Planning is key for summer peak move season Published Sept. 26, 2017 By Keesler Personal Property Processing Office KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- With the busy summer moving season wrapping up, the 81st Logistics Readiness Squadron would like to pass on some important information to assist you in planning your next move. The Defense Personal Property Program is a Defense Department program designed to improve quality of life for our service members, civilian employees and their families through improved household goods moves. You must establish a DPS account to self-counsel, manage your shipment, request delivery, file a claim, and complete your customer satisfaction survey. Go to the http://www.move.mil website to create your account. Below are some tips to help make your move a smooth one. -All personnel moving during the summer months should be aware of the high volume of moves during the peak months of June, July and August. -Plan to be flexible when selecting a pickup date. -Never schedule a pickup on the closing date of the residence, on the last day of residency in an apartment or the day of termination of a lease, or the day a cleaning crew is to start cleaning the residence. Scheduling the pickup on these days leaves no room to adjust for unforeseen problems. -It’s a good idea to leave the telephone and other utilities connected until all property has been picked up. -Limited capability during peak season means that not everyone can move on the last day of the month. -The moving industry has suggested that, when possible, schedule a two-day pickup date which provides some flexibility in the event something goes wrong. The Transportation Service Provider (TSP) is required to perform a pre-move survey at least seven days prior to the requested pickup date. In most cases, the actual pack, pickup and delivery dates will be negotiated directly between you and the TSP during the pre-move survey. You should expect one pack day for every 4,000 pounds of estimated weight. On the scheduled pack and pickup dates, you or your representative designated in writing must be home, and stay home, when the movers arrive to pack and remove the belongings between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The TSP is allowed to stay beyond 5 p.m. to complete the pack. The customer satisfaction survey is the cornerstone of the DPS. The CSS is a web-based survey that allows you or your spouse to rate the service and performance provided by the TSP. The goal of the survey is to help improve the overall move experience and ensure that only quality moving companies are used to move personal property. Moving companies are selected based on their “best value score”. The CSS accounts for a significant portion of this score. You will receive a reminder e-mail to complete the survey seven days after final delivery of a shipment. Your evaluation by completing the survey is critical to the program. The survey can be easily completed through DPS by selecting the customer satisfaction survey tab. It is extremely important to keep your e-mail address and contact information contained within DPS up-to-date. Should damage occur to your personal property during your move, regardless of the number of agents involved in the move, the TSP listed on your bill of landing is financially responsible. For further information or assistance visit the Personal Property Office located in the Sablich Center, Bldg 0701, 500 Fisher St, Room 114. You can also call the customer service section at 376-8532/8533.