Bridges Moving & Cleaning

Good afternoon! This is a VERY VERY VERY long, detailed post so go ahead and grab some more coffee and your lunch, or save it for later, before you begin to read it. 😊 I finally had time to write my review about my February 6th moving experience with Bridges Moving and Cleaning ([*** Link removed ***] I can’t find their FB page. Also, since I’m no longer seeing red, and am much more calm about it, I can write a detailed review with normal blood pressure. I read/heard good reviews about Bridges Moving and Cleaning, so I decided to give them a try. It can’t be too hard to move from the South Loop (downtown Chicago) to Flossmoor, IL, right? Well, apparently it is. I scheduled my move via phone, spoke directly with the owner, Jeff Bridges, and told him that he came highly recommended. He said he hoped to provide the same service, asked me to text him the details, and he would text me back with a confirmation. I said if they provided great service, I would gladly share my review with my networks. Fast forward to now, I’m doing as previously mentioned; however, it didn’t go as planned. A couple hours later, I still hadn’t received a text confirmation, so I re-sent the same text from earlier. Then I received my confirmation text saying that I would have 4 men and a truck at my building at 8am for my move for a 1-bedroom apartment. I said I didn’t have the elevator until 9am (9am – 1pm, specifically); however, he said they would spend that hour disassembling my furniture. On 1/27/2021 at 5:29pm, I sent a text confirming the 2/6/2021 move date, he confirmed. On Thursday, January 28th, at 11:15am, he sent me a text asking if I could move the date to either Friday, 2/5 or Sunday, 2/7. I responded that I had an all-day, camera-on, virtual conference on 2/5 and both buildings didn’t allow move ins/outs on Sundays, so that was a negative. I asked if they were unavailable now? He said, “No worries, we are available.” Friday, 2/5/2021 at 4:21pm I texted, “Good evening, I will see you tomorrow.” He responded, “Yes, see you tomorrow.” Now, in hindsight, I think that he double-booked me and the other move must’ve gotten the bigger truck (more on that later). On Saturday, 2/5/2021 at 8:21am (the coldest day of Winter 2020 – 2021, unfortunately), I texted, “Good morning. What time will you all arrive?” He responded, “Good morning we are en route now, arriving within 30 minutes.” So, they were already starting an hour late. They arrived and the security guard, who saw them via the alley’s security camera, commented that they were in a, “little truck” and he would open the dock area for them. I went downstairs to look at the truck and it was indeed VERY small. I texted the owner right away and said, “They’re there (dock) now. I don’t think that little truck is big enough for my belongings. I’m pretty sure of it. Can you send a bigger truck?” His response was that it should be big enough based on what you described. The main concern was the stairs (at the condo in Flossmoor) from our conversation. No other truck is available this morning.” My response, “Ohhh nooooo.” I then called the owner and he said that the truck supposedly can move a 1-2 bedroom home; however, I could only see that being the case if it was a “1 – 2 bedroom tiny house.” The movers arrived upstairs to my South Loop unit and there were only 3 men. I asked about the missing person and they said that he called off sick that morning (perhaps the negative wind chill/temps)? They also walked in with 1 roll of plastic, no tape, and no moving blankets. I ordered a ton of moving blankets from Amazon as I planned to pre-wrap everything, but I was advised by a good Sistafriend who helped me pack (thanks, Sis!) to send them back because the moving company will have their own supplies. The 3 men, Fred (Supervisor), Tyrone, and Chandor, were very nice, two were very young, perhaps early-mid 20s, and one was middle-aged (the most experienced one, Chandor, who carefully wrapped my precious, oversized mirror with my assistance). I later found out they called Chandor that Saturday morning at 6am to see if he could assist with my move). Since they didn’t have moving blankets (I never saw them), they used all of mine (so can’t return them to Amazon). They also used the tape that I used to tape my boxes. When my tape supply was depleted, Chandor called down to the truck in the dock area requesting that they bring more upstairs. They responded that they didn’t have anymore tape. Wow and smh!! So, I hopped in my SUV, drove to Walgreens, and bought several packages of moving tape (they reimbursed me for them). Chandor also asked to use my tools to break down my bed (I was standing right by him when he called down to the truck asking about tools and they didn’t have any). I thought they were supposed to have this type of stuff with them?? Ty later mentioned that they will be up and running and at full capacity in a week or so. Covid-19 slowed down their operations, or something like that. It sounded to me that they weren’t properly prepared to handle anyone’s move, so definitely not mine. They also asked to use my new dolly/hand truck from Costco (I agreed since it may help them move quicker). My Sistafriend came over with food and helped me clear out my storage unit (thanks boo!). I could tell that they were really slow, behind schedule, and time was ticking on the elevator reservation and the hourly moving fee. As suspected, the truck was too small (Me – not surprised!)!! They couldn’t fit my belongings, had placed my possessions in their truck unwrapped/unsecured, had to use my SUV to move items, AND Fred left the dock area to get another truck (an open pickup truck at that)!! Meanwhile, time was ticking on this $120/hour operation, after the first $350/2 hours/4 men, which was modified to $105/hour due to only having 3 men. They offered the option of making 2 trips; however, the elevator was reserved for my neighbor afterwards and I was not paying the hourly rate of two trips to the South Suburbs and back downtown. At this point, there was nothing I could do but keep it all together (in the freezing cold) and not lose my cool. The other party (my neighbor), that reserved the elevator after me, couldn’t use the dock area because Fred, who left to get the other truck, also took the keys…Wow and wow!! Thank you to my neighbor who gave us an extra hour to move…thank goodness! (Bless you and congrats on your new baby and home)! So, no one could move the parked truck because Fred had the keys while rushing to get the truck that I already said was needed before they even started. When Fred returned, I came downstairs to check the dock area out before we left (they had to move the rest of my items in the actual alley, in the snow/cold because we had to give the dock to my neighbor). When I walked past the elevator, I saw one of my nice paintings chilling on the elevator (they were about to leave it). So, I grabbed it and put it in my SUV. They couldn’t get the ramp thing to go back into the truck to move it, (Fred was back and I called him several times!) and I had to help with the ramp. Chandor was awesome and kept apologizing for the service, or lack thereof, that I was receiving and told me that the unprofessional behavior was embarrassing. He also said that my positive disposition and helpful demeanor were the only reasons why he didn’t walk off the job. That’s why it pays to not lose your cool in stressful situations. He even promised that he would secure my belongings well on the pick-up truck. Fast forward to Flossmoor. My Uncle Keith was at the condo and commented several times that they looked like they were struggling. So, he decided to help them, even though he wasn’t supposed to be moving heavy items. He also noticed that they weren’t using dollies/hand trucks. My very nice Crate & Barrel bar/bookcase was uncovered when they brought it upstairs, they needed my tools again to assemble my bed, etc. I went downstairs to check on them and saw almost all of my pictures in the snow and they were picking them up and trying to clean them. I later found pics in the snow of family/friends that they left, and they almost left my plant in the lobby by the fake lobby plant until I asked where my plant was located. ☹ So, 11 hours, $1,130, and I still tipped them later (deductions only made for tape reimbursement, tool usage, and 30 minutes time for them to get a pick-up truck - although it was much longer) they were done (Point of reference: Two Men and a Truck took 5 hours to move me from Bronzeville to the South Loop in 2015 for $875). I later found out that they left all of their dollies/hand trucks at my building in the South Loop because they wouldn’t fit in the truck. This included MY dolly. Instead of waiting for additional non-customer service, I drove down there the following morning to get my belongings and apologized to the building for the commotion, confusion, and inconvenience. I texted the owner and said, “I would love to provide you with feedback. Unfortunately, I would not recommend your business.” His response, “Understandable, thank you still.” As I began to unpack my items, I noticed several items were damaged (i.e. my bookcase/bar, nightstands, etc.). And finally, I posted a comment on their Instagram page this morning that, “They were the worst moving company ever!” I immediately received an inbox saying, “Good morning, you didn’t pay anything for services, just don’t patronize anymore. How long ago was this?” Excellent customer service and conflict resolution (again)...NOT! I responded that I paid >$1,000 almost two months ago. They said, “Who are you and what was the issue two months ago that made you respond this morning?” I said, “An unsatisfied customer. I haven’t written my review yet. More to come. I shared my dissatisfaction at the time and said I wouldn’t recommend your company, so this isn’t new news.” So, if you managed to read until the end (there were a lot of interesting plot twists and turns), this is my review. In true Helen Brown fashion, I documented everything! Thanks for attending my Ted Talk. [*** Link removed ***]

These are the hardest working men around. They arrived EARLY! They were very hospitable. They asked to do a walkthrough first. They took care to make sure my delicates were security wrapped. Most importantly, they were quoted for a 3-4 hour job. When it was all said and done, they stayed to make sure my beds and entertainment areas where set up. It ended up being a 10+ hour job. The movers didn’t complain at all. I highly recommend Bridges movers. I know they’re movers, but they have to also be professional Tetris players b/c they were able to fit a lot of my stuff on that truck!

I’ve hired Bridges Moving & Cleaning on four separate occasions to perform work for me. They have moved me into a new home, cleaned that home (3300 sq ft), cleaned the gutters, and cleaned the windows (indoor & outdoor). If they weren’t so great I surely would not keep hiring them. Not only do they have the best prices, they also have the best customer service. The owner Jeff is responsive, educated, and is always available. I even had friends that hired them last minute to move into a 3500 sq ft home after prior movers stood them up. It was the 31st of the month (worse day possible for last minute moving), I immediately called Jeff and they were able to accommodate my friends, and for much cheaper than the company they initially hired. Can’t say enough about how great this company is.

Excellent! The can do positive attitude of the staff of Bridges Moving & Cleaning was outstanding! The communication and respect they have for each other as they performed their job duties was great and didn't go unnoticed. Because of this great communication among themselves, they were able to move my furnishings efficiently with the greatest of care. The eagerness and willingness to want to do a great job was overwhelmingly appreciated. They didn't consider the job done until I was completely satisfied. What a great team of guys. Jeff Bridges continue on and on and on......I would definitely use them again and will also refer Bridges Moving & Cleaning to others.

GREAT! Moving can feel overwhelming. Jeff stopped by to get a visual of what was being moved to determine truck and crew size. They took extra care wrapping mirrors and glass table tops and his team was punctuation, professional and very efficient.

Jeff the owner and his team were very friendly, professional and on time! Jeff took the time to provide an estimate before we scheduled his services. The day of the move, all of our furniture was professionally wrapped and handled with care. They were organized and prompt with loading and unloading our furniture. The clean out was great! Jeff made sure to do a walk through and point out specific areas that needed more TLC. Overall I was impressed and would definitely use Bridges Moving and Cleaning in the future.

This was my first time using a moving company and it was a pleasant experience. The two gentlemen who moved me, showed up on time and were nice enough to help me take down some queen beds and dresser. They seemed well equipped and experienced and it was nice finally letting someone else do all the hard work. They took good care of my belongings. I think we all underestimated the amount of belongings I had so it took a little longer than we expected but Jeff was awesome. He was accommodating to the situation.

The job went great they were prompt & reliable. They were reasonably priced and professional!

Bridges Moving & Cleaning truly exceeded my expectations! They were efficient, professional, and thorough! I recommended them to all of my family & friends for such great service!