The Chairman's Corner

By Shiree Hammer

October 2022

Fall has arrived, although the weather still feels like summer. September marked the start of my tour around the state with CMSA President Steve Weitekamp. As the incoming Chair, this is what I was looking forward to the most. Visiting the different chapters around the state and meeting with the movers and associate members. Having served as president of the Orange County/Beach Cities chapter for the last four years, I certainly appreciate the hard work put in by all 12 chapter presidents. Each chapter has its own personality, and it will be great to experience this in person. Please make sure to get out there and support the fundraising events and meeting as your chapter president is working hard behind the scenes. In September, we visited the Twin Counties chapter, San Diego/Imperial Counties chapter, and my home chapter Orange County/Beach Cities. The Twin County chapter president, Ed Coelho, put on a great meeting at Black Angus to kick off the start of the season. This chapter is also home to the Vice Chair, Jesse Chabot. Next, we ventured to Petco Park in San Diego for a baseball fundraising event. Andria Skiff organized a fun family affair in the private seating section of Pacifico Porch. It was a definite success and lots of fun. At the Orange County/Beach Cities meeting Julie Gerrick, from Sav On Moving, was voted in as the new chapter president. Congratulations to Julie, she will do a great job. Also, a big thank you to the sponsors of these events as well—Victory Packaging, CDS Moving Equipment and Dewitt Move Worldwide.

As we tour the state and speak on the State of the Industry, one thing for certain is that AB 5 is still at the forefront as a major concern for our movers. This issue is concerning to movers of all shapes and sizes and would require a complete overhaul of worker reclassification. I think a big issue is the frustration with exactly what the future holds and what the next right steps to take are. Especially since these steps might not be the same for every mover. The lack of clear guidance and solutions leaves a lot on the table. This topic has been looming since 2019 and is testing the patience of many movers. The CMSA is continuing to monitor this subject and will keep us posted on any developments.

In last month’s article, CMSA President Steve Weitekamp touched on the idea of “Under Promise Over Perform.” Shortly after reading his article, I was sitting at a local business and saw a giant lit-up sign in their entryway that said, “We are in the business of exceeding expectations.” The same concept just worded differently. Customer service seems to be lacking more than ever. As I thought about why I chose this particular  local establishment, I realized without even thinking about it, I had chosen their service over price in this instance. It’s a concept movers could profit from.

Another benefit of touring the state is also visiting the physical locations of movers and members of a particular chapter. Thank you to VIP Transport, Oakley Relocation, Dewitt Move Worldwide and Ace Relocation for your hospitality in September.

October 2022- CMSA Communicator