NF EN 12522, a standard that’s on the move
Missed deadlines, material breakage, undersized trucks, complicated dialogue… As with all major life changes, a bad experience during a move can leave its mark. In the removals market for private individuals, the notion of service quality is therefore fundamental. Along with price, it’s the battleground on which service providers compete. To judge the quality of a mover, online customer reviews are an initial means of separating the wheat from the chaff, but to find out about best practices and objectify the debate, there is a reference document: the voluntary standard NF EN 12522 . It is on the basis of this standard that movers seeking NF Service certification are audited, with the aim of standing out from the crowd(see box below).
In December 2024, AFNOR published a new version of this standard, which had existed in two parts since 1998, NF EN 12522-1 and 12522-2. The main new features are twofold. Firstly, the appearance of a requirement linked to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): the text sets out the wording to be included on the quotation or contract so that customers are informed of their rights in this area. Secondly and most importantly: when making contact, the standard recommends organizing a preliminary technical visit that can be held in person, but also remotely, in the form of a videoconference-type virtual visit. ” Other means of gathering information (e.g. from a list provided by the customer) may also be used“, says the standard, which again mentions, among the advice and recommendations to be given to the customer, that it is essential to explain the importance of an accurate valuation of the goods to be moved.
Precise cubing, a key part of the quality approach
Good cubing means a good start! Defined as the calculation, in cubic meters, of the volume of goods to be moved, cubing is a key part of the quality approach: a service provider who knows how to estimate a volume very precisely will win many points in the customer’s esteem, who will not be tempted to cheat to increase the estimate! So it’s in the customer’s interest to make the mover’s job easier, by providing an exhaustive and transparent inventory. “If there is any doubt about the cubage estimated remotely, the service provider can always propose a physical counter-inspection.“says Mélinda Farès, legal advisor to the Chambre syndicale du déménagement, who helped AFNOR update the standard.
Whether in the form of certification or not, the standard serves as a quality benchmark when looking for a service provider. Mélinda Farès cites the case of a call for tenders issued by the French Ministry of Defense to move military families, which required candidate companies to apply the standard to the letter. The icing on the cake: this quality benchmark works throughout Europe, because the standard was co-constructed on this scale, under the aegis of the European Committee for Standardization with Dutch leadership (the French standardization committee hosted by AFNOR acted as a mirror committee). This means we can all speak the same language when moving from one country to another!
The voluntary standard NF EN 12522 is the reference for NF Service certification “Removal and storage activities” . As the standard evolves, so will the certification audit! To this end, AFNOR Certification is inviting removal professionals and their stakeholders to join the brand committee. Working groups will be set up by theme, to meet business needs as closely as possible. Interested? Contact Adrien Kachama on Linkedin before June 30.
