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Keep em’ Informed
By admin on July 19, 2006 | No Comments

Ronald Smith PhoneSmart call center representative give us some valuable advice.

Welcome to the PhoneSmart self storage blog a diary of the self storage industry.

Some information can be essential to making or breaking a reservation. Giving all of the information that the customer needs to make an informed decision is not only a good customer service practice, but it is also a good way to save the store a headache in the long run.

One day a friend and I were looking through the Sunday sales ads. We were looking at swimming pools that we wanted to buy. We were trying to compare the price of an 8×30 or 12×30 swimming pool. The 8×30 pool cost around $49.99 and the 12×30 was priced around $89.99. The lesser costing of the two included a pump and instructional DVD. The other ad didn’t say whether the pool included a pump or not. We were thinking about going down to each of the stores and taking a look for ourselves. Fortunately, my friend decided to call Toys R Us and find out whether it has a pump or not. We found out that they both came with a pump and we went with the 8×30 pool.

The lesson to be learned from this story is to make sure our customers have the information they need. Make sure to tell them of any other fees or costs associated with renting the unit. If we hadn’t called we would have made the extra trip for no reason because the information was missing in the ad. If we don’t give the customer a piece of information they need, the customer will be upset and tell the staff at the store they weren’t told that. It could very well cost them business. It is better to tell them and let them make their own decision rather that to appear to be dishonest and misleading the customer.

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Step On A Crack…
By admin on June 6, 2006 | No Comments

Written by Angela Perry, call center rep and trainer.

Welcome to the PhoneSmart self storage blog, a diary of the self storage industry.

There are a lot of beliefs that we have in the storage industry. We deal with a variety of people that are from different ethic and cultural backgrounds. In addition to the storage myths such as climate control units evaporate the moisture in the air, there are Biblical beliefs that have evolved over to the storage industry.

Yesterday, on June 5, 2006 I had a few callers reserve a unit for either that day or on the 7th of June. They refused to hold it on the 6th of June 2006. When I received the first call, I did not pay much attention to it. It was the fourth of fifth caller that mentioned it. She said that she take off of work early to come in on the 5th of June before she came in to finalize on the 6th of June. I proceeded with the reservation.

As I sit here at work I wonder how the local stores are doing with their rental today. It would be a “hoot” if the stores were at their ultimate high reservation for the day on June 6th, 2006. I am not sure what the day holds but I do know that the theory does not stop at church or at home. I looked at the rates and sizes of the units at different stores. I did this because I am determined to rent a 6X6X6 for $66.66 on 6/6/6!

Although I am making light of a situation, we as sales people must remember to be sensitive to our customers and their beliefs. The more comfortable that they are with us that we understand (different from agreeing) their reason for not storing on 6-6-6, the easier it will be to reserve them a unit on 6-7-6.

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Mean what you say
By admin on May 11, 2006 | No Comments

Answering the phone is the easy part. The hard part is when it comes to asking the caller for a credit card. Once the question has been asked the caller’s answer can either be yes or no. Many times the customer does not have the credit card at their fingertips, so as a phone rep we offer to hold while they retrieve their card. I have used the phrase “Take your time, I get paid by the hour.” This way the caller does not feel rushed I have also heard a phone rep say, “Sure I can hold,” Without a bit of qualification this promise can lead to an extensive hold.

A lady called me but stated that she did not have her card with her. I asked her if it was nearby and she said that it was. I offered to hold. As she went to get the credit card, I began typing notes for the local manager on the reservation sheet. She and I talked for a little while. 2 or 3 times I said, “Just let me know when you are ready with the card number.” She said that she would and continued talking. Ten minutes into the call, she says hold on and puts the phone down. After 6 minutes of holding (dead air) she came to the phone with her credit card number. She then told me that she had called me from her cell phone and she had just driven home to get her card! I laughed and then ended the phone call quickly. The call was a total time of 21 minutes. Was this too long to hold? Just be careful on what you offer the callers because they just may take you at your word!

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I was a live person when I started out this mornin
By admin on April 13, 2006 | No Comments

Carmen Huff, Phone Smart operator adds a bit of levity to our situation.

“I can’t believe I am speaking to a live person!” I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this phrase coming from evening prospects.

If Keats were alive today he would have an “Ode to the Sound of a Live Voice”, at least I would like to think so. There are many life circumstances where one must find storage at the last minute, or there are people who wait to find storage at the last minute. Regardless, the fact that they are able to speak to a live person in the evening hours surprises them and gives them a peace of mind that they are able to do so. So much so that they do end up reserving a space that same night, will schedule an office site tour, or they will call back the following morning to do so.

I will cut to the chase and make this sweet and short; if someone needs storage, and your company does business with PhoneSmart, I am confident enough to say that the caller will make a reservation or will schedule a site/store tour.

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NO
By admin on February 2, 2006 | No Comments

Welcome to the self storage blog, our self storage diary for self storage insiders.

Usually we talk about ways to rent storage units. But today’s self storage blog entry comes from our rep Angela, who has had a lot of success selling self storage. That means she has also had a lot of people tell her “NO”. Here are some ways people have tried to tell her no in the past…

Creative Ways Customers Say No

Rep: “The price is only $XYZ when did you need that”

Caller: “At $XYZ I won’t need it.” (caller hung up)

Rep: “What were you hoping to pay?

Caller: “I don’t know, but NOT that!” (caller hung up)

And then there are these:

*I’m just calling around for someone

*I have to check with my husband he is better with measurements than I am.

*At that price I can buy another house
.
*What do you think I am storing gold?

*I don’t care about what the place looks like, it’s just stuff.

*I am retiring in 5 years and I am just getting prices now.

*I just wanted prices.

*If I am interested I’ll call you back.

*Sounds like it is going to cheaper to get rid of this stuff than to keep it.

*I have found it cheaper

*Well when I rented it 5 years ago it was WAY cheaper.

*It’s my ex’s crap he can pay for it.”

*I rather NOT give you my name and number, they’re just going to bug me

Angela

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Storage sales 201
By admin on June 21, 2005 | No Comments

Welcome to the self storage blog, where we keep a diary of the self storage industry.

Today I met with our supervisors and top sales people to get a feel for how they are reading consumer behavior this year as oppossed to years past. Since we pride ourselves as being on the forefront of selling self storage, we want to know how we have to adapt, change and respond to what goes on in the market place. How does one sell storage space this summer? Is it the same as last year, or this spring?

We had an interesting discussion that we will continue in a few days. How do you see the world of renting storage space cahnging this summer?

As we clarify our thinking, I will let you in on it.

bye for now,
Tron

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