Manager’s Helper:
10 Simple Rules ... For Excellent Customer Service

By Tammy LeRoy

1. Answer the phone.
A surprising number of self-storage managers think it is okay to “let the machine get it” if they are otherwise occupied when the telephone rings. It is frustrating for existing customers to reach a machine, and you can bet that prospective customers will move right down the list in the Yellow Pages. Ensure that every caller reaches a live person. This may entail forwarding your phone, excusing yourself long enough to get a callback number, or using a call center.

2. Provide solutions.
You are a self-storage expert and not just a renter of storage units, and customers will truly respect your knowledge and expertise. Provide the right solution instead of fitting a storer into whichever unit size you have the most of.

3. Listen.
Listening involves more than hearing. Don’t you feel truly valued when someone listens intently to what you are saying? Of course you do, and so do your customers. Listening is important when making a sale, but it is especially important when an existing customer has an issue to be resolved.

4. Add value.
What can you offer a customer in addition to space? If you’re not including these things in your sales presentation, you’re not doing the customer justice. Write down several ways you can and already do add value. Then promote what you already provide, and get started on new value-add initiatives that set your facility apart.

5. Make it easy to rent.
This can involve having an organized new customer packet and an efficient move-in procedure; extended hours or opening for a few hours on holidays; Web site reservations; or even adding a kiosk for after-hours rentals.

6. Say “yes.”
Going out of your way a bit to accommodate a customer’s special needs will only pay off in the long run. You aren’t just leasing space to individuals; you are building a reputation—good or bad—for the kind of customer service your facility provides. Find a way to say “yes.”

7. Deliver what you promise.
When you do say yes, be sure to follow through. Customers will remember down the road the customer service commitments you made in your sales presentation. Don’t let these be empty words.

8. Handle complaints.
It’s your job to resolve all customer complaints—without giving them the runaround. Be honest if the mistake is on your end, and give customers the benefit of the doubt if you’re not sure. Ask an upset tenant what you could do to make them a satisfied customer. Often, they want less than you might guess.

9. Ask customers how you’re doing.
Customer satisfaction surveys are one way to do this but just asking customers you come into contact with what you could do better can reveal much. With customers who are absolutely delighted with your facility, solicit brief testimonials and use them in your marketing.

10. Distinguish your facility with customer service.
As previously mentioned, you are creating your reputation every day with each customer interaction. Most of us have, at least once, received service so outstanding that it has stayed in our memory. Acceptable customer service is okay, but it isn’t memorable. Create moments for your customers that they will still remember in the future. If you create enough outstanding service moments for enough customers, your competitors simply won’t stand a chance.

Tammy LeRoy is Editor of Self-Storage Now and Associate Editor of Mini-Storage Messenger magazine.