Scott McCaskie
General Manager
Allied Pickfords

By Chris Betros/Japan Today Editor in Chief
TOKYO—

Since the recession started hammering Japan last year, many companies have cut back on staff, creating an exodus of expat workers and their families … which means that moving companies are being kept pretty busy. One of those is Allied Pickfords, which is part of SIRVA Inc, the largest moving and relocation services company in the world with more than 800 offices in 40 countries.

Heading up the operation in Japan is General Manager Scott McCaskie. Born in Vancouver, McCaskie joined the hotel industry after graduating from university. He first came to Japan to work for a hotel in Yokohama in the 1990s. He joined Allied Pickfords in 2005.

Japan Today editor Chris Betros visits McCaskie at the Allied Pickfords office in Roppongi to hear more.

What is Allied Pickfords’ presence in Japan?

Allied Pickfords is a franchise in Japan where it has had a presence for about 21 years. We currently have two offices, one here and the other in Kobe. However, we can move all over Japan.

How has the recession been for your business?

It is up about 30% this year, mainly due to the slump in the financial industry. Most of it is outbound, with inbound business down by 20%. What we are seeing now is a lot of rush moves as expats, who were laid off, have to pack up and leave fairly quickly. Having the ability to react quickly and have a crew available to adapt to a customer’s needs are challenging for us. Ideally, we prefer one to two months in advance because there is a lot of planning that goes on. We had to hire more packing crews and office staff.

Generally, is your business seasonal?

It tends to be. May June and July have historically been busy times for outbound, whereas August and September are busy for inbound. December is our second busiest season for outbound.

It can be traumatic for a family forced to uproot their lives suddenly and leave Japan. How do you deal with that client stress?

All of our staff need a certain understanding about how to handle clients and it starts when the phone call comes in. Everybody is moving for different reasons, some because they want to, while others who don’t want to, are being forced to. Being able to relate to the customer and answer all their questions and concerns is extremely important.

A lot of different scenarios can arise in a door-to-door move and we need to be able to handle situations in a professional expedited way, whenever there is an issue, whether it is damage to an item or to the building. I believe our whole team is very knowledgeable and confident in the way they present themselves both on the phone and in person.

How do you market the company?

We advertise in a few different magazines. However, what works better for us is getting involved in the community. We are heavily involved with most of the international schools at their various events where we often rent a booth and give away freebies to the children. In addition, we have an information line. In the end, it comes down to word of mouth – that is how we have grown to what we are now.

How can a client track their shipment?

We have an online tracking system. We give you a log-in code and you are able to track your shipment throughout the whole door to door move. Of course, there is no way to know exactly how long customs clearance will take, so we allow for a range of one to two weeks, depending on the country. Occasionally, bad weather, such as hurricanes or typhoons, can delay shipments.

What differences are there in the way you work in Japan, compared to other countries?

The major difference between Japan and the rest of the world would have to be how Japan is geographically laid out. The streets here are narrower, so we must use smaller trucks to shuttle throughout Tokyo as containers are not allowed in the streets. In most other countries, you are allowed to bring the container right up to the door. Another challenge is parking; with the recent changes to parking limitations, it makes it very difficult for our crew to park the truck.

Do you have much domestic business?

Over the years, our domestic business has increased significantly. With companies merging quite often lately, we find ourselves getting into that side of the business a lot more.

How many staff do you have?

We have around 15 staff here in three main areas of finance, sales and operations. Then we have five crews of five packers. When it does get busy, we have additional crews who can join in. The most jobs we can do per day are 10 with weekends being the busiest time during the week.

What should a potential client look for in choosing you?

The first step would be to have one of our representatives visit and see the items that you would like to move and explain all about moving to whatever country you are going to. This service is free of charge and it’s the best way to find out everything involved in moving. The pre-move survey assists in helping the customer feel more comfortable about the whole moving process. Other than that, you should certainly visit our website.

For further information, please visit Allied Pickfords
This article is provided by courtesy of Japan Today