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Stepping UpBy admin on May 18, 2006 | No Comments
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Welcome to the PhoneSmart Property Management blog, the ins and outs of Property Management, Commercial Management, Apartment Management and more.
Angela Perry promoted to trainer from within the call center addresses issues all newly promoted people face.When I was in the military I found that my most difficult challenge came about when I was promoted. It is true, it was not the 12 mile ruck marches, the early morning wake ups, the physical test, the 4 or 6 mile runs, the 100 sit-ups; it honestly was being promoted from corporal to sergeant.It is very difficult when you are promoted within the same section that you are a part of. It doesn’t matter whether you work in a corporate office or a retail store. The transition is difficult enough having to learn the responsibilities of a new job. To add to this transition you must now earn a different level of respect of the same group that you were once a part of. It is true that once you are promoted it is a group effort to keep the company running smoothly. Everyone is important from the president to the entry-level position. In military terms it would be from the general to the private.What I have found the most difficult is remaining in the same section or platoon. The same people that you once “bent” the rules with are the same ones that you are asking to respect you and your position. Some people are not able to make the adjustment to a friend being promoted over them. On the flip side others cannot handle being in charge of their friend. Favoritism comes into play and some may think that since you are their “buddy” that you should let them slide. They are putting you in a very compromising position but as a leader you make the right decision and enforce the punishment. In the military you are called by your last name but as a sergeant you must earn respect and now have a title in front of that last name. Remembering when to call a person by the proper rank and name is hard in the beginning but it is a mistake that is quickly fixed. In the work force, you may have once addressed the person as a general name but then when a promotion takes place, it would be appropriate to address that person by “sir” or “ma’am.” In a more relaxed atmosphere sir or ma’am may not be necessary to use but the way you approach them should be different.
To avoid the awkwardness it is best to remove the person being promoted to another section, building, platoon, or department. That way all of my “habits” do not follow with me nor do I have to “suspect” anyone of (what I know) of their past behaviors. Not all may agree and it is not for all to agree. I did not agree until I was put in the situation.PhoneSmart Your Source for Lead Generation
Self Storage Blog A diary of the self storage industry
Self Storage Search Engine Self Storage in New Mexico -
Determine your customer’s needsBy admin on May 9, 2006 | No Comments
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Robin Turner, PhoneSmart call center manager speaks out on a customer service issue.
Welcome to our self-storage blog, an inside look at the self-storage call center.
Last week my husband ordered breakfast at a fast food restaurant and I noticed that my slush drink that I get from them all the time, tasted different. There was 7-up in it, not one of the usual ingredients. I figured that I’d just let them know the next time I was near there.Later that evening I went to order dinner from them and before ordering I asked the attendant how that particular drink was made… Sarcastically she stated what they put in it. Kind of surprised at her attitude, I explained to her what I noticed when my husband brought me my drink earlier that morning… that it was made with 7-up and I just wanted to know if they had changed something.She abruptly interrupted me asking if I had the receipt. I was a little taken back by the manner in which she was responding to me but I answered her stating that I didn’t have it. She again ever so rudely interrupted me again stating in such a sarcastic voice “well, if you don’t have the receipt, there is nothing that I can do about it”. My first thought was “wow, she is having a really bad day.”I tired to let her know that I was simply letting her know what happened. Her comment to me was… “Well, if you don’t have the receipt, I can’t do anything. We have people who try to get free food all the time and you need to have a receipt or I can’t replace it. (Something to that effect anyway).”I could not believe the service that I was receiving, as I had been there plenty of times and have never been treated that way before. I was planning to purchase our family dinner there; however, after that experience … I think you guess whether or not I still ordered food there…. or if I have yet to return to them.Do your employees assume what the customer needs and ends up losing business because of it?
PhoneSmart Your Source for Lead Generation
Self Storage Blog A diary of the self storage industry
Self Storage Search Engine Storage in: Virginia
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Fight the TemptationBy admin on May 1, 2006 | No Comments
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Welcome to our property management blog.
Today, Julio Montes, a “newbie” speaks about customer relations.
Today is day two in a row with a string of bitter callers. This phenomenon, characteristic of “Customerus Angrificus”, happens from time to time. They can’t help it. It is in their nature to react that way when they have been given incorrect information or when something happens that triggers their anger reflex. Even leading scientists are baffled by the nature of the beast and cannot explain how this behavior has proven effective to be passed on to each successive generation.What do you do when a “Customerus Angrificus” reaches you? Well, it’s similar to dealing with a bear in the wild. You have to play dead. Now, I’m not saying to remain silent on the phone and ignore them, but you do have to keep your inner “Angrificus” at bay. It is always very tempting to give in and tell the beast how you really feel about them and their momma and that you have better things that you could be doing with your day. We must take a deep breath and let it out really slow so we can be the better species: be the one that can control his temper; be the one that can speak in a calm and soothing voice; be the one that can ultimately transform the raging beast into a gentle friend.On a side note, if you see me hyperventilating into a paper bag that means “Angrificus” is getting the better of me. And I’m trying to remain calm and collected the best way I can.PhoneSmart Your Offsite Sales Solution
Self Storage Search Engine Finding Storage Faster
Secret Shopping Blog Your inside peek
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2006By admin on April 25, 2006 | No Comments
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Written by Kay, one of our seasoned customer service reps
Well……..Here at PhoneSmart things are jumping!
We are all involved in some training, trying to hone our skills. There is the Secret Shopping Department with their new evaluations and new stores are coming our way thick and fast. It’s all enough to turn a poor country girl’s head!It seems that the New Year had just begun but we are already thinking about May schedules. It was unseasonably warm here. While other parts of our nation recovered from devastations of last year and there were wildfires on the prairies, we fared much better. We always have our share of wind and lightning but it seems that Missouri dodged the bullet pretty well last year. But then came March and we got our share of wind and hail, loss of life and property.Even so, there is a tingle of excitement here. New people are coming in; there are more Spanish speakers available. The new stores bring new learning experiences with them and the future seems to be only upward.Somewhere in the last year and a half that I have been here I have stopped thinking of it as “just” storage. A good friend of mine here posted to the blog recently about her need to place her belongings in a safe place while she looked for a new place to live. She put a human face on the storage units that was not there for me before. Most people going into storage and renting it because of some problem or situation that leaves them with the possibility of losing things precious to them during their discomfort. We offer them a friendly voice and real help with their storage needs. We answer many questions that we feel are a good service to our store managers i.e. “What time does the gate close?”, “What time can I get in tomorrow to pay my bill?”, “Are there bigger/smaller” units available?”, “Will they be open on this holiday?”, “Do they have trucks to rent?”We are here to serve and we do aim to please. We work hard yet find time to share a friendly moment with a co-worker. There is always laughter, and co-workers often find a minute to chat in the break room. As my Father always remarked, “Ain’t no flies on us!”Self Storage Blog A diary of the self storage industry
PhoneSmart Your Offsite Sales Solution
StorageMart: Minnesota Brand new facility
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The art of the price stallBy admin on April 21, 2006 | No Comments
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A quick note from Sarah Little, Secret Shopping Guru:Just based from my own renting experiences, along with my secret shopping experience, I would say that a very low percentage of apartment communities really “sell” their property over the phone.It is not uncommon for us to call an apartment community and ask how much a 2 bedroom is and get the price right away. Unfortunately, this might be where a caller hangs up and goes down the list, not giving your property another thought. In order to avoid sticker shock, you should try to build the value in your property.There are some very helpful and easy ways to add some value and hype to your community. For example, if some one says, “How much are your two bedrooms?” You could say, “Ok, let me tell you about them. These utilities are included in the price… and each apartment has…” Then give the rental rate and wrap it up with, “When would you like to come in and see your new home?”Ordering the conversation in this way will provide each caller with necessary and vital information. They will also see value in your property and be motivated to come in for a visit.Self Storage Search Engine Finding Storage Faster
Secret Shopping Blog Your inside peek
PhoneSmart Your Offsite Sales Solution
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The luck of the draw.By admin on April 18, 2006 | No Comments
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An experience shared by Sarah Little, Secret Shopping Guru:The most important things about your apartment community are its amenities and security features! But do your current and future tenants know what benefits you offer? Unfortunately, I rented an apartment for 1 ½ years before I knew I could enter a drawing to win 6 months with no rent. Yep, I could’ve had extra money to buy something nice, or just build up some savings. Granted, I’d have to actually win it first and I’m not very lucky when it comes to picking my name out of a hat.My point is that there was a great perk out there, but I was none the wiser to it because my landlord never told me. Winning that, or the hope of winning, may have led me to stay there rather than rent across town.And what about all the tenants that never rented there because they didn’t know what they were missing out on! Not only is it important to let your tenants know what’s going on but perhaps more important to let your future tenants know what they can enjoy while staying in your community.One of the best perks of renting a home is that when the toilet runs you can just call
Mr. Fix It and they come right over. Now that I’ll be buying my first home, I have begun to panic, realizing that next time my toilet runs I’ll have to fix it. Neither my husband nor I are very plumbing conscious. I’ll sure miss that handyman!StorageMart: Texas Find Storage Near You
Self Storage Education Learn about the Self Storage Industry
Secret Shopping Blog Your inside peek
Self Storage Blog A diary of the self storage industry
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FREE drawing from PhoneSmart for the Chicago SSA CBy admin on March 22, 2006 | No Comments
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Come by the PhoneSmart Booth and drop your business card in the hat.
20 Winners will receive 60 days of free roll-over sales support from the PhoneSmart Call center for one property.
1 Grand Prize winner will receive… FREE
1 year of PhoneSmart’s total sales solution for one property.
Includes:
Free call center roll-over service for one year
2 free secret shopping calls per month
4 free calls to the role-play helpline each month
1 Free sales training package for Self Storage
Free Leads from PhoneSmart’s lead generation program for one year
1 Free Ad tracking/ Call recording number from PhoneSmart’s Foster Accuracy for one year
Stop by Booth number 523 and enter during the trade show hours on March 30 and 31.
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Press ReleaseBy admin on March 21, 2006 | No Comments
For immediate release:
The Self Storage Blog proves the power of niche blogsAlexa rankings confirm the power of blogs in niche business markets.The growing popularity of blogs in personal and business circles is causing some pundits to promote blogs as a powerful method of opt-in communication. Some say this is particularly true in narrow fields of interests and niche business markets.The Self Storage Blog can be held out as evidence to prove that blogs attract readers in niches one might not ordinarily consider. A recent check on Alexa rankings in the self storage industry, a growing but unglamorous sector of the real estate market, shows that the site selfstorageblog.com has maintained a larger “Daily Reach” than the sites selfstorage.org and selfstorage.com over the last 12 months.Conventional thinking might say that a .com or .org site named after a business niche would attract the most visitors and have the largest “Daily Reach”. The Self Storage Blog is one more case of where a blog has taken over the rankings and created a new version of opt-in marketing. -
Adding up the revenue per headBy admin on March 2, 2006 | No Comments
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Welcome to the property management blog, where we watch the property management business.
I was in the Mandalay Bay convention center yesterday. It is a massive building with great amenities and even a shark aquarium. What struck me was how much revenue it helps the conventions create. I saw a lot of people walking around. Multiply that by the cost of convention packages and there are a lot of zeros.
Isn’t your property about creating revenue for your tenants, too? When businesses rent with you, they are relying on your property to help them make a profit. What steps do you take to help them attract and make business?
I don’t know that you need a shark tank, but you do need a specific plan for creating an atmosphere that will help you renters prosper. What is it?
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Are you pressed for success?By admin on February 27, 2006 | No Comments
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Welcome to the property management blog, where we watch property management trends and the property management industry. Today’s blog comes from our guest blogger Angela Lechtenberg.
How much is service and quality worth?
I’ve decided to take on the responsibility of helping my husband dress for success at work. While trying to dress him for the job he wants, not the one he has, I’ve become very discerning about where I shop for his businesswear. The usual higher end department stores’ clothes were fine but there wasn’t anything special about the quality or service (when I could get service – many times the clerks couldn’t answer my questions, if I could find one at all).
Most of you know suits, ties and other business attire doesn’t come cheap. It’s an investment you hope you’ll get your money’s worth out of.
I began shopping at a men’s boutique specializing in high end menswear and professional business attire. The clothes are a little more expensive, but the quality and service are far and above the best of anything I have purchased in a very long time. Because the quality is better the clothes last longer, so I get more out of our investment. I also believe my husband walks a little taller when he wears one of their suits. That means a lot, but what has impressed me most about patronizing this boutique is the service I get. I’ve never met such a friendly, professional and knowledgeable staff. They are attentive and treat me as the number one customer, even if I’m just in to buy socks! That is the main reason I continue to shop there and the extremely pleasant purchasing experience keeps me coming back.
How do your customers feel about the service and quality you offer? Do they rave about it, or do they notice it at all? Aim to impress your tenants, and any potential tenants, by keeping your standards of quality high and your standard of customer service excellent.
Angela L.
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