» Self Storage

As a property manager, we have to try to be ready for anything that comes our way. Now of course we can only do so much to prepare for different things. In reality we just hope that we do not have to deal with certain things that could possibly come up. If they do, we have to take a deep breath and try to find a solution for the issue. For instance, people will call about billing issues, trouble with the gate, and so forth. This morning, I had a very common problem that had the chance to go either way in terms of it being trouble.

This morning a self storage renter called me who was at her storage unit trying to get the door to open. She was a bit flustered because she was in a hurry to get to a wedding. The wedding gift she purchased was inside of her storage unit and she couldn’t get to it. She didn’t know what to do. She said she came to the office, but couldn’t find anyone to help her. She said was able to get the lock off the door but couldn’t slide the latch over. She ended up calling the number to my facility and I was there to answer it. It was a roll up door so I told her to step on the handle which pulled the door down further so she could slide the latch over. She was elated, grabbed the gift and away she went to enjoy the wedding.

This was a situation in which it could have been very bad. The door was stuck, and I might have had to go out there to calm the customer down or get someone to the facility in order to get the door over. That would have cost the company money. Luckily, I was quick on my feet in thinking and I was able to get the customer taken care of. I was very happy it wasn’t anything serious.

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As a property manager we have all kinds of responsibilities to ensure the store runs well. Not many customers know or pretend to know what we do on a daily basis. We try to have a list or responsibilities to do every day and we try not to get behind on our duties. Now of course we do have to also take care of our customers which have the highest priority on our list. In fact I know I would put a stop to anything else I was doing in order to take care of the customer, especially if it is a new renter. This is of course no matter what time of night it is.

A new renter of a storage unit arrived at their unit about 45 minutes before the store closed last night. They had a moving truck fully loaded with movers. The only problem was there was an orange lock on the unit, which meant that we had placed it on their unit. We do that so that no one puts their stuff in a lock when they are not supposed to. Regardless of the explanation, she was so upset. She just bought the unit and wanted to know why the store would place that on her unit, although earlier that day, I did tell her to put a lock on it before she left. It is for the safety and protection of the company and the customer that we lock up each unit that is empty before I leave for the night.

She was happy to know that the property manager was available to assist her in taking it off and that the reason why they had it on the unit was so no one could move their things into the unit accidently. She had plenty of time that night to move her belongings inside the storage space. The customer is our number one priority when it comes to our daily duties, so I am glad that we could make another customer happy.

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AUSTIN, Texas – Dec 1, 2011 – SpareFoot, provider of leading web marketing tools to the self-storage industry, announced the launch of its newest product, SiteBuilder. Designed to simplify everything about creating and maintaining an effective self-storage company website, SiteBuilder helps storage operators compete to win increasingly web-dependent consumers.

Facility clients get a customizable, easy-to-update website that’s proven to convert visitors into tenants. Users upload their facility logo and photos, and customize brand messaging. SpareFoot’s intuitive content management system (CMS) makes it easy to make changes anytime, without having to call in the expensive web developer or designer. Storage companies may even point a new or existing custom domain address to their SiteBuilder page.

SiteBuilder websites feature all the details consumers are looking for when they search for storage on their computers and smart phones. The tool integrates seamlessly with storage facilities’ existing management software to keep unit pricing, amenities and available inventory up-to-date. With complete performance analytics, facilities can track website visits, phone calls and online reservations. Self storage companies can even listen to raw feedback from local consumers through recorded calls and complete call statistics.

The tool joins GeoPages, SpareFoot’s local search supplement for facility operators who already have websites. The company’s flagship AdNetwork product grants facilities highly visible, search-able listings on SpareFoot.com, SelfStorage.com and over 50 other high-traffic partner sites that serve storage and moving needs.

“Every self-storage company needs a website, an online headquarters,” SpareFoot Co-founder and CEO Chuck Gordon said. “Our web experts designed SiteBuilder to be the best affordable turnkey solution. It modernizes your business, so you can reach and convert new tenants.”

Through its products, SpareFoot aims to evolve the storage industry by making the world of web marketing more accessible to facility owners and managers. Learn more about SiteBuilder here: http://www.sparefoot.com/business/facilities/sitebuilder.html.

About SpareFoot:
SpareFoot is the largest online marketplace for self-storage, making it easy for consumers nationwide to find, compare and reserve storage units online. The company also offers a suite of leading web marketing tools for storage facility operators. SpareFoot is an Austin-based start-up backed by Silverton Partners, FLOODGATE and Capital Factory. For more information, please visit http://www.sparefoot.com.

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In our current would nothing is for sure. There have been times in which you are expecting one thing, but unfortunately another thing actually happens. That is not what you were expecting. So what you need to do is ensure you do everything that his possible to get what you are expecting. In self storage it would seem that people do not think ahead and they think that something will be there when they call upon it. People end up calling a self storage facility and tell them that they needed a self storage unit yesterday. Well the property manager will most likely tell them they might be able to help them still, but there will be times in which the customer will not be helped. They should have called ahead and reserved a unit.

People will often make phone calls while they are driving. If they call a property manager and the manger has exactly what they are looking for the customer should go ahead and reserve the space. If you are driving and cannot get to your card to reserve, you should pull over to get your card so that you do not miss out on the space. For the most part you will be in an area soon that you will be able to pull over and reserve the space.

There are a lot of reasons to reserve, but the most important one is that the unit will actually be there when you go to get it. The worst thing that could happen is that you wait to long to reserve the space and then you have to get something that you did not want. If you call ahead enough the property manager can actually put the space you want on hold. That will defiantly make your day a little easier knowing that you have the space you want.

If you reserve a storage unit, then the price and specials that you were quoted will be locked in. If you do not, then the quote may change. That is one of the worst situations when you think you are getting a space for the price you are looking for then the price changes. Now you are paying more for the space that had originally though would be cheaper. If you like the deal you are quoted by the property manager, don’t wait, go ahead and reserve the space now.

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The key to getting it right the first time is to be patient and wait for the perfect deal. Now, you cannot sit back and wait for the perfect deal if you are in a hurry to get a space. Just make sure that you do not wait until the very last minute to start looking for a space. This is not the way to go. If you ask any property manger, they will always tell you if you know you need self storage, always reserve something sooner than later. You can never know if the storage space you need will be available.

You do not want to start the search too early, either. The best time to look for a space would be with about two to three weeks left before you need it. Typically the property manager that you talk to will be able to hold on to a self storage space for that long. They of course will want some type of commitment from you like a down payment, prepayment or holding the space with a credit card. The main point here is to ensure that you go ahead and get a storage space when you can because you want to ensure that one will be available. The worst thing to think about is not having a self storage unit when you when need it.

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I often talk to people who need a storage unit.  It seems that those who need a small space usually store things in totes.  Mostly they store clothes or small items.  I would hate to use small bags or even boxes to store my belongings. Unfortunately there are some facilities that do not do a great job of maintaining their facility and keep the rodents and bugs out. If that is the case then you will have issues keeping your clothes protected.

In addition to that bags can’t hold very much (unless you use a garbage bag), and they don’t stack.  That makes it really hard to organize your space.  If they rip, ALL of your things come out, and they fall over as well. It is definitely not a great idea to keep your belongings in a bag.

You can usually find free boxes at your location discount retailer, so why waste your time on bags? You can definitely drive around to your different grocery stores in the area to see if they have boxes that they want to throw out. You could find gold with finding some sturdy boxes. If you can’t find good boxes, you can always use totes. They are good to stack and keep safe in your storage unit.

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If you are looking to rent at a facility that has too high of a price, you may want to continue shopping around to see if you can get a lower price from one of the competitors. You may be able to get the first facility to match the price. That way, you are able to get the space that you want at the facility you want at a price that you want. It is ok to ask the property manager what they think about matching another one of their competitor’s prices in order to gain your business.

Of course It is completely up to the property manger to decide whether or not the change in price is valid and they want to gain your business that bad. In reality every manager will want to gain as much of the business they can, but they might be in a comfortable place to where they do not have push as much to reach their occupancy goals. In some markets managers will do what they can to get people in to their stores. There have been many self storage properties that will advertise that they will beat any advertised or local price. They of course will make sure that they are comparing apples to apples.

For the facilities that believe they need to advertise they will be and or match any local competitor they have to be careful. Some facilities are sneaky and crafty to the point in which they will match prices in their local area without advertising it. So if a customer wants to rent there at the price given, they are happy to accept those people. They will match a price or special from time to time. For the facilities that decide to match prices consistently they are missing out on charging their regular prices for the customers that chose them without shopping around. They are almost pushing the customers to shopping around. Be careful and fully think through your strategy for matching prices.

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Self storage can be used for so many things. Many people typically think that you only need self storage when you are moving from one place to another. There are so many reasons that people inquire about storage from the different property managers that are in your local area. Not only are these managers available for you to ask those many questions, they are also there in order to help the customer with some ideas.

One common use for self storage that people overlook is when they are remodeling. Often times a customer will try to move all of their belongings to another room in their house or to their garage. This is of course they have an extra room in that house. If not to the garage it goes. For the people that actually use their garage as a place for their car, their car is left to fend for itself in the driveway or even worse, on the street. If you want the property manager will also help you find a place for your car.

When moving your belongings from one room to another or to self storage, always remember to work smart. Bookshelves can be hard to move without having anything on the shelves so put boxes on them it will also save room in the truck, or in the storage room. Most times the bookshelf is only going to be wide enough for large boxes, so be smart and only put boxes that will fit on the shelves. You can put larger boxes on the shelves if you are push one bookshelf against another. Of course if you move one bookshelf you might have a falling box on your hands.

Take your time when moving your belongings to your self storage unit when moving. Really take your time in thinking about what items need to go and what you do not need for the length of your remodel. Typically you would want to move your belongings to your local self storage facility if you do not need them for anything. Otherwise you would try to fit your things somewhere in the house.

If you are moving one room at a time, your local property manager will recommend a 5×10 for your storage needs. That should not cost you very much and you can have your belongings out of your way as you remodel. Take advantage of your local storage facility and your local property manager. They will hold on to your belongings until you have completed your project.

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Many self storage companies want to ensure they have all the customers need so they will not have to go looking to their competitors for solutions. The property managers take a lot of time to figure out what their competitors is doing and what they need to do to gain the business of people who need and want storage. Many customers like to shop around and look for the best value. The property managers want to inform the customers that they have the best value. Many of them will use a moving truck in order to seal the deal to get the customer to rent from them.

If you need a truck rental, you may be able to rent one from the facility that you are renting your storage unit from. Just ask the manager when you call in. The property managers will ensure they are pitching that to you quickly so know what they have to offer. Some managers will be laid back and discover the customers’ needs before they offer anything. Both methods are acceptable, just make sure as a customer, you ask the property manager about their moving truck options.

A free move in service will usually include a free truck and driver. You will not get movers to help you with everything. That is a common misconception and customers tend to be put off by that fact. They do not do it all by their selves but they know that not many companies will just offer a free truck and movers. If a property manager or company could figure out how to incorporate that or even give that to the customer at a discounted rate, they could be ahead of the game.

Having a moving truck could be crucial to your move. Having one large moving truck could have you make one big trip versus many small trips. You will only have to fill up the truck one if that versus filling your vehicle up many times depending on the trip. Property managers will tell you the stipulations on how their moving service works if they have one. Take full advantage of their service if there is one. Why would want to pass up a free truck to help you to move?

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As property managers you have to ensure that you are doing whatever you can to protect the customer as well as your business. Without customers coming in to rent you will not have a business to run. So for those property managers who are all about their business and put the customers on the back burner, they might want to rethink their stance. Believe it or not some property managers actually do not know that most of things they are selling to the customer as a feature are actually ways to ensure the safety of the customer. These features include a secure gating system, security cameras and also some type of coverage on their belongings.

Insurance coverage or some other sort of protection plan is not easily accepted by some people, including those who rent a self storage unit. You may notice more storage companies are taking the route of requiring or at least offering and encouraging renters to have coverage of their items they store. With the torrent of natural disasters that have occurred over the last few years, you can say those who had coverage whose unit was caught in a tornado or such were lucky to at least have something they could recoup. Those who did not, unfortunately were out of luck.

This time the caller I just spoke with decided to play it safe and make sure to ask about the coverage so he could apply for it. They felt they could never know when something could happen to their belongings so they wanted to have a security blanket. Just like insurance on their car, home and also on their life, self storage insurance is there to protect what you hold dear. Not everyone can come out of pocket to purchase the things they want or have lost. So when a property manager is offering you self storage insurance, do not give them a hard time. If you did not think what you were storing was important, you would just take it to the dump and be done with it. Instead you are storing these belongings. So ensure that your belongings are insured.

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