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Our area is expecting some snow as the day goes on. It’s always interesting to see the first snow and how people react to it. Depending on the forecast on how bad the weather will be depends on how busy our local gas stations and grocery stores will be. Some people get a little panicked and stock up on food and gas. This is a good idea if we are going to have a blizzard but I typically do not do these things. My freezer has enough leftovers and food to last more than a few days and if the weather is really bad I do not need to be driving in it anyway so why get a bunch of gas?

What do you need to do to your self storage property to get it ready for the first snow? Are your driveways clear of obstruction? Are you roofs in good repair and ready for the snow? Do you have plenty of ice melt for the front of the self storage office? Do you have a service that comes and plows the larger areas of the property? Kansas City self storage and Columbia self storage are just two locations that will be watching the weather closely today.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.

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Christmas is only two pay checks away for many of us. When you look at it like that, you may find yourself pulling out some hair.

On my commute to work this morning, I heard on the radio that retailers are expecting a soft holiday season because of high gasoline prices and other economic factors. This may affect the self storage industry also. It’s not an ideal time to sell a home, and people may be more inclined to hold onto their investment before putting it on the market.

If shoppers are buying less, they may not need a storage unit to place gift in. As self storage owners or managers, you can still appeal to Christmas shoppers by offering them a place to hide presents from spying children or a nosey spouse. You can offer them an ideal space to store a pool table, new furniture or large Christmas.

Make sure tenants storing holiday gifts know about any access restrictions so they have their items out in time for Christmas morning. You may also want to remind them that a self storage unit is not the appropriate place to store a Christmas puppy or new pet.

Written by Sarah Little, TQA Director

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Presenting one of the PhoneSmart Green Design Contest Judges,

Mr. Jim Whitesides, Owner of Ace Storage.

Ace Storage currently has three self storage locations in Illinois and three locations in Missouri. Jim’s former career was in the energy trading and marketing industry, and Jim has also run a startup company with a unique technology for renewable energy.  As such, Jim has had an interest in bringing renewable energy and energy conservation to the self storage business.

Jim’s commodity trading background was in the energy field, and in the late ’90′s there were electricity disruptions that caused many to become increasingly concerned about the traditional utility’s ability to keep up with growing electricity demand.  An opportunity came about to advance the cause by taking to market a technology that utilized heat – from any source – to produce electricity for homes and businesses while reducing or eliminating dependence on the power grid.  The technology could utilize heat from the sun in a traditional solar way, or could use waste heat generated by air conditioners, commercial cooking/baking processes, or any of a number of sources as the starting point for producing zero-emission electricity and reducing bottlenecks in the transmission grid – and doing so economically.  Jim is still very interested in applying this type of technology to the self storage industry – the cost savings are substantial, and the nature of our self storage buildings provides ample roof space.

Stay tuned for more of PhoneSmart Green Design Contest Information.

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Property management groups that choose to offer both regular and climate controlled self storage units have a broader array of potential clientele. Callers often ask me what the difference is between the two types of spaces, and what the pros and cons of each are. Here is a brief synopsis of what I tell them.

Climate controlled storage buildings use equipment to heat the units in the wintertime and cool them in the summer. These facilities typically manage a temperature range of 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and help to maintain a humidity level of less than 55%. These conditions help to prevent mold and mildew, as well as assist in pest control. 

Anyone storing for a long period of time, or that will be spending a great deal of time in their unit, will definitely want a climate controlled unit. For people storing a short time, here are several examples of when a climate controlled unit might be considered:

• Electronic and computer equipment
• Clothing
• Mattresses and bedding
• Important papers and files
• Leather and/or wood furniture 
• Pianos and other sensitive musical equipment
• Photographs and photography equipment
• Oil paintings and other artwork
• Antique furniture
• Family heirlooms
• Pharmaceutical supplies are required by the federal government to store in a climatized unit.

Although climate controlled units cost property management more to maintain, the cost is passed on to the consumer. And in a lot of different instances, the customer is more than willing to pay the difference.

Written by Ann Sheehan, Call Center Rep for PhoneSmart

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PhoneSmart offers call center, sales training and mystery shopping services to the self storage industry. But let’s focus on some of our sales training tools for a moment. Sales training is a basic need of every self storage facility; whether a single property operation or a national chain, employees must know how to sell self storage.

Implementing an effective sales training program requires forethought and a plan. PhoneSmart has been offering sales training to the self storage industry for several years. We’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. The key to a successful program doesn’t lie so much in whether or not you ask for the customers name in the beginning or end of a call. Success comes from continuous and stable training. It comes from sticking with it and not wavering.

The obstacles preventing your training program from being a success are that you, as a self storage owner or regional manager, already have enough to do. Sales training maintenance requires vigilance, and to be honest, you probably don’t have that kind of time. So your best efforts and intentions become undone by all the other things that demand your attention.

That’s where PhoneSmart can step in. We will be as involved in your sales training program as you’d like us to be. Whether we provide monthly mystery shops, Role Play Helpline or take the reigns of your sales training and become your Sales Training Management Company; it’s up to you. We are dedicated to the success of our clients.

Written by Sarah Little, TQA Account Executive

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My house sits about midway up a big hill or, depending on how you look at it, midway down a big hill. The neighbors to the right of me are a group of Senators and Representatives that rent the home and live there when they’re in session. So at various times they have to park along the street. To top that off, we’re only allowed to park on one side of the street, so they take up all the room around my house when they’re here.

This usually isn’t a problem for my husband and I; we park in the garage and driveway anyway. But when family visits they sometimes have to park up the hill.

The neighborhood definitely needs more space for parking. This is probably true in most neighborhoods. Families don’t just have one car anymore. Spouses each have a car, roommates each have a car, and eventually the kids are likely to each have a car.

The need for car storage is increasing, even more so in larger cities where living quarters are more compact. It is common to purchase or pay rent for parking outside your apartment or condo. Another solution may be to carpool and put one car into self storage. It may be cheaper and carpooling is a healthy choice for our environment.

Written by Sarah Little

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Do you own a self storage business? Are you thinking about buying one? If so, there are many self storage secrets that you will want to keep in mind at all times. When it comes down to it, these little secrets can go a long way in helping you to achieve a higher level of success. Even if you think that you know everything about the self storage industry, you may be surprised to find out that these secrets offer even more information.

There are a couple of different ways that you can get your hands on these self storage secrets. First off, you may want to search online for tips and tricks. There are some self storage blogs that offer good information on this, as well as many general websites. As you find more and more resources, you will begin to feel as if you are really on your way to belonging. You owe it to your company to search far and wide for all of these self storage secrets. After all, the more that you know the more sales you will make. And in turn, this leads to more profits as well.

You can also get your hands on some good self storage secrets by speaking with other owners. Ask them what they do to succeed, how they make sales, etc. You may get some resistance, but all in all, there are many owners who are willing to help you out.

Believe it or not, there are plenty of self storage secrets for you to hang your hat on.

Written by guest blogger.

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Natalie was just organizing some of our secret shops. She was playing bits and pieces of them, labeling them, and sending them to their assigned client. (We share an office) I wasn’t listening particularly closely to the calls, but this one caught my attention. This was the dialogue:

 Manager: (answered the phone and gave a professional and friendly greeting)
 Shopper: Do you have any large rental trucks?
 Manager: No, I don’t
      Pause- there was an uncomfortable silence
 Shopper: Ok, thanks
 Manager: (mumbles something resembling a thank you)

The entire thing took about 25-30 seconds, if that. There was a hurriedness in the manager’s voice and it seemed as if she had more important things to do.

I know this company, perhaps not this manager specifically, but the company has had several calls that go just about that way. We’ve worked with them and spent months training and testing them to always ask if the caller needs storage. Asking that small little question takes no more time out of the manager’s day, unless the caller does need storage. In which case, they should be happy to have a new renter.

A part of my stomach drops when I hear calls like this and I sigh. It’s a missed opportunity and could be costly to your self storage business.

Written by Sarah Little, TQA Executive and Blog Editor.

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As has been stated in a past storage business blog, we customer service folk do like compliments and appreciate them! When I have to deal with a customer service department in my personal or other business relations, I also take note and analyze the service given and the sales techniques as they are applied.

I recently had to make a call to a company I do business with and was annoyed with the woman attending me. Not only did she keep giggling through the entire conversation she was not attending my needs at all.

I am one of the company’s current customers. And know that unfortunately this company does not have the greatest customer service to begin with. I was prepared to have to deal with that; however I was driving on my way to the airport as I was talking to this representative and let her know I could not spend too much time on the phone because I like to focus on my driving while on the highway.

I became impatient and asked to speak to a supervisor or manager. She didn’t even care that I was not a happy customer at the moment, but seemed rather more occupied and concerned with talking to her fellow co-workers. I could hear in the background about what plans they had for the weekend.

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