Hey, who are those guys?

If you are about to move (or have moved before) were your first thoughts when the movers knocked on your door: "Who are these guys? "Will they know what they are doing?" Can I trust them in my house, with my belongings?" Do any of those sound familiar? These are quite common fears for those about to be relocated, and have been verbalised to me in questions like these: "Do you do this every day? Is this a full time job? Do you work for the company? How long have you been doing this?" The unspoken subtext here is: "Are you going to be OK in my house?" A perfectly valid sentiment, and one I share when a stranger is working in my house.
A quick explanation of where we come from, and how the labor pool differs from one moving company to another. The career path of a mover is an accidental one. In 30 years, I have met no one who chose moving as a vocation in childhood and stuck to it. There is no linear career path for a professional mover, and our abilities range from poor to excellent in aptitude and training, like any other profession. The teaching system is experiential; the seasoned teach the new, and those who grasp the concepts move upward into a leadership role. A competent pro needs the strength of a weighlifter, people skills of a casino greeter, and the logisitic skills of a army quartermaster. It's a job of many hats.
Moving companies may differ in how they hire, structure, and retain people. The large "Van lines" (United, North American, Allied, United, etc.) use a system of casual labor for the most part. Its a national satellite system; each of these companies have their own regional "agents" throughout the US. Different people are used for your move with these folks. Packers will come to your home for van line "X", pack your belongings in boxes, and leave. A driver from "X" will come in with his hired "day laborers" and load your goods. Usually the same driver will deliver your goods at the other end, with new hired "day laborers" again. If you wish unpacking, unpackers will come to your home from "X"'s closest agent in your area. It's a chancy system, at best. Even if all parties have been excellent, you probably have had 6-8 people involved in segments of your move. The lines of responsibility are blurred, and any problems are difficult to resolve. This system is the way most long distance interstate moves are performed.
An alternative: There are regional moving companies who are affiliated with the van lines, but also "self-haul"(they may do work for "X", but will handle the whole move with their own people), and there are a few large independants who also work nationally. If possible chose them as an option. These companies (for the most part) use the same people at both ends of the move. Any company that operates on a team basis is preferred. The same two people pack, load, drive, deliver, and unpack your home. They have been there for the whole process, are aware that full responsibility rests with them, can answer any question, and resolve most problems. This is the system I prefer, any would choose if I had to move. Manageable numbers of people in my home, the same people involved throughout, and clear lines of responsibility.
How can you determine which system your mover uses? If you are moving locally, usually the same crew is present at both ends. If you are moving long distance, ask. Ask the salesman (estimator) when he (she) comes to your home to do a move estimate. Be firm in stating that you want an experienced crew leader, and that you want the same crew at both ends. See how this question is answered. If you are brushed off, or the question is glossed over, look for another mover. If these folks are not sensitive to your needs during a sales call, how do you think the move will be? If the salesman makes note of your request, attempts to fullfill it, or promises to pass the message on, think about using them. They are service oriented...they want to perform a good move.