Managing Customer Expectations

Raise Satisfaction Levels Without Delivering the Moon

By Colleen Wood

Managing customers’ expectations is one of the most challenging aspects of operating a self storage facility. In today’s fast-paced market of drive-through service and super-sized orders, many customers have come to expect immediate service that is superior to competitors in the same arena. Naomi Karten, consultant and author of Managing Expectations and principal of Randolph, Mass.-based Karten Associates, says how satisfied (or dissatisfied) your customers are is determined by their expectations and your performance in meeting them.

Customers’ expectations are not static; they grow and change direction. Your customers’ level of satisfaction can be affected by changes in either their expectations or your performance, which means you have to pay attention to both.

Karten says things can get tricky here because how you perceive your performance often differs from how your customers perceive it. And in the end, customer satisfaction is driven by their perceptions, not yours. Both your product and your process are important to customers. Your facility should, of course, deliver a clean, safe, user-friendly storage environment with the expected amenities. But customer expectations don’t stop there. Karten says you must also attend to the process.

In fact, for many customers, the process is more important than the product. Process means how customers feel they’ve been treated—which is the level of customer service they feel you provide. In the customer interviews Karten conducts as part of her consulting work, she says she continually finds that customers who appreciate the way they’ve been treated uncomplainingly accept occasional delays and glitches. Although some customers seem to want the moon, many would really be satisfied with a strong dose of respect, attentiveness, and courtesy.

Karten understands that for some people seeking a self storage unit, the location of the facility may be the most important factor. But for others, she says, “It might be the size of the unit, security, privacy, ease of access, price, on-site assistance, or any number of other possibilities. Don’t presume to know what’s most important to the next customer who calls or visits,” Karten adds. “Ask questions to find out and focus your information accordingly. You’ll be well on your way to being a great expectations manager.”

Meeting Expectations
How can we manage customer expectations while maintaining industry standards of good operations procedures? Smyrna, Ga.-based Universal Management Company (UMC) trains their employees to begin that process with basic principles of professionalism: courtesy and good manners (including empathy for the customer’s situation), knowledge of our business (and anticipating customers’ needs), efficient operating procedures (being prepared), and good marketing techniques (accuracy in advertising). Careful attention to the following points will enhance your customer’s satisfaction level.

Courtesy And Good Manners
Customers expect and should be accorded every possible courtesy that we as self storage professionals should offer as the “norm.” This is one of the most important aspects of how customers perceive the process of doing business with your facility.

Employees should answer the telephone promptly and courteously. Conversations should be respectful, punctuated with “please” and “thank you.” Refer to customers as “Mr.,” “Ms.,” or “Mrs.,” repeatedly using their names in the conversation. Make customers feel important by being empathetic and respectful.

Knowledge Of The Business
Customers expect professional service and want their options explained. For this reason, new employees should be trained to understand all aspects of the services you offer. A self storage manager should be able to identify the differences between “needs” and “wants” and resolve an issue before it becomes a conflict.

In addition, it is critical for managers to stay abreast of the amenities offered by competitors. Conducting regular comp surveys affords you the advantage of pointing out the positive aspects of your facility over those of your competitors.

Anticipate Customer Needs
An integral part of customer service is anticipating the customer’s needs and communicating how the services offered can meet those needs effectively. Self storage is not an impulse buy. Those who require our services are usually facing some sort of life crisis: moving, divorce, or death of a family member are just a few examples. Consequently, customers are frequently in a hurry to accomplish this unpleasant task.

Your job is to have information close at hand about availability and pricing, services, amenities, helpful hints, and directions to your facility. Be sure you have a prepared package of information readily available that can be mailed, faxed, or e-mailed immediately upon request. Customer perception is that the most organized and efficient manager will provide the best long-term service.

Ask Questions
To assist customers most efficiently, listen carefully to their questions and concerns, be empathetic to their circumstances, and ask pertinent questions.

Asking the following questions indicates to customers that we are genuinely interested in meeting their needs: Who will be storing? What will be stored? When is the unit needed? Where will the customer be traveling from? Why is the customer storing? And how will the customer be transporting household goods?

A phone script can remind you to ask all the necessary questions, and making notes on the script allows managers to collect as much information about the customer as possible during the initial phone conversation or visit. This aids in completing some of the lease paperwork prior to move-in, saving the customer valuable time.

Needs Versus Wants
Customer “needs” should not be confused with customer “wants.” Often, customers’ expectations exceed the boundaries of available services. Offering clear and concise explanations during the initial contact with prospective customers allows them to identify the services available and helps you avoid misunderstandings later in the leasing process.

For example, outline the restrictions of time and distance when offering use of a free move-in truck. Customers frequently assume that a “free truck” means that they may use the truck any time they choose during their lease term. While some self storage facilities may have the luxury of offering this type of service, most facilities do not. Explain all of the amenities and leasing information clearly, in plain language, and ask the customer if they understand.

Offer Options
Some customer “wants” may be viable options managers will want to accommodate in order to provide the exceptional customer service that will secure the lease. For example, pharmaceutical reps and other commercial customers frequently need not only an invoice but also a receipt mailed, faxed, or e-mailed following payment. While this may be an “extra” service that is not normally provided, going the extra mile to assist a commercial customer can net a long-term lease.

Many commercial customers appreciate additional services such as automatic draft charges, pre-payment discounts (pay 11 months, get the 12th month free), and custom invoicing. It is important, however, if you can’t meet a customer’s want or expectation, that you clearly communicate that. Courteously explain the reasons why the service can’t be provided and suggest options that make them feel as if you are meeting them half way.

Efficient Operating Procedures:
The most important aspect in meeting customers’ expectations is to be prepared. Know your prices and availability when customers call or walk in. Customers should receive brochures or flyers with a description of facility features (computerized gate access, unit alarms, 24 hour access, etc.); unit price lists; POS price lists of moving and packing supplies; helpful hints on storing specialty items; business cards; referral fee program information; local information such as apartment communities, schools, restaurants, sports facilities, and maps of the area; free move-in truck rules; and giveaways that advertise your business (pens, magnets, calendars). Also include change of address forms for customers who are moving into or out of the area.

In addition to new customer procedures, all of your tenants expect you facility to be run in an efficient, professional manner. This gives them confidence that their goods are secure in your care. Answering the phone promptly and professionally, returning calls and e-mails promptly, opening and closing on time, and maintaining a clean, safe facility are services customers have a right to expect.

Always offer an apology and explanation when the service level falls to less than excellent for any reason or when a customer has to wait, even if they say they “don’t mind.”

Good Marketing Techniques
Customers are attracted to the convenience of “one-stop shopping.” Find ways to provide that and advertise those conveniences. If your facility does not have a free move-in truck, you might offer a discount on the first month’s rent to “compensate” the customer for the inconvenience of finding and renting a moving van. Or you can network with local moving companies or firms that rent moving vehicles and have that information readily available for your customer.

If you do not offer locks or packing and moving supplies, at least provide information about the nearest businesses that do carry these items. Network with those local businesses, exploring the possibility of having those items delivered to your store for your customer’s convenience. Customers expect you to be a storage professional in all aspects.

Accurate Advertising
When advertising your facility and its amenities, be honest and accurate in your publications and sales pitch. This is an area where false customer expectations can be created, and later, they can feel as if they’ve been let down. Remember that customers’ perceptions of your messages are “the gospel” to them.

If your facility information changes, make sure you update all forms, brochures, and flyers with the amended information. Examples include increased fees (administrative fees or increased street rates on unit prices or POS items) or discontinued services (truck rentals, free copier and fax services, eliminated business workstations, discontinued delivery acceptance, or mailbox services).

Customer expectations are frequently a challenge to the managers of self storage facilities. With thoughtful planning, preparation, and the goal of providing a good experience for customers, managers can not only meet but many times exceed those expectations. Providing excellence in service can be achieved by courteously greeting each customer, asking the right questions, demonstrating your expertise, and straightforward marketing.

Satisfied customers are those whose expectations have been met or exceeded. And these people will remember and tell others about the superior customer service they receive.

Colleen Wood is a Manager in Columbia, South Carolina, for Smyrna, Georgia-based Universal Management Company and is a frequent contributor to Self Storage Now!