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Does your property management company offer sales training and quality assurance? Chances are, they provide excellent bookkeeping services, self storage facility auditing, human resources, payroll services and maybe more. However, most self storage and commercial real estate property management companies are not equipped to train your store managers how to sell your service and increase monthly revenue.
The PhoneSmart Total Quality Assurance department can be your complete Sales Training Management business. Our services work magic when combined. For example, PhoneSmart can complete a sales training seminar or conference call so that all employees can learn or refresh their basic sales fundamentals. From there, we will perform monthly tests and check with Feedback Secret Shopping, Mystery Shopping and other secret shopping methods. Managers can also call us for help by participating in our Role Play Helpline where they’ll get one-on-one training with one of our reps from our highly trained and energetic sales floor team.
It’s common sense that a self storage owner needs some sort of property management system, whether internal or from an outside source. Isn’t it just as important that some one manage and care for the facility managers that determine how successful your business is? You can call PhoneSmart today at 866-639-1715.
Written by Sarah Little, TQA Director
Self Storage
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Secret Shopping
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Like many business owners, I have to control my profits and losses, my staff and the sales out of my building. With the help of other managers, we have to ensure that every customer is being helped and ensuring that they can not get that we give better service than the other stores they might decide to shop. We have to set the standard.
About twice a week, we get a report that shows us the level of service that we are getting from my sales floor. For the first time in a long time, I saw an associate receive a 100 percent score. I was ecstatic. It was amazing. In my industry, it is easy to receive a 100 percent score but for some reason it is not likely. I was proud to be one of the managers that have taken part in his training.
That amazement turned quickly into disappointment. The next mystery shop I received on that employee was a 16 percent. A complete 180 degree turn around. I approached the associate to ask him what he thinks his reason for the turn around could be. He told me that there is no way that he did that badly of a job. He went on to tell me that he gives great customer service every single time. I showed him the report and said, “It looks like that is not the case this time.”
I am thankful for secret shopping. I know it is not possible to get to every associate (in my building there are 85 associates) in order to ensure they are delivering great customer service. With a secret shopping program I can coach and train my associates to achieve the levels of customer service that I desire them to be at. If they choose not to deliver great customer service, I have the option to use the report to hold them accountable. Without secret shopping, I could not get a true measure on how my associates are treating my customers. I am grateful for secret shopping and my customers are appreciative as well.
Self storage owners can use a secret shopping program as quality assurance and sales training. Secret shopping is a great way to gauge what really goes on in the office and begin to improve customer service.
Joel Little, experienced sales manager.
Self Storage
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Property Management
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After last week’s ice storm, the tree near the back of our house has lost about 30 percent of it’s branches. As I sat in the living room with the kids, I sporadically heard huge cracking noises followed by a vibrated thud. The first time this happened I nearly fell off the couch as I rushed to see what had happened.
The branches were falling on our porch just inches from the house. We were one of the lucky ones because the tree and its branches never fell on the roof or our house. My neighborhood has tall oak trees and mature pine trees in almost every yard. Just two houses up the road, a tree fell onto the garage of one home. At least two trees fell over and pulled down power lines across the road.
It was a breath of fresh air when we saw the tree cutters rolling in from neighboring states, some from as far away and Louisiana and Colorado. They quickly cleaned up the mess, all except for the mess in my back yard.
My homeowners policy doesn’t cover tree removal unless the tree falls onto the home and because our back porch isn’t a covered porch, it isn’t considered an extension of the home.
Even though it looks like I’ll be cutting up a tree with the next thaw, I’m counting my blessings. Many homes were damaged and are now in need of some major home remodeling and repair. The huge tree in front of the boys’ windows didn’t lose one limb or ever threaten their safety.
Written by Sarah Little, TQA Director
Self Storage
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Property Management
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Total Quality Assurance would like to introduce the newest member of our team. Maryann Geyer, Account Manager began working in the TQA department Thursday December 13, 2007. She was chosen because of her strong background in sales and project management as well as her golden work ethic.
Although she’s still green and is just starting to learn the ropes, she’s already offered several suggestions that have been put into action, which include: re-organizing our filing system, re-structuring our billing and she’s offered some exciting new blog topics that will be ready soon.
Maryann’s duties at PhoneSmart will be to serve as an Account Manager for several of the company’s secret shopping clients. She is also responsible for the PhoneSmart Call Center Quality Assurance and will conduct random reviews of each call center rep twice per month. Maryann will eventually take a hand in blogging as well.
Maryann’s hometown is Denver, Colorado. She’s the wife of a retired Chief Master Sergeant and they have moved a total of 15 times so far. Some of her favorite places she has called home are Alaska and Germany. She has two daughters and two grandaughters with one more grandbaby on the way; she hopes this one is a boy.
Reported by Sarah Little, TQA Director
Self Storage
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Secret Shopping
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PhoneSmart Will Never Fail
On Sunday December 9th, an ice storm closed PhoneSmart Call Center doors because of Saturday night’s bad weather. The roads were too icy and treacherous for employees to drive on and the number of car accidents in town, proved it. Many of our employees couldn’t even make it out of their own driveways.
On Sunday night the city had concentrated most of their efforts on the main roads to make sure they were as drivable as they could be, and then handled the side roads. Monday we were back in business. As the weatherman tracked the next big ice storm, which was headed directly for us, we kept track too. This one was the big one. The ice storm that could potentially shut down power all over the city. We wanted to make sure that PhoneSmart would not close again as we still wanted to be able to answer self storage calls and give self storage quotes for our clients. But how could we ensure that we would be able to stay open since we were in the path of it?
To Tron, the answer was simple. Have employees spend the night at PhoneSmart! But would anyone volunteer for it? We had 3 employees who did. Liz, DJ and myself were up for the challenge. We weren’t worried as we have a back up generator in case the power goes out. Tron purchased a couple of sleeping bags, air mattresses, flashlights, candles and tons of snacks. The cheesecake was delicious! Yum! And since I’ve not heard of any other businesses spending the night at their place of work just to make sure that it would be business as usual, I had to write this self storage blog.
Luckily the stormed shifted its direction and just missed us, only giving us a lot of rain. The next morning could still have been treacherous if that rain had turned to ice by morning. Some say that the reason we didn’t get the eye of the storm was because we did stay the night. Had we not stayed the night, we would’ve had the bad weather and PhoneSmart doors could’ve been closed again.
Written by Robin Turner, Call Center Co-Director
Self Storage
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Secret Shopping
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Last week I visited the local mall in Columbia with my husband who was checking to see if he could get in to the barber shop for a hair cut. Since the store wasn’t far from the entrance I waited in the car, but it was taking a bit too long for him to get back. I parked the car and went in to find him with a box in his hand and a young lady with a Santa Claus hat on talking a mile a minute. When I walked up to the kiosk in the center of the store where they were, she quickly turned her attention to me and I found myself taking his place.
So here I was holding a box of nail care products listening to someone who’s wearing a Santa Claus hat, wondering to myself how I got into this predicament. As I listened to her talk all I could think of was asking her to work for us in the Call Center. Her sales techniques grabbed my attention. She didn’t just tell me about the product but she showed me exactly how easy it was to use. She demonstrated how to use the product on my hand and nails so I could see for myself how wonderful the product was.
Not only did she have me thinking that I wanted to purchase this item, but who else I could purchase it for. In the self storage business you can utilize these same sales techniques to up sell your customers on the products you sell inside of the store. Although they may not have intended to purchase boxes when they came to rent their self storage unit, they could leave your store with boxes in hand.
Her attitude and confidence level was great. She smiled and kept a positive attitude and she didn’t let my rejections for the product stop her in her tracks. She continued as if to say she hadn’t given me enough information to appropriately make an educated decision. She responded to my concerns. Not just one or two of them but all of them. And when it came to the money concern she was able to give me a cut in price. Not only once, but she cut the price twice with the approval of her supervisor.
So with product in hand and paid for, I walked away. Only to walk back past her to get to my car and leave, she approached me again and introduced another product the same way she did the first time. There I was going home happily with 2 products I didn’t even know I needed.
Written by Robin Turner, Call Center Co-Director
Self Storage
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Property Management
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Have you ever telephoned a business and been put on hold? And then you got that hum-drum, monotonous, boring music? Or even worse, you had to listen to some pre-recorded sales pitch yelling at you? But you knew you HAD to hang on and put up with the annoyance, or you would loose your place in the dreaded telephone queue? And the only alternative was to call back, and start the whole process all over again? Of course you’ve experienced this, we all have. That is just a part of life now in America in the 21st Century.
Once again, our PhoneSmart Director Tron Jordheim has come up with an outside the box solution. Instead of the customary Hold Music/Elevator Music that we all hear while waiting on hold for a self storage quote, he has recently installed a fun repertoire including Knock Knock and other jokes for those folks that have to wait for a self storage representative. Even if a person waiting for self storage finds these jokes to be childish or maybe even annoying, at least the caller is probably paying attention, and that is the ultimate goal!
Here’s just a sampling of Tron’s wit:
Knock Knock
(Who's There?)
Norma Lee
(Norma Lee who?)
Normally, I ring the bell!!
Knock Knock
(Who's there?)
Ben
(Ben Who?)
Been knocking so long my knuckles hurt!
Why did the cookie go to the doctor?
Because he felt crumby!!
Knock Knock
(Who's There?)
Althea
(Althea who?)
I'll thee ya soon!
Compiled By Ann Sheehan, PhoneSmart Call Center Representative
Self Storage
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When a self storage property management team member is unable to answer the telephone the caller is automatically forwarded to a messaging system. The message prompt basically says to Press 1 to rent a new storage unit, or Press 2 to leave a voicemail for the manager. Even though callers do not need to rent a new space, they often go ahead and Press 1 just because they want to speak to a live person. (Several times a day I get asked, Are you a real person?) Here are a few examples of manager calls that I have gotten just this week.
Many of our PhoneSmart client locations, especially in Oklahoma and Kansas self storage, lost electricity and phone service this past week due to severe ice storms. PhoneSmart phone reps were able to keep callers abreast of the progress of the utility crews and the conditions of their local storage facility.
A woman from Maryland called. She wanted to let the local store manager know that there were several young kids playing on the pond behind the storage facility. Even though it was cold outside and schools were called off, she was concerned that the ice was not thick enough and someone could get hurt. I was able to relay the message to that particular store manager.
It is only a couple of weeks until Christmas so many of our PhoneSmart self storage clients are closing their stores early on a particular day to have a holiday party. PhoneSmart reps are able to explain this to callers and give them the option to leave a voice mail message, or to call back during office hours the following day.
PhoneSmart reps are here to help our clients rent units to new customers, but we are also here to help answer questions and assist callers in any way we can. We are so much better than just a simple answering machine!
Written by Ann Sheehan, PhoneSmart Call Center Representative.
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Today’s daily tip: ask the self storage caller at the end of the call if they have any questions before the call is over. Why? Well if you have done a good job letting the caller know about features, benefits, additional fees and asked qualifying questions then the caller should not have any doubt about renting there. But, sometimes sales people have a tendency to go on and on and not be listening to the caller and when you ask then at the end of the call if they have any questions it gives them a chance to clarify anything that was talked about on the phone. Another reason you should ask the caller if they have any questions before ending the call is it gives you the manager one last chance at great self storage customer service. You want the caller to come off the phone with a good feeling, and if you leave them with a good impression at the beginning, middle and end of the call, they will carry that feeling with them. In some cities there are many self storage companies to choose from, what sets your self storage property apart from the rest? It might just be the way you handle yourself on the phone.
Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.
Self Storage
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The holiday season is upon us and soon the New Year will be here. Typically the winter months are a slower season for self storage. What does this mean for your self storage business? Well, one thing that is great about your business pace slowing down is that you can catch up on all the things you couldn’t do when you were busy. Things like, giving the office a deep clean, painting, weed control, pest control, filing, paperwork, property maintenance, and anything else that might need a little work. Another thing to do when you are not as busy is to go over your sales strategies and work on your sales techniques. We welcome the busy season as rentals that will just walk in the door and when it is slower it may seem like you have work a bit harder to get that same rental.
Here at PhoneSmart, we have all of our phone representative refresh their sales dialog and presentation. Because we care about our clients and our callers we hope to deliver the best customer service to each and every caller. Besides turning your missed calls into self storage reservations, we also can answer some manager questions and take payments for self storage units over the phone. So depending on what your self storage business needs are, you might need PhoneSmart to help make you business even more successful.
Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.
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This past Saturday evening Mid-Missouri was blanketed with up to an inch of ice; yes, pure ICE. Snow we can deal with, but ice is impossible. It not only makes for hazardous road conditions, but power outages and a host of other problems. Emergency personnel advised that everyone stay at home and off the roadways on Sunday, so our director Tron Jordheim closed the PhoneSmart Call Center.
Things improved somewhat on Monday. Schools were cancelled which allowed road crews to make good progress laying salts and chemicals on the streets. Most of our employees were able to make it to work; maybe a little late, but thankfully all in one piece. The only problem was that the weather forecasters were calling for another serious round of ice storms for Monday night. We thought, here we go again.
In steps, Tron with his Outside the Box mentality, came up with the perfect solution. He simply asked for volunteers to spend Monday night at PhoneSmart. Since we have a backup generator, even if the power went out and the streets were treacherous we would still be able to answer calls for our self storage clients. Tron would provide sleeping bags, air mattresses, snacks, etc. for anyone up to the challenge. He had three people take him up on it.
As luck would have it, the temperature only got down to 33.5 degrees that night. All precipitation fell as rain, and the roadways did not refreeze. Our three volunteers were tired the next morning, but still raring to get on the phones and give self storage rates.
Tron is always willing to get a little creative when it comes to providing the best customer service to our call center clients. And we all have a funny ditty we will be talking about for some time!
Written by Ann Sheehan, call center representative.
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As a phone rep at the PhoneSmart Call Center it always amazes me how many times a day my customer does not listen to a word I say. Sometimes it can be frustrating, and other times it is just downright funny. But every now and then I get a caller that is fully attentive to what I am saying; it is just we both are talking about something entirely different! Here are just a few examples of conversations I have had this past week.
A customer called and was desperately in need of storage. The first thing I did was verify that our location on Hwy 54 was going to be convenient for them. After she concurred, I continued with the rest of my spiel. The Problem? Eventually we both discovered that she needed a unit at our facility that was forty miles away from the location that I was telling her about. It seems both are located on Hwy 54, just in different cities that have Florida self storage.
A customer called and said he needed something fifteen feet long. I confirmed that we had a convenient location, explained our great amenities, verified he needed it next day, and gave him the price. I got agreements on all of my five agreements, as I have always been trained. The Problem? He needed a rental truck, and I was discussing a storage unit.
A woman called and asked if we sprayed for bugs. I explained that we have a regular, diligent pest control routine to stop any problems before they even have a chance to start. The Problem? It seems she has severe allergies, and is allergic to all fumigants. She was looking for a property that never uses any pesticides.
Written by Ann Sheehan, PhoneSmart Call Center Representative.
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Snap! Crackle! Pop!
These have been familiar sounds here in the Midwest these last couple of days. Snow is one thing, but right now we are experiencing what is being dubbed the Ice Storm of 2007.
Thankfully the weather forecasters gave us some advanced warning, and most people were somewhat prepared. The problem, of course, is that it is always easier to prepare after the fact. So here are several things good Missouri property management teams need to do before this weather system heads to the Northeast; things that should ideally always be done before Ol’ Man Winter ever even strikes.
Clear all powerlines of any overhanging tree limbs. The electric company does this every couple of years or so, but it is a good idea to stay ahead on this chore. Freezing temperatures can be a nuisance; freezing temperatures without power can be deadly.
Clear all large and/or dangling tree limbs away from buildings and structures. A combination of ice and snow will cause that seemingly harmless branch to come crashing down on that structure, probably in the middle of the night.
Have someone reliable lined up to clear driveways and sidewalks before any inclement weather arrives. There are a lot of scammers willing to take advantage of people in desperate situations.
Keep an ample supply of Ice Melt, salt, and sand on hand. No matter how treacherous the weather conditions are, there will always be self storage customers driving and walking on your property.
Make certain all of your tenants know what to do in case of an emergency. Prolonged power outages can be very serious, especially for the elderly and anyone with special needs. Contingency plans are of the utmost importance in self storage.
Certainly ice storms can be intimidating. But just think, we are one day closer to spring!
Written by Ann Sheehan, PhoneSmart Call Center Representative
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Lorenzo Lawson and I met several years ago when we were both phone reps at the PhoneSmart Call Center. He was a dear friend to me as my mother passed away, and he has since moved on with his ministry skills to help others in need. Bishop Lawson is involved in many different projects, one being the Youth Empowerment Zone, better known as YEZ. PhoneSmart self storage call center is proud to be corporate sponsor of YEZ.
YEZ is inspired by the Harlem Children’s Zone, which has been around since the mid 1980’s and has had a great deal of success. The goal for both organizations is to assist troubled youth into becoming accomplished adults. Here are just a few of the core principles put into place by YEZ, as quoted in a local newspaper.
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We believe every young person has unique talents and abilities.
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We believe that if provided with adequate resources and tools, every young person can create a successful future.
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We believe life-management skills are necessary for success.
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We believe positive relationships with adult role models positively influence youth.
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We believe a person’s current situation or economic status is not indicative of his or her potential or ability.
Obviously, YEZ is looking to the community and people of all walks of life to assist in this project. As a proud partner of this worthy organization, PhoneSmart has hired several of their youth and we have provided job mentors. During our slow winter season these next several months some of our self storage employees will be working with Lorenzo and the Youth Empowerment Zone in many different capacities. Remember, It takes a village to raise a child.
Check out the article about the Harlem’s Children’s Zone on the self storage blog website.
Written by Ann Sheehan, PhoneSmart Call center Representative
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Well we got it. We got a pretty bad winter storm that came through the area. Not too much snow but plenty of freezing rain, sleet and cold temperatures. Hopefully, you have winter proofed your home to the elements. Here are nine tips on how to help your home survive the winter intact:
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Make sure garden hoses are unhooked and outside faucets are winterized
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If you have an older home you might want to put clear plastic coverings over the windows to prevent cold air from leaking in
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Keep patios empty so that snow and ice removal will be easier
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Rent a self storage unit to store away those grills, bikes, patio furniture to keep them out of the weather
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Check you dryer vent to make sure it is in good repair and clear of any lint buildup
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Check trees on your property to make sure they are not close to any power lines
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Use your garage to park cars (garage- park cars, that’s a great idea)
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Keep you walkways and sidewalks clean of snow and ice
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Be a good neighbor and help out someone in need
These are just a few tips on how to make your home, yard and garage survive the winter a little better. A self storage unit is a great way to get some of those extra garage items out of the way so your vehicle will fit. Call your local self storage business for information.
Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.
Self Storage
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Secret Shopping Blog
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It is important to make every customer feel that they are important and that you appreciate their business, regardless of their age. When customers have children with them, it is important that you also give them your attention. Although I’m not saying that you should ignore the adults when they are speaking, but that you make the child feel important also. You can do so by including them in your greeting and answering questions that they may have also.
No matter what business you are in it is important to realize that they only reason you are there is to serve people. You’re not a storage company serving people; you are a people company providing storage. Your main focus should be on serving the customer. Some will be harder to please than others will but everyone has that one thing that will satisfy them.
Go for the WOW. Sometimes there will be customers that have a complaint. It is important that you listen to them without interruption and if possible repeat what their problem is so you both are on the same page. After you correct the problem, try to go for the WOW again by going above fixing the problem to give them something that they were not expecting.
This will help erase the bad feeling that they had previously and leave them with a positive image of your company.
Written by Heather Gerling, Restaurant Manager
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Henry Paulson, Treasury Secretary and President George W. Bush revealed a plan yesterday, December 6, 2007 that aims to help homeowners with adjustable rate mortgages. Qualifying homeowners would be protected from increasing interest rates by freezing their current interest rate for five years.
The goal is to help the economy by keeping homeowners out of foreclosure as a result from the housing slump. Extremely high foreclosure rates would force people to leave their home and would have a rippling effect throughout the economy.
The self storage industry will be affected no matter which way the housing market rises or falls. But is self storage in danger of seeing a slump of their own?
Homeowners value their treasures and belongings such as wedding albums, family heirlooms and handmade crafts maybe more than they do the four walls they live in. After all, it’s those things that make a house a home. If they were forced from their home, those items wouldn’t be sitting in the dumpster. Families would look to self storage for safekeeping their belongings until things start looking up for them.
If President Bush and Mr. Paulson’s plan does keep Americans out of foreclosure, then those consumers would continue spending, and collecting more treasures. Families will find themselves needing extra space to store Christmas decorations and knickknacks and look to self storage for the answer.
It looks like self storage owners are still wise investors in an industry that has proven necessary for all walks of life by meeting humanity’s basic needs, shelter.
Written by, Sarah Little TQA Director
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Today, the phrase Yellow Pages is used worldwide, and refers both to the printed form as well as to online business directories. According to Wikipedia, the Yellow Pages came to be in 1883, when a printer ran out of white paper while printing the telephone directory and used yellow paper instead. Directories appearing on the Internet are officially known as IYP, Internet Yellow Pages.
As a phone rep with the PhoneSmart Call Center lately I have been doing marketing surveys for one of our self storage clients about self storage rates. One of the questions is, did you use the print Yellow Pages while searching for storage? 100% of the people I have spoken to all have said, No!
I am amazed! I’ve always assumed everyone uses the printed version of the Yellow Pages to find any kind of business or service. When I was young that was basically our only option!
Then I got to thinking about it and I guess it makes sense. Generations X and Y have all grown up with the Internet and cell phones. It is natural for them to jump on the computer to Google an address or to call 411 for a telephone number. And my age group, the Baby Boomers, can no longer see the fine print in the Yellow Pages.
So even though everyone still knows what a telephone book is, it is extremely important for all property management and self storage owners to make sure their phone number appears in both the print and virtual forms of the Yellow Pages!
Written by Ann Sheehan, Call Center Representative.
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What do you do with your secret shopping evaluations when you receive them? Do you review them and then take time to go over them with each employee? Do you hand them out and let your employees know that they can ask questions? Do you put them in their mailboxes and hope they find them?
We here at PhoneSmart hope that someone can go over the secret shopping evaluation form and call with each employee. Now I know that sounds like a big task but your employees will really benefit from the interaction and wisdom you can share with them about sales and customer service. Some of the self storage companies we work with have a certain score to reach as a goal and if that score is not reached the employee must then go over the evaluation with a manager or regional manager. If you are a self storage owner that has a lot of self storage employees or are really crunched on time, you might want to consider our newest form of secret shopping, the Feedback Shop. The feedback shop consists of a regular mystery shop and then at the end of the call the shopper revels himself or herself to the manager and then goes over the call right then. This is a great alternative to the regular mystery shop and it provides instant feedback and tips on selling self storage and customer service ideas. We are here to help your self storage and property management company succeed. Call us at 866-639-1715 for information on our services.
Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.
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I have finally wised up! Unfortunately, my cable company has not.
I am embarrassed to say that I currently pay more each month for two cell phones than my utilities cost. When I saw the last bill I was exasperated; how could those charges be justified? My husband uses nearly 600 minutes each month making self storage secret shopping calls, keep in mind those are all daytime/ peak minutes. We had to find a better solution.
He checked into some bundling packages offered by various providers in the area. We found a package that would include Direct TV, DSL and a land line for $60 per month. When we looked to see what our current internet/ cable provider had to offer in the way of bundles, they only had good deals for new customers.
Being loyal, and mostly too lazy to go to the trouble to switch all that, we called our current provider and asked them if they had any specials for current customers. This was the representatives reply:
Representative: No, we only care about new customers and that’s why we offer them the good deals. This is why we lose most of our business.
She then cracked a smile; that was her attempt at humoring us. She went on to say: We all tell our managers that we keep losing business and that we need to offer these deals to current customers, but our suggestions fall on deaf ears.
Wow! This is a huge company and they’ve become the victim of their own massive size. Oftentimes, the workers who actually perform the day to day job can give suggestions that would save a company thousands of dollars, or in this case, thousands of customers.
Let the self storage industry take a lesson from them. As our storage corporations and franchises grow, we amass single properties into our company. Let’s not forget the people who live and work at those facilities and the value of their input.
Think about it; you could be headquartered in Georgia. How do you know the local self storage needs of your Odenton, Maryland self storage location? The managers at your facilities are the most valuable resource you have. Listen to them.
Written by Sarah Little, TQA Director
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Being the manager of any property is difficult in and of itself, but trying to efficiently run a staff, adds to that difficulty. With managing a property, there are a lot of things that you are held accountable to. You need to make sure that every one that works for you is on the same page as you. You have to ensure that the lines of communication are open and are being used frequently.
When I am running my department in my store, I am accountable for sales, merchandising, customer service and inventory. I have to ensure that I have people on my staff that will do the job well and care about the job. When something needs to be done, I can do it myself to ensure that it either gets done on time and is accurate, or delegate it to someone else.
Other keys to a team that communicates well are, being detail oriented. I like to have the employee repeat back to me or write down the task, and most important is following up with them. With out following up with your employees, you are not ensuring that what you have communicated to them is being done.
As managers, we are put in charge for a reason and we are probably really good at what we do. One sure way to succeed with our business is to make sure we have an open line of communication with our teams to ensure inventory is counted, alarms on storage units are tested periodically, specials are being offered to our new storage customers, etc. The better your communication that is between you and your team, the less you physically have to do.
Written by Guest Blogger, Joel Little
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Today’s daily tip from the PhoneSmart call center is to SMILE when you are answering the phone. Yes, I said to smile when you answer the phone. The person on the other end will not be able to see you smile but they will be able to hear it in your voice. These first few seconds on the phone are critical when trying to build rapport and trust from a potential self storage customer. If you have a million things going on around you and you pick up the phone and blurt out a greeting, it will show that you are not ready to give your full attention to the self storage caller. You would be surprised to know the amount of self storage managers that pick up the phone and are still talking to someone else in the room and then they say Hello. It is almost like the person calling is an afterthought. If you are talking to someone else in the room, finish or put the conversation on hold and then pick up the phone, don’t forget to smile and give your best customer service. So, it does not matter whether you are answering for San Antonio Self Storage or Springfield Self Storage any self storage owner will want you to dedicate your attention to answering the phone with a smile.
Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.
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I flew in this morning to attend a meeting of the National Speakers Association in the French Quarter. I am going to a product development lab that will help us fine-tune our newest training and secret shopping products. I really enjoy going to creative conferences that are outside of our normal spheres of business, because I get to rub elbows with people from many different business classifications who help stir my creative juices. It was sad to see that there was only one cab line at Louis Armstrong airport. Before Katrina there were always two or three lines going. You can’t see whether the city is making progress or not on your trip in form the airport to the French Quarter. The French Quarter did not suffer too much from the Katrina business and was brought back up to speed quickly. I did notice a new self storage facility along Interstate 10. This may not be a sign that something good is happening. It may just have been a replacement for a self storage facility that floated away near Louisiana self storage.
I was on the plane with a group of pre-teen or early teen kids who, some of whom were flying for the very first time. I got some smiles remembering how awesome it is the first few times. It still is amazing to fly so fast and so high and move so many miles in such little time. I might be flying over Lake Charles self storage right now. But these days, I’d rather take a nap than spend the whole flight examining the landscapes.
I intend to do some good eating while here in New Orleans and get some great inspiration for our next service or product offering.
Written by Tron Jordheim, Director of PhoneSmart
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I wish I had a storage unit full of the Nintendo Wii video games. I went out shopping yesterday will full intent on buying two different video game systems. First I wanted to buy a Nintendo DS lite handheld system for my dad and then I wanted the Wii for my house. Little did I know that finding the Wii system is next to impossible. I have not been hiding under a rock but have also not been out doing any holiday shopping. After yesterdays encounter, I then noticed newspaper stories and news stories about how the Wii is a big holiday seller. I was pretty naïve to think I could walk into a store and just pick one up.
I wish I owned a self storage business, somewhere fun like Austin self storage or Colorado, Basalt self storage. Owning a self storage business would be a great way to take advantage of land that might not be desirable to develop into something else. Maybe a site in Kansas City self storage would give you a large city atmosphere but not as big as a self storage unit in New York City. What do you wish you had a self storage unit full of?
Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.
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