» Customer Service

Self storage does not have to be a difficult or stressful situation. In fact self storage can be an easy solution if you allow it to be. Every now and then a manager at a self storage location will encourage a current tenant who does not fully agree with what the manager told him or what is on their lease. This is one of the reasons that self storage facilities will tell you to sign a lease in order to go back and reference it if need be. In most cases, the manager will be able to diffuse the situation.

 
People can often get worked up over small things.  Tenants sometimes call into their self storage facility in order to get a second storage unit, only to find that the rate of said unit was twice the price they are currently paying. They will immediately began ranting and raving and threaten to go to a different facility or even file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Most good managers will allow the customer to let out their steam and then let them calm down. Then the manager will politely explain to them that the price quoted was the current rate for new tenants.  As a current tenant, sometimes the manger can sometimes offer a multiple unit discount, which cuts the cost for multiple spaces owned by the same tenant.

 
The attitude of the customer would then change as they realize, they may have over acted. This happens very often in these kinds of situations. Without really knowing the whole story a customer can get extremely upset and sometimes it will be too late in order to reconcile. Always make sure you understand the full situation before going off the handle, even when in need of self storage.

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Some self storage sites will hold units kind of like a hotel reservation. It is free to hold so there is no reason not to hold the space. You will still have time to visit the site so that you are able to make sure that everything meets your standards when storing. You should be able to hold a couple of different sizes if you are unsure of what size you will need. Even if you need a different size, you can still switch when you get to the site. If it was this easy why don’t more people do it?

There is a simple answer to that. When it comes to reserving a space, many people like the idea of it not costing them any money, but many hotels hold the funds in your account until you come in. Well not a lot of people think that is a good practice. For that reason they shy away from reserving the space. Also people do not want to use their credit card in order to hold the space. They want to pay in cash and not use any form of credit to hold the space.

If the space really is free to hold, then make sure that the customer knows that. Saying that holding a self storage unit is just like renting a hotel space is not really the truth. Make sure as a facility manager, you are explaining that correctly or people might shy away from reserving a space. So with that said, why not reserve a self storage space today? It’s free.

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Not all self storage sites were created equal. It is true that the different sites offer various features and benefits than other sites. When you are shopping around looking for the best facility to fit your needs, it is important to know how the facilities will do their billing. With this knowledge, you can truly understand how you are paying and also how much you are paying.

If you move in during the middle of the month, most sites will prorate your move in so that you are going to pay for the remaining days of the month. This is good because you are paying for the time that you are there and not the entire month. It does not really make sense to pay for the time that you are not storing. Prorating your move in days is very helpful to your peace of mind and also your pocket book.

If a site has 1^st of the month billing, they actually will not typically prorate the move out. If you are only there a couple of days, then that could potentially be different. Very rarely you will find that a facility will prorate the move out and you only pay for the time that you are renting. In most cases the facility will ask that you pay for the rest of the month even if you are not there. Not all believe that to be fair, but at the same time, this prevents customers from abusing the self storage facility. Leases are typically month to month so you can leave at the end of your prorated time.

Knowing how your billing works at your self storage facility is crucial. They will not send you a bill unless you ask for one. So just know that you will need to bring your account current each month on the first of the month if that is now it is set up. Before you leave, the manager will make sure that you understand the billing cycle.

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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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StorageMart La Frontera & FM 1325 15601 FM 1325 Austin, TX 78728

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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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StorageMart Mannheim & Belmont Franklin Park, IL 60131

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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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