» Customer Service

If you want to know how to give excellent customer service in a sales environment, you are reading the right self storage blog. If you think that a sale is only based on customer service, then you are taking the wrong approach and you will not reach your peak sales potential. So continue reading because customer service skills are important in any job. This information will only help you become a better sales person. Some people think that so long as you are nice and answer the customers questions without hesitation, it is considered the appropriate approach that is needed and that they do not need to extend past that. Others may think that the appropriate way to handle their customers is to rely solely on their aggressive friendly sales techniques by controlling the conversation and trying to seal the deal quickly and by getting the self storage customer to sign on the dotted line. Basically, a no holds barred, or a bull dog type of approach.

Suffice it to say customer service is so much more important to include in the sales department arena than previously thought. When you are dealing with a potential self storage customer who has several questions and tries to control the conversation you need to know how to politely bring the ball back into your court and aim it in the direction you would like it to go. Sometimes you need to only do that once and it will stay on your preferred track, and sometimes you may need to continuously redirect the conversation throughout the interaction. The easiest way to do this and show excellent customer service is by answering their self storage question and at the same time, ask a question in return. Most importantly, you want to stick with your normal discussion flow.

For example, if your customer wants the price of self storage immediately you can respond by letting them know that while you get that information for them, you wanted to let them know about some of the features that they can take advantage of. Say, if you are selling shoes you can still give them excellent service while still using sales techniques. If they ask you how much for that pair of shoes, try this, Sure you can get that information. By the way, these shoes are great because since they are solid white, they will match any outfit you have, they also have extra padding around the ankles, which makes for a comfortable fit and the traction is great for running too. Then give the price of the shoes. This applies to any sales position, even self storage.

Customer service is always an important aspect for any company. If the customer is adamant about just getting the price, do not let your frustration get the best of you to where it shows through your tone inflection or body language. This is the perfect time to bite your tongue. We all have bad days where something so small may bother us. No one is perfect. And we usually know when we have slipped off in that altered disposition but the trick is to not only catch yourself, but to quickly stop yourself and bring back the happy, friendly, professional employee who cares about them.

If you do not have a specific item that they were looking for, then show them something similar to what they were looking for. You will be their hero for the day, if what you offered them as a replacement helps them. Now you are the helpful, caring sales associate that they like to deal with. Just keep in mind, the conversation should go both ways. It is a give and take. Listen to what your customers are actually saying. Read between the lines. What are they really saying? If they are in a bad mood and in a hurry, are they really asking you to make them laugh and chill out? People appreciate other people who take the time to listen carefully and reply caringly.

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Do not wait for success to come to you. Make it happen for yourself. Sitting still will not bring prosperity to your self storage business as you would probably prefer. So going after it seems like the only reasonable solution in todays self storage business competition. If you want to increase self storage business customers and increase your self storage business sales, then brainstorm on ways that you can make your dreams reality. Even those of you who have been in a slump for a while, can still change things around. Challenge yourself. Think of ways to grab your customers attention and focus on your self storage location. First, put yourself in a storage seekers shoes. You want to do this in three different ways.

• as an actual walk in
• as someone calling in to your store
• as someone surfing the web

As a walk in customer, what would grab your attention? How would you expect the property to look? Clean and attractive? What type of service would you expect to receive? Would you expect to be greeted as soon as you walked into a self storage business? Most people like attention even though they may not admit it, so keep that in mind. What are some of the ways that you would want an employee to notice you? By making small talk such as the weather? Would you expect them or prefer them to smile when they greet you as if they were happy to see and help you? Or by asking if you need any help? What if you as a self storage business seeker arrived at a self storage business to find that the doors were locked during office hours and there were no sign on the door? Also would you prefer to have the opportunity to make a pick between two choices? People like choices so they can decide for themselves. Offering choices such as sizes or specials is always a good one to interact with. Would you expect the employee to explain things to you voluntarily, by giving you all the information you need without you having to ask? Remember that each individual is different and some prefer small talk and some prefer to only get your self storage business expertise. But they do want to know that you realize they are at your store and they want to know that you are available to assist them with all of their self storage business needs. 

A short example of a recent experience. A family went out to an all you can eat buffet and it was about an hour before closing. They expected good service as normal and expected the waitress to immediately greet them upon sitting down. They had no such luck. They had to flag down a waiter and asked for plates who then passed them off to a waitress whose table they were not sitting at. When she brought the plates, she was in an uncomfortable position as the waiter had already dropped off the plates. Their communication could have been better. During the dining experience they never did hear from the assigned waitress, although she was about 30 feet away from them wrapping silverware and getting ready. Assumably, getting ready to close her shift and head home. She did her best to ignore the guests and they never did hear from the other waitress or waiter again, either. You can imagine what the tip was like. 

As a caller how would you feel if you were put on hold? How about if the employee was talking to someone else in the background while you were trying to get information? Did the employee sound happy to be of assistance or did you feel rushed to get off the phone as if they could care less if you helped them or not? 

What about someone surfing the web searching for a self storage business? Would your self storage business be easy to find? Does your self storage business website offer plenty of information to the prospect? Would the prospect be able to reserve a unit online? Can they get all of the information they need from the website? Is it easy to navigate through? Does it offer updated information?

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Self storage companies are not all created equal.  One thing to consider as you are doing your research on the different self storage companies is the greeting you receive when you call in.  Were you able to understand the person that you called?  Are the self storage company personnel friendly?  Were you able to understand everything the person said in their greeting?

Let us break down the self storage call for you so you know what to listen for when you make that important phone call to the self storage companies that serve your area.

The store personnel should clearly tell you which facility that you have called.  They should also verify the location that you are calling and make sure that it is convenient for you.  The main reason people choose self storage companies is that the location is convenient for them.  So make sure that you know where the facility is located.  The personnel should be able to give you directions as well as a landmark or two.

Self storage companies should have great customer service.  Did the person on the phone clearly identify himself or herself so that you know with whom you are speaking?  It is always important to know whom you are dealing with, with the persons name you can build a connection with them when you say someones name you can be sure that they are listening to what you are saying.  Also, with a name you can ask for them again if you have further questions or if you would like to call back and reserve a unit.  Self storage companies often have limited availability, so if you have the persons name you can ask for them and save your self time when you are ready to make that reservation.

The personnel at self storage companies should also ask you when you are going to need the unit.  Since availability is often limited they need to be able to talk with you about how long they can hold a unit for you.  Self storage companies all have different hold policies, so be sure that you understand when you need to be in by so that the unit is still available for you.  Many self storage companies have non-refundable pre-payments towards the first months rent.  Since it is non-refundable it is important that you are in by the date that you have agreed to.

Self storage companies have many different amenities, you want to be sure that the location that you choose is safe for you and your belongings. The person on the phone should volunteer the information about safety and security features.  Also the self storage companies should let you know the access hours to your belongings as well as the office hours.

Last but not least, the person that you are talking to should review all the details with you.  Self storage companies have many details they should let you know of.  Items in the fine print that you should be aware of include office hours, administration fee, deposits, required length of stay, billing date and if insurance is required on your belongings. 

You want to be sure that the self storage companies that you deal with help you and provide a great greeting and all the self storage information that you need.

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I was listening to a self storage call today from one of our clients and I started to giggle a little bit. The self storage manager told the caller that if she wanted an outside unit that she would have to shovel the snow away from the door in the winter. What? The first thing I said to myself is why would you tell a prospective customer that they will have to shovel snow to get into their storage unit. Well, as the call went on the manager went on to explain that the snow plows come through and get as close as they can to the buildings but that there is always some snow piled in front of the doorways. This made more sense but I still was not getting the whole picture. Then the manager went on to say that the office always has a shovel that the current self storage tenants can use to get to their units. That made me feel better, but I just kept wondering why the self storage property manager could not figure out a better way to keep the snow out from the doors and then provide great customer service. Maybe this self storage location should rethink their snow removal plans for something more customer friendly.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS agent. 

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I am a proud home owner who has a lot of things that I currently don’t use in my house. From clothes to files to kitchen tables, I have a lot of things that are not needed at this time in my life.  At the same time, I do not know what to do with it. All those extra items are sitting in my one car garage getting cold and moldy.  I know that self storage exists out there but I am not sure if I want to spend the money to use that service. I started wondering what is holding me back?  I bet there are many people in the same situation.

When people call in looking for storage for the first time, it is up to the managers on site to give them assurance that they are making a good decision for their lifestyle. For me if a manager at a self storage facility asked me why I want to store, that is the first step to having me go ahead and renting. I am trying to figure out if I want to spend money to store my belongings so I can park my car in the garage during this wintery time of the year. For instance, last night it snowed, and it have been convenient for my wife to just pull the car out of the garage free of snow and ice, instead of watching her to go out there without a hat on trying to clear off the car in blistery coldness. 

What I am getting at is this. If we as self storage sales people can find a way to determine the true needs of the caller in terms of storing, we can sell them on why they need it. Why have boxes stacked to the ceiling in a standard room, when you have company coming over with nowhere for them to sleep? Why place your antique wood cabinet in the garage when the temperatures can reach below 0 degrees or get as high as 100 degrees when you could safely store it in a climate controlled unit? Is it worth $25 to $100 for convenience and to protect your assets?

Joel Little, experience sales manager.

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Customers desire and deserve great service and I make sure that my people are there to give it to them. I try to leave a lasting impression so they’ll remember me and my business’ name

I remember taking care of a customer and getting them all set up with everything that they needed to bring their experience to life. We were sitting down chatting about stuff other than their home theater system and building a great connection. Unfortunately, the time came to where I had to move on to the next customer and they wrote me a check for the transaction. I looked at the check to verify all the information was correct and then I looked at who they wrote it out to. They wrote the check out to Circuit City!!! I looked at the young lady and she looked back at me with a confused look on her face. I asked her where she was and who she was making this purchase from, she said, Best Buy. I agreed with her and then showed her the check she had written. She seemed embarrassed and then wrote the correct check. I asked her if I didn’t take care of her and if she got a better experience at Circuit City and she said emphatically, No! However, she was just there and she apologized.

As I evaluate self storage calls and listen to the property managers talk to the callers and try to get them to rent, most don’t remind the caller about who just helped them. As most people are looking for pricing, they might call a couple of different facilities. It is up to you to differentiate that experience for them and engrain in their head which facility to rent from. Always end the call with, Thank you for calling Athens Self Storage (or your company name). This way the caller remembers who took care of them and their needs.

Written By Guest Blogger, Joel Little

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Being an active member in the community is essential for any business person, especially those in the self storage industry.  Sometimes this industry can get a bad reputation since people often only hear about self storage when shocking things occur.  Holding community events is an easy way to get the word out about what a great establishment you have, lets law enforcement know you are diligent, and gives everyone that warm and fuzzy feeling.

Here are just a few examples of what you can do:

• Sponsor a Safe Kid’s Day.  Local law enforcement can take children’s DNA and fingerprints so parents can keep it on file in case of an emergency.  The professionals can also make certain that car seats are installed properly and bike helmets fit correctly.
• Accept canned goods to be donated to a local food bank or set up a donation box for Toys for Tots.  Give new customers a discount on their first month’s rent for a contribution.
• Have a huge garage sale with proceeds going to a specific local charity.  Self storage customers frequently have quality items they wish to get rid of, but are not sure how. 
• Invite members of the community to donate unwanted items. Even if participants are not currently one of your customers, the positive experience will help them remember your facility in the future.  It is always important in business how the local community perceives you.  Help make that perception a positive one, while doing good things at the same time!

Written by Ann Sheehan

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Secret shopping comes in many different shapes and forms. In my business, we have the unique opportunity to have people come into our store to shop us looking and acting like someone who are interested in buying a product from us. They have particular things they are listening for us to say, they look around at the merchandising and then we get a report sent out to all the mangers. After we get those reports, it is up to us how we use those reports, to performance manage our teams.

Many people use excuses as to why they did not score high on these secret shops. I hear anything from, I was caught off guard or I had just got through talking care of three customers in a row, or whatever. When a secret shopper walks into our store, they have no intention on buying anything, but they are giving us a snap shot of how we take care of our actual customer base. Of course, we are not able to listen in on or get feedback from every shopper that graces our entryway, but through this method, we get a glimpse of how our employees are really treating our customers. 

As a manager, even I am secret shopped on occasion. I have to answer the same rules that I want my people to follow. Secret shopping is an awesome way to ensure that the coaching we are doing, as managers, are not ignored. I for one am thankful that a company as large as mine has decided to invest a lot of money to ensure that our employees are taking care of our customers. We have to realize, that if do not take care of our customers, we will not be in business much longer.

In the self storage industry, a shopper may call you on a busy day or at the end of the month. Even more important, a customer will always call on those days. We can explain away why we didn’t shine on our secret shop; we don’t have the opportunity to make excuses to our customers. They deserve our best every time we answer the phone or see their face.

If you’re in the self storage industry, it’s up to you to implement your secret shopping program when you receive the reports and call recordings. Take advantage of the opportunity to see your business through the eyes of your self storage customer and make a plan of how you can improve.

Just in case you were thinking it and did not want to ask, I scored a 92%. Not to shabby, but that just means that even we managers still have some work to do.

Joel Little, Experienced Manager.

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I think it is sometimes unbelievable that we do not ask callers or customers for their names when we are trying to provide great customer service. I see and listen to my associates and self storage managers go through their whole presentation without even introducing themselves or gaining the customers name. Maybe the importance around that is not realized.

When you walk into a department store that does great with merchandising but not with customer service, how do you feel when you need service? On the other side of that, have you ever walked into an environment that you knew worked on commission? What was that atmosphere like and what do you see different in those two environments?

In the commissioned store, you will most likely see a person come up to you and introduce themselves, hand you their card or what not, and ask how they can be of service to you. In other places, you have to scramble around to look for some one when you need service. That initial contact is key to the rest of the relationship building you are trying to do with the customer. 

Would you hand your credit card information to someone over the phone you did not trust or have some rapport built with? I know I would not, unless I am paying a bill. However, if I wanted something and they were attempting to get me to buy it, I would not purchase from someone who was not courteous enough to ask for my name and try to get to know me a little.

What I am trying to get at is, some of us in the self-storage industry get upset or angry when customers decide not to rent from us or reserve a space over the phone. Some of us really cannot understand why. After each call reflect, on what you did  to build trust with that customer. Did I introduce myself? Was I someone they could trust? The first step to rapport building is just as simple as saying, Hi, my name is  (Joel). What is yours? The rest of it is up to you, but do not expect too much if you decide not to introduce yourself and take that first step to rapport building.

Joel Little, Experienced Sales Manager.

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Let me ask you this: Do you drive a Kia automobile? Chances are very good that you drive a vehicle more expensive than a Kia. Why don’t you drive a Kia? It is effective transportation. It’s got a 100,000-mile warranty. It is well designed. But people want more for their automobile money than just basic transportation. They want something else for their money, so they drive more expensive cars. So if you don’t have the Kia of self storage facilities, it doesn’t really matter, does it? People are willing to spend a few extra dollars to get a better location, more perceived security, a few more amenities. And what they’re really willing to spend money on is the good attitude of your self storage staff. If you have a good attitude, people don’t care if your self storage rates costs a few bucks more to store with you. They’re happy to do it because they know if they have a problem, you’ll take care of them.
 
People would rather spend their money where they’re treated well, wouldn’t they? How many of you have walked out of retail stores because you weren’t acknowledged when you were standing around twiddling your thumbs waiting for some help? I’ve done some informal surveys on this question and find that usually three quarters of an audience at one of my speaking engagements will raise their hands on this one.  Your customers feel the same way.

Written by Tron Jordheim, PhoneSmart Director

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