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ISSUE: Nov/Dec 2007
By Hal Moore 
When self storage customers across the nation are surveyed about what feature most influenced them to rent from their storage provider, the answer is usually safety and security. Although price, location, and convenience are also major considerations, how safe customers feel at your property can win or lose you many rentals and much revenue. When we look at safety, you can see the incredible impact and influence the manager has on that factor at a self storage property. Just follow these steps. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 … .
1. Protect Yourself
As the property manager, start with your own personal safety and care from head to toe—an injured or incapacitated manager isn’t well able to rent units or take care of customers.
Let’s start with the top of your head. In self storage, the busiest times of year also coincide with lots of sunshine and, in the Sunbelt and Southwestern regions, intense heat. It is important to cover your head and use sunscreen on your exposed skin when out and about on the property. Many companies provide hats with their uniforms—do wear them. Also, make sure if you use a golf cart that there is a top on it to provide shade from the sun. Regardless of your natural skin color—all skin can be damaged by too much exposure to the sun.
Equally important is to stay hydrated. Be sure to drink enough fluids. If you are taking any type of medication for diabetes or high blood pressure, fluid intake is especially critical. Is coffee a fluid? Yes, but it is also a diuretic that drains your body of minerals and water. Therefore, if you drink lot of coffee or caffeinated soft drinks, you still need to drink a lot of water.
Work clothes that fit properly are also important. Whether you wear a uniform or your own clothes, the fit should be comfortable and provide for good mobility. Clothing that is too loose (such as very baggy trousers) can lead to fabric getting pulled into machinery or other tools that have moving parts. Clothes that are too tight can cut off circulation to your arms and legs, causing cramps and muscles strains. Tight clothing also does not allow your skin to cool off properly. This puts extra strain on your metabolism, which raises your body temperature and makes you feel miserable— not great for customer service.
When cold weather sets in, your goals are very similar. Make every effort to keep your bare skin from being exposed to the elements; stay dry and cover your head. As National Geographic explorers say: “cotton kills” in cold weather. Although it’s ideal for warm weather, stay away from cotton clothing for your layered garments in cold temperatures because it will not insulate your body. Wear wool or wool and synthetic blends instead.
How about your hands and feet? Hands are especially vulnerable when you are outside on property. Use gloves along with good common sense—in a battle of metal versus human skin and bones, the metal always wins. When dealing with steel fittings and parts, be extremely careful. As far as your feet are concerned, use the “pork and beans test.” If you had a large steel can of pork and beans, would you be willing to drop that can on your foot from about chest high wearing your current footwear? If your answer is no, you probably need to get a sturdier and safer pair of work shoes.
What about jewelry, bangles, piercings, and earrings? Here’s a basic rule: If it is visible, it is vulnerable. That means it can get caught on boxes, packing materials, or machinery and get mangled— and you can get mangled along with it. Also, remember that anything visible that someone else might want to have can result in it being taken from you. I either situation, there is a possibility that you can be badly hurt. My advice is to leave the “bling” at home.
Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when cutting locks, and be sure to keep the area around you clear of spectators. Once you start the drill or clamp down on the bolt cutters, there is no predictable flight path for stray bits of metal or filings. Play it safe! Being in good overall health makes you a safety asset rather than liability. Proper lifting techniques, a good diet, not smoking, and maintaining an active pace of life should keep you out of the doctor’s office and on the property. If it’s bad for your body—it’s bad for business!
2. Protect Your Customers
Protecting customers starts with you looking at your property the same way those guys on “CSI: Las Vegas” look at a crime scene. I’m not sure you need all the fancy lights and sunglasses, but you’ll want to be just as thorough and just as dedicated. Let’s start at the front gate. Are the signs secured and do they conform to local regulations? In windy weather, those colorful signs can become lethal weapons if they come undone and begin flying. Don’t take any shortcuts when putting them up, and in extreme weather, you might need to take down potentially hazardous signs.
Is the approach to the office clear of debris? Can customers see in, and can you see out? Door decals and other signs should not obstruct a two-way view from the counter. How safe are your customers going to feel if they can’t see inside. Conversely, bad guys are always looking for small businesses where the victims’ view of their approach is limited.
Inside your showroom or office—is it roomy enough? Can customers walk around without rubbing shoulders with stack of boxes? Is there a place to sit down for customers who need to rest? Do you provide access to a restroom? Are there any jagged or exposed plastic, glass, or metal edges or fixtures? These are just a few questions you can ask yourself to make sure you are protecting your customers.
When you tour the property with customers, keep the same CSI mindset. Look for wet or oily spills and get them cleaned up ASAP. Use hazard signs that spell out things like WET FLOOR, WET PAINT, or DO NOT ENTER.
These are other things you can control that might be big turn-offs for customers and give them the impression that your property might not be safe:
• Lights that don’t work
• Elevators and lifts that are out of order
• Unsecured units
• Bad smells
• Bare or loose wires
• No first aid kits or fire extinguishers visible
• Unkempt landscaping and weeds
• Evidence of bugs, rodents, or other vermin
• Damaged gates and access ways
• Broken or damaged security cameras or other equipment
• Vagrants or loiterers present on the property
Most companies have very strict guidelines about maintenance of and access to the property. It might be a tedious job to follow all the checklists, but keep in mind it takes just one incident of negligence to undo years of hard work by owners, developers, and managers.
3. The Safety Team
Customers, the community, and facility personnel all make up the safety team. Whether they are potential customers walking in or long-term tenants, the people who visit your facility serve as extra eyes and ears in your effort to maintain a safe and secure facility. Encourage customers to report anything out of the ordinary they observe on the property—hack marks on locks, cameras moved, alterations to units, or access to electricity or water that seems unusual. You may hear some silly things reported, but in the long run, you may uncover serious potential hazards when you follow up diligently on customers’ concerns.
Other important people on your safety team include members of your local residential and business and community. Being an active and dynamic member of your chamber of commerce demonstrates your desire to be team player and other businesses in your area will pitch in to look out for you and your customers.
Holding events on your property that will bring positive contact with law enforcement and emergency personnel is also wise. Programs for safety training or kids’ ID programs held at your facility are positive ways to interact with law enforcement and safety professionals. Safety is a critical element of a well-run self storage operation … and it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. Take care of yourself, protect your customers, and create a safety team at
your facility.
Hal Moore is Owner of Alexandria, Virginia based Moore Creative Concepts, which designs and delivers customized training programs, learning products, and merchandising support to the self storage industry.
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