CMC Client Needs Assessment & Counseling 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client has a collection of original oil paintings valued at over $50,000. What should the CMC recommend?
- Pack them in standard picture boxes with extra bubble wrap
- Recommend custom crating and advise the client to obtain fine-art rider insurance (Correct answer)
- Include them in the standard household goods liability coverage
- Photograph them and treat them as standard goods
Correct answer: Recommend custom crating and advise the client to obtain fine-art rider insurance
High-value artwork requires custom crating and separate fine-art insurance coverage beyond standard carrier liability.
Question 2: When conducting a virtual survey versus an in-home survey, what is the consultant's primary obligation?
- Virtual surveys are equally accurate and require no additional follow-up
- Disclose to the client that a virtual survey may be less accurate and could result in estimate revisions (Correct answer)
- Charge more for in-home surveys to incentivize virtual ones
- Virtual surveys are only valid for moves under 100 miles
Correct answer: Disclose to the client that a virtual survey may be less accurate and could result in estimate revisions
Clients must be informed that virtual surveys carry higher risk of estimate inaccuracy due to limited visibility of access and item details.
Question 3: A client reports that their condo building requires a Certificate of Insurance (COI) naming the building as additional insured. What is the CMC's role?
- Advise the client that COIs are not the mover's responsibility
- Coordinate with the company's insurance department to issue the COI before move day (Correct answer)
- Ask the client to purchase their own COI
- Inform the client the move cannot proceed without rescheduling
Correct answer: Coordinate with the company's insurance department to issue the COI before move day
Obtaining and providing building-required COIs is a standard CMC coordination task to ensure move-day access.
Question 4: A client states they have already donated most of their belongings and only have 10 boxes remaining. The consultant's job is to:
- Take the client's word and quote accordingly without verification
- Verify the scope through a survey to ensure accurate pricing and resource allocation (Correct answer)
- Refer the client to a small-move specialist without assessment
- Charge a minimum move fee and skip the survey
Correct answer: Verify the scope through a survey to ensure accurate pricing and resource allocation
Even small moves require accurate surveys to allocate proper truck size, labor, and time without over- or under-quoting.
Question 5: During the needs assessment, the client asks whether they should tip the movers. How should the CMC respond?
- Confirm that tipping is mandatory and suggest a specific amount
- Explain that tipping is entirely optional and at the client's discretion based on service quality (Correct answer)
- Discourage tipping to avoid crew distraction
- Quote a gratuity into the estimate automatically
Correct answer: Explain that tipping is entirely optional and at the client's discretion based on service quality
Tipping is customary but voluntary; the consultant should explain this neutrally without pressuring the client.
Question 6: A client requests that the crew disassemble and reassemble custom built-in furniture at both origin and destination. What should the consultant assess?
- Whether the crew has carpentry tools available
- Whether the built-ins can actually be removed without structural damage and the cost of specialty labor (Correct answer)
- Whether this is covered under standard moving services automatically
- The number of built-ins and quote a flat fee per piece
Correct answer: Whether the built-ins can actually be removed without structural damage and the cost of specialty labor
Custom built-ins may not be removable without structural damage; the CMC must assess feasibility and specialty labor costs before committing.
Question 7: When a client asks the CMC to recommend the fastest move date possible, what must the consultant balance?
- Client urgency against crew availability, truck scheduling, and packing time needed for a safe move (Correct answer)
- Only the dispatch calendar
- Pricing considerations alone
- The client's request without any additional analysis
Correct answer: Client urgency against crew availability, truck scheduling, and packing time needed for a safe move
The consultant must balance the client's timeline against operational realities to ensure the move can be executed safely and completely.
CMC Client Needs Assessment & Counseling 3
A client has a collection of original oil paintings valued at over $50,000.
What should the CMC recommend?