimates. Local moves follow your state’s rules on estimates, so check them before you change your paperwork.
After the question, stop talking. Let the customer answer it.
Honest scarcity only
Never say “last truck” unless it is the last truck. Look at the schedule and say what it shows. If the date is filling, say so. If it is wide open, say that.
The same goes for the price. If you revise prices every week, you can say “this price is good until Friday.” If you do not, do not say it. And there is one discount, for booking the same day. When a customer hesitates, a second discount does not appear.
When they say yes
You're booked for [date], with the crew arriving between [time] and [time].
Can you spell your full name for me? And the best email for the confirmation?
What's the address we're picking up from? And the address we're delivering to? If you don't have the new one yet, send it to me when you do.
Is this the best number to reach you on move day?
[Customer service name] from our office will call to introduce themselves, and you'll get a text reminder the day before the move.
Thank you, [Name]. We'll take good care of it.
If not today
No problem at all. I'm emailing you the estimate right now, with the full list and the price.
Can you spell your full name for me, so it's right on the estimate? And the best email?
Take a look, and tell me if we missed anything.
Thank you, [Name].
[Do not say when you will call, and do not ask if you may. Call later the same day or the next day.]
You ask for the spelling because the estimate is a document with their name on it, and a misspelled name on the first document is a bad start.
You never agree a follow-up, and you never say “I’ll call you later today.” Offer that and the customer says no, and now you cannot call. Send the estimate, end the call, and then call when it suits you, the same day or the next day.
Script 2: the 5-minute call back to a web lead
Someone filled in your quote form. A person calls them within 5 minutes. Not an automatic text, and not a message saying somebody will be in touch. The customer asked for a price, and the fastest way to give them one is to call.
The call back
Hi, is this [Name]?
This is [Your name] from [Company]. You asked for a moving quote on our website a few minutes ago, so I'm calling to get you a price. Is now a good time?
[If the lead came from a lead provider] You asked for moving quotes online a few minutes ago, and we're one of the movers in your area.
[If it is a bad time] No problem. I'll try you again.
I have your request in front of me, so I'll just confirm it. You're moving from [ZIP] to [ZIP], around [date], and it's a [number] bedroom [home type]. Did I get that right?
[Carry on with Script 1 from the new place and the access questions: floors, stairs, elevator, parking.]
They already typed their details once. Read them back instead of asking again. It is faster, and it shows the customer that someone read what they sent.
From there the call is Script 1. Same bedroom rule, same price lines, same ask.
Voicemail, when they do not pick up
Hi [Name], this is [Your name] from [Company]. You asked for a moving quote a few minutes ago, so I'm calling to get you a price.
I'd like to go through your list with you. It takes about [X] minutes. My direct number is [number]. That's [number].
I'm also sending you a short email now, so you can reply there if that's easier. Talk soon.
When nobody answers, the order is fixed: call, then email, then text. The text comes last because a text from a stranger is the most personal of the three.
Call within 5 minutes
A person, with the request open in front of them.
No answer: voicemail, then the email
The short welcome email goes out right after the voicemail, from the same rep.
Call again the same day
Try a different time of day from the first call.
Still nothing: one text
Only now, after the call and the email went unanswered.
Then the email sequence takes over
Leads who go quiet move to an automatic email sequence. The rep's time goes to the leads who are talking.
The text, only after no answer
Hi [Name], it's [Your name] from [Company]. I tried calling about the moving quote you asked for. Is there a better time to reach you, or is text or email easier?
Script 3: the long distance call
The opening is the same. Three things change: how you explain the price, the survey, and the delivery.
Long distance: the parts that change
[Open and basics as in Script 1: ZIP codes, home type, access at both ends, bedrooms, date, storage.]
Here's how the price works on a long distance move. It's based on what you're moving, how far it's going, and how much packing you want. You get it in writing before you decide anything.
[Say how you set it: one fixed price for the list, or an estimate by weight or by volume.]
[3 bedrooms or more] Book the survey, as in Script 1. Do not quote.
[Under 3 bedrooms] Let's go through your list now, room by room, starting with the living room.
[Inventory, boxes, and packing as in Script 1.]
For this list, with [packing option], your price is [price]. That covers [what is included].
[If your price is an estimate that follows the final weight or volume, say so here, in plain words.]
Pickup would be on [date]. Delivery takes between [X] and [Y] days, counted from [pickup day, or the first day you can receive it: use the one your company goes by].
If you can't be there for the delivery, someone you trust can receive it for you. If nobody can, we can hold it in storage, and I'll put that price on the estimate so it isn't a surprise later.
[Only if you have a real booking cutoff] We need long distance moves booked at least [X] days before pickup, so the latest you can decide is [date].
Before I put the price in writing, I do a short video walkthrough with you, so the list I price is the list we load. It takes a few minutes on your phone. Can we do it now, or is [time] better?
[If the walkthrough is later] I'll call you at [time] for the walkthrough, and email your written estimate as soon as we finish.
[After the walkthrough] Can you spell your full name for me, so it's right on the estimate? And the best email? I'm sending it now.
[Once the written estimate has reached them] [Your deposit terms, as in Script 1.] Shall I book it?
[If not today] No problem. Take a look at the written estimate, and tell me if we missed anything. [Do not set a time for the next call.]
On a long distance move the customer’s biggest worry is not the loading. It is when their things will arrive. Explain the delivery window on the first call, in plain words, before they have to ask. Count the days from one starting point, and use the same one on the written estimate.
The walkthrough comes after the talking is done, and the ask comes after the written estimate. The customer decides on the document, not on a number said out loud.
The federal rule on interstate estimates
On a move that crosses state lines, the estimate has to be in writing, and it has to be based on a physical survey of the goods (49 CFR 375.401). The rules count a survey done on site or by video, live or recorded (49 CFR 375.103). A customer can waive the survey, but only in writing, signed before the shipment is loaded.
So the number you say on the phone is not the estimate. The written one is. Moves inside one state follow that state’s rules, and those vary. This is a summary for operators, not legal advice. If you are not sure which rules cover you, ask one of the lawyers for moving companies.
Script 4: the follow-up call
Follow up the same day, or the next day at the latest. Not “in a couple of days.” The customer who got your price at 10 am is still thinking about the move at 4 pm. Wait a few days and they may have booked someone else.
The customer is not expecting this call, and that is fine. You did not ask for it and you did not promise it. You call, and you are useful when they pick up.
The follow-up call
Hi [Name], it's [Your name] from [Company]. We spoke [earlier today, or yesterday] about your move on [date].
I'm calling to make sure the estimate reached you. Did it arrive?
Does everything on the list look right? Anything to add or take off?
Is there anything you'd like me to walk you through?
[If they are ready] Great. Shall I book [date] for you? [If it is still the day of the quote] The same-day discount still applies until we close today.
[If not yet] No problem. I have all my notes, so you won't have to repeat anything. [Do not set a time for the next call.]
This is a service call, not a pressure call. You are checking the estimate arrived and the list is right. If the customer is ready, they will tell you.
Follow-up voicemail
Hi [Name], it's [Your name] from [Company]. I sent your moving estimate [earlier today, or yesterday] and wanted to make sure it arrived.
If anything on the list looks off, call me at [number] or reply to the email, and I'll fix it. That's [number].
Thanks, [Name].
Every follow-up call ends with an email, whether they picked up or not. Keep it plain, two short paragraphs, and end with a question. The full set, and why they look the way they do, is in moving company email templates. Use the format from that Playbook and the timing from this one: the same day or the next.
The email after the call
Subject: Your move on [date]
Hi [Name],
Good talking to you just now. Your estimate is attached: [number] movers, the truck, and [packing option], for [your price, or your hourly rate and minimum].
Did I miss anything on the list?
[Your name]
The email when they did not pick up
Subject: Your move on [date]
Hi [Name],
I just tried calling and left you a voicemail. Your estimate is attached again: [number] movers, the truck, and [packing option], for [your price, or your hourly rate and minimum].
Does everything on the list look right?
[Your name]
| When | What the rep does |
|---|---|
| Within 5 minutes of a new lead | Calls. Sends the welcome email. |
| The same day as the price, or the next | Follow-up call, then an email. No time agreed with the customer first. |
| The customer names a day themselves | Calls on that day, then an email. The rep never asks for a day. |
| No answer | Voicemail, then an email, then one text. |
| Gone quiet | The automatic email sequence, until they book or tell you they have moved. |
When a customer tells you they booked someone else, thank them and wish them a good move. Then stop. How you take a no is part of your reputation too.
Answers to the four objections
An objection is a question the customer has not finished asking. Answer the question. Do not fight the customer. None of these answers uses a deadline that is not real or a discount that was not there a minute ago.
“That is too expensive”
I understand. Can I ask what you're comparing it to?
[Another quote] Is theirs a flat price or an hourly rate? And is it for the same list?
[If yours is flat and theirs is hourly] With an hourly rate, the final bill depends on how long the job takes. Ours is what you pay, as long as the list stays the same.
[If yours is hourly and theirs is flat] With a flat price, you pay the same even when the job goes faster. With ours, you pay for the time the job takes, and for your list I'd plan for about [number] hours.
[Over their budget] There are honest ways to bring it down. You can pack your own boxes. You can move fewer things. [If you price slow days lower] And if your date can move to a [weekday], the price is lower.
What I can't do is take money off for no reason. If I could, the first price wasn't real.
“I need to talk to my spouse”
Of course. It's a decision for both of you.
I'll email the estimate now, so you're both looking at the same list and the same price. Should I send it to both of you?
“I am getting other quotes”
You should. It's a big job to hand to a stranger.
When you compare, check four things. Is the price flat or hourly? Is it for the same list? Is there a deposit, and do you get it back? And is there a fee for paying by card?
Ours is [a flat price, or your hourly rate and minimum], for this list, with [no deposit, or your deposit and what happens to it if they cancel], and [your card fee answer].
I'm sending ours now, so you have it next to the others.
“I need to think about it”
Sure. Take the time you need.
So I send you the right information: is it the price, the date, or something about us that you're not sure of?
[Answer that one thing. Do not pitch the whole move again.]
I'll send the estimate now. If the answer is no, just tell me. That's fine too.
What a rep never says
“Let me ask my manager for a special price.” “This offer ends when we hang up.” “I would not trust that other company.” Each one can win a job today. Each one teaches the customer that your first price, your deadlines, and your word are all open to negotiation.
After the booking: the customer service calls
Selling and looking after the customer are two jobs. Once the move is booked, someone in customer service takes over, and the rep goes back to the phones.
The welcome call, right after booking
Hi [Name], this is [Your name] from [Company]. Is now a good time? I'll be brief.
I'm the person looking after your move from now until it's finished. If you have a question, you call me.
I have you down for [date], with the crew arriving between [time] and [time], from [address] to [address]. Is all of that still right?
Has anything changed on your list since you spoke with [sales rep]? Anything added, or anything you decided not to take?
Here's what happens next. The day before the move, you get a text reminder. You don't need to answer it. On move day, your crew lead calls when they're on the way.
Do you have a pen? My direct number is [number].
Any questions for me right now?
The question about the list is the important one. With a flat price, the list is the price. With an hourly rate, the list decides the crew and the hours you planned. Confirm it before every move, so a change is found on a phone call this week and not at the door.
The reminder text, the day before
Hi [Name], this is [Company]. A reminder that your move is tomorrow, [date]. Your crew arrives between [time] and [time], and your crew lead will call when they are on the way. No need to reply. If anything has changed, call us at [number].
Move day: the crew lead, on the way
Hi [Name], this is [Crew lead name], your crew lead from [Company]. We're on our way and should be at your door around [time].
Is there anything we should know about parking or the elevator before we pull up?
Move day: the office check-in, mid-move
Hi [Name], it's [Your name] from the office at [Company]. Nothing is wrong. I'm calling to ask how the move is going so far.
Is there anything you'd like me to pass on to the crew lead?
[If there is a problem] Thank you for telling me. I'm calling [crew lead name] right now, and I'll call you back in [X] minutes.
Good. I'll let you get back to it.
The mid-move call is there to find problems while the crew is still in the house and can fix them. A customer will often tell the office what they will not say to the crew’s face.
The day after: no call
The day after the move, an automatic review request goes to every customer, with the same words and the same link, whether the move went well or not. If they do not answer, it reminds them up to two more times. Nobody calls to ask for a review, and nobody picks which customers get asked.
Put the script to work
A script in a drawer changes nothing. Four habits make it the way your company answers the phone.
Print it and put it on every desk
One page per call, in front of the rep while they talk. The download below is made for that.
New reps read it out loud first
They practice with you or another rep until it sounds like talking, not reading. Then they take live calls.
Record the calls and review a few each week
Listen with the script next to you. You are checking the order, the bedroom rule, and the ask. It is how you coach without being on the phone yourself.
Fix the script, not the rep
When the same question keeps beating your reps, write the answer into the script. Then everyone has it.
Two things to check before you start
Call recording and texting both have rules. Some states require everyone on the call to agree to a recording. Texting a lead has federal consent rules (47 CFR 64.1200), and some states add their own. Check both before you switch either one on. This is not legal advice.
Download the scripts
One file, free, no sign-up. One script per page, printed large enough to read at a desk while you are on a call. Replace the words in brackets with your own and print a copy for every rep.
- Download
Moving sales scripts
Four pages: the inbound local call, the 5-minute call back to a web lead, the long distance call, and the follow-up with the customer service calls.
PDF, 4 pages
The recap
- One order for every call: greet, basics, access, bedrooms, price explained, room by room, packing, the price, ask.
- Under 3 bedrooms, quote on the call. At 3 or more, book an in-home or video survey and price it after.
- Your price said plainly, flat or hourly, with what it covers and what is charged on top.
- Your real deposit terms, said before you ask for the job.
- One discount, for booking the same day. Never a second one when the customer hesitates.
- Say only what your schedule really shows. No last truck unless it is the last truck.
- A person calls every new web lead within 5 minutes. Call, then email, then text.
- Follow up the same day or the next, without agreeing a time first. Never say you will call later today. Send an email after every call.
- Answer objections with the truth: what the price covers and what honestly lowers it.
- After booking: welcome call, reminder text the day before, crew lead call on the way, office check-in mid-move, automatic review request the day after.