PT IFM puts new drive into removals business

PT IFM puts new drive into removals business

PT IFM Move Well is a relative new kid on the block in the
local removals business, but it is a distinction it bears
proudly.

Headed by three former employees of a major moving firm in
Jakarta, the company opened its doors in 1996 with the intention
of providing a fresh and dynamic approach to putting customers
first.

IFM Move Well Senior Technical Advisor Ashley Luff said the
company has introduced two innovative approaches to the business.

First, all local charges are quoted in rupiah "simply because
all those costs, including our VAT charges, are in rupiah," Luff
said.

It also provides a detailed inventory sheet with each
quotation, protecting both the client and his company in the
event of disputes over additional charges and packing contents.

IFM Move Well's newness in the market should not be identified
with the rash of Jack-of-all-trades-but-master-of-none now
turning their attention to removals.

The firm earned its stripes in the office relocation business,
handling assorted tasks, such as consultancy work for their
clients in the form of Move Management.

IFM now ranks among the top of the field in the capital. Only
recently has it used its grounding to branch out into
International removals and record management. Asset management
and computer-aided facility management (CAFM), along with office
relocations, are just some of the services the company launched
when it opened its doors.

CAFM is a working database that incorporates space plans of
the facility and all of the assets a company owns or leases.
There is no need to conduct a physical inventory.

A gradual but steady start was a deliberate strategy to gain a
secure market foothold before venturing out, Luff said.

"We didn't want to just arrive and say 'hi, here we are now'.
We wanted to gain a reputation and earn respect. Then, when we
were ready to launch our International division, we had the
background and an excellent trade record."

Part of the business of pleasing clients and removing some of
the heartache and headache of moving is to acknowledge and
respect their needs, he added.

The company does not cart out a standard blueprint for each
prospective customer who passes through its doors. Instead, the
firm hears them out on their concerns and then lays out an array
of options for them to choose from.

Luff considered his firm's brand of service as more focused on
keeping the customer satisfied than the bottom line, which will
take care of itself.

"We are not so much trying to sell something as acting as a
friend. We give our clients the right information but don't just
say something for the sake of saying it."

Logistics Manager Roy Soenasto commented that the approach
abides by the old adage of "putting yourself in someone else's
shoes".

Technical Advisor Nigel C. Ryder added that through the
consultancy services the company provides to a number of clients
throughout Southeast Asia, the development of relations with
regional agents has been excellent.

"This gives us the necessary cohesion with our agents to allow
our clients total confidence in our services, both here and at
the final destination. It would be as if they were moving with
one company, not two!"

The firm's trio is averse to rigid labels on its services.

"One of the things we set out to do from day one is to not
standardize rates," Luff said. "We have gone out of our way to be
different."

Identifying ourselves as a specialist to a particular
destination would be incorrect. We would like to think, as our
clients do, that we have strong links to many countries, but to
say that we specialize in one would be wrong.

Ryder said the firm was set to move ahead in putting the
public in the know about its services.

"Other moving companies are resting on their laurels. This
gives us a chance show people a fresh face with fresh ideas."

The new approach also carries over into a refreshingly
contemporary office structure, Ryder said.

"We've managed to bond very well with our staff and packing
crews. We've tried to remove the Bapak and Mister culture and
instead give everyone responsibility. Only with teamwork does a
company such as ours survive."

IFM Move Well has set a goal to reach the standard of the
removals market leaders by the end of 1999.

Clients can rest assured that its extremely competitive
pricing will not soar to a par with the industry leaders.

Through its innovative pricing structures, IFM has been known
to offer quotations 25 percent to 30 percent lower than the
current industry leaders.

Yet, all of its business operations return to the principle of
keeping the customer satisfied.

"At the end of the day, it comes down to how you made Mr. and
Mrs. Smith feel about their move," Luff said. "Hopefully, we can
make them happy by taking care of what they need."

For further information on PT IFM Move Well, contact them
direct on telephone number 6514040.