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The best investment you can make as a business owner, is in your employees. Think about it. Expensive advertising dollars are wasted if your employees don’t know how to follow through with the customers. Whom do your customers interact with most? Not the CEO; they interact with the facility manager.

Investing in the success of your employees equals investing in the success of your business.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? But what does it mean? It means providing your employees with training. Teach them how to interact with your customers. Teach them how to build a sale and close the deal.

PhoneSmart is a powerful sales management business that can train your staff. We offer conference call training sessions, Role Play Helpline, training courses, and secret shopping. Individually or combined, these products are the largest investment you could make into your employees, into your business, into your bottom line.

Written by: Sarah Little, TQA Account Executive

Thanks for reading our self storage blog. We offer sales training and call center services to the self storage industry.

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StorageMart is an excellent choice for anyone needing self storage.   All of our facilities are very clean, safe, and secure. Our locations are always fenced and well lit, with video cameras and door alarms.  There is an on-site manager living at each site; they watch over the property just like you would your own backyard.  And when someone rents a unit from us they are given their own PIN number; only our customers are in the area.

StorageMart stores have an extensive line of moving and storage supplies.  We sell boxes, bubble wrap, packing popcorn; everything you can imagine to make your packing as easy as possible.  And many of our locations even have trucks for rent.  We are a one-stop shop for all of your moving and storage needs!

We have over fifty storage facilities throughout the United States, with many in areas with a large Spanish speaking population.  In these locations our employees are bi-lingual.  Even our reservation center in Missouri is equipped with bi-lingual phone reps to assist you. 

No matter what language you speak, StorageMart is the best choice when you are in need of self storage.  And stop by our store whenever you need any packing supplies.

Written by Ann Sheehan

Thanks for reading our self storage blog, a journal of the self storage industry.

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Rent a storage unit at 1005 E. Main St, Mt. Joy, PA 17552

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If you’d like to be a guest blogger, send your entry for consideration to Sarah Little, Blog Editor.

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I had to give a chuckle after the experience I had last time I went to McDonald’s.  Even to this day, I find it thoroughly entertaining to talk to my wife about. 

We were on our way to St. Louis to visit my wife’s family and we wanted to make our usual stop at Sonic to get a drink for the road, but they were closed. So we went to McDonald’s because they are always open. It was pretty late and my wife wanted some caffeine. We pulled up to the drive through order microphone thingy and there was a big sign ( I mean, a huge, huge sign. Almost as big as the regular order menu) that said you get a free small coffee with the purchase of cinnamelt. So we thought it was a good deal so we told the lady that we wanted that deal. We looked at the order screen and she charged us for the coffee. 

We told her that our order was wrong and she said that it was right. We then told her that there is a sign outside that says free coffee, she told us that there was no such sign. After going back and forth for a little bit, I was adamant about the free coffee due to the advertisement outside, she decided to come out side and verify what the ad was. As she soon found out, she was wrong. The order was adjusted and we were given our free coffee. The crewmember on the McDonald’s staff was going on about how she’s the last to know about everything and they never tell her anything.

In retail or any establishment where you do some kind of advertisement, all the members of the crew have to know what is being offered to the customers. Whether it is a $1 move-in special in self storage or 24 months no interest financing at a retail shop, everyone has to know what is going on. You don’t want to have customer service suffer because you are not current on your promotions. 

Written by: Joel Little

Thanks for reading our self storage blog and inside view of the self storage industry.

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Storage is just around the corner at 435 S. Artizan St, Williamsport, MD 21795

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It never ceases to amaze me how much I can learn about humanity by simply answering a phone and selling storage. I would have to say that the end and beginning of the month are the best sampling times for the class of people I consider motivationally challenged. As soon as I get through my greeting with one of these people, they are already half way through their excuse about why they are late on their payment. Then I have to tell them, I’m actually at a sister facility and do not have access to the tenant accounts. The office closed x hours ago, but I can put you through to the voice mail or you can call back during business hours.

For a normal person, the conversation ends there. Unfortunately, the motivationally challenged are not normal. They get angry when I can’t help them, complaining and saying But I’ll get a late fee, if I don’t pay it today. I’m not paying them another late fee.

This is the point where it’s really hard for me to hold back what I really want to say. I want to tell them, Well if you don’t want to pay a late fee, then pay your rent on time. However, I instead reiterate my inability to take care of the issue and that they’ll have to speak to the manager.

After this time, most people get off the phone, but there are the extreme cases who don’t give up. It’s almost as if they believe that if they remain persistent, I’ll change my mind and decide to help them. I have bills too, so I can understand what the customer is going through. However, late fees happen when you’re late. I accept that. If more people did, it could save them from a complete meltdown.

Written by Julio Montes

Thanks for reading our self storage blog and inside view of a self storage call center.

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Self storage is conveniently located at 10401 Rhode Isle. Ave, Beltsville College Pk, MD 20705

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Sometimes Mother Nature lands a blow that we can only accept and do our best to sruvive.  Here in the call center we are given the very best information available but sometimes we are just caught unawares.  On a particular evening a lady called in screaming and shouting.  It took several minutes for the operator who took her call to even get to the bottom of her anxiety as she was out of control.  He tried really hard to calm her but she would not settle down.  The manager of her self storage facility had left a voice mail message that he needed to speak with her about something important.  She was in an inconsolable state of rage.  My coworker tried to mollify her and tried to get her name and phone number for nearly 40 minutes.  Exhausted, he turned to me and asked if I could take over.  I took a deep breath and waded in.

Her rage was not proportionate to the situation.  She screamed and screamed that her whole life was ruined if her things were damaged.  She demanded the manager’s home telephone number.  We had no contact information other than the store business line number.  When I explained that I was at a sister facility, a reservations center, she again screamed at me, Oh yes, take the money and then to Hell with the customer!  I bet that manager has stolen our things and run off to another state.  I really wanted to suggest that she be sedated but that would not have been appropriate.  She screamed and ranted on and on accusing, threatening, cursing and shouting.  No matter what answer we gave or what offer of help we suggested she tried to turn it to another argument in the manner of a stereotypical mother-in-law on a popular TV series. She finally decided to call the home improvement business next door to the storage facility and was advised by their staff that there had been some flooding and water damage.  She called again screaming and shouting.  Three of us tried to calm her and get through to her that we had no after-hours numbers at all.  We were grimly determined to be well mannered and kind to no avail.  She was going to shout through the night.

I apologized for her upset and her anxiety but planted my feet and would not budge on the fact that we were not going to be abused any further.  She did not call back that evening but did call the next morning screaming and cursing at the morning crew.

What could have brought this situation around?  I can honestly say that after 43 years in customer service that I do not know.  Perhaps if the manager had advised her of the problem she would not have been so upset but something tells me that no matter how it was handled it would have ignited the same firestorm.  There are just some people who are not happy until any situation is drowning in high drama.  I feel sorry for them because they cannot see how much easier life would be if they would just treat people reasonably.  I feel sorry for the store personnel who had to deal with her the next day.

Ninety nine percent of our callers can be reasoned with but some cannot.  Such is life in customer service and the storage business.

Written by Kay Johnson in the PhoneSmart call center.

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We are PhoneSmart you off site sales force call center in Columbia, Missouri.

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When we bought our home, a little under a year ago, I asked myself how I’d ever find enough stuff to fill the space. In just that short amount of time, I often find myself wishing I had more space. I have too much stuff. When we moved in, Isaiah was only a year old and we had an average amount of furniture. Since then we bought a new living room set, so the old couches are now in the family room in the basement. Isaiah is two years old and his brother, Jordan, is three weeks old. That’s two years of boxes of clothes I have to find space for in the closets and garage. There are boxes of toys to put away and stuff—I have no idea where it came from.

The room we had previously used as an office-craft-storage room is now a nursery for the new baby. The closets had previously held the vacuum, boxes, linens and other junk. We’ve had to consolidate a lot and determine what we really need accessible to us. The rest is somewhere in the black hole near the corner of the garage.

The main priority on my wish list next time we’re in the market for a home will be plenty of storage and closet space. For now, I find myself in the same place as many growing families across the country. I need a storage unit. I just need a small space, just enough for a few boxes, until I come to my senses and realize there’s no end in sight to my growing collection of boxes and clutter. I better just go ahead and commit to a 10×20!

Written by: Sarah Little, TQA Executive and Blog Editor.

Thanks for reading our business blog. We know the self storage and sales business.

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Keep your closets clean with a storage unit at 11471 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles-Pico, CA 90064

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I decided to sell my home and everything that goes with selling a home. I started saving boxes from work about (6) months ago. Every evening for the last month I have packed and labeled the boxes. I finally called the StorageMart on the east side of town and reserved a unit over the phone. It was easy! And I was able to get the $1.00 move in. I planned the move on a Wednesday night with my son Dallas and his friend Jesse who drives a Nissan truck. By the time Wednesday rolled around I was just too tired to move and knew better than to push myself. So I called my son and cancelled the move.  I waited for about 10 days for my energy level to build up so I could make the move.  Dallas dropped by one day after work and said,” Come on Momma, let’s do this move.” I said ok. He loaded the furniture and all of the boxes in our two vehicles and we headed to StorageMart. It was after hours when we arrived; I used my gate code to get through the gate and in the facility. It was super simple! The hard part is getting all the boxes together, packing the boxes and organizing the move. Self storage is great!

Written by: Liz Langsteiner, Key Account Representative

Thanks for reading our self storage blog, a diary of life in a self storage call center

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Make moving easier with a storage unit at 3340 Elm Farm Road, Dale City,VA 22192

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Alice and John were on their way home from visiting their oldest daughter in college. They had only stopped so John could stretch his sore back. Alice had been sleeping the entire drive, or pretending to sleep, while thinking about all of the money that they had given their daughter as a loan. They had secretly had to scrap the idea of a family vacation this year so that her daughter could retake her algebra classes this summer because she did not take her class very seriously and went to parties instead of doing her home work. “Why do I put up with this?” she asked herself all the time.
        
On the drive home, they argued all the way home about money. Wasted money as he says. “With two children in college, neither having been able to maintain their scholarships, why do we support them?” they wandered. Not only was John and Alice’s retirement dwindling but also their ability to make ends meet. Their daughter had to move out of her apartment and moved into the doom room. Because they could not afford to pay the rent on her apartment anymore she had no choice but to move out. She will have to stay in the dorm. Alice and John had to rent a truck to bring all of her stuff back home and, of course, they have nowhere to put her belongings. They’ll have to rent a storage unit until she comes home in 3 months. Neither of them can wait for her to be out of school and get a job, have her own place, pay her own bills and quit relying on Mom and Dad to pay her bills.

This is the story of endless parents across the country. PhoneSmart knows how to give these desperate parents hope that the kids will eventually leave the nest and provide them with the storage they’ll need in the mean time.

Written by: DJ Johnson, PhoneSmart Client Development and sales expert.

Thanks for reading PhoneSmart’s self storage blog. We know the sales and self storage industry.

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Make room for your guests with a storage unit at 7536 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO 64114

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