Your Clients Hear Used Car Salesman. You Hear Industry Standard.
The jargon you grew up with in this industry is the same language that makes clients feel like they're being taken for a ride.
This isn't just a moving industry problem. Every industry has its own language. Doctors do it. Lawyers do it. Mechanics do it. The difference is your client expects confusing language from a lawyer. They don't expect it from the person moving their couch.
When you use words the client doesn't understand, you don't sound professional. You sound like you're hiding something. And the moment a client feels like they don't fully understand what they're paying for, they start shopping.
Here are the terms you're using every day that are quietly pushing clients away.
The first question on your website is already wrong
Your quote form asks: "Do you need local or long distance movers?" You're assuming the client knows the difference. A lot of them don't. New York to California, sure, that's obvious. Same city, three miles apart, that's obvious too. But what about 60 miles and crossing state lines? For you it's clear. For 5 to 10 percent of your clients, it's not. And every company has different rules for when a move switches from local to long distance.
"Local or Long Distance?"
That question has a second problem. You're assuming the client is looking to move. What if they need labor only? No truck, no drive, just hands. You're asking them to categorize their job before you even know what the job is. And labor jobs are trending up. More and more people are renting their own trucks and just need help loading and unloading.
Stop asking the client to classify their move. Ask them if they need moving or labor services. If it's a move, collect the addresses and tell them what it is. You decide whether it's local or long distance. Not the client.
"Do you need local or long distance movers?"
Client guesses. Sometimes wrong.
No option for labor-only jobs
You're losing leads before they finish the form
"Do you need moving or labor services?"
Collect addresses. You tell them the type.
Covers every job type from day one
Simple. Clear. No guessing.
"PBO" and "Carrier Packed"
Packed By Owner. Carrier Packed. You know exactly what these mean. Your client does not. Owner of what? Carrier of what? The client might think they're the carrier since it's their stuff. "Carrier Packed" is not a sentence a normal person would ever use to describe who is packing what.
Say it like a human. "You pack." "We pack." That's it. A 10-year-old can understand that. Your client should be able to understand it just as easily.
"Long Carry" and "Certificate of Insurance"
"Long carry" means nothing to a client. They're not thinking in terms of how far the movers have to walk with their dresser. But "how many car lengths between the truck and your door" is something they can picture instantly. Paint it with words they already know.
"Certificate of Insurance" is another one. The client doesn't need to know the official document name. They need to know you're insured. Say "proof we're insured" or "our insurance documentation." Same thing, zero confusion.
Travel Time is the worst offender
"Travel Time" creates instant pushback. The client reads that line item and thinks: "Why am I paying for you to drive to my house?" It sounds like you're billing them for your commute. "Truck fee" sounds much better and makes sense without explanation. Or better yet, just include it in the price and don't show it as a separate charge at all.
"If a 10-year-old can't understand the word, your client shouldn't have to either."
What to Do About It
Stop asking "local or long distance" on your forms.
Ask "moving or labor." Collect addresses. You decide the type.
Stop using PBO, CP, and other abbreviations.
"You pack" and "we pack." That's the entire vocabulary you need.
Replace "long carry" with something visual.
"How many car lengths between the truck and your door?" They get it instantly.
Rename "Travel Time" to "Truck Fee" or remove it entirely.
The best option is to fold it into the price so the client never has to question it.
Read your estimate out loud to someone outside the industry.
Every word they pause on is a word you need to change.
- Stop asking clients if they need local or long distance. Ask moving or labor, collect addresses, and tell them what it is.
- PBO, CP, COI, and other abbreviations mean nothing to clients. Use plain words.
- "Long carry" should be described in car lengths, not industry terms.
- "Travel Time" sounds like you're charging for your commute. Call it a truck fee or include it in the price.
- If a 10-year-old would be confused by it, rewrite it.
The real cost of jargon
You're not losing clients because your price is too high. You're losing them because they read your estimate and felt like they were being sold something they didn't understand. That feeling has a name. It's called distrust. And by the time they feel it, they're already requesting a quote from someone else.