While in college, students have a summer break for about three until four months. Most of the time there are specials for college students for furniture storage during the spring, so reservations must be made in advance to ensure that one will have a furniture storage unit for the summer months. Typically, students leave their dorms and apartments and either travel or go home for these months. During this time some students may need furniture storage to house their items. Dormitory living requires minimal furniture, for example a mini fridge, boxes, totes, clothes and maybe a futon or couch. So, on average a college student that lives in a dorm may possibly need either a 5x5 or a 5x10 unit for furniture storage. A student that lives in an apartment or house may also need storage in the summer when their leases expire. Just like any other customer that would need storage for a house or apartment, a students will need a 5x10, 5x15 or maybe even a 10x10 unit for furniture storage.
Also, springtime is a time for love and marriage. There are many steps in preparation for marriage, the move in and the honeymoon. To prepare for the wedding itself many things must be purchased and rented for the ceremony like chairs, flowers, decoration etc. Using furniture storage would be an excellent idea if they are rented or bought in advance. In preparation for the move in for the bride and groom furniture must be combined, stored or discarded to ensure that the home will not be overcrowded. This too would be a prefect time to rent furniture storage. Finally, the everlasting, romantic getaway for the bride and groom may also be a good time for furniture storage depending on the amount of time they will be away.
The busy season for self storage continues with tenants from all over until about October when the weather cools off and people are less likely to get out and move. During that time, the storage business tapers off and people begin settling in their homes more and are no longer enjoying the spring and summer weather.
These interactive computer terminals are user friendly and take up very little space. They are connected to the Internet so everything is in real time. These features make the kiosk a perfect property management tool for any sized self storage company, from a small satellite location all the way up to a huge facility located in the middle of a big city.
The kiosk can rent storage units, take payments, and sell locks and insurance. It is able to do many of the things that a self storage employee can do. The advantage to having a person working at a storage facility is the warm and fuzzy feeling that can come with human contact. The advantage to employing an automated property management kiosk at the location is that the machine does not call in sick, ask for a raise, or demand benefits.
The kiosk allows customers to rent a new self storage unit without having to rely on a self storage employee. It lets the tenant see a virtual map of the various sized units that are available. This property management device then shows them the different prices and any specials that are currently going on. The customer next picks which unit will work the best for them and proceeds to rent their unit using the kiosk. The new lessee can pay for the unit, get their gate code, and then move into the storage space immediately.
The property management kiosk usually has a camera to take pictures of the new renter and scanners for a copy of a fingerprint and drivers license. The customer signs a digital signature reader. They are able to pay using cash, check, or credit or debit card. Everything is completely legal and secure. An intercom is often available that connects to a self storage employee located offsite or in a call center, in case the new tenant has any questions or problems.
A small self storage location or a satellite property can benefit from using a kiosk. The self storage property management company does not have to hire a person to simply sit around the location, waiting for a customer to arrive.
A medium sized self storage location can take advantage of a kiosk as well. Customers are able to come to the location after hours and on holidays to pay their bill. They do not have to worry about their money being lost in the mail or misplaced in a drop box. And the property management company can keep costs down by not having to pay an employee overtime, or differential for working Sundays, or time and a half for working holidays.
A large self storage facility can also benefit from a kiosk. These locations are usually extremely busy and very hectic, with a lot of customers and employees milling around. Tenants do not have to stand in line waiting for a self storage worker in order to rent a unit or make a payment. They can use the property management kiosk and help themselves.
Labor is a large chunk of the costs for running any business, including self storage. The kiosk is a great property management tool that can help alleviate the cost of that labor. This of course means a larger profit for the proprietor of the self storage company.
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What are so funny about the people who shop for self storage? There are call centers for self storage facilities, they answer calls for storage companies all over the United States. They will take calls and the customer will want prices for storage. Until some companies started taking calls for different self storage sites one would have never thought there would be choices in storage. So when those customers are shopping for storage they want the facility that they are calling for to sound the best. Call centers will mention the storage securities. For instance, the property has video cameras, the property is well lit and fenced, and there is a gate where only the tenants would have access to get in and out. So feel secure while you are shopping around for storage. Make sure the other facilities or companies have the same security so that way you can really compare prices. Another crazy thing is how many people that call are shopping for someone else. Some people say they have relative moving to the area that will need storage when they get in town. Or a mom will call while her daughter is at school. Even vise versa, the daughter is shopping for her mom while she is at work. Even these callers want to know about the facility and try to reserve the units so they will have one when they get in town or when they need one.
Shopping nowadays is done so differently there is thing called mystery shopping.
Mystery shopping is when you pretend you need some service and you see how much it cost. No matter if it is for storage or renting an apartment. Mystery shopping callers pretend that they want what you have. Mystery shopping calls are then evaluated to see how well the rep did. People hire mystery shopping companies to see if their employee was pleasant to talk to, how well the employee knows his or her service or product. The mystery shopping company then sends a report about the employee back to the owner.
So you can see we are just not shopping with the girls, we are shopping for gas, phone service, and cable. We might just be mystery shopping. Mystery shopping is a great service for businesses looking to improve their customer service skills.
The idea of shopping is an addiction for some people. It can cause a great many conflicts in many households. Shopping can also solve a great many conflicts as well. Holidays are the greatest time to witness shopping at its greatest. People are everywhere looking and comparing prices. They do not care most of the time, they just want to shop. They enjoy just being in the stores and amongst other shoppers. Shopping for them is therapeutic.
Holiday shopping is just beautiful, people are happy, and they generally do not care about anything until after the holiday except shopping and cooking. They just want everything to be perfect for the season of giving and sharing, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. The other holidays are important except not as much preparation goes into them as it does these two holidays.
Shopping at any time is fun, especially when you are hanging out with people who like it as much as you do. The after holiday sales are just crazy with the midnight madness sales. Being in lines that wrap around a block waiting for the stores to open so you can rush inside to get the most popular items going for that particular holiday is such a rush. The atmosphere is just tense and people are not focused on anything except getting to the items they want.
Bargain shopping is great fun also. Thrift store shopping is fun, garage sale shopping, there are just so many different ways to shop and have big fun doing it. Garage sale shopping during the time when school is getting ready to end for the summer is great. Especially when you live in a town where the college students sell all of there stuff. When they leave they sell any and everything.
Shopping for a big family is interesting because you generally shop in bulk. It saves time and it lasts longer when you shop in bulk. Super big box stores are a great place for shopping in bulk. You get your monies worth and you get double for what you pay. Also grocery shopping on double coupon days is great also you really get your monies worth then. Garage sales are even more fun especially when you are up at the crack of dawn so that you can get a good parking space, and try and be the first one there to pick out the best of the things.
Shopping is one of the most favorite past times around, even kids love to shop. For one they get to hang out and really get on there parents nerves, they know that is when they usually get to have there way because the parents give in so they can be quite and leave them alone to do their shopping.
College students will rent an apartment and fit in many roommates to keep the cost down, so it is nothing to have six or more at a time renting very nice apartments and paying maybe two or three hundred dollars a piece. They look for apartments or houses that are extremely nice because they can afford to pay the rent with that many people sharing it. They rent very nice apartments that have all the amenities and share the expense which allows them to have all the necessities and non-necessities.
Having apartments with a variety of spaces to choose from is wonderful. It is also great having all the different types to choose from. Apartments have always been in high demand, so if you start early enough you usually can be selective as to where you want to stay and what kind of apartment you want. Apartments that are extremely nice have brochures that tell about all the features they offer. They also run ads in the local papers for vacancies. Apartments are not just available to the elite they are also affordable for those not wanting to pay an arm and a leg for them.
Apartments are priced in so many different ranges as to allow everyone to find there budget and what fits best for them. There are some programs that allow for affordable housing for anyone, it is based on your income and ability to pay. They have a guideline for which you have to follow but the landlords are held at high standards of accountability as well. So they are not allowed being slum lords just because they are renting thru a government program.
This allows people that cannot afford to step outside their budget to live in nice and affordable housing and or apartments. Not everyone wants to live in extravagant styles, but for those that do there are places to cater to all desires of living. No matter if it is extravagant or not you still want to be able to live comfortable and in a nice area. Having apartments available in a variety of different places is a good thing for many different reasons.
Apartments are the growing trend in college towns. They range from high end to low end pricing. They are in such demand that it does not even matter they would rent if they were Hollywood prices. Students will live with as many in an apartment as possible just to have a high end place to live. They are only there to finish school, but while at school they want to live in a nice place even if it is out of the norm for them. It is ok because they share the place with others, which allows them to afford to step outside there norm and live big.
A self storage company should attain by any means necessary the new rental customer for your business. Because if you are losing those possible storage renters, then another storage facility will be more than happy to assist them. Another way that you can continue the rental or reservation or even information process is to have a website where one can go to do so. Computers are ever growing in numbers and the number of people learning how use them are growing in order to simply keep up with todays technology. Computers are being taught more everyday within the school system to teach kids what they will need to know when they get out their on their own. If you are old school and graduated from high school anywhere before say 1985, then you probably were not given the opportunity as these kids are in todays society to learn how to use a computer. Back then we were taught how to type. And that was probably the extent of it. Children as young as 6 or 7 years old these days are taught how to use computers in school. And after they get a little older and by the time that they graduate from middle school, they are taught how to use documents such as popular writing and spreadsheets and how to email text and pictures over the internet. You look around and see more computers and more types of computers than ever before, even in the storage industry.
Now there is a device that is ever growing in popularity which is the Kiosk. It is sort of like an ATM machine. You can rent a storage unit, pay a bill, buy a lock and make your monthly payments there. How crazy is that? Crazy, but very efficient. If the store manager is busy with several customers inside of the store and you are in a hurry and just stopped by to pay a bill, instead of going inside, you can go to the Kiosk on the property and make your payment there. No line, no waiting, no hassle. It is quick and easy to use and you will be on your way.
The Kiosk is becoming more popular within the storage industry. Self storage kiosks are ever spreading to make everyones storage experience a little more convenient. With every attempt in making your storage property more helpful and more prosperous it takes more money, risks and investment in order to achieve the end result that you may be seeking. Kiosks will help your store run itself when no one is available to do so. If your employee is out on the property showing a storage unit, you do not want to miss the customer who showed up at the office 5 minutes after you left. Obviously, you want every possible rental that comes to your door. Why risk missing that chance when you could have had a kiosk in place to assist them?
It may not even be something that you are looking to purchase at that moment, however if the display or store front is so attractive that you are lured into the store, you may find yourself buying something that you were not expecting to before you actually got there. The same is goes for storage. Although some may think that storage is just storage, it still has to be attractive to the eye. If you drive by a storage facility that looks like it has not had a new paint job in about 20 years, your first thought is probably that you do not see your items as being safe at that property or well maintained. What could you expect as far as the cleanliness inside of the unit or the rodents that may be harboring inside of it? Now if you drive by a storage facility that it colorful, clean and well maintained you may want to go inside to see what the store has to offer. For those customers that do come into the storage lobby you want to make sure that the inside is just as pleasing to the eye as the outside is. Again the products inside of your lobby should be well balanced and able to showcase all of the different items that it is offered.
Think about when you are checking out at the grocery store and the last items you have a chance to purchase are on the display at the check out counter. They are usually very small items where there can be many different items displayed but also within hands reach. Did you notice that many of those items are also very handy and could conveniently fit into your purse or car? Little packages of napkins, diaper wipes, candy bars, sodas, lighters, air fresheners and many other little travel size items that are very inexpensive to purchase.
The store display can make your storage products sell or they can hurt your sales. Your storage facility may be in need for a change so take a good look around. Walk into the lobbys front door as if you were a customer and without trying to look around too much. See if your storage products are easily noticeable or not. Put yourself in your customers shoes. Are products easily visible or would your customers need to literally go down each isle to see what your store offers?
As a walk-in customer you should be able to spot key items that would be extremely beneficial to the customer so that they purchase those items. Prices of those storage items should also be visible in case you are assisting other customers. If the prices are available they can decide on which and how many boxes they want to purchase so by the time they get to the front counter and you are able to help them it will make the process much quicker.
The first thing you do if you want to start a self storage business is pick up a pen. A pen you say, why a pen? Well, you pick up the pen and write down what you are expecting out of this business. You write down your goals and your aspirations. No business is successful without proper planning. Make sure you plan correctly and before you jump into it, you know what to expect.
After you have written down your goals, aspirations and dreams to start a self storage business, you have to do some research. You have to take some time to find out about the area in which you want to put a self storage facility into. These are some questions that you should ask yourself:
� How many other self storage companies are in a five to ten mile radius of your area?
� Will your potential location be easily accessible to most residents that could use your facility?
� Based on the population, how many units (and sizes) do you need to have on your property?
� How much should you charge per unit that you have?
� How much staff do you need to hire in order to care of your customers?
� What should your security look like? Will you have door alarms, a fence, etc?
As you see, the questions above are some of the necessary questions that you need to ask yourself if you want to start a self storage company.
The questions above are just some of the questions, and the questions are the easy ones to answer. You can find those answers after doing some research for a couple of days to a week. The harder questions still need to be answered such as:
� How will you get the money necessary to start a self storage company?
� Which construction company will you use?
� What time of year do you begin?
� Do you have collateral if your company does not succeed (if you take out a loan)
� Is the area in which you want to build appreciating?
It is not easy starting a self storage company.
Understand one thing. No one has the secret formula to starting a self storage company. Many people have tried and many people have failed. On the other hand, many people have succeeded. Everyone goes through their rough patches, but they press on to achieve their goals. You have to be that one, which will stop at nothing to get to where you want to be.
A self storage company can be profitable to whoever decides to take on the responsibility. It would be smart to hire someone who can run the day to day operation of the facility. You can choose to do it yourself but at the same time, do you have the time to do it? Make the right decisions when it comes to starting a self storage company. As you see above, there are many questions that you need to ask yourself.
One trend that could be contributed to the growth of national self storage is the do it yourself homeowner. Such homeowners typically have one or more home renovation projects going on at once. For example, the kitchen remodel may have crept its way into the dining room and before you know it, half the house in under construction and the furniture needs to be placed in a national self storage facility.
In addition to home remodeling, national self storage facilities have seen an increase in families who are relocating or moving. While in transition, national self storage units offer an inexpensive and convenient way to clear out some clutter while the home is on the market and then store items while the homeowners are in transition from one home to the next.
Another cultural trend that may have contributed to the increase in national self storage business is the aging baby boomers. As they begin to relocate to condos or a smaller home for retirement, they probably give some of their heirlooms or furniture to children or grandchildren. Maybe those children and grandchildren do not have room for it at the time or do not feel it fits the style of their home, yet they do not want to get rid of it. Self storage is a great solution for borrowing a little time and space until one has use for Grandma�s secretary desk. Another possibility is that once a child has inherited furniture, they move their parents furniture into their home and place their old furniture in storage for a later time. In any case, this could be one factor that has created need for self storage.
National self storage facilities have also seen a spike in storage leasing to members of the Military. In this time of war, soldiers may find that national self storage units are much cheaper than keeping a lease at an apartment. In many cases, national self storage facilities offer Military discounts to active soldiers as well as veterans.
The benefits of choosing a national self storage facility over a singly owned and operated self storage facility are that there may be a higher level of security and amenities. This is because the national self storage company wants to create a brand name and quality associated with its company. So security such as video surveillance, alarms on each storage unit door, police patrol and amenities such as fax, email, delivery and pick-up services and even luxuries such as conference rooms may be part of the national self storage deal.
Typically, a national self storage chain will have a standard that the company holds all owned, franchised or affiliated self storage facilities to. This means that the customer should expect a higher quality of customer service. The self storage managers of a national self storage company will be managed by regional or district supervisors who answer to the corporate office. With a national self storage structure, there is more accountability and a higher standard for each store.
However, it does not discredit the locally owned and operated self storage facility. Local self storage facilities should also offer great customer service and tenants may be able to negotiate price more so than with a national self storage facility.
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Imagine the ability of having the freedom to acquire, and access self storage anytime day or night. Sometimes there is an immediate need for storage space due to circumstances beyond our control such as fire or flood. Others may be due to a long distance move allowing for a late hour arrival. For whatever reasons, self service storage is a great alternative to traditional office hours. For the consumer it allows for the convenience of on demand self service storage and an alternative way for a self storage facility to increase revenue.
Self service storage comes in a variety of forms, some a combination thereof. One example is using an automated machine similar to an ATM or an automated car rental desk at some airports. It uses an interface program with the facility database to assign units and entry codes, set up customer files, i.d. verification, generate lease and insurance agreements, and accept payment. The property manager can then follow up with any loose ends the next business day.
A quite similar version of self service storage has a phone at the self storage facility linked to an off site sales center staffed with storage professionals who have access to the self service storage facility database and knowledge of the site. This option provides the customer the chance to have any questions or concerns answered and allows for the storage pros to better showcase features and benefits like climate controlled self storage and security. Establishing a video link system to the off site sales center further enhances the human component of this type of self service storage while advancing the customer service process and increasing self service storage revenue.
Locations for self service storage should be widely marketed through all forms of digital technology, websites, GPS services, phone directories, real estate services and travel agencies. Billboard advertising would also benefit self service storage facilities that have close access to highways and highly traveled locations. Having a support system set up through database sharing, off site sales professionals, website reservations, and point of sale technology is what makes self service storage a reality.
The more our lives demand of us the harder it is to accomplish what we used to be able to do. The possibilities self service storage holds could change the landscape of the self storage industry today. Self service storage has a place in every demographic whether it is a large metropolitan area open twenty four hours or a small town community that closes up evenings and weekends. Time is a valuable commodity for everyone. Where there is a way to add the value of time back in to life you will always find a demand and self service storage does just that.
There is furniture and books, baby clothes and artwork, tools and pictures and things that might just be junk. A self storage Miami episode could uncover evidence of past crimes or evidence of past lives lived to the fullest. Why is it people use self storage Miami storage units? They are between homes or building a new home that is not ready yet. They are storing things they no longer have room for. They are storing family items that may have been passed down for generations. Maybe they are storing things for their businesses. Self Storage Miami will surely also feature people who are importing and exporting things to and from the Caribbean and South and Central America. Part of the allure of South Florida is its connection to the rest of the Americas. In many ways Miami is one of the capitols of the Caribbean and of the Spanish speaking world. There are also lots of Canadians, Germans and other Europeans who love to come to South Florida. Self Storage Miami would then have the potential to connect episodes to all parts of the rest of the world. Imagine the trail left by people as they hop around the globe stopping in Miami just to use their self storage Miami units as they move all sorts of things around the globe. Some of these things are probably also contraband, which would make every episode even more interesting for viewers.
The part about Self Storage Miami being a new cable TV series is a fabrication. But the concept is not a bad one. People love the allure of Miami and the fact is that many people from across the globe come through Miami. There must be a million interesting stories of people traveling and doing business all across the globe. There must be thousands of storage units in Miami. And each one of them probably tells an interesting story about the person or about that family. There may be families who have roots in Cuba or Haiti or Brazil that have belongings that have been in their families for hundreds of years sitting in the storage unit. There may be people from Canada who have things in their storage unit that their ancestors brought over from Scotland or England in the 1600s. Then there are probably some very boring items like boxes of old school books or old clothes that do not tell much of a story. But it has happened that some very fascinating things have turned up in storage units all over the country. Who is to say what interesting things would turn up in a self storage Miami unit. Maybe someone should work up a script for just such a mystery series and see if they can get it made into a show.
For instance, one late Saturday night a customer called and needed self storage. He was in New York about 10pm and he said he was in Times Square at a pay phone on a 10-speed bicycle. Can you just imagine this guy on a bike at a pay phone calling for self storage? The reason he needed self storage was because he came from Chicago (not on the bike) to see his girlfriend and when he got to her house she was with another man. This heart broken man, on his bicycle in the middle of the night in Times Square was needing self storage so that he could store his personal belongings. At the moment he was homeless.
That is just one of the odd calls we have taken in the call center.
There was another time when we got a call at 6.30am from a woman in California so that made it 4.30am her time. She was moving and needed self storage to put home furnishings in. The rep asked her if she was always up this early. She said no, she just could not sleep worrying about all this. Well good for her, we were open. She even said she could not believe she was actually talking to someone. But she reserved the self storage unit and her worries were over.
The time of day is one thing, but another thing is the time of year as well. When we first started here at our call center, we really thought people would call for self storage during the summer time. That makes sense because kids are out of school and the weather is warmer. But we get calls all year round for self storage. And is not just because they are moving.
We get calls in the middle of December because customers want to use self storage to store their Christmas presents. We also get those winter calls for those who need to store their RVs for the winter. Yes self storage facilities also have parking for RVs and automobiles. Those who store their RVs for the summer are called snowbirds. We had a woman called in and referred to herself as that. She was back home from her winter stay in Florida and needed self storage to store her RV until it started cooling off again. And just like the birds she goes south for the winter. What a fun life.
We are always there for a customer no matter what time a day or time of year. No matter what their needs are, whether they are big or small. Whether they are for a fun life of running off to Florida for the winter. Or for a heart broke man in Times Square we are there for them and their self storage needs.
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There has been record of many great greetings in self storage and on the flip side, greetings that should not be mentioned. Some people decide to have a greeting that is scripted and a paragraph long it seems. Others just answer the phone with the name of the facility. It is believed that there should be a happy medium in order to ensure that the caller knows where they called, whom they are speaking to and to know they are ready to be helped. The tone, inflection of voice and sincerity can all make a difference on the delivery of the greeting.
When looking for storage, not everyone calling in knows a great deal about what they are looking for. It is up to the manager of sales representative of the storage facility to let them know what they need and what they should be looking for. With the storage representative being helpful and polite in their greeting, that could mean the world to a first time storage seeker.
Now do not get the message here confused. It takes more than just a greeting to get the caller to come down to rent from your storage facility. You have to be a professional, polite, inviting and friendly person on the phone, but you and your facility need to be clean and well managed when they come down to visit. You should always try to invite each caller you speak to down to the site for a visit to see your storage facility.
Besides the greeting, having a convenient location is also important to the caller in terms of storage needs. The customer might love the price and believe that you took care of them on the phone, but if they did not like where you are located, it could blow the whole deal. With most customers, they can deal if they have to travel a little bit further for a good value, but if they have to make inconvenient turns and have to fight the traffic to get to your space, it could turn them off. There is little you can do about the location you are working as a sale agent of storage, but you can give a great first impression and maybe they can overlook the location.
In self storage, there is a lot of competition out there. No one is above making some tweaks to their performance or doing some self-evaluations. With a proper greeting, you are setting the stage for the call. Now, setting the stage is the easy part, what song and dance you do afterwards is also crucial in the renting of new tenants. When they come down to your storage facility, what do you have to show them that will get them to sign on the dotted line? What is going to make them say in the mind that they found the best value in town? You did step number one well and gave a good first impression. Now, that you have done that how are you going to give them a great long lasting impression?
The demand for offsite airport automobile storage is greater in medium size cities that serve as spokes for the airlines hub and commuter system, especially those that lack good public transportation to the airport. Airports are usually positioned away from downtown areas to reduce noise pollution and traffic congestion so even larger cities would benefit from offsite airport automobile storage.
Most real estate around airports is already zoned business and industrial so there would be no interference from homeowners associations complaining of traffic, noise, or building design. One good option is to invest in an existing building that was used for warehousing and convert it to accommodate inside automobile storage. By doing this it helps reduce building costs and freeing some money to be used toward installing a drive through car wash, snack bar, and providing full client services.
Installing high tech security systems and having the ability to monitor them are an important selling point for offsite airport automobile storage. Offering a drop off and pick up valet service eliminates the need for anyone but staff to be in the security areas and offers your client an area to stay dry and warm when loading and unloading.
Business travelers are the largest shares of those seeking offsite airport automobile storage and many are used to the small appointments of luxury afforded to the business class. Having complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport based on on-time airline flight information keeps the traveler up to date with his or her flight and eliminates unnecessary down time at the terminal. It also benefits the automobile storage facility by not making wasted trips saving on fuel economy and nonproductive employee time. Providing comfortable lounging areas for delayed travelers and offering soft drink and snack services caters to exceptional customer service and boosts the bottom line.
Whatever client services you decide to offer at your offsite airport automobile storage facility it is important to market them to your target client, the frequent business class flyer. Teaming up with airline frequent flier award companies, billboard advertising, airline member clubs, or in business journals and travel magazines is a good way to get started. Providing this level of automobile storage for the frequent flyer is a radical and viable departure from the days of standing in a remote, dark, airport parking lot next to the runway, trying to find your car after catching the red-eye.
There is a large market for car storage to be found with people who collect, restore, and trade cars. Some of these cars are antiques and others the muscle cars and street rods from the generations of our times. Marketing car storage to these groups require facilities that can accommodate inside car storage often with climate control options to maintain that showroom newness these owners and collectors want. Top of the line security and easy access to the storage unit are also important and a way to bring value. Many in this group are looking for long term leasing arrangements and multiple storage units guaranteeing long occupancy and relationships with each of them.
Car collectors often network with each other through car shows and auctions many needing car storage, so offering a referral business is a sure fire method of increasing your sales and occupancy rate. Many in this group belong to a car club and are looking for a place to hold monthly meetings and a gathering point for their events. Offering a place for them to meet and giving group rates to these clubs increases both profits and public awareness. The value of these cars are often priceless to the owner in terms of sentimental value but the financial loss that could occur in the event of catastrophe would be devastating so offering specialty insurance for collectors offers peace of pocketbook if not the mind.
Outside car storage is an option for some looking for extra garage space at home or saving the family sedan for a young driver. This can be an economic advantage for those on a tighter budget looking for car storage. Having a well lit parking area and easy traffic flow provides for security at night and safe on property driving. The parking spaces should be well marked off and clearly labeled.
Another market in car storage is for fleet and leased vehicles. Many companies have nationwide accounts with dealer fleet services for their members. A lot of these are business travelers that need car storage in their companies territories when they are not on the road. Some fleet service cars need storage due to lease expirations or exceeding mileage limitations. Many privately leased cars are over their terms in mileage caps and the cost of using car storage is sometimes better than the fines you pay at lease end.
Whatever reasons the driving public has for car storage it pays to know and find out. Of course offering superb customer service and professionalism enhances the customers experience and word of mouth advertising is the best there is.
The homeowner wants to first get a unit in a self storage facility that is in a nearby location, since he is apt to have to make many trips to the building. The self storage facility will need to be very safe and secure, since both the homeowner and his belongings will be spending some time at it. The self storage facility also needs to be very clean and pest-free, since the homeowner will be bringing furniture and things back and forth from his home, to the facility, and back to his home again. Someone trying to sell their house does not want to run of the chance of bringing new critters and rodents into the home!
The easiest way to declutter a home is to first take everything off of the walls and out of the closets. These treasures need to be boxed up and moved out of the way to the self storage facility or some other accommodations. This can be started a few weeks in advance, so the task is not quite so overwhelming. Dropping off a few boxes at the self storage facility on the way home from work or on the way to a dentist appointment can make the chore a lot less daunting.
Then on a prearranged day, when family and friends are all available, the physically demanding portion of getting the house ready for sale can be accomplished. Virtually all of the furniture needs to be moved out of the house or at least into the garage for the time being. That is when it is time for an expert Home Stager to shine.
A Home Stager is experienced with how to best maximize the potential of a house, while hiding its flaws. This person will direct the traffic as to where everything needs to go. Some items will be positioned in a different manner inside of the house. Other things will be taken to the self storage facility, waiting for a new place in the new home. The Stager knows that home buyers are buying square footage. They can determine how to best place the bed in the master suite to make the room look larger, while at the same time covering the worn carpet. The Stager knows furniture placed in a U-shape is much more conducive to a good conversation area than furniture in an L-shape. The Stager knows that spaces need to be defined to the buyer, with little left up to the imagination of the novice. The Stager knows it is better to remove the boots and coats from the current mudroom and turn it into a cute little breakfast nook. A little table and chairs from the unit at the self storage facility can be brought back into the house to accomplish this task with simply the cost of some sweat equity.
Impersonal artwork can be taken out of the unit at the self storage facility and placed on the blank walls. Pictures taken of the Yellowstone National Park or of Downtown Chicago can be removed from the boxes in the self storage unit, blown up, matted into frames, and hung on the walls.
Decluttering and Staging are two words that can help anyone sell their home for a maximum profit with a minimum cost. And a convenient self storage facility can be a huge asset in the process!
When you are trying to find self storage online, you can go to many different places. You can go to the biggest search engines or to a niche search engine for self storage. Most websites you visit will either send you directly to an actual self storage facility. When you are trying to find self storage, you most of the time, need to search by your zip code or state. This will allow you to see all the different facilities that are in your area. The Internet is very biased when it comes to searches. When trying to find self storage facilities through search engines, you will always get the website that has been hit the most. Of course, most self storage facilities use all kinds of advertising to get their name out there and first on many search engines.
If you take the time to use the different search engines to find self storage you will usually see the same results first. If you try to find self storage on a large search engine, the first three websites it brings up are three large corporations of self storage. Therefore, as you seem to think the site will help you find self storage only one website is an actual storage company. When you try to find self storage on a smaller search enging, the first three results are varied a little bit. Once again, you see one self storage facility and two search or service websites. Lastly, what do you think you will see if you try to find self storage on a self storage search enging? You will see storage facilities who have registered with that search engine. So which one do you use?
If you turn to the paper to find self storage, you will see only those who have the money to advertise. At that point, are you paying more a month because the facility needs to pay for their ad in the paper? It is very possible. At that time, you can still take the time to use the Internet as your asset to help you search for some information on the self storage facility you saw in the paper.
The one way to find self storage that many people like is word of mouth. Even though many people have the respect of their friends opinions, they do not often talk about self storage as they are watching their favorite football game, or small talk around the office. People do not talk that much about how they found a great value in a storage facility.
When you are trying to find self storage, you have a couple of different avenues to search. The most impactful, most people believe is word of mouth, but self storage is not spoken about often. Use the Internet and maybe the newspaper to be able to find self storage. Thoroughly look at each facility as much as you can until you the one that fits your need.
When some customers call for storage, they specifically ask for climate controlled units only. Others have no idea what climate controlled units are or what items you store should go into them. We gladly go through the items that should be put in climate controlled self storage. That gives them the option to put their items in there or take the few items with them when they move. Sometimes the difference in pricing for climate controlled self storage or regular self storage determines which unit the customer will choose.
When some customers call and are not sure of the unit size they need we ask what items they are putting into self storage. When they mention an item or items that do require climate controlled self storage then we advise that is where they should put them. The price of climate control versus the cost on regular storage units usually determines where they will put their items. Sometimes customers who store sensitive items refuse climate controlled self storage. They do that because regular self storage is all they are used to and that is what they choose. They will state they stored those items in regular storage before and nothing has happened to their items. Even though some customer refuse to store in climate controlled self storage we still go through the list of items that should go in there.
The items that a customer puts into storage that we recommend for climate controlled self storage are as follows.
� Leather or suede furniture.
� Antiques.
� Photographs and paintings.
� CDs and DVDs.
� Computers, TVs, stereos, appliances and anything else that is electronic.
� Believe it or not, furs need climate control too.
� Items made of certain glass also need to be stored in climate controlled self storage.
Anytime a customer says that they are storing any of these items, we recommend climate controlled units. A lady called in yesterday that wanted a storage unit. When she was asked if she needed climate control or a regular unit she asked what the difference was. We told her. She was surprised and said that she had a micro-suede sofa and leather recliners and since we told her that she would probably needed climate control she thanked me and said that she had called a couple other facilities and nobody mentioned that. She was advised that the facilities probably did not have climate controlled self storage and therefore did not mention it. She reserved the unit. A man called from Florida looking to store some clothing. Turns out, he had to get a climate controlled self storage unit because he had some heavy leather coats in there and he was worried about moisture getting to his coats. He was very grateful that we mentioned climate control.
District of Columbia RV Storage
Many Americans call around looking for self storage rates. They do this because they want to make sure they are getting the best value for what they are storing. The average consumer calls two to four facilities to see what their self storage rates might be. Some customers take the time to actually drop by the facility and see what that facility has to offer.
When requesting the self storage rates from different facilities, do you know what you are looking for? Going into your quest to find the best self storage rates, you have to know what is important to you. What is important to you could range from price to the convenience of location. It is certain that no matter where you live, you will have a couple of different facilities to choose from. Within a ten mile radius of the zip code 65101 (Jefferson City, Missouri) there are thirty three self storage facilities. So how easy is it going to be on the customer to choose whom to call to get those individual facilities self storage rates?
In the example city above, Jefferson City, Missouri has a population of about forty thousand people within its city limits. Therefore, as you saw above, there are approximately thirty three self storage facilities within ten miles of that zip code. So when shopping around for self storage rates, what are you truly going to use to compare one facility to the next? Is the search for the right self storage rates important enough to call around to all the thirty three facilities? Of course, it is not. The average call to get self storage rates, depending on the sales presentation, is around 2 to 3 minutes. Realistically, it would take the average consumer about five to 8 minutes per facility to get research their information and their self storage rates. Let us take that average time of five minutes multiplied by the number of facilities and you have around three hours total devoted to looking for the best self storage rates. Do you have the time to do that? Most people do not even have thirty minutes to spare.
Before picking up the phone to call for the self storage rates, you should consider a couple of things. Do you have to visit this facility often to get something out the space you rent? If this is so, when searching for self storage rates, you should make sure the location is convenient to you and your every day routine. With the busy schedule of most people, who wants to drive ten minutes out of their way to get into their storage unit? You should also consider what you are getting for the price. Most facilities, when quoting their self storage rates, tell you about their security and their amenities they have to offer (conference rooms, pick up and delivery options, etc). Those features they decide to share with you should be important to your situation. Do not rent with a facility if they do not have what you are looking for but have a great amenity that you could use. Lastly, you should think about if the special they are running fits what you are in need of. If you only need storage for a month, there is no point to hear about a five month special.
When looking for self storage rates, take your time (if you can) and call maybe one to three facilities. Find the one that best fits your needs and has the best rate, which is the best value to you.
Yeah, what is the price of a 10 x10?
Well, the price is $89 for a 10x10. Would you like to reserve that?
No, that price is way too high!
As a call center representative in the self storage industry, that price is way too high is something that we hear on a regular basis. What a lot of our customers fail to realize is that pricing is not just some arbitrary number that a manager decides to slap on to the self storage unit just because it is their favorite year or their lucky number. It happens to be a culmination of things such as competitor pricing, security features, convenience, the safety of the area itself, and more.
The facility has security features that are a main factor in price. For example, XYZ Self Storage has individual door alarms, video surveillance, and a manager who lives on site. On the other hand, 123 Self Storage has no gate, is in a bad neighborhood, and has a history of break-ins. Of course, 123 Self Storage is going to be cheaper. Less money is going into maintaining their facility. But, XYZ Self Storage is going to have to charge a higher price to compensate for the higher quality service. In addition, peace of mind comes into play. Knowing that your valuables are well protected should be valuable to a self storage customer.
Convenience makes a difference as well. Say you have found a location with great pricing that will fit your budget perfectly. But wait, this self storage facility is all the way across town. What good does a great price do if it costs your ten dollars in gas money every time you want to access your self storage unit? You might as well add that to the price of your monthly rent. For instance, you have to access your unit five times a month, at least. That is an extra 50.00 that you pretty much can add on to your rent. Not to mention the mileage fees for a truck rental, if you must go that route. It is important to weigh ALL costs, not just the rent itself.
A competitors pricing definitely has an impact on a self storage units price. Of course, while other factors are apparent in pricing, they cannot price themselves out of the market altogether also. Just like in real estate, there is a cap on pricing in different markets. Just as you cannot price identical homes in Los Angeles and Kansas City at the same prices, you cannot price identical self storage units the same as well.
When it comes down to it, a lot goes into the price of anything. Of course you are going to pay more for a luxury vehicle than you will for a compact model. The higher pricing implies a higher quality. There is no comparison! If all else fails, and the customer fails to understand what we are trying to convey we will just tell the customer to go check out the facility and see in person what they are paying for. Most of the time, they will go to the lower priced facility and be disappointed in what they find.
Large assortments of cardboard boxes are available for purchase at many self storage facilities. These well constructed containers are a must have whether someone is putting things away in an attic or moving across country or stowing treasures in a storage unit.
Little boxes are ideal for storing books and other small but weighty items. Even though a large amount of these heavy things will fit okay in larger boxes, they will be too heavy for most people to pick up.
The medium boxes sold at self storage facilities work great for packing dishes, drinking glasses, and other things that need to be wrapped in some sort of protective material. Cartons specifically designed for kitchenware items such as dishes and fine china are also available at many self storage facilities.
Large cardboard boxes can be purchased at most self storage facilities to pack bigger, delicate items that need a lot of TLC. Everyone needs to remember to clearly mark these cartons FRAGILE, to help assure safe handling.
Then of course there are the wardrobe boxes that can be bought at many self storage facilities. These boxes stand tall and have a bar going across the top to hang clothing, alleviating the worry of wrinkles. Many self storage facilities also sell suit and dress bags for the frequent traveler.
Boxes tend to get crushed if they are not completely full. It is important to fill any empty space with bubble wrap or packing peanuts. Tape and tape dispensers are other necessities when it comes to packing. And not only do the items inside of the box need to be secure, but the person opening them down the road needs to have some idea of what to expect. That is why self storage facilities sell all of these materials, as well as markers and labels to tag each box. Utility knives to later open the boxes are available, too.
Self storage facilities sell many things predominantly for customers renting a self storage unit. This home away from home holds things that are obviously important to someone, or they would have simply discarded it in the trash instead of paying a storage rental fee.
There is a large selection of door locks on the market, ranging from lower priced basic ones to the cylinder and disc locks. It is very important that customers of self storage facilities have the peace of mind that their particular unit is safe and sound.
People can buy a variety of sizes of mattress covers to keep the dampness out and to protect them from tears and dings. There is also moisture absorbent material available that can be put next to next to materials sensitive to dampness and humidity.
Many self storage facilities offer a wide array of other services besides just moving and storage supplies. Numerous self storage facilities are also pick-up locations for popular delivery services. Plus, there are mailboxes available for rent, in sizes ranging from simple slots to ones having the capacity to hold large boxes.
And keeping inline with the whole business theme, many self storage facilities provide the ability for copying, printing, and faxing. This is ideal for the small business person that does not have these services otherwise available to them.
Self storage facilities have become a convenient place for busy people on the go. Not only are customers able to rent a self storage unit, but there are a myriad of other services and products available these days at most self storage facilities.
Typically, the housing and land rates are higher in states like California, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and Florida. This is reflected by self storage rates in these areas being significantly higher. There are many reasons for the high price of both land and self storage rates in these areas. One of the most obvious reasons is the population of the city or state. On average, these cities and states have a large, increasing population. They make most of their money from the population increases and the large corporations and businesses in the area. An additional reason for elevated property and self storage rates is because of the shortage of land. Once a city or state expends all of its land space, the price of self storage and housing increases. A reason why land space may be limited may result from the geographical make up of the land. Forests, parks, mountains etc. may all take up a significant amount of space that also decreases the chances for building expansion in the area.
Self storage rates might be higher in areas that pride themselves on excellent security. Many facilities make it a priority to keep self storage customers items safe. They may have 24 hour video surveillance, an access controlled gate, door alarms and an on site manager. Other facilities may go as far as having alarms connected to the police department, or a security guard that patrols the property. All of these features require more money, so self storage rates for a highly secure facility possibly will be slightly elevated.
Temperature controlled storage facilities may also have higher self storage rates than a facility with standard, non climate controlled units. The cost of heating and cooling a large facility increases the electricity and/or gas bill. Therefore, to outweigh the costs self storage rates should be higher. The customer is receiving the benefit of their items being kept at room temperature all year around while paying slightly more.
Gate hours of a facility can vary by location and may determine the self storage rates of that facility. Many customers enjoy the benefit of having extended gate hours because of a hectic schedule or having a 24-hour ran business. An electronic gate has to be run on electricity and security should be increased to ensure the customers belongings are secure during those hours. This too may increase self storage rates of the facility.
When attempting to find self storage rates there are scores of ways to do so. One of the more popular ways in the 21st century is an online Internet search. At many different self storage sites rates are listed by the sizes and description of the self storage unit. A different way to receive rates for a self storage unit is to call the actual facility. Typically, the manager will provide the self storage seeker with additional information that may help them in their transition. If a customer is willing to visit the self storage facility, they are interested in then they have a better chance of getting more rates and seeing first hand the unit sizes.
It you take the time go search for self storage in your area, you will be surprised at the number of available companies that provide self storage. Self storage is a fast and growing business that people are taking interest in, but it is highly competitive. One search revealed 33 self storage facilities within a ten-mile radius. The zip code searched only had a population of 25,000 within that ten-mile radius. If you take a second to think about that number, you will find three self storage facilities within one mile in each direction you go.
With the outrageous number of self storage facilities out there where do you choose to put your belongings. That part is up to you as a customer. Many people have different needs and reason for needing storage. Someone might need storage because they are doing a remodel that involved clearing that room or rooms out. Not everyone has a garage or a portion of the house to put those belongings. That is why they turn to self storage. Some people are looking for price or a convenient location. For this person only needing self storage because of a remodel, they might need a cheap price (so they can put most of their costs to the remodel) and a convenient location (so they can quickly go and access their belongings). There are plenty of people out there who look beyond the typical lowering price points in self storage out there. Some people are looking for a value.
In self storage, with so much competition out there, the owners have to be smart and innovative in order to keep their facilities full. When people are thinking about where to put their belongings, all owners would like to the customer to think about their self storage facility. Most companies tell you about their great security and how they have 10 or more security cameras and their security access gate in order to show you the value of where you are trying to store. In addition, this is a great way to show you how secure your belongings would be. Some companies have a 1-dollar move in special to where they only charge the customer a buck for the first month and then the regular price after. There are companies out there that spend thousands in advertising trying to throw out there what they can do for you as a customer. It is definitely not easy to decide where you want to put your belongings.
There are people out there who have great experience in deciding where to put their belongings. In self storage, you have to first realize your needs for storage and then find a facility that is accommodating to those needs. You should not just look at pricing for your final answer. Is the place convenient to where you need it to be, can you just stop by quickly on your way back from work? Are your belongings safe and secure at the facility? Do you feel the people that run the facility are helpful and will be there if you need their help? These are all questions that you need to pose to yourself when you are deciding where to put your belongings in self storage.
Here are some things you should look for and compare when using storage rental.
As you can see, there are different things that should catch your eye when you hear about the great deals with storage rental. Storage is not cheap but then again it does not have to be that expensive either. That is why you should compare prices when it comes to storage rental. Storage tenants want to have the best unit there is and units that are always clean and protected so they will not have to worry about their items. As a storage rental tenant, you should be the only one who has access to your unit. Also, when you use a storage rental, the larger the unit the more money you pay and vice versa. This is why packing items efficiently and stacking items in the storage unit will save you money. People normally use a storage rental while they are moving or just trying to give their home or garage some space. Therefore, storage rental is a good thing to have when you are doing one of these. Storage rental is just great and it very convenient for tenants needing more space for whatever reason.
Here are some of the things you should know about getting your moneys worth when you are renting a storage unit.
Those are some of the things you should really look out for. Also consider renting a climate controlled unit to protect against the humidity and temperature changes.
The 5x5 self storage unit is an extremely multipurpose sized storage space. Thinking vertical and stacking things upwards makes this unit very popular amongst a wide range of people.
It is imperative for a facility that offers its tenants a climate controlled self storage unit to be a safe and secure operation, just as with any type of a storage facility. It needs to be well lit with video surveillance and fire detection. An onsite manager is able to live on the property and keep a close eye on things. Offering tenants different options to pay their bill is also necessary, since different people have different needs. Online bill paying, automatic credit card payments, and paying via the telephone are just a few options.
Obviously there are many reasons and circumstances why a person may need to rent a climate controlled self storage unit.
Anyone planning on storing their items for a long period of time will want a climate controlled self storage unit. The drastic changes in temperatures between hot and cold can cause items to expand and contract. This process is hard on just about everything a person owns.
Renting a climate controlled self storage unit is very important for storing leather or wood furniture. The extreme temperatures can harm leather and cause wood to warp.
A climate controlled self storage unit is a necessity when storing family heirlooms and antiques. These items are fragile and have years of stories to tell, and they need to be kept in a climate controlled self storage space.
It is a good idea to keep clothing and bedding in a climate controlled self storage space. Humidity can cause a musty smell in these items, and that can be difficult to get rid of.
Photographs, 45s, and LP albums are very sensitive to temperatures and need to be put in a climate controlled self storage unit. Finding a record player to listen to the 45s and LPs is another story.
Musical instruments are another example of things that need to be put in a climate controlled self storage space. Pianos, guitars, and harps need a fairly constant temperature to assure their well-being.
A climate controlled self storage unit is important for businesses needing to store files and records long term. Paper has a tendency to turn yellow or become brittle over time. And renting a climate controlled self storage space costs a company much less money than renting a larger office just to accommodate the papers they need to hold onto.
Pharmaceutical representatives are required by law to store their goods and samples in a climate controlled self storage unit.
Many people with a classic car want to keep their pride and joy in a climate controlled self storage space. That way they can sit and admire their baby without anyone even noticing.
And anyone that is going to spend a great deal of time in their unit will want a climate controlled self storage space, just for their own comfort. Unpacking and looking through years of boxes can be very uncomfortable if it is zero or one hundred degrees outdoors!
How much is your biggest self storage unit?
Lets see, Well, We have a 20x20 foot space with a 12 foot tall ceiling that is going for about 375 dollars per month.
Oh goodness! That is so expensive! How much is your next smallest size?
Well, How about a 15x20 space, also with a 12 foot tall ceiling that is 355 dollars per month.
Holy (censored)! You guys charge way too much for your spaces! Goodbye!
We have all had calls like this. The customer calls for self storage, and is convinced that he or she has so much stuff that they need the largest self storage space available. This is all well and fine, except that maybe the person is only storing say, a living room set, for example. The caller has large furniture in their living room, and he or she is very proud that they have such large furniture. They tend to think that only the biggest self storage space will be sufficient to meet their storage needs. When they find out just how large available space there is, they may attempt to cut the phone call short out of a wounded sense of pride, the callers needs just are not as grand as he or she thinks.
A very close relative of Big Unit Syndrome is Little Unit Syndrome. A Little Unit Syndrome self storage call probably sounds a little bit like this,
How much is your smallest self storage unit?
We have a 5x5 foot space with a 4 foot tall ceiling. It goes for 20 dollars per month.
How much is your next size?
How about a 5x10 foot space, also with a 4 foot tall ceiling? It goes for 35 dollars per month.
How much is the next size?
Next would be a 5x5 foot with an 8 foot tall ceiling, which is currently going for 40 dollars per month.
How much is your next size?
And so on, and so forth. The root causes of Little Unit Syndrome are similar to those of Big Unit Syndrome, namely that the caller is very proud of their packing skills, and can cram all of their stuff into the smallest self storage space available. Or it could be that they are convinced that all of the furniture in their five bedroom house is teensy weensy. It could be a combination of any or all of these factors. The fact remains that you find yourself talking about a plethora of self storage units that are of absolutely no use whatsoever to the caller, wasting both your time and theirs as well, and perhaps leaving a potential tenant with a case of wounded pride.
For all the back and forth about, how much for your biggest self storage space, or how much is your smallest self storage space, a very simple and effective question that will save time and aggravation on the part of both the customer and the self storage provider is this particular bit of magic,
This works very well not only because it acknowledges the callers question, but it gets to the heart of the REAL question, which is not what do you have, but do you have what is needed?
Right now it seems that we are starting to see the spring cleaners in need of service from a self storage business. Cleaning out the clutter and reorganizing their home is a spring task. It seems a little early for it, but the incoming calls are showing a slight increase and need for more space and thanks to the self storage business, they are able to rent a unit and start this well needed task.
Depending on what state your self storage business establishments are located in, in-coming calls will vary in the amount of calls that you will actually receive at this time of year. If you are interested in and make it a yearly ritual to advertise your self storage business for specific seasons or specific trends then right now would be the perfect time to start advertising your self storage business. Now would be perfect to advertise for a spring cleaning special.
Of course if your self storage business is located in warmer regions then you should fare pretty well with this type of seasonal, promotional special. Other regions where the weather may not be so great could also see an increased need for storage. There will always be someone no matter what region they are in that it will not matter to.
So think of a spring cleaning special that you can advertise and be creative with. Also, you want to make sure that you advertise in all areas such as mailings, or newspaper advertisements. Even the internet is a great place to advertise since it seems that the internet is a highly popular place to advertise your self storage business. If you do not have a web page for your business, you may seriously want to think about getting one. The cost will pay for itself by the increased number of rentals you receive.
For those in the self storage business that do not show an increase after you have advertised for a cleaning special your first year, then you know not to bother with it again in the following years. But for now, go out on a limb and find different times of the year to advertise for such specials to help your self storage business increase sales throughout the year. You could hit the jack pot of new rental inquiries. You just have to find what works and what does not.
Downtown Nashville, 1615 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN 37203
With a growing industry comes other niche industries that develop. One good example of how self storage has spun off new markets is the self storage secret shopping industry. As supply catches up with demand in the self storage world, offering great customer service and having good sales skills is important and requires that storage owners use secret shopping for some quality assurance.
From sunny Florida all the way up to Nova Scotia people are looking to store items from bags and boxes to RVs and boats. There is storage in the biggest of cities to the smallest of towns. Some people are surprised to know that there is a facility a block or so over because they never noticed it until they needed it. Some say they drive by the facility on their way home or to work and they only want that facility because it is near them most of the day and they feel safer putting their items in that place. Others have to get a storage unit because they are moving out of state and, they have to leave some items behind because their new home is smaller. To them, storage is not a luxury, it is a necessity.
Another aspect of storage that is growing are the people who are staging their homes. They only need storage for as long as it takes them to sell their home. And, there are the house flippers. They also only need temporary storage. Or, the business person who sells restaurant or pharmaceutical supplies and needs long-term storage because they get the materials they need on a monthly basis.
All those are good scenarios for a secret shopping shopper to use when they are pretending to be a customer. Secret shopping is a sure way to make sure that customers in any situation receive excellent care and superior service.
Storage for the average consumer is primarily household furniture and other miscellaneous items. When a person calls the facility they are usually full of questions. What are the gate hours? Where exactly are you located? What is the difference between climate control and non climate control units? Can you park a vehicle inside? What all sizes do you have here? Will there be a contract? Is there a deposit? How long do you have to rent the unit? How high are the ceilings? What does the special mean? Are there any specials now? Do they have military or senior discount? Those are just some of the questions potential customers usually ask.
Answers to those questions are what a secret shopping company would look for when conducting their secret shopping program. A typical secret shopping agent would not take too much control of the conversation between himself and the self storage manager. The goal of the secret shopping program is to determine what service the sales associate offers.
Storage for all who need it really is vital. Think about what you would do if you lived in a 3 bedroom home and had to move into a 1 bedroom apartment. What would you do with all the belongings you cannot take? If there was not any storage, would you put it in a friend or relatives attic or basement? Would you have to put it in your parents utility shed in the backyard? If there were not any storage facilities the options would be extremely limited. Thank goodness for storage facilities. Without them, we would not have many friends or family members speaking to us.
The bottom line with storage is it helps make out lives easier. The locations of the facilities and the pricing and the amenities they offer helps us make our storage decisions. Some people just do not care about that. They just care about the price. The rest care about the whole package. All of them just want a secure place to put their valuables.
This is why a secret shopping program has become necessary for self storage owners and self storage companies. A secret shopping program will ensure that customers receive all the info they need to make an educated decision about where they should store.
District of Columbia Motorcycle Storage
Self storage is one of many industries that utilize the benefits of hiring a secret shopping company to help them better their employees. One of these experienced secret shopping evaluators recently noted some of the things she often hears, but can definitely be tweaked. These are a few examples of some of her biggest pet peeves.
The secret shopping evaluator just grits her teeth when she hears a self storage representative simply answer the phone, Hello. The rep does not give their name or even the name of their company. The secret shopping evaluator knows that a proper greeting is of the utmost importance, since it completely sets the tone for the rest of the call. The secret shopping evaluator would advise the manager of this particular employee to professionally answer the phone, Hello. My name is --. Thank you for calling XYZ Self Storage. This short phrase lets the customer know that they have dialed the correct number, with whom they have the pleasure of speaking, and it brands the name of the self storage facility.
The secret shopping evaluator also cringes when she hears a phone rep say, Can you give the telephone number you are at, in case we get disconnected? Customers know this is nothing but a lame excuse to get their personal information. If a self storage consultant wants the phone number, they need to just ask for it outright.
Then there is the example of when the secret shopping evaluator hears a customer ask, do you have any 10x20 units? And the sales agent replies No, and is ready to disconnect the call. The secret shopping evaluator knows that just saying, No, is simply not an option! Even if the 10x20 spaces are currently unavailable the sales rep needs to let the customer know what their options are. Maybe the 10x15 has a ten foot ceiling and the customer would be able to stack their things upward. Maybe two 10x10s side beside for the price of 10x20 would be okay. Or maybe the customer does not need a 10x20 unit for two months, and something will become available before then. The secret shopping evaluator will advise the self storage management staff that the employee needs to answer the customer with, No, we do not have any 10x20 spaces at this time. But what we DO HAVE, and then continue with the call from there.
The secret shopping evaluator winces when she hears a self storage phone representative say, our price is ABOUT one hundred dollars. The price is not about anything, it is what it is. When the rep phrases it this way it makes the customer think there is always room for negotiation, and if they call back tomorrow they can probably get a lesser price. Much better phrasing is, our price is ONLY one hundred dollars, which is a great rate for this area.
And finally, there are times when the secret shopping evaluator hears a phone rep say, if you want, give your name and phone number. The phone rep needs to take control of the call, and just professionally ask the caller for their information. Saying, if you want makes it far too easy for a caller to just say, NO!
Property management is not just an outside job. Many property management personnel have other duties like, collecting rent, approving applications for rental inquiries, and answering the phone. It takes balance and organization to be able to handle a great property management job. All the hard work will pay off on your first compliment from a customer, client or resident.
Many times in self storage property management you will find a husband and wife team that live on the self storage property. This is a great idea for many reasons. The first reason that the husband and wife property management team is a great idea is for security. When you tell a potential self storage renter that managers live on site for added security, they usually think that is pretty neat. This is another reason that the husband and wife property management team is a great idea is for everyday duties. One person can man the office and deal with the phone and walk in customers while the other person works on the property itself. When you have a husband and wife team, their housing on the self storage site is considered part of their salary. It is all just a big backyard and the property managers look out for it 24-7.
Springtime for self storage is crazy. It is the beginning of the busy season and allows many self storage facilities to come out of their winter hibernation. Property management is very important all year round in self storage. People trust the self storage company to have a safe and secure facility for them to store their belongings. So, property managers must be out on the property everyday, checking buildings, roofs and parking areas. Cleaning makes up a large part of the property managers time. A clean property is very important in keeping and gaining customers.
If the idea of property management intrigues you, then check around at your local self storage facilities. You might find the perfect job for you if you are organized, self motivated and trustworthy. Or if the idea of having a job that includes housing seems like your kind of job then maybe property management is what you need to be doing.
To be the best mystery shopper, you definitely need to be focused. You have to know your plan of action and execute it. When you are not focused on what your goal is, how can you help the company that is paying you to provide the service for them? When going into a store or calling someone on the phone, to be the best mystery shopper you do not need to be distracted by what goes on around you. Stay alert and be ready for whatever comes your way.
To be the best mystery shopper you need to be able to adapt to the situation. With the companies that know they are being shopped often, the best mystery shopper can answer their questions without making the shopped person think they are being shopped. Most companies have associates that will try to throw even the best mystery shopper off course to see if they are a real customer or someone shopping them. The best mystery shopper has to be quick on their feet and a quick thinker. One example that has been seen is when some people make their secret shops over the phone. The company being shopped sometimes asks if they know where they are located so the caller knows how to get to their facility. Most cases, the mystery shopper says they know where that facility is coming from. Then the person being shopped asks them where they are coming from so they can give better directions. Well, most people would be stuck and stutter before giving the answer, but the best mystery shoppers replies in a way which will not give the associate a reason to believe they are being shopped.
The best mystery shopper should be prepared for what they have to do. If they shop on the phone, they should have a fake name and phone number to give if they need to. Some people try to wing their presentations and get caught sounding as if they do not know the answer. The person being shopped will most likely know at that point they are being shopped and then all of a sudden become the best sales person ever known to man. To be the best mystery shopper, you have to prepare and you have to pay attention. The slightest incorrect statement or slippage of words could result in the failure of the mystery shop.
As you see above, it is not as easy as you think to be the best mystery shopper. You have to be focused, pay attention, be prepared and be quick on your feet. Your mind has to be able to consistently fool the person being shopped. Do not let your over confidence in doing mystery shops allow you to make the mistake of being discovered as a mystery shopper.
In property management, the hardest part is finding a property to manage. If you are an individual, that is a self-starter and passionate, you can represent yourself well and find a facility that is in need of property management. You can search the paper, Internet or just hear by word or mouth, but there are opportunities out there. Unfortunately, to begin, you need experience. Most people who are looking for property management mangers and do not want to take a chance that an inexperienced person is managing their property.
With property management, you have to have the desire to grow and learn. You will always encounter something that you have not seen before. Some people decide to live on the property they are managing so they do not have to drive long distances to take care of the problem. You have to have an extreme amount of patience to be in property management. We all can think back to a time in which we were a pain to our property owners or we know friends that gave the property management team a hard time. Now, you will be on the side that will handle all the problems. In property management, you have to be ready for whatever comes your way. Then again, how can you be ready for the unknown?
That is where experience comes in to play. Sometimes, being humble enough to realize that you do not know a lot about property management could help you in the future. You can take the time to get involved with a property management company that will train you and send you to classes. That is one of the best ways to have the training behind you, which will give you a potentially better success rate in property management. Still, after all that is said and done, it is up to you to make the property a success.
Every property management system is different. Whether you are managing a self storage facility or an apartment complex your goal is the same, to make money. With storage or apartment rentals, you have to get your facility to reach capacity. The company or individual that owns the property has to pay for the property. Well that make sense, but they can not afford to pay for the property if there are more vacancies than occupied units. As a property manager, you need to be proactive and find a way to get people to rent spaces or apartments from you. You could place an ad for great value in storage or you can go to local businesses and collaborate with them to advertise your facility. There is no end to the ways you can fill your facility and make a huge profit. The key is that you have to motivate yourself and think outside the box a little to make it happen.
Getting involved in property management could be a daunting task. You have to put a lot of energy and time into making it successful. It is certain, in the end it could be very profitable for you and the owner.
When real estate and construction management work together, they can have a great impact on the final project. The construction side stays in touch with the real estate side to be able to deliver the final project that will be sellable. If the construction side can build it efficiently, then the real estate and construction management company will be able to obtain more profit at the sale of the building or site. Both sides can collaborate on the design, budget and sale price.
Oftentimes it is difficult to get the real estate and construction management divisions to work well together. The real estate side wants it fast and perfect, and the construction side wants it to be a quality structure. The longer the construction takes, the longer it will take to put the property on the market. But, that does not mean that once the project is completed that the real estate market will be ready for the property. The construction can finish on time only to have the project sit on the market for months. This can be very disappointing since a lot of hard work has gone into the property on both sides.
Real estate and construction management companies that are profitable see the marriage of the building and the selling as beneficial to all parties involved. Typically, when there is a real estate and construction management company on a project, it is a large one. This is not your mom and pop, build it and sell it company, this is high dollar property. Sometimes it will take the real estate side a few construction companies to find the one that is the perfect fit for them. Many construction companies will go through a few real estate companies looking for a good match.
Real estate and construction management companies will be the norm soon. Because the joining of two great forces make for a great property, many real estate and construction management companies will be forced to join together. Some businesses might not like the idea of sharing the profit with more people, but when the idea is great the money will be greater.
Leadership, communication, and the drive to succeed is what real estate and construction management companies are looking for to finish a project. This will mean many crews of construction workers and a team of real estate agents to make the project work. The bottom line is to complete the structure in the budget and on time, then sell it to the highest bidder. It sounds east but it is not. It takes a dedicated real estate and construction management company willing to work the extra hours to finish.
Look for a real estate and construction management company to lead your next construction project that you want sold. You might find that the combination of the two businesses make for an outstanding finished project.
Secret shops can be done in person or over the phone. When an in-person secret shop is done, the shopper goes to the business to be shopped. They act like they are any normal customer that is looking for goods or services. The secret shopper will observe things like, store cleanliness, customer service, quality of goods, attentiveness of employees and more. The shopper will then complete the report or evaluation after leaving the place of business. The shopping report or evaluation is then sent to the company or owner who requested it.
When a secret shop is done over the phone, some of the same principals apply. The shopper calls and secret shops the person who answers. The shopper that calls will usually let the person who answered lead the call. Do you want just anyone answering the phone at your business? No, you probably want someone who is friendly, helpful, listens well and can provide excellent customer service. Telephone secret shops are a great way to see how your employees are answering the phone and treating your customers.
Secret shops have been around a long time and called many different things. One thing to keep in mind if you are thinking about having your employees secret shopped, inform them that they might be called and secret shopped over the phone or in person. If employees do not know that they could be secret shopped, they might be upset. But, if you explain to them that you are instilling a new program to help them with their sales and customer service skills, then they will feel better about the shop. You do not want your employees to feel defensive. You want them to feel open about suggestions to better the business. After all, if the business is good, then your employees have work.
There are many companies out there that provide secret shops. Most companies that offer secret shops will work with your business to customize the report or evaluation. Secret shops are like most things, the cheapest ones are not necessarily going to the best ones. You want to have money in your budget to afford the secret shops and all the other things it takes to make a business run, so shop around. Do not try to enlist the help of friends, as their evaluation of your business might not be as observant or impartial. It is best to let a company that offers secret shops do the work.
The last thing to know about secret shops is that you will need to go over the results with your employees. Do not just let the shop sit in someones in box, make sure that your employees are aware of the good things and not so good things that they did during the shop. This is where you will get the most out of your secret shopping dollars. The shop has been completed and evaluated. Now you need to sit down and go over it with the employee.
This is a question that many people have asked themselves in the last ten years. Many people want to know how to become a secret shopper because they think it would be a good job that is fun also. Because so many businesses rely on the consumer for ideas, suggestions and sales, asking someone to secret shop is a great way to rate your business. This way, businesses can get a real opinion on their restaurant, movie theatre, hotel, or any other business that provides customer service or sales.
If you have ever wanted to know how to become a secret shopper then here a few tips that might help in secret shopping.
Do not ever pay a fee to get started in secret shopping.
Check out the company that is providing the secret shopping jobs.
Make sure you understand the job completely.
Read over any documents before you sign them.
Look on the Internet for reputable secret shopping companies.
Ask around and see if anyone you know is already a secret shopper.
Have access to a computer and reliable transportation.
Ask businesses in your town if you could secret shop them for a small fee.
Be observant and be able to convey your thoughts about your shopping experience.
Be organized about your jobs, payment and scheduling.
How to become a secret shopper does not have to be a hard and difficult process, but you do have to do your homework. Do not fall for scams, if it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is. Most secret shopping work is paid per shop and then it does not add up to many dollars. Quantity, plus quality will equal better pay in the secret shopping world.
If you do not think that secret shopping is for you, you might know someone that would be perfect for the secret shopping industry. Do some homework and pass it along to someone you know who would like to know how to become a secret shopper. They will appreciate the thought and consideration that you would think of them.
If you do look up how to become a secret shopper on the Internet then you will get thousands of results. How to become a secret shopper is a very popular topic on the Internet. Unfortunately, many people get caught up in scams when advertisements have titles like, how to become a secret shopper. Do not be one of those people that get caught up in any fraudulent secret shopping scams.
Secret shopping is a real profession and if you want to learn how to become a secret shopper then just do research and do not jump into anything without proper checks of the business. Information on how to become a secret shopper is readily available and it will only take a short amount of time to figure out what companies are real and which ones are not. Asking a friend about information on how to become a secret shopper can also be a great source of information. Your friend might even ask you along so you can see for yourself what the job entails. Having this first hand experience will help you make up your mind if you want to learn how to become a secret shopper.
Also when selling or renting out an apartment the property and the apartment need to look there best. That is what apartment property management companies are responsible for. Here are some of the things that apartment property management can do.
Apartment property management is not unlike storage units because you are trying to give your tenant the best unit that there is that is going to fit their items. And you are trying to give your tenant that is renting out a apartment the best apartment so that they can be comfortable with their environment. When it comes to apartment property management there are things that the manager has to take into consideration, such as, what is it that they have to do in order to ensure you that your living in that area will be the best for you? Also, the price of an apartment is not cheap but it should not be that expensive. Price is always a consideration for some apartment property management companies and the benefits that they offer. Some apartments come furnished with a workout room, pool and hot tub as added benefits. Those benefits of course are going to be expensive because of the things that they are offering you. Then you have some that do not offer much, just emergency service. Those are the ones that should not cost that much because of the fact that they are not even offering you that much. This also ties into storage units because of the fact that the bigger the storage unit the more it cost. Sometimes the more they offer, such as climate controlled units and move in specials, that is when it cost more monthly. Apartment property management is a service that all apartment communities should have in place to help keep the tenants happy.
Mystery shopping has been traced back as early as the 1940s as a way to ensure employee integrity. Mystery shopping was a way companies can ensure that their employees are doing the job that they are asked to do. How many companies out there have associates that seem to be the best they can be while you are there and then they are not the same when you are not present? It is believed that all companies can raise their hands in response to that question. What makes a person want to get involved in mystery shopping or how would one determine if they would be good at it.
Earlier, it was asked if you like to shop. There are lots of companies out there that offer a variety of services and product out there that you would like. You get on the Internet and you look for the company that is involved in mystery shopping of the product you like to shop for. It is just that simple. Of course, even if you are a very detailed, customer service focused, determined person, it is still up to the market that you are in to see if there are opportunities for mystery shopping. You can go and research companies that have mystery shopping services and see if you are interested.
Shopping is so much fun, if you are taken care of by the stores staff and you like the presentation that you see. In mystery shopping you get to help a company see through the eyes of an actual shopper and see if they can make positive changes. Companies get your feedback and they, of course, have the option to change their behaviors or the way the serve the customer to mesh with what you wrote down for them.
There is a company that actually measures their success or their failures off of the mystery shopping scores. They look deep into the mystery shoppers scores and see what they can really do to improve their business. For this company, mystery shopping is very important and they do not mind paying someone to shop their employees to ensure great service. Most companies do not take a bad mystery shopping score lightly and are eager to improve their level of service.
Take a moment to think about it. You, with your love of shopping, could actually help a company improve on their customer service. You can by mystery shopping them to help them see their company and their service for what it really is. At the same time, you get to shop for the things you enjoy. How awesome is that?
There are mixed emotions in property management in dealing with writing up associates or writing down what was talked about. In most cases, if you do not write down the conversation, the associate can keep doing what they are doing whether it is wrong or right. Most companies in property management believe that having a trail of coachings can result in a higher performance.
One company has taken the documentation process to a different level. In this property management company, they feel that they have to have each associate sign a document stating their job duties, lunch policies, attendance policies, and how to interact with the customers. If the associate decides to deviate from this process, then they have a choice to change their behavior or be promoted to customer. The thing that this property management company is asking of them is not a lot. They are just asking to treat the customer uniquely and different from the next customer they talk to. They are just asking the associates to clock in to work on time and to follow their schedules. The property management company is not asking their associates to perform rocket science. Therefore, with signing this document, every associate understands and knows their job. Every associate has no excuse saying that no one every explained what they are supposed to do day in and out. Some believe it will be very effective.
In property management, some managers do not feel that this is the way to manage their associates. They feel that it too harsh and not promoting a fun environment. Look at it this way. If you have associates on your properties that are not doing what you are asking them to do, what proof do you have that you spoke to this individual about the incorrect behavior? How does it just not turn into your word vs. there word? That is why most property management companies are finding a way to document their conversations to increase productivity and lessen the bad behaviors.
It is really up to you. You are the one involved in property management and you have to decide whether you want to take your business to next level or not. With the ever-changing market place, it is very difficult to stay consistent if you don not change. Most companies try new things to see what works and what helps increase their bottom line. By documenting the conversations you have, good or bad, you are insuring that your people have a clear line of site on what you as a property manager are expecting. So, look yourself in the mirror and ask, Is it work risking the success of this property management company to because there are have people under me that will not do what they are asked to do?
One of the first avenues you can take to understand property management is by enrolling in property management classes. These classes, depending on the area you live, can be taken online or within a classroom. Over 50 different online universities specialize in property management and a variety of classroom type schools as well. There is one school out there based out of California that offers a complete 16 course comprehensive teaching around property management. They help you understand the complete ins and outs of how to manage a property. They offer sixteen courses from tenant relations to marketing. After you complete the course, you are certified in property management and then you have access to be a part of a variety of companies that are involved in the property management field. From there, it is solely up to you on how profitable you would like to be because then it is on you to take what you have learned and apply it.
Now, some of you are thinking that is all you need to get into property management. We all know that just because we go to school for a particular field, does not mean that we can go out there and be profitable at the beginning. Just because we know the football has to go in the end zone to score points, does not always mean that we know how to get into the end zone. After or in the place of school, some people take the road of finding someone or a company involved in property management to learn from. This is where you can take either the knowledge that you know or the knowledge that you learn, and apply it. There are many companies out there involved in property management, and just like most companies, you might have to start at the bottom and move up to the top. Some people think they can take on property management on their own without experience only to realize clients are looking for experienced individuals to run their properties.
Whatever path you decide to take in learning about property management, it is still up to you to apply that information in order to be successful. You have to be driven, organized, and business minded in order to take on such a demanding profession. Property management can make you a very profitable and you can have a great life financially if you are willing to do the hard work involved. Do not get into the property management field unless you are ready to take on that workload. Get as much information as you can, study, look at all aspects of property management, and then you can decide and see where you sign up.
Self Storage Article Directory
Well, with over 750 companies that are involved in secret shopping, it is not as if there is not enough opportunity. Each company is looking for a particular person to do the secret shopping tasks. Most companies are looking for individuals with reliable transportation, a stable home office, computer and ability to check e-mail often (the library or friends computer will not cut it), fax, scanner, copier, telephone, great writing skills, super detail oriented and deadline driven. Is that you? Even if that is you, what do you do after you recognize that you are a prime candidate for secret shopping?
What you do is get online and find a company that is involved in secret shopping. You can look locally or nationally. There are a couple of websites you can visit to find mystery shopping providers with secret shopping opportunities. These websites give you companies that provide secret shopping services that you can get involved in.
Now one thing you should be careful of is fees. You should never have to pay fees to sign up. Most secret shopping companies get their financial backings from the companies they shop. They should not have to collect fees from you. After you find the company that looks the best to you and has opportunities, you apply. Some companies do their secret shopping in person or on the phone. Many different business types are shopped. You choose which venue you would like to participate in.
There is one very successful company that is involved in the self storage secret shopping industry. The company based out of Missouri is quickly becoming one of the leaders in self storage secret shopping. They use secret or mystery shopping to help companies and teams reach their full potential. Their secret shopper programs effectively allow clients to hold a mirror up to their business, urging them to look inward and discover all that is good and not so good about how they operate. In addition, they have training programs to get the associate or team up to speed on how to take care of the potential clients walking into their facilities or call in for information. They are committed to your satisfaction as property managers to ensure that your business has the opportunity to grow. Therefore, if you are looking for experience in the secret shopping market, they are the ones you should call and get involved with first.
Being a secret shopper is not as easy as most people think. Most of these large corporations expect a certain level of professionalism, detail, and performance. When you deviate from these expectations, it could mean a separation between that company and the secret shopping company resulting in a big financial loss. So only get involved in secret shopping if you are serious, determined and ready to help a business turn around or help them grow. That is what they are hiring you to do.
Well, why you need to hire a property management company is a question that only you can answer. Can you handle the day-to-day work involved in maintaining the property? Are you available almost 24-7 to be there at your facility if need be? These are just two of the basic questions you can ask yourself to see if you would like to hire a property management company.
Here are some statistics for you.
Interesting, to say the least. Therefore, it looks like property management companies are very important in the current state of rental properties.
What do they do for you though? What they can do for you is maximize your income because they know the rental market, what comparable properties are renting for, and what potential renters are willing to pay for a rental property. They have the marketing expertise to reach potential renters and they have the experience and resources to weed out potential bad renters. The property management company can fill vacancies with the best possible tenants, maintain and keep your rental property in good condition, track income and expenses to determine profitability, negotiate rental agreements, collect rent and track tenant deposits, comply with federal, state and local laws, respond to tenant requests and deal with problem tenants. In short, property managers help you make the most from your rental property and they can save you time. So far is it worth have a property management company, manage your facility for you?
So, everything above sounds very good. It looks like a property management company can do a lot for the individual that is in need of one. What do you look for in a property management company? You look for experience in important areas, such as maintenance, leasing, collections, marketing, advertising, tenant relations, financial analysis and budgets, and knowledge of relevant local and state laws. In addition, many a property management company have managers that are credentialed by national industry organizations, which can help you narrow your search.
It is up to you as a property owner whether a property management company can help you manage your property. Most people out there choose not to take on the day-to-day routine that a property management company can do for them. Is it worth the cost of paying a company 5 to 10 percent of your gross profits to have a property management company run your properties? That is something that you must look at from a business standpoint and make a decision. They are very helpful and can make you a lot of money, but is it worth the cost?
However, do not mistake the fact that becoming a mystery shopper for us is so simple to mean that our shoppers are untrained or incapable. Most of our self storage secret shoppers come from our own sales force and call center. They have thousands of phone calls under their belt and know what kind of questions self storage customers ask in real life. They are able to apply the common self storage consumer to the secret shops they make and yet spice things up by peppering their secret shops with the right amount of uncommon questions or scenarios to keep clients guessing about who their monthly secret shopper really is.
Perhaps the fact that we have such a knowledgeable pool of secret shoppers is why we do not have to do much training on becoming a mystery shopper for us.
There is one important note to make. The difference between becoming a mystery shopper and becoming a certified evaluator for our company is vastly different. While becoming a mystery shopper may take very little training, becoming a certified evaluator takes quite a lot of training. In fact, we only use the highest performing sales representatives from our call center. We select the best representatives that have a solid grasp on the foundation of the sales techniques we use so that they can in turn, train self storage managers and offer valuable tips and training through evaluating the secret shops completed by the mystery shoppers.
So a typical secret shop may be completed by a person knowing very little about self storage, which is ideal so that the call is very realistic. A certified evaluator who could offer valuable sales training advice to help the self storage manager improve their sales performance would then evaluate the recorded call. So the combination of experienced and new secret shoppers benefits our clientele, while always offering qualified training from our certified trainers.
Another very important difference in becoming a mystery shopper for our secret shopper company is the kind of mystery shopper one is interested in becoming. We have the standard Mystery Shopper Program, which is the program that requires little sales training, and then we have the Feedback Secret Shopper Program.
Becoming a mystery shopper for our Feedback program is the most extensive training. While certified evaluators must know the sales techniques we teach, a certified feedback shopper must be able to offer instant coaching and training to the storage managers they shop, immediately after they have made the shop. Feedback secret shoppers have to be able to pretend to be a self storage customer, respond to the questions asked by the self storage manager and interact with them, all while keeping track of the managers performance on the score sheet. Then they must be able to reference important parts of the call during the feedback and coaching portion of the Feedback Shop.
Becoming a mystery shopper for our business offers opportunities for those new to secret shopping companies as well as a place for expert sales representatives in the self storage world.
Also available at that facility may be warehouse space or office space for rent. The secret shopping caller may ask if that office space is offered or it can be offered that office space is available if needed. A secret shopping caller may need to rent office space for their business. How about wine storage? Some self storage facilities may offer wine storage for a prospect or secret shopping caller who may own a restaurant. Or perhaps the prospect has a vast collection of wine bottles and they just do not have anywhere in their home to store their wine bottles at certain set temperature.
How about renting a mailbox if someone wants a postal box office for either a business or residential account? Say someone prefers not to have mail sent to their home but would rather all mail go to a postal office. Perhaps one day it will come to a point where a prospective self storage customer will literally be able to purchase clothing at the self storage facility of their choice. Perhaps selling t-shirts with the name and or logo of the self storage facility would be something to look into for extra sales. Offering luggage that people can purchase while in the office can be a good way of getting customers and secret shopping people to purchase additional items.
How about offering magazines in a magazine rack placed next to the counter with a selection that people can purchase? Perhaps the secret shopping or regular customer at the self storage facility getting ready to rent storage is in the mood for a soft drink, or a bag of chips? Having soft drinks and chips that a renter or secret shopping person can purchase may or may not be a good idea. If the prospective renter has children it would be beneficial. The one stop self storage facility is just about at most self storage facilities these days. Not all self storage facilities are up to par yet however and do not offer something as essential to a self storage renter or secret shopping person who just moved into the area needing a truck to rent so that they can move their household items, furniture or personal belongings into a self storage unit. Yes, the phrase one stop self storage facility is indeed a catchy phrase and a very useful marketing tool.
Having a covered loading dock at every self storage or property management facility, is a nice added amenity that would entice just about any person seeking a self storage unit. It is a nice property management feature that a potential customer seems to especially like. When a call is received for one of self storage clients that happen to have a loading dock, the prospect on the phone is usually impressed. If the call is analyzed as to what the call sounds like to inquire about self storage or a property management site, and the person on the other end list two handfuls of amenities offered, including a covered loading dock, the prospect renter feels like they are getting more for their money than just a self storage unit. All in all, the prospect renter is truly getting an additional product and or service. If a new self storage or property management renter is moving their items into their self storage unit or apartment for the first time they will appreciate a covered area. Covered areas are nice especially when it happens to be pouring dogs and cats.
If that storage facility or property management site does not have a covered loading dock, the self storage renter may not want to rent a storage unit and may put it off for another day. Putting off renting all because they do want to have their belongings dampened by rain. However if the self storage facility or property management site does have a covered loading dock, the prospective renter will more than likely go ahead and attain that unit or apartment. The covered loading area is great when it happens to be raining because his or her items will be kept nice and dry. It would be interesting to research and look into how much storage and property management business is not being generated at the storage facilities or property management sites that do not offer a covered loading dock in areas that have considerable rain and or snow certain times of the year.
Moreover, people can pretty much store just about anything. A prospective renter does not have to be in the process of moving. Once again, there is over half of our nations population who has never, ever rented a self storage unit. So how can the self storage industry market its business in a creative way that will appeal to those who have never thought about renting a self storage unit before is the question? The answer comes down to Creativity. Anyone who purchases anything can find a use for self storage. The key is to get that purchaser to find a reason or a motive as to why they should look into self storage. What does a prospect self storage renter gain by renting a self storage unit? How do you market self storage in a world where we are technology driven? By examining your secret shopping results, you will be able to figure out what is best for your self storage company. Secret shopping results usually come in the form of an evaluation. These secret shopping evaluations can be tailored to fit your business needs.
While it is extremely worthwhile to focus on internet marketing, there still needs to be a continuous incoming flow of fresh, new and creative ways to market self storage. Spending some of your marketing money on a reliable secret shopping program can also boost business. This can seem and sound extremely difficult to do, especially when it seems like all avenues go about marketing a good or service to an untapped market have been exhausted. But it should make the secret shopping industry very hopeful and enthusiastic knowing that there is still that untapped market out there. There will always be the returning self storage renter. How to go about tapping that secret shopping market is something that is much needed to be worked on. With the use of the internet as a large marketing tool, cell phones are becoming a daily tool for just about every other American, if not more so than the internet. Perhaps text messaging will be the next avenue to look into. Marketing, advertising and secret shopping programs must be present in avenues where people have visual or audio access on a constant and daily basis in continuous and repetitive fashion until it is drilled into minds of people.
Almost everyone has been to a shopping mall at some time in their life. These buildings can frequently be seen from Interstate highways, and are a common retail area in most cities. But maintaining these large complexes can be very complicated. That is why there are commercial real estate property management companies that specialize in this type of development.
The commercial real estate property management firm has many of the same duties as any other kind of property management company. The commercial real estate property management employees have to know the area where the complex is located, as well as what this facility has to offer. Is this shopping center upscale? Is it located in a touristy district? Is the mall close to fishing and boating waters? The favorite word of any real estate mogul is Location, Location, and Location. This holds true for shopping districts. Every good commercial real estate property management company knows that the neighborhood determines the types of shops that will be the best fit for a particular shopping mall.
Next, the commercial real estate property management company has to determine the best rental rates for the market. The commercial real estate property management company negotiates the leases knowing that vacancies need to be kept to a minimum, while still making a profit.
The commercial real estate property management company is in charge of the day to day operations of the shopping mall. They make sure the rent is collected from all of the tenants. They oversee the routine things such as the cleaning of bathrooms and the emptying of trash cans. The commercial real estate property management employees take care of repairs, regular upkeep, and all of the maintenance of the building and all of the grounds. And the commercial real estate property management company deals with any problems that arise.
The commercial real estate property management company needs to be knowledgeable about all federal, state, and local laws. They need to be certain that everything is up to ADA regulations, that state sales taxes are correctly collected, and be aware of any unique local laws that are in effect. Local laws include things like, Sunday Blue Laws and city ordinances pertaining to outdoor lighting.
The commercial real estate property management company does the marketing and advertising. This is necessary for two reasons. The commercial real estate property management company needs to get the word out about the shopping complex itself, plus they need to attract new tenants.
Many commercial real estate property management companies have made their shopping malls into more of a family oriented experience. They have installed carousels, family friendly restrooms, and kid friendly places to eat. A new rule in many shopping malls is the PGR, parental guidance required. Anyone sixteen and under must be accompanied by an adult. Over the years there have been problems with youngsters getting dropped off at the mall by their parents to hang out with their friends. Shoplifting, loitering, and other juvenile crimes were on the rise. The PGR lessens these problems, and makes families feel more at ease.
Most importantly, a commercial real estate property management company wants a shopping center to be a place for people and their families to experience, not just to shop. They want the complex to have a sense of community, with everything from retail shops to restaurants to entertainment. Shopping malls are meant for everyone, young and old alike!
At our call center we reserve storage units for different storage and property management facilities all over the United States. The storage and property management industry is a business that has became a big deal all over the United States. We happen to answer for a lot of different storage and property management companies. We tell their features, security and most important the cost of the rent. When a customer decides to rent storage or an apartment, then we will reserve the storage unit or apartment for them. We take their information like name, address and when they will go in to the storage or property management location to fill out the rest of the paper work and get their unit number.
It is always important to let them know availability is limited so we can reserve the storage unit or apartment for them. Then we would say, The way we reserve a storage unit (or apartment) is to take a prepayment over the phone on credit card. Most storage locations and a few property management locations can reserve a unit with a ten dollar non-refundable prepayment. Some other stores or property management companies may have it a little more, but nonetheless there is a prepayment.
We usually explain it something like, We take a ten dollar non-refundable prepayment over the phone on a credit card, this is not an extra charge it goes towards your first months rent. Then when you go in you will just pay the remainder how ever you want. Then we usually get something like this, you mean there is a deposit? No, it is not a deposit or an extra charge it will go towards your first months rent. It seems no matter what we say it confuses the customer or they think it is an extra charge.
Well if this is driving you nuts try something like this, We take a ten dollar non-refundable prepayment over the phone on credit card or debit card it is not an extra charge, and it goes towards you first months rent. Really what it means is you have a ten dollar credit when you get to the store. Then we usually get a response like, Oh okay, this is less confusing. We have more success saying it this way and a lot less confused self storage and property management customers.
It is funny how explaining it a little different (really it is the same thing) helps people to understand it? They do not seem to get prepayment but they do understand credit.
We also have stores and property management companies that reserve storage units without taking any money, so on those store we say, we hold it on your credit card. Now we do not charge anything to it, it is like a hotel reservation it just reserves the storage unit and when you come in pay it any way you like. Oh, this one causes problems too. The first thing we usually hear, Well when on vacation my hotel reservation froze the money on my card. Then we usually will say, yes sometimes that does happen we wish we had a better way to compare it, but we do not. And then we will have to say we promise we do not charge anything to it. To tell you the truth once we give you a reservation number, your credit card number will disappear, we do not keep it on file or anything. That usually helps those self storage and property management customers. Help your self storage and property management callers understand what is best for them. It will be appreciated by the office managers when the customer comes in.
Once this phase is well versed by your employees then the next phase of your secret shopping training should fall in which would be the actual presentation to someone who has never rented self storage before. Secret shopping involves a person that poses as potential customer and tries to rent self storage. Those tend to be a bit easier as normally you would simply take the customer by the hand and walk them through the entire self storage process and the caller is o.k. with that. The next phase would be the types of self storage questions that need to be asked of the potential renter so you know what is important to them. You can help them make a decision or suggest to them something that they may not have thought about when storing. Now the employee should be pretty confident in knowing what they are talking about. Now they need to understand what the different types of questions are that they should be asking of the potential customer. Yes and no questions will not lead you to the end of the call by itself. Sloppy transitions to cover other topics of the self storage rental process could also hurt you by losing some of the callers interest. So those too need to be practiced, memorized and used to obtain the maximum effect for the secret shopping training.
Once the above has been completed and successfully versed in the new employee, then it is time to put it in writing. Some sort of scripting always helps the memory and the secret shopping training. A secret shopping tip, have a quick script handy with you at the front desk so in case you are having one of those days you can refer to it in order to get everything covered. Each conversation will be different and you do need to be prepared for each type of scenario from the easy going customer who wants to rent right now, to the just shopping around caller to the irate current customer who has an over lock on their unit because there bill was not paid. Secret shopping evaluations can even help your employees with how to handle manger calls.
If we do not know how to answer a callers or customers questions then how does the customer feel when there is not an answer available for the current tenant at the moment. A good secret shopping program can help your self storage business succeed. And when you have a better self storage business, you will have more rentals. Check out a secret shopping program today to help your self storage business.
Given that Americans spend a plethora of their hard earned money on the food industry, it is important that they are receiving high-quality customer service. Different restaurants should be monitored frequently to ensure that customers are pleased with the service they are receiving. Restaurant secret shoppers are the perfect people for this job. A restaurant secret shopper will actually pretend to be customers and eat at the different restaurants. A restaurant secret shopper may evaluate performance, food quality and give training and support to restaurant managers and corporations.
In the future, it would be important that a restaurant secret shopper evaluate the healthiness and quality of the food. In view of the fact that Americans are getting fatter it is important that they cut down the fats and sugars in the foods. A restaurant secret shopper should evaluate how fattening the food is. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be added to many menus to decrease the amount of unhealthy calories eaten daily. There are many healthy recipes that restaurants may choose from. Many people believe that if a meal is healthy then it is distasteful, however there are countless recipes that are healthy and can keep you taste buds jumping.
In order to change restaurant menus, a restaurant secret shopper service may be able to provide alternative menu ideas. Some guidelines to healthy eating are as follows. First of all, portion size is a major factor in eating healthier. A fun quote that may help you with this is, Smaller portions lead to a smaller waist size. Some healthy alternatives that may be chosen are grilled chicken or fish, whole-wheat rolls and breads, or baked potatoes with veggies instead of butter and cheese. Cheese sauces, sour cream, tarter sauces and most special sauces are things to avoid when eating out. Soft drinks are also a significant source of nutritionally empty calories. Water or low fat milk would be a preferred drink of choice when eating out.
Finally, there are some important tips for a restaurant secret shopper when shopping different establishments. The number one rule is to act normal and enjoy the food. Asking lots of questions would be helpful when grading the quality of customer service in the restaurants. In addition to asking question a restaurant secret shopper may want to accidentally spill something or have a slight issue to see how they would respond to the situation. A restaurant secret shopper may want to make sure they keep their eyes and ears open, in order to better grade the quality of the restaurant establishment. When rating the quality of the service it is essential that the customer, or restaurant secret shopper, pay close attention to detail. It is not that often that a person gets a chance to eat at a fine dining or family restaurant for free so having fun would be a great tip to give anyone in that profession. A restaurant secret shopper has an interesting job that many people would want to do.
Storage-Mart on South Federal Hwy. in Pompano Beach
This is a highly specialized niche that this property management company has chosen to focus on. They have to constantly remain up to date on governmental policies and codes. This property management company works closely with the Federal Housing Administration so they are able to comply with all of the rules and regulations.
This property management company first finds a subsidized low-income government housing project that has fallen in disrepair. The buildings are falling apart, the area is crime-ridden, and the tenants live in constant fear. Drug transactions are commonplace, gunfire is frequent, and the police are constantly called to the area. People living in the housing units are afraid to leave their homes. They often will pack their trunk the night before they leave town and leave all of the lights and radios on, so no one knows they are not at home. Children are not permitted to play outside. These are the types of conditions that this particular property management company concentrates on.
This property management company informs all of the tenants of the new rules that must be abided by, or they are no longer welcome to live in the area. Guns and drugs are not permitted. Drug sniffing dogs are used to go through the housing units to detect any illicit substances.
Then this property management company refurbishes the interior of each apartment. They get rid of all pests and rodents that may also be living in the buildings. They paint walls, lay new carpet, and repair holes in doors. The property management company puts in new and updated appliances. Furnaces and air conditioners are modernized and brought up to code. The property management company makes sure that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order.
Not only does this property management company work on the buildings, but they also work on the morale of the residents. The property management company puts in playgrounds and neighborhood gardens. They designate an apartment or nearby building as a community center. Adults are able to take classes in computers or child rearing or to attain their GED in this community center. Children can get help with their homework or play games or have birthday parities in the center. This property management company knows that giving people a building to live in is just half of the battle. The spirit and the self-esteem of the people living in the buildings are just as important!
This property management company knows that turning these dilapidated areas into a neighborhood where everyone is proud to live is a win-win situation for everyone. The value of that particular property and surrounding properties increases, therefore increasing property taxes. Less public funds are spent on the constant police and law enforcement presence. Drug dealers and other criminals know they are no longer welcome and take their business elsewhere.
This particular property management company does an excellent job of taken blighted and crime infested government housing units and turning them into places where people are proud to call home. And this property management company knows that helping to enrich the lives of the residents is just as important as fixing some buildings. Reinvigorating the community is of the utmost importance!
Storage-Mart on Griffin Rd � Dania Beach, Florida
In this year so far, you have surely found out that you cannot do everything yourself, if you did not already know that. It might be hard to admit, even though you are a very together person, but you have a lot on your plate. A big difference that you can make this year in property management is getting your people to take some pride in the business. You can go out there everyday, all day and coach your people around good business decisions and showing them the numbers. How much of an impact do you think it would make if all of your associates were talking about the same thing to all of their peers?
In property management, you will always have someone on your team that might rock the boat and think that they deserve more than they are currently paid. As a property owner, it is good to entertain the idea and listen to their point. They might point out that you pay other associates a certain amount of money and the store makes a great profit off their hard work. Based of those reasons, they think they might deserve a raise. In property management, how great would it be if you did not have to field that question or even have to put a lot of thought to it. What if one of their peers stated that they would get more money if he produced more? What if they could explain to your associate, their peer, if you have less people in the building producing at high levels, then everyone receives raises because we do not need to pay more people. But currently with a lot of people on the property producing at low levels, how can we expect raises? Of course, in property management, you will have to explain to your associates sometimes the financials around what you do in property management and why you do it. For that associate wanting a raise, you can show them where the money actually goes, if you have access to such a report, and it could be eye opening. That associate will have a light turned on in their head and see that they are the main reason and the main driving force of your business.
In property management, it would feel awesome if all your associates understood what you did and had a conversation with their peers around it. They can finally understand that every customer interaction made the difference in the bottom line of the company. Every interaction counted towards their year-end bonus. Every time they decided to take a day off at work and not take care of their customers, could cost them dearly in the long run. In property management, if your to-do list could shrink down a little and if everyone understood what part of the big picture they play and how they influence the business, your job will be a lot easier.
In the self storage industry, it is crucial to have this mystery shopping feedback so you can ensure your business is doing as well as it could and to get real life examples to your staff. When you hear recordings of a good mystery shopping agent do a good job sounding like a real customer, the execution of a simple script is mediocre. You have some people out there who probably do an awesome job each time they pick up the phone. Mystery shopping challenges you to see what that other half is doing or saying, once that phone is picked up and the conversation begins.
As a property owner, manager, or whatever your title might be, could it hurt you to participate some sort of mystery shopping program? There have been examples of property managers being shopped by a mystery shopping agent and they did not do so well. The mystery shopping agent opened that managers eyes to have them realize that they have to change their approach to the business. It is very hypocritical for you as a manager to expect your people to provide excellent customer service when you do not. It is like one of those parental quotes, Do as I say, not as I do. In most businesses, that will not fly. With mystery shopping, it holds all employees, even managers to the same standard.
Mystery shopping is one of the best ways to track your employees progress and to see how they react to your competition. If you take the information you receive from mystery shopping and use it coach your employees effectively, you will succeed. If you choose not to use mystery shopping for what it is worth, you are losing money in more than one way. You lose money because you are paying for a service you are not reaping the benefit from and you could be getting more production out of your staff if they knew what they could do to improve. Mystery shopping gives you the best real life examples and gets away from the boredom of role-playing. Mystery shopping will produce a lift in your business and your profits will grow. What are you waiting for? Your competition to get smart and use the service before you?
This is really tricky, because if you do not know how to do it gracefully, it can be a disaster. It can be done, however. When answering the phone and the caller says that they have already talked to you about that 5x10 self storage unit, is it really necessary or even a good idea to bypass your normal presentation? This is where your skills will show your true colors on these specific calls. If on every other call you have mastered the skill of the typical property management and self storage call by helping a caller through the storage shopping experience, then it is time to up your game. If you are good at reading your callers, then you may be able to side step certain information and then call back to it. Do not by leave anything out, but there may be a need to reroute your call. Hi, that 5x10 self storage unit, is it still available? For this call you can side step it. For some this will be a new dance. Maneuvering around the callers inquiry does take finesse.
Great, did you already speak to someone about it?
Yes.
Do you remember whom you spoke to?
And this location on Smith Street is the correct one, yes?
And was it the climate controlled unit or the standard unit that you are interested in?
What was the price they quoted you?
When you get the information you need to verify that yes they have spoken to someone already and that the property management unit at you self storage facility matches what they previously discussed, then it is time to get their name and number and start the reservation process. This caller is giving the green signal. The go if you will. So instead of the possibility of sticking your foot in your mouth, get the callers information first and reserve it. You can go back and cover everything in the wrap up of your call to confirm that they are aware of the gate hours, the great security and office hours as well as any additional fees and so on. If you were to treat this property management call as a normal first time rental inquiry, it could mean the loss of the reservation. So, learn the different steps and sometimes it does take learning a new dance. But practice will make you more fluid and more confident when learning and practicing these new steps for your property management business.
The secret shopping evaluator is an outsider that is trained to pick up on bad habits that the phone rep is not even aware of. With the help of a written evaluation form, the secret shopping evaluator can give the sales person advice on how they can improve their techniques. The written evaluations are given to the sales management staff, which in turn can use it for training purposes.
There are three different words that get on the nerves of one particular secret shopping evaluator. She hears all three of these words several times a day from many different people. The secret shopping evaluator truly feels that if a salesperson would try for one week not to say any of these words that the sales of that person would improve immensely.
The first word is cheap. Cheap conjures up the idea of something that is inferior. Saying we have a cheap storage facility or we are cheaper than our competitor can make customers think of dirt floors, flimsy building materials, and inferior security. Instead, the sales person should rephrase it to, we have the lowest prices around. This is a far more positive approach to saying basically the same thing. The secret shopping evaluator knows that salespersons should always just completely avoid the word, cheap.
The second word is, do. Using this word automatically turns every question into a yes or no query, which is always a bad idea in sales. Do you want to rent a storage unit? No. Do you want to come by on Saturday? No. Do you have a credit card? No.
Instead, a salesperson should be asking either or questions. Would you prefer the climate controlled or the regular storage unit? Will you be coming by on Friday or Saturday? Which major credit card would you like to use today?
The secret shopping evaluator knows the former questions make it too easy for a customer to take the easy way out and just say, no. The latter questions force the caller to participate in the conversation.
The third word is, Ummm. The secret shopping evaluator knows that this is not really a word per se, but it might as well be. Americans use it constantly, and are not even aware of the habit. The secret shopping evaluator realizes though that customers notice the ummm, and oftentimes think less of a salesperson that says it repeatedly. The secret shopping evaluator often recommends to people to count how many times in a fifteen minute period that they uttered, ummm.
The outside objective view of a secret shopping company can be of a great deal of assistance to any type of business, especially a call center. And the secret shopping employees know that by simply tweaking their spiel every now and again that every salesperson can stay at the top of their game.
There are self storage manages that are shopped everyday and do a great job. They do a phenomenal job taking care of potential clients. They explain how their facility was laid out in terms of amenities and how much the potential clients could be saving so much more money if they rented today. With the instant feedback secret shopping program, they can be given praise for doing a great job around the bulk of the call. Sometimes with this programs, when you go to give them feedback on something that would help there presentation, they might not receive it well. Many managers would go on to tell you that they have been in this industry for more than a decade and that they understand how the caller thinks and what they respond to. The secret shopping agent just tries to let them know that not all customers are the same and some want more than just a great price. They want to know what they are getting for the price and a good practice is to build value of the facility before the price is given. Some people do not agree with that statement from the secret shopping agent and would once again stay strong with how the customers in their area respond to the things they say.
Sometimes while secret shopping some individuals, they will had some valid points, but the whole idea of feedback secret shopping is to get instant feedback. Most managers are in need of a reality check if they believe that all the people that call them want to be talked to the same way most respond on the phone. If they use a cookie cutter presentation for the most part, they will loose a percentage of potential clientele that want to hear the value and convenience of location before hearing the price. The secret shopping program is there to help the managers get out of the cookie cutter approach to be able to gain them more profits.
Take all feedback as ways for the secret shopping agent to help you better succeed. Reality is, if companies were doing was business effectively they would have 100 percent occupancy. You might have competitors out there that use the techniques listed above that have 100 percent occupancy. Would you rather as property managers, not take the feedback from the secret shopping agents and loose customers, or do as they might instruct, and gain more customers? Things that make you go hmmmm.
Many people have worked for smaller companies where there was not very much chance of advancement and they have decided to leave those companies. With the people you have working for you, do you know where they want their career to go? Do you know if working in self storage is what they would like to do long term. Do they want to get involved in property management since they now have some experience? It is well known that some managers working for over a decade in this industry and some people leave after a couple of months. The same is true of any industry. Of course, in property management, the job is not for everyone. In property management, most property managers should know how long you could expect people to work for you.
If we take the time to get to know our people and what they want to do in life, maybe it corresponds with our business. In property management, there might be many people that work for you that want to be architects, doctors, lawyers or what have you that are greatly benefiting from the experience of self storage. There are many people that want to move up the ladder and see where it takes them in property management. Unfortunately, not all companies have a long ladder to climb up. Most property management companies are not big enough to have too many people at the top. At least there could be promotional opportunities from the person that starts out taking applications to rent to become a property manager.
By knowing the passion and commitment level of your people, you can plan to hire new people or use your time to develop those would want to stay with the company for years to come. In property management, you should not treat people differently, but you would have different focuses with some people than others. Always have a plan so no matter what hiccups might come in staffing your business will not suffer. Get to know your people and what they would like to accomplish in their life and they will help you to accomplish your goals as a property manager. By accomplishing your goals, you would have done what you have set out to do in the beginning.
In property management, nothing is for certain. You should always look towards the future to try to be ahead of the potential problems so you can not go backwards. You should know your business and understand your needs. Try to develop the people that you can that want to eventually get into property management. This way when the time comes to expand your business, you have people that can greatly help your business grow.
For instance, a closer look mystery shopping would show one that the varied styles of secret shop offer a range of knowledge concerning a behind the scenes look at what goes on when the store manager or owner is not around and more importantly, how the customer perceives the service of the facility, product and or service. Some secret shopping may be heavily focused on sales presentations, others more pointed towards customer service and others may even weigh the appearance or cleanliness of the property.
A closer look mystery shopping would also reveal a vast difference in the method of mystery shopping. Some mystery shopping providers conduct in person secret shops by sending a shadow shopper to take a closer look mystery shopping into a store. Because the secret shopper is physically present during a mystery shop, he or she is able to report on details such as how clean the parking lot was, how many other customers were in the store at the time, how long it took to be greeted, how long it took to get assistance, how knowledgeable the associates were, if he or she was asked to purchase any additional items, how quick the service was, etc. A business can contract mystery shops from a secret shopping provider for a fraction of the cost of an average customer, sometimes pennies on the dollar. A closer look mystery shopping will show a business owner well above the worth of just one customer because the insight gained is priceless and only offers potential for improvement. The other thing one will notice after taking a closer look mystery shopping is that a secret shopping program should not be a one time event. Continuous monitoring and quality assurance is the best way to build a strong, motivated sales team.
In a closer look mystery shopping, one would find that telephone secret shopping is very popular among sales, customer service and telemarketing industries. For example, a closer look mystery shopping the self storage industry reveals that the market heavily relies on telephone sales to draw in new self storage tenants. The importance of getting the customers agreement and commitment over the phone is vital in gaining that customer as a tenant. A closer look mystery shopping will allow a self storage owner, or any sort of business person, the opportunity to hear exactly what kind of sales and customer service the store manager gives to customers. Again, a closer look mystery shopping indicates that regular secret shopping programs are most efficient and allow the business owner to gain a fair benchmark of where each employee stands in his or her sales and customer service skills.
If one were to take a closer look mystery shopping, he or she would also discover the online secret shopper. This form of shopping usually measures the customer service, response time, delivery time and quality of a product. Almost any business could benefit from an online mystery shop because the Internet is a growing resource for customers and shoppers looking for any type of service or product. Chances are, if you sell it, they have researched it online before they ever pick up the phone or walk in the door.
In property management, some of us run the property differently than others. When it comes to the sales portion of our property management, some of us decide not to tell the caller about any additional costs there are to rent (lock, admin costs, etc) until they come down to the facility. The customer does not deserve that. If they come down ready to move all of their belongings and bring enough money to cover their unit and tax, they will not be too pleased to pay more than what was quoted on the phone. In your property management, ensure the caller knows what they are paying for, or any extras they need, before they rent with you. You can maintain that great relationship with the caller if you do so.
In property management, you are trying to get your property to grow. The relationships you build with customers are one of the ways you will grow your business. Most people involved in property management, want their people to ask for credit cards over the phone in order to hold the space for the caller. When trying to get the caller to reserve a space with a credit card, sometimes that could be done better. Instead of just offering to have the space held, tell the caller why they benefit from giving you their credit card. In property management, your business could grow if a customer can understand limited availability or ensuring that they get the great special that was offered. They will not enjoy the fact that you are pressuring them to give you their credit card with no tie in to why they should give it to you. Would you just give your credit card to a person that says something like, You can hold this space if you give me your credit card. In that statement, most people would figure they have many spaces so they do not need to give them a credit card over the phone. In property management, you have to teach your employees to show the caller some value when asking for their credit card. Their credit card is their identity. In property management, your job is not always going to be sales, but you are there to ensure the customer has a great experience while they are renting from you. Protecting their identity would be something the customer would appreciate.
In property management, we have people that are there to help the customers that call or come into our building. In property management, you should take the time to ensure that your associates treat them as they would want to be treated. Make sure the customers are not pressure them. Your associates should take the time to develop a relationship and take care of their needs. Do not surprise them with extra costs, as you would not like to be. Take care of them now and they will refer people to your facility or rent with you for a long time. In property management it is your job to either be the one to ensure customer satisfaction, or appoint someone to do the job. Make sure your customers are taken care of.
There are many self storage and secret shopping facilities in the US. Some self storage companies have many facilities and their facilities fill up completely. And they are big stores, lots of self storage and the need for secret shopping services. It is not only the students that fill them up but they do take the majority of the units. Do not think that if you have great business coming in the door that you do not need secret shopping services. Secret shopping is a great way to monitor your self storage business.
Most students want a 5x5 space. All they have are dorm things, a 5x5 space is about the size of small bathroom so this size works perfect for them. And besides they are so excited about leaving for the summer they just throw their things in there. Now the ones who are smart about it, will get with several of there friends and get a larger self storage unit and split the cost. That really saves then some money, and we all have heard of the poor college students who eat noodles all semester long. So they like saving money.
The 10x10 size usually works well for them. That is a size like a small bedroom size. And really it would hold a full bedroom and living room, some kitchen things and maybe even a washer and dryer just depending on how they utilize the space. So the students will get with three or four friends put their things in together and save money. Only thing with this is one person does have to be responsible for the bill.
The self storage and secret shopping industry has grown so much in college towns like Columbia, Missouri. The self storage companies with many locations can still grow. So they will be for sure to help accommodate a lot of students in their self storage needs. And they will probably need more secret shopping services as well. Secret shopping can help your business grow. Try secret shopping for your self storage buisness.
Now May will come and those procrastinators will call and we will try to the best of our ability to find them a self storage unit. If there is not a small one left then we will suggest maybe sharing with friends but nonetheless we will try to help, and hope we still have something left.
So spring is here. The birds are singing the daffodils are blooming and if you are a student do not procrastinate try something new this year, call early.
Here are some things that might fall under the responsibilities of a homeowner association property management company.
Building Standards- this allows the developer to obtain an overall look and feel in the home building. Such things as how much brick, siding or other exterior material should be used. The developer will then allow a certain number of builders to submit designs for the neighborhood. When more builders are allowed, you will have a diverse selection of homes for sale in the same area. This will attract new homebuyers, first time homebuyers, families, newlyweds, couples, retirees, and more.
Exterior Structures- this regulation allows the developer to control what each homeowner can put in their yard as far as fencing, sheds, etc. Depending on the developer the regulations can be extremely varied.
Landscaping- for continuity of the overall look of the neighborhood, a developer can put in the bylaws that certain levels of lawn care and landscaping must be maintained. Trees, bushes and plants can be included in the type of landscaping that each homeowner must have.
Here are some of the things that a homeowner association property management company might also regulate.
Vehicle parking- how many vehicles can be parked on the street and in the driveway. Oversized vehicles like RVs and semi trucks are often barred from homeowner association property management rules. This type of restriction will also prevent the abandoned car and the car restoration in the driveway type of homeowners.
Public area access- pools, parks, playgrounds, lakes and more, are a homeowner association property management companys duty to monitor unless passed on to the homeowners association.
Pets- a homeowner association property management company along with the developer can place restrictions on what type, what size and how many pets a homeowner can own.
Because the laws of a homeowner association property management can be so varied, it is important to find out if the neighborhood you are looking to purchase a home in, is governed by a homeowner association property management company. Many people find that homeowner association property management companies can be too regulating and restricting. The homeowner association property management is definitely not for every homeowner.
Looking for a new home is exciting and frustrating at the same time. Find out right up front what neighborhoods have a homeowner association property management company. If you like the idea of a homeowner association property management then your real estate agent can guide you to those neighborhoods. If you do not like the idea of a homeowner association property management then ask your real estate agent to show you some homes that are not in a neighborhood that has homeowner association property management.
Many times a homeowner association property management company uses the bylaws set by the developer and the city and county laws to maintain the neighborhood. Some homeowners think that having a homeowner association property management company will make their neighborhood, safer, cleaner and more beautiful. Ask your real estate agent for a copy of the neighborhood bylaws and see if they are what you are looking for in a neighborhood.
Many companies use the secret shopping program in order to improve their level of customer service. Unfortunately, there are people within those companies who do not believe secret shopping is a good use of company resources. They believe that they know who to sell and how to take care of the customers. They do not even try to learn or take feedback from the secret shopping evaluation. It is unbelievable the level people go to so they will not have to do something they do not want to do.
If a manager at a self storage facility absolutely refused to learn anything from a secret shopping agent, what is the value of that employee? Or of any employee who outright refuses to participate or cooperate? What if the manager, when the secret shopping agent revealed himself or herself as a secret shopper, started getting angry and frustrated? A professional secret shopping agent would still attempt to go over the call with the manager. However, some managers go on to tell the secret shopping agent about their years of sales experience or that they dp not need anyone to coach them on how to sell. In some extreme cases, employees being shopped will become enraged and say how much of a waste of time the call was or even how stupid secret shopping is.
Such extreme behavior is few and far between in the secret shopping industry, but when it does occur it can be a shocking experience for the secret shopping agent. The best way to handle these cases is to end the secret shop or training and the secret shopping agent can give it to their boss so that the client can see the results immediately.
As stated before, you have to have people on your team who care about how the company is growing. With people on your team in the example above, you can not be sure your company goals are being met or that customers are being treated respectably, but they could be doing a great job. On the other hand, how much more could you gain if you had someone who was able to take feedback and criticism? Having someone on your team who is not willing to learn or to help the company get to where they need to be is a risk that some self storage business owners do not take.
In terms of atmosphere, any business should come across with a professional setting and an appropriate setting. These are the kind of images that tanning should foster, sunny day, the beach, summer, etc. Given those images, the tanning salon interior should try to recreate feelings associated with those images. In other words a person entering a tanning salon should get the impression that is warm, happy, and inviting if the property management is in order. No one should be forced to get a tan for obvious reasons, but all employees that work in plain view of customers should be sporting a tan. How do you expect people to have faith in a tannery if the employees themselves do not look like they use the services?
Property management maintenance is the next priority. Maintenance involves making sure that all equipment is working properly and that no repairs are needed to the structure. Tanning salons typically do not have much in the nature of equipment, but the vital pieces of equipment that are needed to keep the property in proper working order are the tanning beds of course. First priority with the property management of beds is it to make sure that all the bulbs are working. When one bulb goes out, it can leave streaks on the tanner. Needless to say, this will be bad for business. Second priority with the beds is to make sure that the fans at the end of the beds are working or that there is a fan at either end of the bed. It gets hot under the lights and the fans help create a comfortable baking process. Actual physical property management maintenance involves making sure that all repairs have been taken care of. This process can get extensive, especially if it has been a while since the last time repairs were made. Walls should be checked to make sure all cracks and holes have been patched and painted. Any missing or broken ceiling tiles should be replaced. All leaks should be fixed. And if there is other tanning equipment (such as tanning booths) those should be in proper working order with all necessary supplies refilled.
General appearance of the property counts for a lot in the eyes of consumers and is important for property management. This goes for property management in any industry, apartment rental, storage rental, commercial and residential real estate and more. The first thing people see will be the outside. Trash should be picked up outside and all signage on windows should be attention getting and professional. Upon entering the establishment another property management demand is a clean interior. This means that all trash needs to be picked up. All windows and mirrors should be free of fingerprints and dirt.
Tanning salons are not the typical facility we think of when we hear the words Property Management, but this example goes to show that every business is in need of some good property management.
In property management, the people involved have it hard compared to some other professions. In property management, you get to deal with the issues of the people on your property. They can deal with the full range of issues as little as a leaky faucet to as big as a theft. It is hard to predict when these issues will occur. In property management, most managers do daily or weekly checks on their property to ensure that all is well. Some managers visit each apartment monthly to see if everything is going well inside their apartment. Some people in storage property management do monthly sprays for pests. The people involved in property management definitely have a lot on their plate. Sometimes they make good decisions and take care of their clients and sometimes they make things worse.
There was an example of a property in the Midwest, which the person involved in the property management of this facility, made bad decisions. That area just was slammed with feet of rain and it was just a miserable time in that area. The river was rising and some roads were not passable. Some people just decided to stay in doors. One of the renters had a huge issue that was not taken care of properly. With all the rainfall, her roof caved in over her bed causing some loss in personal property. That young woman lived on the top floor and was right underneath the area on the roof where the pump lied to distribute the extra water off the roof. Well, the pump malfunctioned and the water just collected to the point where it collapsed that portion of the roof. In property management, you cannot predict that to happen, but it is what you do after an issue does occur.
The property manager was called instantly and they got someone out there to fix the roof. Remember, this collapse of the roof cause damage to the personal property of the renter. The person in property management chose not to pay for any damages. That got the renter irate and they wanted to move out of the apartment and have nothing to do with this property manager. The renter was very upset to find that they were not allowed to leave their contract. Therefore, the renter, who has just had personal property damage and was not allowed to move into another apartment, was left angry and they were not taken care of. You can bet that the client did not renew their contract and reported this event. When you are involved in property management, you do not want this kind of complaint on your records.
Our sales representatives receive secret shopping evaluations twice each week for quality assurance purposes to continue our own going training program. The evaluations are a great device to use in order to share random call results with our employees. Whenever our sales representative receive an 85 percent or higher score, they receive a certificate. Recently our January call center secret shopping evaluations came out and each one of our sales reps earned a certificate, proving that we do practice what we preach. Way to go offsite sales force reps. These certificates are no easy win. It takes dedication and perseverance to receive an outstanding score. An outstanding score that is needed to obtain a certificate is a score of a minimum of 85 percent.
If you are in the market for a secret shopping service, do not hesitate to contact our Quality Assurance Services Department for more information. And if you are shopping around to compare different companies regarding a secret shopping service, find out if they too utilize the program themselves. One nice addition included at the end of the secret shopping evaluation is a section where we add some highlights to point out both the positives that stuck out on the call as well as any possible growth areas with suggestions on how to do so.
Remember only practice makes perfect and secret shopping evaluations are great to study from, so you know exactly where you need to study and what it is you need to study so that you can improve. And, yes, it may be awkward at first. Especially if the norm for the last 5 years has been to just wing it. It is normal to have some reservations about it. But after you get the first couple of shops under your belt, it is not as scary as you may have imagined it to be.
A former self storage manager is an excellent addition to our varied pool of secret shoppers. The great thing about becoming a secret shopper when you have some experience in the self storage rental industry is that you will easily transition from being the one behind the counter to the one behind the phone asking all the questions about self storage. Of course, knowing too much about self storage may be a dead giveaway that you are becoming a secret shopper. Finding a happy balance between pretending to be an everyday self storage customer and not giving away that you are a self storage expert is as easy as being prepared with your scenario and alias so that when the self storage manager asks for your name you can quickly respond.
Our clientele will also greatly benefit from having an experienced self storage manager becoming a secret shopper. Because such a knowledgeable self storage manager is becoming a secret shopper and perhaps even a certified evaluator, the validity and quality of her feedback will come from years of experience in the self storage rental industry.
Becoming a secret shopper for our company is something that many of our own associates enjoy as additional part time work to their full time call center and offsite sales positions in the self storage industry. Being able to supplement their income by becoming a secret shopper is a win-win situation for them, us and our clients. The same is true by a self storage manager becoming a secret shopper. This self storage manager will be able to put all their self storage sales knowledge and customer service skills to work by helping other self storage managers much like herself be better at their jobs.
Of course, there are confidentiality and conflict of interest issues with current self storage managers becoming a secret shopper. For example, a secret shopper is not allowed to relay information about sales tactics, marketing strategies, storage unit rental availability or pricing and other information specific to our clientele. This is why a self storage manager actively working for any storage facility may not consider becoming a secret shopper. It would be a conflict of interest if they were shopping their competition or learning detailed information about the sales training program of a fellow self storage business.
However, what better candidate is there than a former self storage manager who is becoming a secret shopper? They will have more expertise than some one replying to a classified ad in the newspaper.
Clients should keep in mind that with our companys secret shopping service, we use only well trained secret shoppers and certified evaluators who offer sales tips and sales training. Our Feedback Shoppers have even more vigorous training as far as becoming a secret shopper and are made up of the most elite group of self storage trainers.
You can manage your properties many different ways. In real estate management, if you are not on top of your game, you could loose a lot of money very quickly. In real estate management, you can have someone help you manage the properties or you can try to do it all yourself. Depending on the extent of your properties, that could be a very daunting task trying to manage the properties.
Have you ever seen on TV the people that flip houses? That is just one aspect of real estate management. There are many different ways people get involved in real estate. Trying to find a way to get all of your properties together to keep track of them can be hard to do. There are many examples of people that flip houses that spend a lot of time on one project and could potential loose focus on the other real estate properties they have. In real estate management, you have to be on point, and know what you are working on at all times. The moment you get off schedule or invest more than you originally planned, you could be in big trouble financially. As stated above, in real estate management, you might want to consider hiring someone or people to help you manage the properties. This is especially a great idea if you plan to getting involved in the manual labor when you usually are just an overseer.
You have to do your research when it comes to real estate management. You should look at a property completely in its entirety in order to see if you should invest. In the current economy, where you place your money is very important. In real estate management, you could gain a lot or you could lose a lot. The choice is up to you and how passionate you are. Real estate is a very difficult professional to be in. You have to invest a lot of your time in order to make your business successful. Many have succeeded and many have failed. No two people have the same experiences or the same focus in real estate management.
In real estate management, you should make sure that you are organized and you have everything prioritized. If you have multiple properties, if you are looking to sell them, you should ensure you know how long each one has been on the market. You cannot let the properties that you have, got stagnant. In real estate management, you have to do whatever it takes to ensure that you do open houses, get opinions from real estate agents, etc in order to get your property to sell.
Use your passion, your gut, and your smarts to find the best investments for your company. Not every property is going to be your cash cow. You are going to make some great decisions and then some decisions that will make you look like a hero. Learn from you mistakes and you will do well in real estate management.
Real estate property management software is used for so many different purposes. It is used for the financial aspects of the business, such as accounting, billing and collections, and reports analysis. Gone are the days of manually filling out a ledger in longhand and licking a stamp on each envelope. Real estate property management software keeps track of everything in an easy to use format, and even prints bills and collection notices. And with just a few clicks of the mouse any type of report imaginable can be accessed with user friendly real estate property management software.
Real estate property management software can also be used as a database. It is able to keep track of tenant information, facility maintenance, and it can quickly perform other necessary queries.
Real estate property management software is also capable of writing word documents. This is important for correspondence with tenants, contractors, legal officials, etc. Real estate property management software can also be used to manufacture booklets and fliers and other advertising materials.
Real estate property management software comes in a vast array of different price spectrums. Basic real estate property management software may work best for a small mom and pop operation, or someone that is just starting out in the business and does not have a lot of excess cash flow. The costs can go up and up, with even twenty-four hour technical assistance available if need be.
There are many important things to take into consideration when purchasing real estate property management software. What types of features are really necessary, and which ones simply look fun? What are you looking for as far as functionality goes? Does the real estate property management software need to be customized to work for your particular situation, or will a generic version be okay?
And also take into consideration how much service you need to come with your new real estate property management software. Does someone need to come and install it, or are you able to have someone in house taking care of that? Do your employees need to be trained on the new software, or is it pretty user friendly. How much support do you think you will need from the software company? Do you think technical support for thirty or ninety days will suffice, or will it need to be an ongoing thing?
There are a lot of places where you can purchase real estate property management software, again depending on the needs of your company. You can look in trade magazines or on the Internet. There are salespeople available that will come to your home or office or jobsite. You can ask your friends, neighbors, and even competitors for any recommendations.
Purchasing real estate property management software is a big investment. Do your homework thoroughly, and know ahead of time what will be important for you and your company. And if you plan on staying in the business for a while be sure to buy real estate property management software that can be upgraded. You do not want to be stuck with something that will be completely obsolete within a year or two, and then you have to start the whole process over again!
People have a lot of different choices when it comes to purchasing a vehicle. They can buy one that is foreign or domestic, new or used, economically friendly or a gas guzzler. They can purchase it from a neighbor or an auto auction or a franchise. They can buy a car for the family or one for a teenager or a fun sports car for themselves. The choices just go on and on.
Because of all of the choices available to the consumer, the retail end of the automotive industry is very competitive. And what better way to keep up with the competition than to hire a mystery shopper!
A mystery shopper for the car business can be employed by any number of different people or companies. The home office of a major brand may hire a mystery shopper to see how well the local franchise is doing, and how well they are abiding by the national guidelines. Are sales down at the local dealership because the employees are not taking advantage of the national rebate campaign that is underway? Are the salespeople not emphasizing all of the extras that come standard with the newest model? Is the branch manager not encouraging her sales staff to get customers to use their in-house financing options? The home office can keep an eye on local dealerships by hiring a mystery shopper to report to them.
A rival car dealer may hire a mystery shopper to secretly shop the competition. The rival may use a mystery shopper to see if they can pick up any new tips or ideas. Does the competition have better sales gimmicks in place? Are their salespeople happier or maybe hungrier? Do they have a better product? A mystery shopper can report back with the details.
Recently a local magazine hired a female mystery shopper to secretly shop a neighborhood car dealership. The mystery shopper was to make note of things such as how seriously she was treated as a customer, how well salespeople listened to her, and how she felt about her overall experience.
The mystery shopper went to a large dealership that sold both new and used cars. She rode up and down the different aisles of autos with her husband at the wheel of their car. The mystery shopper was impressed that even thought the weather was dreary and cold, a salesman quickly came to their car. Once the salesman found out the female in the car was doing the buying he immediately focused his attention on her. This got high marks from the mystery shopper. From there however, the experience of the mystery shopper went downhill.
Once everyone went inside to the large showroom floor, the mystery shopper explained to the salesmen what she was looking to purchase. She wanted a used, reliable sedan that was safe and economical to drive. She also explained the small monthly allotment she had for a payment. The salesmen nodded his head and said he completely understood.
Within minutes, however, the salesman was talking about how he could get her into a brand new SUV with all of the extras. And he told her it was just a few dollars more than the cost of a used sedan. The few dollars more turned out to be over one and a half times more for a car payment and twice as much more for auto insurance.
And the mystery shopper was left to ponder. Did the salesman not hear what she was saying because he was not listening to her, or because she was a female, or because he could make a higher commission on the SUV?
Always listen to your customer!
Do you have a secret shopping company for your business? There are many different types of secret shopping companies out there that specialize in certain types of mystery shopping. Some shopping malls will even shop their own stores to make sure the customer service is being delivered to each and every customer. If you are looking for a secret shopping company to evaluate your staff, your best bet is to look on the Internet.
Our secret shopping company has found that you just cannot hire someone to answer the phone at your self storage facility. That person has to be able to multi task with all their daily duties and provide great customer service. The phone ringing in the background can sometimes cause a headache to those employees who do not know how to handle it. The person answering the phone at your self storage facility must be able to be courteous, helpful, professional, knowledgeable and more to get the callers business. If the person answering the phone at your self storage facility sounds and acts like a dud, then chances are the caller will not ever make it to the site. Heck, you might be able to train a parrot to answer the phone, rattle off prices and say goodbye. And that parrot will work for food! But that is not what we want. We want a warm smiling face, a friendly handshake, and a professional person in the office. And if that person can be all of those things, they should be able to convey that warmness, professionalism and friendliness over the phone as well.
Our companies advice to your company, hire a secret shopping company. When you do, you will find that when you company uses the mystery shopping evaluation and calls that your sales will increase. Will your sales increase? Yes, because you are providing your self storage employees with the tools to make their sales presentation better. And once their sales presentation is better they will gain more self storage rentals. And more self storage rentals will help your self storage business grow.
Customer service is so important these days and the difference in companies could be the level of customer service that they offer. Competition is stiff and with inflated gas prices, potential customers are looking for a quality self storage rental that meets their needs. Let a secret shopping company help your business with their customer service and sales skills. It will be an investment that will pay off for you, your employees and your business.
Part of the job responsibilities of property management is taking the customer on a tour of the self storage facility once they arrive. It is important for property management to have some type of plan in place, knowing how long the tour will take and what you want the new tenant to see and know. Try and have the time prearranged for a meeting so you do not have to rush through it. For many self storage customers this is the first time they have ever rented self storage before and this gives them the opportunity to see how the whole process works. For the seasoned self storage veteran this gives them the opportunity to see what they may have missed before storing elsewhere and what your self storage facility has to offer.
Property management should be prepared by having the self storage units cleaned and ready for inspection, a variety of locks on hand for point of sale once at the self storage unit, and any information given from previous contact with the self storage customer. If possible have a self storage lease agreement preprinted for a quick and hassle free checkout when done with the tour.
The property management tour itself should have a beginning, middle and end. First impressions of course are crucial so always smile, use the self storage customers name and have a professional appearance. After the meet and greet take whatever form of transportation, your legs or a people mover, and begin showcasing your self storage facility. Remember as the tour guide and property management you are the expert and you are reinforcing that image by your knowledge of the self storage facilitys history, construction, and pointing out features. Property management should narrate the process so the self storage customer can visualize the experience and what it would be like to store there.
When property management arrives at the self storage unit, again, help the customer visualize what they will be storing and the process by demonstrating the particulars of the unit. Open the door, show them the light switch, operate the alarm if any, and get them comfortable with the unit. Now is a good time for property management to ask if they have any questions and ask for the sale. By this middle stage the customer should be ready to rent because showing them and helping them understand the process also helps close the sale.
As you wind the tour down on the way back to the property management office the customer should feel relaxed, comfortable, and be ready to sign the self storage lease agreement. Now is a good time to share a little personal information about the property management with the customer and get to know them maybe even be able to recommend a good local restaurant or two. You may not have a bullhorn, maps to the stars homes, or a double-deck tour bus but for your new self storage tenant it was certainly worth the price of admission.
Real estate management courses can help you become a real estate agent. Before anyone can claim that they are a real estate agent they must first take real estate management courses and complete several exams. Real estate management courses can cost a pretty penny, but the total cost is less than a four-year degree to get a job. Real estate professionals that have earned the title of instructor usually teach real estate management courses. The real estate management courses are set up in a classroom like setting with the instructor leading the courses. The real estate management courses are put on a strict time completion and then the exams are scheduled. The real estate management courses have books to read and study and the instructor monitors all of the students progress. There is much to learn about the real estate management business and its professionals take their business very seriously.
After all of the real estate management courses have been taken and the exams passed, the student is now allowed to sell real estate. Many real estate companies will take on newly graduated students to help out in their offices. This is a great way for the newbies to jump into the real estate business and get their feet wet. While working around the real estate office the new real estate agents can help the seasoned agents with their workload. After the new agents have shown the real estate office that they can provide customer service, knowledge about the profession, ability to work with numbers, organization and more, the office will let the new agents out on their own. This is a very exciting time for the new agents and many will feel the pressure of the business. It all pays off when the new agent completes their first sale.
If you know someone who is looking for flexible work hours then you should mention real estate management courses to them. It is a great way to beat the everyday grind of the 9-5. Real estate management courses can help provide a little freedom and fresh air to those needing a new start or change in job careers.
A coffeeshop giant recently decided that it needed to get back to the basics. Evaluations from mystery shopping companies and other sources had shown them that their product and their quality of service just was not up to the high marks that the brewing company had once been accustomed. And, even worse, mystery shopping companies had found that the competition was winning away some of their loyal coffee drinking customers!
The mystery shopping companies discovered that hamburger joints and donut shops had put a dent into the niche that this coffeeshop giant had long enjoyed. The mystery shopping companies realized that these competitors were also serving up high quality coffee, and for a lesser cost.
And so what did the Coffeeshop Empire decide to do? Did they decide to sit back on their accolades and laurels and enjoy the fruits of their past labors? NO! This coffeehouse business decided to take the advice from these different mystery shopping companies and rise up to the occasion.
This coffeehouse giant decided to make an unprecedented move. From 5:30pm until 9:00pm local time on a Tuesday evening each of the more than 7000 locations shut their doors to the public. Each store used this downtime for retraining and educational purposes. Everyone from franchise owners to managers to part-timers was involved in the training. All employees were refreshed and reinstructed on every aspect of the business. The importance of cleanliness was reiterated. How to provide the best customer service to each individual patron was reemphasized. How to perfectly create every different type of coffee order was repeated. The focus was put back on the fact that it is not just about the cup of java, but about the whole experience for the customer.
Many other companies can take a cue from this coffeeshop giant. What worked well last year may need to be improved upon this year. Complacency can mean the demise of any well meaning organization.
It is a great idea for any business to seek the assistance of mystery shopping companies. Hire several different mystery shopping companies so you can get the different feedback from each one. You can combine the valuable information obtained from the evaluations by these various mystery shopping companies and use it to your advantage. Are there some common business practices that your company is using that could be done in a more efficient way? Do you have certain employees that are slacking off, and not working up to their full potential? Has your competitor found a way to do the same thing you are doing, only at less of a cost? Hiring mystery shopping companies can help you with all of these questions and more.
Follow the lead of the coffeeshop giant. Every now and again implement a training program to help all of your employees refocus and get on the same page. And, who knows, you too might make national headlines, just like the coffee king did!
Most people like the idea of feedback secret shopping because you get immediate recognition on what you did well, and some coaching points that can help you going into the next call. In the past, secret shopping just shopped different storage managers, evaluated their call, and then sent the call to the district manager for them to do as they please. Think how many calls in between the secret shopping calls, that self storage manager in between that time could take. They still could be using not as good sales presentations that they did not know they needed help on. The only problem sometimes with instant feedback from secret shopping, is that some people are too prideful and choose not to listen.
It is so refreshing that there are managers out there who receive a perfect score every single time they participate in secret shopping, mostly unknowing. We should applaud you for you efforts, but what about those who do well in the secret shopping evaluation? Even the perfect managers can still learn and tweak their presentations. They should still open up their ears during their secret shopping evaluation and be humble enough to say that they do not know it all. Whether you have been in the industry for over ten years or ten minutes, everyone can improve on their skills. It is up to you to want to. That is why secret shopping is in place to help all different experience levels.
With secret shopping, there can be a huge lift in your company if you use the feedback correctly. Of course, as stated, earlier that is easier said then done. You have to check your pride at the door and realize that no one is perfect. That is another reason secret shopping is out there. People just need to get over the fact that they believe secret shopping is there to judge, bring down the individual or attempt to get someone fired. It is hard to believe that there is a company out there that would spend money to have an outside source listens to their associates, just to have reason to let them go. Now with the secret shopping evaluations, if the associates choose not to improve or for some reason cannot, they need to not be part of your company. Let us be honest. Why would you have someone on your team who is not willing to accept feedback from secret shopping when it gives them a true snapshot of how they assist customers? Do they not believe that will help them see that they have something they need to work on?
Instant feedback seems to be sky rocketing with more and more companies signing up. Companies know that the quicker they change some behaviors the quicker they can see profits. It is good for these companies to sign up and use the instant feedback way of doing secret shopping, but they need to get their people on board to check their pride at the door and be more receptive to criticism. They have to remember, not all criticism is bad, and it is just how you receive it.
This is where real estate property management software comes in handy. Imagine trying to generate a report based on predicting late payments so that the real estate property manager can contact those individuals before they become delinquent. If the real estate property was any size of significance, it would take too long to manually generate such a report and the list would be outdated before it was even complete.
Real estate property management software should generate that report, and many others, within a few minutes, leaving the real estate property manager free to do other things such as build new business. Here are some of the available reports a real estate property owner or real estate property manager should look for in an efficient real estate property management software program.
� Posting Rents listed by tenant name or unit number or date of last payment - This will allow the real estate property manager the ability to sort the information in several ways for quick access to information.
� Track partial payments - This is important to monitor to ensure that the correct amounts are applied to each tenants account and to also ensure they are not paid incorrectly as an oversight on the part of the tenant.
� Track late payments - Real estate property management software should be able to tell you which tenants are late so that the real estate property manager can take the first step in the collections process and collect overdue moneys.
� Track advance payments - This is important to guarantee accuracy for each tenant and keep the real estate property management business running smoothly. You do not want to lose track of a tenants rent who has already paid a month in advance. That could lead to a frustrating situation and reflect poorly on the real estate property management firm.
� Track auto payments - Some tenants may with to set up monthly direct payments with your real estate property management business. Having a real estate property management software to keep track of these payments will protect the tenant and the property management company and ensure proper processing each month.
� Show vacancies - This will allow the real estate property manager the ability to maintain a higher occupancy level.
� Show expired leases - This will give the property manager enough notice to have tenants renew the lease or begin showing the unit to prospective renters.
� User friendly and fast to generate reports - Real estate property management software should be easy for any property manager to use. If the real estate property management software poses problems or is troublesome or takes several hours to generate reports, then it is no longer a convenience for the property manager and becomes burdensome.
� Backed by a reputable business or is a member or has a high standing with good business bureaus - Checking if the real estate property management software you have selected is endorsed by real estate property management associations within your industry or by broader business bureaus will protect your investment. You can also rely heavily on word of mouth by real estate property management firms or real estate property owners that you know.
� Generate accounts receivable - This is important to be able to make sure what your real estate property management software accounts for and match it with what your accounting software or accountants records show.
� Generate accounts payable - Just like any good tenant, you want to pay your vendors in a timely manner and keep track of those payments. A real estate property management software should help you do that.
� Integrates with your current accounting or money software - You should only have to enter the data somewhere one time in order to be efficient.
Real estate management services often manage several rental communities at a time in any local area. Future renters can look through lists of availability and sometimes specify their search to locate the price range, amenities, location and features that works best for them. Real estate management services are happy to assist possible renters. However, there are some things you can do, as a future tenant, to present yourself in the most positive light to your local real estate management services.
Try a few of these things to let your local real estate management services know you are a serious renter and qualified to be an ideal tenant.
� Pre-qualify your finances by searching for rental properties that cost no more than one-third of your income so that you will not be too far stretched to afford the other necessities and luxuries of life. Even if real estate management services allow a renter to over-extend their financial circumstance, you should be cautious to do so in order to avoid a financial burden and possible credit problems should you fall behind on your rent, which would also affect the possibility of being approved for future rental properties.
� Gather copies of your proof of income. It is usually a good idea to have at least your last check stub, but your last two check stubs are ideal as proof of income.
� If you are self employed, real estate management services may require copies of at least the past two years of your tax papers in order to prove you have a stable income.
� Research the neighborhoods of the rental communities you are interested in. (Asking real estate management services specific questions about the safety of the community may not result in the most honest answer. Real estate management services sometimes cannot disclose security problems because of liability reasons.)
� Discuss any pets with the real estate management services you consider. Real estate management services will be able to tell which of the properties they represent allow pets and which of them do not.
� Do not lie about things that may appear on your credit report or past problems with landlords or other real estate management services. Being up front about these problems may result in more lenient property owners to extend a rental opportunity your way. However, lying about these situations will certainly not make you a considerable candidate for renting a property.
� Call ahead and make an appointment with a representative of the real estate management services you are looking at. This will not only prevent you from driving to the office and finding the real estate management services manager busy with another renter or out of the office showing a property. Real estate management services will appreciate the courtesy of making an appointment. In fact, some real estate management services will not meet with prospects without an appointment.
� Avoid waiting until the last minute to start looking for a new rental property. Real estate management services may take a few weeks to process your application. In addition, you would look like a more responsible candidate if you begin filling out applications at least one month before your lease is up in your current rental property.
Following these simple guidelines will allow you to put your name at the top of the list of prospective renters.
We all know there are a variety of reasons people are in need of storage. You should provide them great customer service based on their needs not what special you are running at the time. They might be declutering their house, moving from an apartment to a house, storing business documents, etc. It is up to us to determine that and then find a storage solution that would benefit them the best. With someone who is attempting to sell their house within two weeks, would they need information on how they can save money by renting for three to six months? Probably not, but will that same customer like the idea of being prorated for the days they use so they do not have to pay for the full month? Yes. Would the business customer who needs to store business documents like to know how they can save money towards their bottom line if they store for a year? Absolutely. What customer would love the idea of paying one dollar for a week (some companies run a one dollar move in special) so they can transition their belongings from one house to another? There probably is not one person that would not. Your level of customer service is going to mean the world to this customer. The person who can give them the best customer service by satisfying their needs will gain the customers business.
Good customer service is different to many people. What you think a high level of service is not the same as your competitor. It is about what the customer thinks. Take the time to think about the last time you got great customer service. What was so great about it? Why are you thinking about going back? Would you tell your friends about this service you received and why? Those are the questions you should ask yourself in reference to your self storage facility. What makes your facility so much better in terms of customer service than your competitors customer service? What do your customers think about your customer service? Do you know how you can find out? You ask the customer. Their feedback is crucial to your business.
The whole idea of customer service in self storage is to get people to rent and to have repeat business. Let us get out of the mundane one-size fits all strategy, dig deep, discover their true storage needs and find a solution that can work for them. Treat customers like you want to be treated and providing them and excellent experience will flow naturally. If the caller does not want to volunteer information, ask questions that get it out of them. The more information you have, the better you are able to accommodate their needs.
Quality assurance has saved a great many of companies from being out of millions of dollars. Being able to trouble shoot and pin point a problem before it leaves the production is a fabulous thing and a great way to know your product is safe. It also allows the product to be put under a fine tooth comb for durability, safety, value, and many other things that are tested as far as quality is concerned. It keeps any company that takes pride in quality assurance, head above water.
The benefit of having quality assurance is that you have an opportunity to catch things before they leave for production. It also allows several testing points at each operation so there is no reason for failed quality to leave the factory without being caught at some point of operation. Quality assurance is an assurance to the consumer and the companies that they are guaranteeing there product to be one hundred percent tested to be a good product.
Quality Assurance is leading the industry in quality due to its success rate and all around performance. Employees take great pride in what they are manufacturing because they feel a sense of contribution knowing that they are making a difference.
Todays market is so full of many types of products, everyone is trying to have the best product on the market. But not everyone is taking measures to assure quality assurance to its consumer. Taking the best approach is will always result in the best. Which is why having a team of quality experts to assure you the best of quality assurance is the way to go.
Quality assurance leads the industry in quality performance. The industry has teams of quality workers who take great pride in the assurance of quality at its greatest. Businesses rely on there professional opinions to assure them a quality product are going out to its consumers. They trust that their employees are doing everything in there professional ability to assure a great product.
The many talents that are used to test for a quality product are amazing to say the least.
They go through so many different levels of testing with the product even before marketing or any other department gets it. The quality assurance team is a group of dedicated workers determined to make sure that any product gets top of the line quality performance before it ever leaves the quality control department.
Quality at its best is the number one going assurance for a top of the line quality performance. A great team of quality players will always strive for nothing but the best in quality. Quality assurance can make or break your company, if you do not have a quality assurance team now, you should get one. You will see a difference in your production and how consumers interact with your product.
Think about the last time you entered a place in which you were taken care of. Whether it was in fine dining or in looking for a self storage unit, you have had the opportunity to have great customer service. What made that customer service so great? What made you so impressed that you wanted go back to that property again? That is what many businesses are asking the customer these days to find out how they can better serve the customers at their business versus their competitors.
It is very hard to find a way to differentiate the customer service experience from one competitor to the next. Everyone tries to do what they can to outsmart, outlast, and outthink their competitors. In self storage, some companies take training classes on how better give customer service to those people that call. They often have specials that would definitely gain the callers attention and they invite them down to take a tour of the facility. Some storage facilities give away a free truck or lock in order to gain the customers business. However, let us remember, the name of the game is customer service, not what can we give them for free to rent or buy.
Customer service is only as good as your passion. If you do not honestly care what you are doing, you are not going to deliver great customer service. You can fake many things but genuinely caring about the customers needs is hard to fake. You need to ensure that you have people that will talk to the customer face to face and will give outstanding customer service. You know when you have given great customer service when the customer is happy when they are leaving, sings your praises, and understands what they have to do next if they are purchasing something from you. If there is any confusion, the customer service you just gave has been downgraded to just ok.
Providing great service to the customers is not hard. Everyone on this earth can deliver some kind of service to the people they meet. The level of service to the customers depends on many things. Those thinks could include:
� How trained they are on what they are selling
� If they care to help the customer
� If they are having a bad day outside of the workplace
� How they feel about you as a manager
� How they feel about the people they work with
� The environment they work in
Many factors could help determine what level of service the customer receives. As a manager, it is up to you to ensure that your associates give the customer service they deserve.
Another type of paid shopper is also sometimes called a personal shopper. Such an individual may be in charge of selecting and purchasing the wardrobe for his or her employer. This kind of paid shopper is more like an image or fashion consultant and it will be his or her duty to clad the client in all the latest fashion trends as the seasons change. Such a job as this form of a paid shopper seems like a glamorous lifestyle, however, it is very hard work and carries a lot of stress for the paid shopper. The paid shopper must stay current on what the fashion dos and donts are. He or she could also quickly be replaced if they create a fashion faux pas or embarrassing moment for his or her client. And once the reputation of a personal or paid shopper has been tarnished, it is very hard to recover.
Yet another form of paid shopper is the highly coveted secret shopping career. A paid shopper, or secret shopper, could have a number of jobs ranging from mystery shopping hotels and travel agencies, secret shopping fine dining restaurants or fast food chains, to mystery shopping retail shops. A paid shopper is typically trained in his or her area of expertise.
For example, a paid shopper for a hotel or travel agency might have a degree in hotel and hospitality administration. The paid shopper should also have specialized training from the mystery shopping organization for which they work. A paid shopper has a keen eye and is trained to spot things like trash on the floor or unclean facilities. A paid shopper may also report facts such as how many other guests were at the service counter and how quickly he or she was assisted. The paid shopper should report that cleanliness, customer service and satisfaction of all services back to the employer or client. In most cases, the paid shopper is not a direct employee of the facility they are shopping. He or she may be an independent contractor for the company or work for a third party mystery shopping provider.
Yet another form of being a paid shopper is being a telephone mystery shopper. A paid shopper for telephone mystery shops might work in customer service, call center and telephone sales industries. Industries that rely heavily on phone skills are customer service centers for large corporations, telemarketing for outbound call centers, sales positions for inbound call centers, help desks such as computer solution centers and more. Typically, a paid shopper for a telephone mystery shopping job is paid a commission for each secret shop completed and works as an independent contractor for a secret shopping provider.
Customer service covers such a wide range of services rendered to people just to name a few for example, nursing homes, grocery stores, libraries, valet parking, ushers at church, paying bills, 1-800 numbers, cable services, storage rentals, bank tellers, and the list could go on and on. These people make a real difference in how any business will flow as far as the public is concerned.
If a customer service representative is not polite, and or a courteous person, as well as knowledgeable, they can cause a company to have a bad reputation simply by word of mouth from dissatisfied customers. They will spread the word of bad customer service at the particular company, and for the most part people piggy back on rumors, not caring to check out facts or see for thermselves, being professional at all times, and putting the customers needs before your personality is the number one rule to a good customer service representative.
Customer service has such a massive range of service that is rendered through out the community. To go into an establishment like a very elegant restaurant, or a top of the line Hotel, or just anywhere, where customer service is the first point of contact you have with anyone or anything. It makes a world of difference in what you think of a place, or even how comfortable you feel about being there.
If customer service is not at the top of there game so to speak, or doing everything possible to make a lasting impression on the customer then you have lost the customers interest right off the bat, first impressions or lasting ones. It is a fact of customer service.
No one wants to feel like they are being ignored or that no one wants to assist them so to hear it in a customer service representatives voice or to be able to sense it is a travesty for the company that customer service representative works for. Not to mention the rippling affects it can have on customers that have not even visited the establishment.
It is vitally important to have your customer service department understand that they are the meat and potatoes of the company. Customer service is the first point of contact most of the time, no matter what the nature of the situation is. From transferring the call to answering the questions, to whatever the case, customer service is the initial point of contact.
No one likes to be made to feel as though they are not important or what they have to say is not worth listening to. So the customer service department has to come across as though that customer is the most important person they will or have to deal with. Your tone of voice can convey your sincerity as well as the expressions that are made or felt by the customer. So remember the customer is the most important person you will ever deal with no matter how they may get on your last nerve or how bad you may want to reach out and touch them. Never take it personal it is always business with a smile. Be polite and keep it moving.
When you enter a grocery store, what kind of customer service are you expecting? Most likely, you will receive someone that says hi when you walk in and by when you leave. However, what do you expect while you are in the store. In some stores, you will see people stocking the shelves and talking to their friends instead of helping you. In those same stores, when you need help, you can never find anyone. Unfortunately, those kinds of stores are prevalent in our society. In thinking about this situation for a second though, do we need to be sold on a loaf of bread or have someone there to recommend which type of bacon is the best since there are a hundred different choices. Most people would say no, but it would be good to have someone there when you needed it.
There is an example of a store that does provide great customer service and they are a grocery store. In some markets, this store exists and is owned by its employees. Therefore, this means that the employees take stock in how everything works within the store and ensures that every customer is greeted they walk by them. Now, they do not go around to each customer in store. That would be crazy and believed to be annoying, but they do not just walk past people without saying hello. Sometimes great customer service is that subtle hello or how are you doing. There was a customer that needed some rub for their steak. The customer had no idea what rub was or where to find it. Therefore, the store associate pointed, which is typical, to the aisle in which the rub was located. The customer could walk up and down the aisle and found the section where it should be, but still could not find it. They went back to the meat department and the associate informed his fellow staff members that he would be leaving the counter to go assist this customer. So to extend his great customer service, the store associate left his counter, mind you still covered in meat product, walked the customer across the store, helped them find the correct section, and then recommended a good rub that their wife would like. Now that is great customer service, from a grocery store nonetheless.
In the example, you saw above, great customer service could come from the unlikeliest sources. There is one, which should be the best at customer service because their livelihoods depend on it. Of course, that field is anything having to do with commission. With the people who work on straight commission, it is expect for their level of customer service to be outstanding. However, raise your hands if you have ever encountered horrible customer service in a commissioned atmosphere. Exactly. Most times, the worst customer services come from those environments. They are pushy sometimes as well as rude. They do not take the time to get to know you, they are most of the time looking for a way to close the sale. Unfortunately, that is there job.
Having great customer service in your workplace, will help you take care of your customer base and have them return for more. Having the right people on your floor, answering your phones, or going out to customers houses, will be what makes or breaks the success of your business.
It was a Sunday afternoon in January 2007. One sales and customer service rep was in the comfort of her home checking her e-mail. She stumbled upon an e-mail from the boss (at first she thought he was joking). He was asking for volunteers to spend the night in the call center Monday night. As she read the e-mail, she realized just how serious the situation was. The local weather station was forecasting freezing rain, snow and sleet Monday night and possibly Tuesday morning. It would be difficult or dangerous, maybe even impossible for the storage sales and customer service professionals to drive in such adverse weather conditions. The only other alternative would be to have the sales and customer service professionals work all day Monday and spend the night in the call center so that the call center would not be forced to close the doors due to the adverse weather conditions.
The rep quickly replied to the e-mail stating that he could count her in for the stay over. She arrived to work on Monday at approximately 6.30am with her favorite mink blanket, blow up mattress and grocery bag full of goodies. There were a total of four people who spent the night in the call center, because it takes a total of four people to open. She lives by the old saying Early to bed, early to rise makes a women healthy, wealthy and wise. Needless to say, she was the first one down for the night but was also the first one up the next day!
Since then, her friends and family have asked her why she spent the night. Her answer is quite simple. We are dedicated to our faithful clients who depend on us to answer their phone, close sales and offer great customer service before and after business hours. We are an off site sales force who specialize in taking missed calls in the self storage industry. We are unstoppable!
Since the first sleep over, every time all public and private schools are closed, the roads are closed and businesses shut their doors, our call center sales and customer service reps get a twinkle in their eye and prepare to stand by their post. When the local weather station issues a severe winter storm warning or it looks like we could get four to five inches of snow mixed with freezing rain, we roll out the sleeping bags because our clients in Florida still need us to make a storage reservation for them.
Our sales and customer service focus is not only on the self storage seeker who finds himself reserving a storage unit over the phone with one of our customer service reps. Our customer service focus is on the self storage owner whose business counts on our offsite sales force to get the job done, no matter what Mother Nature has in store. Our call center and storage professionals truly are unstoppable.
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Another advantage to getting a job employment lead from a friend or family member is that they will often times know about the open position before an ad has been placed in the classified ads newspaper or online job employment search engine. Getting a head start above the rest of the masses of workers searching for job employment is always a good thing.
If you can not find a job employment opportunity by word of mouth, do not fret. There are other ways of finding a job employment. One of the most popular ways is by checking the local newspaper listings under Job Employment, Job Opportunities or Classifieds. This is where local companies may post ads for open positions within their organization. You can typically learn a brief description about what the job employment responsibilities of the positions are and what the prerequisites of the job employment opening are. In some cases, employers may also include the salary or range in the job employment ad, as well as if there are any benefits included.
Replying to a newspaper job employment ad should be done with extreme care and attention to detail. For example, if an employer places a job employment ad in the paper and requests that applicants send their resume to an email address, then applicants need not mail in a resume to the company. It is also imperative to give your resume one last proof read and make sure that all phone number and email address information is correct.
One thing is for sure, sending out a resume with incorrect contact information will prevent any employer from scheduling an interview with you. And even if you realize the mistake and contact them, it would be difficult for an employer to take an applicant seriously after a bad first impression.
Perhaps the most popular way of searching for job employment is by looking online. There is several popular online job or career search engines. Many niche job search engines allow you to sort employment ads by location, salary range, requirements, date the ad was posted and more. Some sites even allow you to join as a job seeker and keep your career data and resume on file. They may even send you a notice of job employment ads that fit the criteria you select.
One advantage to seeking job employment online is that if you are relocating to another city and even across the country, the Internet allows you to locate a new job no matter where you are sitting.
Your local and metro-area newspapers probably also have online versions of their news and classified ads. Job seekers who are interested in building a new career can use the online version of their local newspaper to access job employment ads quickly.
One key thing about seeking job employment is to keep at it. If your local paper posts new job employment ads each Wednesday and Sunday, then you should look at the paper each of those days. Missing just one day may mean that you lost your dream job.
Another important step in looking for a new job is replying to the job employment ad promptly. If there is a position to be filled, that company may want to act quickly. Sending in your resume when you find the ad is the best strategy. Otherwise, they may fill the position before your resume reaches them.
A 10x20 self storage unit holds the entire contents of a three bedroom home plus appliances. So it is ideal for anyone that is moving or remodeling their large home.
A 10x20 self storage unit is perfect for someone shopping for a unit to park their vehicle. There are a lot of different circumstances where someone wants to store a car, a truck, or an SUV. Military personnel being deployed need a place to put their vehicles. Someone giving a loved one a new car as a birthday, anniversary, or graduation gift needs a place to park it until the big day. People living in an apartment complex have a limited number of parking spaces available to them. Here are many different reasons why someone would be shopping to put their vehicle in a self storage unit, and a 10x20 unit is the ideal size.
A 10x20 self storage unit is great for people shopping for a unit that have large toys. Motorcycles, snowmobiles, and jet skis can all be put into this big self storage unit. Riding lawn mowers, boats, and campers are all seasonal items that can be stored in one of these units as well.
A 10x20 unit works really well contractors and construction companies shopping for storage. These people are able to drive right up to their self storage unit and get the supplies that they will need for that day. The unit is large enough to hold big, bulky pieces of equipment and supplies.
Shopping for a 10x20 self storage unit is ideal for companies that conduct their business indoors as well. Many different types of companies are required to hold onto documents and a lot of paper records for a long period of time. It is far more cost effective for these businesses to be shopping for a large self storage unit than it is to get more office space. The price per square foot is less at a storage facility than it is in an office complex. Certified Public Accountants, lawyers, and doctors offices are just a few examples of types of businesses that have a huge need for document storage, and they can all take advantage of storing these items offsite.
Someone that works from their home oftentimes rent a 10x20 sized self storage unit. A salesperson is able to store their samples and their inventory at the storage facility, instead of taking up precious space in their home or garage. Marriages can be saved by simply shopping for and renting a 10x20 self storage unit!
A 10x20 unit works well for college students that are shopping for storage. Several roommates or sorority sisters are able to pool their things and the monies together to get one large self storage unit to rent over the summer months.
Boy Scout troops, PTA organizations, and other non-profit groups collect items throughout the year so they can have a yearly garage sale as a fundraising event. Shopping for a 10x20 self storage unit works really well as a place to put all of these donated items until the day of the big sale. They can put in shelving and form aisles to help keep everything organized.
A 10x20 self storage unit is very versatile and works well for a countless number of different people and in different circumstances. Its lower cost per square foot makes it a smart investment for families, businesses, and organizations alike.
Consider for a moment, just why it is that the caller may be droning on that that, oh so appealing monotone. The caller may be needing self-storage because of some sort of life tragedy. Maybe their Uncle just passed on to the Great Hereafter, and the rest of the family is fighting about what to do with all of his stuff, so the caller is getting self-storage until the dust settles. It could be that caller just had a house fire, and he or she needs self-storage to sort out the remains of whatever did not get burnt to a crisp. Maybe the caller just found her husband in a compromising position with the next door neighbor, soap operas get their inspiration from somewhere, you know.
Certainly, all of the above scenarios sound very tragic, and of course we should exercise tact and sensitivity when dealing with self-storage customers with these kinds of customer service needs. Of course, not every callers self-storage customer service needs involve a three hanky tale of woe and tragedy. However, it is also quite possible that the caller could use a tiny bit of levity and customer service to brighten up what would otherwise be a chore of Herculean proportions.
Another thing to consider is that this may have been the third, eighth, or twenty fourth customer service call that the customer has made to a self-storage facility, and the calls are all starting to blend together. Plus, the caller may also be looking forward to making self-storage customer service calls with as much enthusiasm as the aforementioned doctors office visit. Anything we can do as self-storage professionals to make ourselves stand out in a positive way, of course- will go a long way in finally making the self-storage sale.
And do not believe that it is just customers who have to deal with the monotony of enduring an entire slew of virtually identical customer service calls. This may well be the third, eighth, or twenty fourth self-storage customer service call you have taken today, and you would swear that all of the callers must be reading from a sheet, because they all sound alike. So it could well be that you need to crack a joke just to save your own sanity.
We do not necessarily have to be a finalist for a comedy show to be able to elicit a grin from our clients, nor do we have to be a clown to get a laugh. Likewise, the caller does not have to be dryer than plain white toast in Death Valley for us to start kidding around with them, funny self-storage customers appreciate jokes as well. Of course, if the caller really does have a flat line personality, then you got no love coming. Customer service wins!
That was a joke, by the way.
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Cars and motorcycles are popular items for people to put into self storage facilities, and for a variety of reasons. One person may be shopping for storage just for the winter because of the hazardous driving conditions. Another customer may be shopping for parking because they only have two parking spaces available at his apartment complex, but has three vehicles. Still another may be getting deployed to Iraq and is shopping for storage unit until she returns. Shopping for this type of self storage facility means it has to be very secure and have storage units with drive up accessibility. Self storage facilities equipped with these types of units are found all over the United States.
It is a little more difficult to go shopping for a self storage facility that can handle large recreational vehicles. People need to store these vehicles because home owner associations usually frown on these monstrosities being parked on a driveway or on the street. Self storage facilities that specialize in RVs often have both indoor and outdoor parking, as well as 24 hour access available for their adventurous customers. Oftentimes amenities such as dumping stations and wash bays are also provided. These self storage facilities are usually found in areas near large lakes and parks, as well as close to affluent neighborhoods with stringent HOA rules.
Some self storage facilities specialize in boat storage. People put a great deal of time and money into their vessels and proper off-season storage is essential. Shopping for these self storage facilities will usually turn up a large climate controlled warehouse and a system where they are able to stack the boats upside down, three or four boats high. Because they are able to store a large number of boats they are able to keep the costs down for each individual customer. These self storage facilities usually have a set rate for storage throughout the winter months, and then everyone comes back in the spring to retrieve their property. These locations are common in the northern United States, where there is obviously a limited boating season. These self storage facilities can be found all around the Great Lakes if you are shopping around for one.
Self storage facilities that specialize in storing documents and files are becoming increasingly popular. Many types of businesses are shopping for document storage because they are required by law to keep files for many years. These documents can take up valuable warehouse space that can be used for equipment or inventory. Renting larger office space just for document storage can be very costly. As an added bonus, many self storage facilities that specialize in document storage offer additional services for their clients. These locations are able to bar code each box of files for better organizing and easy retrieval. They also often provide document shredding services, to safely and securely destroy files that have out-lived their useful life. These self storage facilities are used by large accounting and law firms, hospital and medical clinics, as well as small home based businesses with very little storage space.
In a few select areas, art storage is very specialized and trendy. Preserving art is an intricate affair that requires temperature and humidity control, extremely high ceilings for large pieces, and a private viewing area. Self storage facilities that specialize in art obviously have extremely high-tech security measures in place. These self storage facilities are usually located near larger cities, where there is a higher concentration of art enthusiasts.
Many self storage facilities have become far more specialized over the years because that is what the customer wants and needs. If you are shopping for a particular type of self storage, you might have to call around to see what you can find. Shopping for storage can be done over the telephone or the Internet. Some people like shopping for specialized storage by visiting each facility in their area.
If you search the Internet job postings, there are many companies that are looking for proactive people that want to work from home. This fits the stay at home mom well. Unfortunately, there are many companies that are just out there to take the money of the people that sign up. In addition, some people are just looking to get rich quick. The stay at home mom needs to be careful of these types of companies and read all of the fine print.
Most stay at home moms want to help monetarily to contribute to their family. Most stay at home moms do not want their husband to bring home all of the money. Perhaps some stay at home moms want to be considered more than a stay at home mom. However, what can they do from home to contribute to their family financially?
There are many companies out there that can help the stay at home mom. They allow people to work from their homes doing projects such as secret shopping or mystery shopping on their home phones. With the correct training, stay at home moms can pretend they are actual customers looking for self storage quotes over the phone and then record the presentation. They can then present the call to the company and help them improve their phone presentations. From the house, a stay at home mom can help a business grow and succeed after they realize how the people working their company are taking care of their customers. It is a win-win situation for everyone.
A stay at home mom can do many things from her house in order to feel they are contributing to their household. Honestly most should feel proud of how they are able to hold their house together. Most stay at home moms are very organized, patient, have great attention to detail and usually do not take anything from anyone. A stay at home mom could contribute well to any small or large business. Think about it. Stay at home moms really running their own little company from their house.
Most stay at home moms control the finances of the family. They manage their profit and losses well to ensure that they have enough money available to take care of all the needs of the family. They take inventory of what they have available to use, they find out the most efficient way to run everyday business, and they find a way to coordinate the integration of multiple interests for the house. They have to make sure their clients are taken care of (the kids, herself, husband) and ensure that everyones needs are taken care of. If they do not, their world would be in chaos. The stay at home mom, is vital in many different facets.
More than just the cost of monthly child care, if you are considering being a stay at home mom, you are probably also weighing the pros and cons of the emotional drawbacks of staying home with your kids or taking them to a sitter or daycare center. On one hand, you may feel some form of guilt or hesitation leaving your precious babies in the care of someone else. On the other hand, they can learn valuable social skills. And let us not forget that moms were an individual before they had children. How do you feel about becoming a stay at home mom? Do you embrace it or do you want to continue in your career?
How do you have the best of both worlds? Well, by now you are an experienced woman at multi-tasking your make-up and dressing a 2 year old. So why not have a career and be a stay at home mom?
Mystery shopping is an option that allows a stay at home mom or dad the luxury of working from home, or making a quick trip to a local store at their convenience. In some cases, a mystery shop of a local department store would allow a stay at home mom the ability to take her children with her. Testing a sales associates ability or willingness to help a mother with tots in tow is definitely a good measure of true customer service. Other jobs that a stay at home mom may be able to incorporate in-between nap time and snack time are consumer surveys online or via mail.
Secret shoppers can be compensated in several ways, with a flat rate per completed shop, with a free service or by a combination by both. An excellent find for a stay at home mom would be secret shopping a portrait studio and receiving a few complimentary family photos or a discounted deal.
Other options that do not require any travel are telephone mystery shops. This would be an ideal secret shopping career for a stay at home mom because she would not have to leave the house or pack up the kids to complete her assignment. To become a telephone secret shopper, you should never have to pay a membership fee or training course fee. The mystery shopping agency should give you all the training necessary to become a shopper for their business.
As a stay at home mom you are sometimes Commander In Chief in times of warring children, Medicine Man when the little one falls down and bumps his knee, Chef Extraordinaire during lunch time and Guardian against closet monsters. Adding a little income by way of secret shopping is an option for anyone, including the stay at home mom.
District of Columbia Furniture Storage
Many businesses choose to hire someone to provide a secret shopping service for them. This is a good way for a business to see how their employees are interacting with customers and callers. Of course, employees are going to be on their best behavior when the boss is around. But how are your employees acting when you are not there? Are they on the telephone making plans to go out for the night? Are they watching their favorite TV show? Are they pigging out on lunch? Are they acting disinterested? These are all things that real employees do when the boss is not around. By hiring a secret shopping company to shop your business you can find out all kinds of things that your employees are doing while you are not there. You might be surprised when you get the evaluation back from the secret shop.
Just because you decide to hire a secret shopping company does not mean that it will always be bad or upsetting news. You might just hear that your employee was a great help, was friendly and went out of their way to make the customer happy. Yes, there are really employees that do that when the boss is not there. Most of the time employers are looking for someone in between at the least to provide customer service to its customers. You cannot always have the super employee but that does not mean you have to settle for the worst one either.
The best thing to keep in mind when thinking about hiring a secret shopping company is, Be ready. Be ready and open minded to observations from a service that is impartial. Your super employee might have another side to them when you leave the office, but do not despair, it could be fixable. By letting the employee go over the secret shopping evaluation and then sitting down with them and going over it will show that employee that you care. You need to convey that just because you have hired a secret shopping company you want to be able to provide better training options for your employees.
Secret shopping is good for newer employees as well as seasoned sales representatives. Make sure that your seasoned sales representative is willing to take the secret shopping tips and implement them into their customer service routine. Secret shopping can be a great asset to your business, no matter what business you are in.
District of Columbia Self Storage
The unique thing about our company is that we derive from a knowledgeable pool of highly trained sales associates who know the self storage industry and know what works. Our call center services have given us the experience of speaking with more self storage customers than the population of a small country. The great thing about that is, we have been able to develop a highly effective training program and can offer it to your self storage staff.
In the Quality Assurance Service department, we can help customize a program to meet your company goals and see improvement in staff performance. The best way to start a quality assurance service program is to complete a round of blind Mystery Shops. That will give you, the self storage owner, and our trainers a good idea of where your current sales skill level is already at and what areas we should focus on more heavily during the quality assurance service training course.
The next step would be to choose from a variety of sales training options. The Quality Assurance Service department offers several sales training options that would be appropriate for a singly owned self storage facility or a national chain of storage facilities. Some of the sales training options range from on-site seminars to a course self storage managers can take individually. If you are a property management company servicing self storage facilities, it would also be beneficial to you to add our Quality Assurance Service options to your portfolio.
Upon completing your quality assurance service sales training, your staff will have the foundation sales knowledge and have learned specifically what techniques to use to sell self storage to your customers.
You cannot stop there. Maintaining the knowledge your team has gained and challenging them to improve even more is key to implementing a quality assurance service.
One way to reinforce the sales training your staff has learned is by monthly secret shopping. Our Quality Assurance Service department offers a few options in the level of secret shop you feel would be best for your staff.
The most commonly understood form of mystery shopping is when a shopper calls a storage facility and acts as a renter. The phone call is recorded and then evaluated based on the fields determined by each storage company. The recorded phone conversation and the evaluation are sent back to the owner or direct manager.
Another form of secret shopping is our Feedback Shop. This is the most effective and immediate form of secret shopping. Rather than ending the mystery shop as an anonymous shopper, we reveal our identity to your manager and then begin and immediate coaching and training session. The results are instantaneous and your manager will be able to increase his or her sales knowledge with the very next customer.
So now that you have done a round of Mystery Shopping to benchmark where you began, completed a sales training course and are beginning your monthly secret shopping you may think you have everything covered.
Such a program is absolutely a guarantee to self storage sales success. But about the turnaround of your employees. Does the manager to who got hired in the middle of your quality assurance service program miss out? No.
We have some unconventional methods of training that can benefit new-hires as well as help brush up a knowledgeable self storage manager. Some of those methods include one-on-one phone sessions with our sales trainer.
Connecticut Motorcycle Storage
The next task Dad and Mom had to complete is the moving of the furniture out of the office. Dad had to work more hours to save money for the baby, so time was limited. The day that they planned to move their items into storage Mom had stomach pains, so Dad rushed her to the hospital. Luckily, it was just indigestion and the baby was fine. They then went shopping for the baby. Dad was so paranoid with the fact that Mom would hurt herself helping him in the moving process, he forbade her not to help. The next day Dad and his brother moved all of the furniture into the storage unit and cleaned the office out.
The following week they decided to go shopping for baby furniture and decor for the room. They went to the baby store and chose a beautiful forest green color for the walls, and animal and jungle wall decor. Next, they went shopping for baby furniture in town. Dad purchased a matching white crib, rocking chair, changing table, and dresser. He went out of his way to ensure his first son would have the best. They also acquired toys, toiletries, and diapers for the new unborn babies. Before they knew it, their car was crammed and they set out home. Mom set up the babys room while Dad painted and put the furniture together. They were afraid and yet excited about the new baby that would be arriving any day now.
The day had finally come and Mom was in labor. Ten hours later the baby was born. They brought him home to his new room and he seemed to love his jungle themed room. Dad was exhausted but had to revisit the store to go shopping for formula and more diapers for baby. When he returned he realized that although the nursery was baby-proof he would eventually have to make the entire house baby-proof, so Dad went back to the store to do more shopping. While he was out he purchased gates, a baby monitor, and a baby thermometer. He decided that he would go shopping to buy a toddler bed, a potty, and cups, so he would not have do anymore shopping in the future. Overall, the family was happy and baby had everything he needed, but Dad knew he had to pick up more shifts at work to support his family.
Are we now in a society that does not want customer service? Or do we just not want to give customer service anymore? It is partly both. We have gotten so busy that when we call a place for service we just want the cost. We do not care what else it has to offer. We just want the cost and if any discounts. Look at gas stations now. We can pay at the pump but we use to have to go in to the station and pay. Now we do not even have to associate with the clerk working. When we are at the grocery store, we do not care about the checker or how her day is. All we care about is getting the groceries in the bag and getting them home. What ever happed to How are you?
Now on the flip side of this, we have treated people like this for so long that now we do not want to give customer service. If a clerk has tried to ask a customer how they are and the customer just mumbles or ignores them, then we can see how after a while of this the clerk would stop asking. Or if a customer comes in to their store and they do say Hi or ask how they are. The clerk probably thinks no one cares to talk to them. We also hire anyone who would take a minimum wage job, regardless of if they really care about customer service or even have experience with customer service.
So this may be even the fault of the employer who is hiring these people at minimum wage, instead of looking for someone with customer service skills. Do employers feel that they cannot afford to pay someone with good customer service skills or do they even consider if the people working for them have these skills? It really is some thing to think about.
If we could find where the problem is, then maybe we could help to change it. But if we did are we really going to start taking the time to be courteous to the employee working in the drive-thru? Or are we expecting them to change? It really is a group effort we should all try - the person who should be giving the customer service and the one that is expecting it back.
Not all customer service is gone. We still have companies who strive for their employees to give the best customer service they can. Some companies have training on this issue. We also have some people just by human nature who want to help people and want to be pleasant, friendly and courteous.
So the next time you are in the grocery store ask the checker how he or she is. When, you call somewhere, let the person on the other end tell you all about their product or services. Do not pay at the pump. Go in the station to pay and say hello to the clerk.
It takes just a little effort from all of the consumers, the companies and us.
If you are not in the know, the purpose of a paid survey is for companies to get the consumers opinion about their products and services. Many paid survey ads claim that companies pay millions of dollars each year because they value your opinion. It is true that companies want to know what consumers think about their products and services and they hire market research companies to conduct the research. And if you think about all the companies that exist in the world who value their customers opinion, a million dollars is not a lot of money. It may be a lot of money from one company, but not when it is divided by the thousands. However, phases like the ones above and other bold print and catchy phrases are very enticing to someone who is looking to earn easy cash.
As it turns out, it is highly unlikely that anyone will earn mucho dollars by being a paid survey taker. Although in some cases it could be an okay part-time job, you might make more money stealing pennies from a fountain. The trick is finding the right paid survey program. First you have to find the ones that pay you and not the other way around. Second, after finding the ones that do pay, you need to figure out which one actually pays money versus a bogus reward. You will find most paid survey companies offer a chance to win money by putting your name in a drawing with thousands of other people who took the paid survey. So your chances of getting paid despite all the hard work you put into filling out the paid survey are close to none. But the company really enjoys your opinion.
One rule of thumb to go by is this: the more enticing the ad, the less you are going to get paid. Think of it this way. A good doctor does not have to advertise. A good doctor gets patients from word of mouth. It is very hard to get an appointment with a good doctor. If the paid survey job is as good as advertised, then it does not have to be advertised so extravagantly. If the job is so good, why do they except anybody and not limit the amount of people they hire? Paid survey ads that use big bold print with a lot of explanation points are the ones to be avoided. Why? Basically, they want to sell you a job, literally.
No one can deny that it would be nice to go online, pick out a survey, and watch your bank account balance role like a truck drivers odometer. If you are a good researcher, you can find a decent paid survey company that will pay decent money. However, your bank account balance may mimic more like an odometer of an Amish farmers horse and buggy.
Do not be confused. Mystery shopping employment is a true profession. Many popular customer service businesses hire a mystery shopping employment agency to evaluate the customers experience. Mystery shoppers or secret shoppers pose as real customers and rate a store on different criteria, such as appearance, helpfulness, quality of products, and bathroom cleanliness. Many mystery shoppers are stay at home moms looking to earn some extra money. Please take note the word extra.
However, most victims get excited about ads promising them good money and call the number listed to find out more information. Most people are skeptical at first, but when the mystery shopping employment agency sounds professional over the phone, the victim is hooked. Then the supposedly mystery shopping employment agency gives the caller instructions on what to do next.
A typical mystery shopping employment scam works like this. The victim is sent a check, usually with a high dollar amount up in the thousands. The victim is told to keep a low amount (i.e. 100 dollars) for the first mystery shopping mission and send the rest back to the mystery shopping employment agency for some bogus reason like training fees. The victim, thinking that they are a secret shopper, goes on their first mission to a big box retailer. The whole time they are paying attention about every detail while taking mental notes. When they are done, they go home, write up a report, and wait for the next instructions.
A few days later, the victim finds out that the check had bounced. As it turns out the check was a perfect fake with a routing number and a bank account number. Even the bank was fooled. So, the bank credits the victims account and the victim sends the money off to the seemingly mystery shopping employment company. Checks take a few days to process, so it takes a few days to discover fake checks. Accordingly, the victims next move is to call the mystery shopping company. However, at this point in time the number is always disconnected.
Now the stay at home mom feels like she had been robbed. Well, she should feel that way because that is exactly what happened. The bank is not at fault because the victim should have waited for the check to clear before sending out money. On the other hand, the victim should have never fallen for this mystery shopping employment scam in the first place. Mystery shopping employment is a good way to make extra money, but be aware of mystery shopping scams.
Quickly, answer the phone in your most friendly voice. If you generally do not come off as a friendly person, then maybe you should not be in customer service. But if somehow you landed a customer service job, pretend you are someone else. Pick a person who everybody thinks is friendly, like a pastor. Answer the phone with a smile as if the customer was standing in front of you.
Do not make promises you cannot keep. This will only make the customer angry. If you sell a self storage unit over the phone and the customer comes in only to find out what you promised him is not available, most likely they will go to the competition. The customer assumes you used the bait and switch tactic whether you meant to or not. Not only is the bait and switch tactic not work, it is illegal. So make sure you have your facts straight before you make promises.
Good customer service representatives listen to their customers. Find out the wants and needs of your customer first. Let them tell you everything and ask questions. The more they reveal information about themselves, the more interested they are renting self storage from you. Plus, customer service can use that information to find the best storage solution for your customer. Some customers love to talk and will reveal things about themselves that will make you wonder, why are they telling me this. Even if it is about a true camping nightmare where the customer went rafting, had a close call with death, but ended up finding treasure in the shower. Hoo-ha! You just found out that this customer is a camper and a rafter. Now you can suggest storage for camping gear and boat storage.
From time to time, all customer service jobs will have to deal with customers who have no intention to buy. Take the wireless phone service industry for example. Many people order phones through the internet and get it sent by mail. Often these customers will go into a store and ask a sales person for instruction on how to use the device. Taking your time to explain the phones key features could pay off in the long run. The customer may decide to buy a car charger or case one day and they will most likely come back to you. It may not be like finding a chocolate covered banana split by surprise, but it is all that and a bag of chips.
Be very conscious that you are buying recycled products when you are shopping. Today, many items made from paper and plastics are recycled materials. Other products like motor oil, tires, and automobile parts may have also been recycled. When shopping look for labels indicating that the product has been recycled or made from recycled parts. You do not have to go to a huge furniture warehouse for furniture shopping. There are still great furniture pieces and bargains at used furniture shops.
When you go shopping, consider buying in bulk or multi-packs. This can reduce packaging waste created by the manufacturer. Sometimes the packaging is recyclable, so do not immediately throw it in the trash can. Put it with your cardboard and paper recyclables.
Instead of shopping at the mall or at a huge department store, you can find great deals and authentic clothes at a local thrift store. Be a trend setter. Bring old fashions back in style. At least you will not show up at a party wearing what everyone else is wearing.
Take a break from shopping. Shopping has become a ridiculous hobby for many humans. Most of the time, it is pointless and not necessary. Instead invent a new hobby, trade with friends. Instead of buying brand new products, swap with friends or family. They may find clothes appealing that you no longer like to wear and vice versa. This hobby is better than shopping because it is free and the clothes are new to you.
It is very common for people shopping at the mall to be struggling with multiple bags from shopping at numerous stores. If you are planning a big shopping day, get a big shopping bag at the first store you buy something from. This way you can just stuff everything else you buy into one bag. It is easier to carry and better for the environment. While grocery shopping, when the bagger offers paper or plastic, say neither. Bring your own bag. You can buy reusable canvas bags to put your groceries in. Not only is this better for the environment, they will not break and cause a big mess from dropped eggs.
How else can you make a difference from shopping? Buy energy efficient items. Look for an energy efficient logo when shopping for electronics such as TVs, CD players, DVD players, and computers. Energy efficient products reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also, do not forget to check for gas efficiency when purchasing a new vehicle. Not only will energy efficient products help save the environment, they will help you save money on your monthly utility bills.
Shopping for a car can be very confusing. There are a lot of decisions to make regarding comfort, safety, style, performance, and price. Lately, many people are thinking about energy efficiency while shopping for a vehicle. So should you. Consider shopping for an electric or a hybrid car. You can help reduce emissions that pollute the air. Energy efficient cars are rated at 32 miles per gallon or more.
This is exactly what secret shoppers do. They make judgments about their secret shopping experiences and get paid to tell someone who cares deeply about the customer. Secretshopping is just like regular shopping except one gets paid and the other pays. All customer service industries are interested in how their customers think and feel when they are shopping at one of their retail stores or online shopping websites.
Market trends can confuse excuses for poor sales, but secretshopping is very direct. Numbers tell us that sales are down, but do not offer a reason why. Secretshopping can easily reveal the reasons for poor sales. Every customer service orientated business should be cautious before they blame a dwindling economy for poor sales. The reason could be internal and secretshopping will reveal it if it is.
Do not expect to have a successful career in secretshopping. Depending on the job, one might be lucky if they could pay the cable bill or for the bus ticket back home. Many of the restaurant secretshopping gigs will pay for the meal and that is it. So you may get a free burger at a restaurant or a bag of cranberries from a grocery store out of it but that is better than paying for it. However, there are some more lucrative secretshopping jobs. For example, in the self storage industry, there are secret shoppers who report to work from 8 to 5 and get paid hourly to talk on the phone all day. Some of these secret shoppers can afford more than just a slice of bread for lunch and may make enough to have a maid clean their home once a week. However, do not expect chauffer limo service to a five star restaurant everyday. Do not expect that with any job.
That fact is we all shop at stores and eat at restaurants. Even if you may have a great job in the city that pays for a fancy sports car does not mean you cannot add secretshopping to your resume. Sign up with a secretshopping agency and get paid to eat. We all can use a free lunch every now and then. You are going to go out and eat and judge your service anyway, so you might as well get paid to do it.
Now this idea may not go over well with your property managers at first. In fact it may make them a little grumpy. Do not worry. They will get over it. They are probably grumpy when you are around and they perform better. Plus if they are not keen with the idea that you hired a mystery shopping agency, then maybe the property managers should find another place to work. Jobs are not supposed to be like a day at the beach. A mystery shopping program is the opposite of a flash in the pan. It will start off poorly with your property managers, and then it will get much better.
A mystery shopping agency can prevent a disaster too. If you have a new property manager who is on the job, he may have forgotten something vital during his training and might be giving false information about self storage to a customer. A secret shopper from a mystery shopping agency can catch this before a mess occurs. And depending on some mystery shopping programs, the problem can get fixed immediately.
A mystery shopping agency that uses their secret shoppers to train can fix an issue immediately. A secret shopper or mystery shopper pretends to be a real customer at first, but takes the lid off and reveals his true identity as a mystery shopper. Then the mystery shopper sheds that title and becomes a training coach. If there is a flaw with the property managers presentation, it gets fixed on the spot like a 15 minute oil change garage. This is also an opportunity for the property managers to ask the mystery shopper from the mystery shopping agency questions about his approach and ways to improve.
The general manager will think that the mystery shopping agency had performed magic when he sees an increase in sales. But it is not magic. It is more like tweaking with an engine like a mechanic. A mystery shopping agency conducts tune-ups, not miracles. However, their work may appear like miracles. The real issue is that we all run into slumps, just like baseball players. And it takes a good coach to get a ball player out of a slump. The same goes for salespeople. It takes a good coach or mystery shopper to fix a salespersons script. If you feel like your property managers are in a slump, call a mystery shopping agency to coach them out of it.
StorageMart 135th & Antioch Overland Park, KS 66221
A lot of people that live in big cities do not know how to drive an automobile. Driving can be tedious, with a lot of time spent in traffic jams, and parking a car can cost a fortune. So they rely on taxis, public transportation, and their own two feet to get wherever they need to go. Since they do not possess a license to drive they are unable to rent a truck from a property management company on moving day. This causes a huge dilemma when it comes to putting their belongings into a self storage facility.
When a self storage facility offers a free truck and a driver it is with a few stipulations set by the property management company. First, anyone that is interested can schedule the use of it only after they have completed all of their paperwork and have paid for a unit at the property management company. The free program is available by appointment only, so anyone not planning ahead and thinking they can get the free truck immediately is usually out of luck.
Next, the service can only be used by the new customer for moving into their storage unit. The self storage facility owned by the property management company is not interested in helping anyone to move out of their place of business.
The property management company usually requires that anyone using the free truck and driver live within a ten or fifteen mile radius of the location to be eligible for the service. To someone living in a small town this does not sound like many people would qualify. But large cities are densely populated in a small amount of area, with thousands of people working and living in nearby skyscrapers and high rise apartment buildings.
The new self storage facility customer is usually given about two hours to load the truck, follow it back to the self storage facility, and then unload the truck. This allows more people to take advantage of this popular service from the property management company. If someone does go over their allotted time they are charged a hefty fee by the property management company that they are well aware of before the move ever takes place.
For insurance purposes the driver cannot help load or unload the truck. Customers cannot ride inside of the truck for the same reason. This helps to keep costs down so that the property management company is able to continue to provide this popular service.
The new self storage facility customer is only permitted one trip with the free truck and driver, so they really need to make the best use of their allotted time. Most people arrange to have friends and family available to quickly load up their big items onto the free truck and then follow it back to the self storage facility to unload. The tenant can always move smaller items and boxes at a later time.
A free truck and driver is a very beneficial service that is provided by some big city self storage and property management company places. This service works well for the self storage facility, the property management company and their new customer. It aids the new renter in getting their things to the self storage facility, and it helps the self storage facility gain new tenants. A free move in service is a win-win situation for everyone involved.
How about a long term prepay rental special? Long term prepay rental specials attract those businesses out there who do not want to move their items to another storage facility. They usually want to stay where they are at. However, like any business there is a yearly budget that they need to entertain in order to appease the owners of that company. If your storage facility is not currently offering any type of long term rental specials, then you may find your customers shopping around. Again, a lot of facilities out there are offering a move in special and many do offer long term prepay rental specials.
However, not all facilities routinely ask their callers if they are planning on a long term rental stay. This needs to be discussed when the caller makes their first contact with you. They have their calculators in hand and are getting to the bottom of things to see which place will benefit them the most. Yes, security and cleanliness are musts when it comes to renting a storage unit. However, you still need to think about the overall picture and not just the face value of someone coming in for the first time to rent storage. Sure your property is clean and lovely and you have a great move in special that is equal to what everyone else is offering. Ask each of your callers whether they are storing for personal or for business and how long they plan on renting for. So what if the majority only plan on staying for a short period. If you are able to get those long term renters to give you that valuable information than you can offer them a valuable long term prepay rental special. For one, that long term prepay rental special will most likely guarantee that their unit will not be on the market again for at least 6 months or even better, a year or longer. That gives you one less rental unit to worry about having to fill during that time period. So what if you lose a little at that moment for the 12th month when you have given it away for free. If the rental unit were empty, it could be empty for much more than just a month or two. You have to think ahead of the next storage facility and what will bring in the most profits. Sometimes in order to gain more you have to be willing to lose a little. But in the long run you will have gained much more than a long term renter. You can gain more business by word of mouth from the current customer or even more rentals from the current customer. And you took one more unit off of the market for a nice stretch of time.
In this study of self storage secret shops, some property mangers state that they live on site to ensure that all is well on the property. Many times,�a property manager that lives on site work six days a week and then walk down the hallway or around to the back of the facility to their living quarters. Sometimes a�property manager shows tremendous passion around this stating to callers that they are available most hours of the night to take care of any issue that might arise on the property. If someone attempts to break in or an alarm goes off for some strange reason, it is not as if they can ignore it, they have to respond. In some retail environments when the alarm goes of in the store building, they have to drive five to thirty minutes to see what is going on. In that time, a lot could be stolen. If something rough does happen that night and it takes all night to take care of it, they still have to get up the next morning, go into the office and take care of all types of customers.
A property manager has to also sell their facilities to the customers. If you think about it, they are selling the place in which they live. As an on-site property manager, they are proud of where they live and they want everyone to appreciate what they do. Sometimes a property manager lives on site with their families and they function just as a normal family would. The only difference when their job calls them in and needs them for some reason, they are already there to help.
We should applaud the person who is able to live on the property and take on that responsibility. The facility as a whole is their living space. It is as the entrance way is their front yard and all of the storage units are separate rooms in their house. They have to keep it up just as most of us have to keep up our own homes. Everyone should tell their property manager that you appreciate what they do for the customers. It should be called out to everyone in appreciation of all of those managers who live on their properties and take ownership of how it looks and how it runs. It cannot be the easiest job to have and it takes a particular type of person to be able to work those hours, and then possibly be on call throughout the night. For those in the storage world, we appreciate your passion and your desire to see self storage thrive.
Rental properties are also ideal for newlyweds who are starting out in life and beginning their future together. Rental properties bring a sweet relief to families who may have become overwhelmed by adjustable rate mortgages or found themselves victim to foreclosure. Many young families also choose rental properties until their career becomes more settled to one area. Young professionals who find themselves climbing the ladder to success may also find themselves relocating quite often.
For lifestyles that require a lot of relocating, rental properties are usually ideal. Rental properties free the tenant from being tied down to one area and having a mortgage payment looming overhead. The hassle and stress of selling and relocating is more than most people care to manage, which is why many families choose rental properties for several years before committing to becoming a homeowner.
Rental properties are also a fun way for retirees to enjoy their retirement. Retirement rental properties have become very popular as the baby boomers start to cash in their pension. Contrary to a nursing home or assisted living facility, many retirement rental properties offer a vacation-like atmosphere for residents. Retirement communities may have daily activities outdoors and indoors, monthly trips or seasonal vacation packages. Some retirees may be hesitant to sell their family home and move into a condo or townhouse, but such communities quickly feel like home to residents as they get to know their new neighbors and enjoy one anothers company.
Rental properties are also a wise investment for real estate and property management companies. The current economy seems to hold only an increase in business for rental properties, unless the government sincerely plans to bail everyone out who got into more house than they could handle. Some would be homeowners may find that it is hard to find a reasonable loan and choose to wait out the mortgage crisis and rent for a while. Just imagine the income that even a few rental properties would bring. They could easily pay for themselves if property managed by an experiences real estate or property management company.
The responsibility with owning rental properties does not come lightly though. Landlords of rental properties must abide by city, state and federal laws regarding safe and compliant accommodations for their tenants. Owners of rental properties must also follow guidelines concerning equal opportunity housing, safety regulations, and such things as running water and electricity. In some states, property owners may also be required to provide heating or cooling options.
Storage facilities owned by property management companies have ceilings that range from eight feet to ten or thirteen in height. So being able to stack things can be good if you are wanting to minimize space. Storage facilities owned by property management companies also come heated or climate controlled depending on your needs. This is a way to protect your things that are temperature sensitive from damage. Storage facilities owned by property management also require that you have protection for your belongings to prevent things that are beyond their control from happening to your things. So you are able to have peace of mind knowing that your things are in storage facilities that take pride in their facilities. The coverage is a way to ensure that the storage facilities honor their place and value their customers things being stored at the property management facilities.
Storage facilities owned by property management companies have a wide range of supplies that are available to customers whether they have a storage unit at the facility or just stopping by to purchase what they need for whatever reason. Also, some storage and property management companies have truck rentals and other things like, dollies for rent as well. So one stop shopping is a wonderful thing that is offered at most of the storage and property management companies. Being able to do everything at one place rather than have to run all over the place to get things here and there is a great relief. One stop shopping saves you time and allows you to see exactly what it is your getting rather than guessing at what it is you may or may not need. Also, you get to see for yourself what you want as well as things you did not realize you needed.
People all over the world use storage and property management facilities. Military, business, cooperate America, middle class, upper class it does not matter, in between class storage facilities are a huge demand for anyone and everyone anywhere and everywhere. Soldiers and there families utilize storage facilities a lot because getting deployed are having to relocate their families is a number one need for a storage. Leaving or returning home for them is always a given so having a place to have their things stored that is safe and convenient and available when they need it is a wonderful thing as well as a huge peace of mind. Businesses store things they need to be able to have access to most times on a twenty four hour basis, which is another huge convenience for them. For people that work at night it is great also because they can get to thier units when they get off if needed rather than having to wait until the storage or property management facilities open or have to get up before they want to the next day to get into there unit.
An entertainment center can be anywhere from the size of a large end table or the kind of entertainment center that fits across the entire width of their 16x20 foot living room and nearly reaches the height of an 8 foot ceiling. If the caller is very vague in giving these precise descriptions, then who knows what storage size for rent their things will fit in. But if you are skilled enough to ask these questions than you can get a pretty good idea of the unit size that you would need to quote them on to at least make sure that their items fit into the storage unit for rent.
Then there is the question of how many boxes and what are the sizes of the boxes that they plan on storing. Or the garage items that they are not sure they are willing to let go yet. They may store more. They may store less. How large is their dining set? Is it a table and chair set for four where you can also turn the chairs upside down on each other to stack those two high? Or is it an dinning room table and chair set for eight that comes with eight huge chairs that you can in no way stack on top of each other because they are the size of a mini loveseat.
Then if the caller is shopping around for storage but it seems like all locations have pretty much the same amenities, features, prices and specials. How can they make a decision to best suit their needs? How do you convince them to rent with you? So what if you are down the street from me, so is the other storage facility they just called. How do you handle these?
Invite the caller in for a site visit. If they are not good at visualizing the differences between them or they cannot visualize the size of unit for rent and are really hesitant about reserving or deciding on a specific size or type of a storage unit for rent, then it is really important for them to get to the facility so they can see for themselves if it will work or not. When they come in, they can see if it is the kind of storage facility that they can see themselves renting with. Is the property clean and well maintained? Does the structure look sound and safe? What type of people visit the property for rent? Is the location in a well lit area or a safe neighborhood? Do they feel safe being on the property? Do they feel comfortable with the employees at the property? A site visit will give a better perspective of the actual property. Invite them in.
For one, you will most likely end up with such a variety of awkward sized boxes that you will not be able to stack them as efficiently as you could if they were the same sizes. Number two, used boxes tend to lose their strength resulting in boxes that collapse. Then you have a mess. Weak boxes also lessen your ability to save precious self storage rental space because you will not be able to stack them as you would be able to with strong, sturdy boxes. Most self storage rental properties that carry moving supplies such as boxes will offer them in a wide variety of sizes that you can choose from to suit your needs. Another benefit of investing in boxes will be the money that you save because of less time spent packing, writing, sorting and stacking. Instead of packing three small boxes, save time by using one large sturdy box that you also know you can stack to save rental space.� And since self storage boxes typically come preprinted with rooms that you can simply check off for easy reference when putting them into your new home, you save time by not having to write it out.�
You know how the old saying goes, time is money. Oh how that statement is so true. Now when it comes to stacking your items in your self storage rental unit, it is more of a space saver to first store your furniture pieces and then store your boxes by stacking them on top of the furniture. You can also fill in any empty spaces with your boxes to help utilize every inch of your rented space. Pack your unit from the back of the unit and surrounding the walls, before you fill in the middle of your self storage rental unit. When you do this, it will help to stabilize high stacked items and utilize the rental�space more efficiently.�
Other self storage moving supplies you may find helpful includes bubble wrap to protect fragile items from breaking during the moving process. This will save you the hassle and money on having to purchase new items because of broken pieces. Unprinted rolls of newspaper will not leave your hands and household items dirty with ink like printed newspaper will. If you have leftover unprinted paper, you can use it for multiple other purposes too. If you have kids, they can use it to draw on. You can use it for other craft projects too or just save it for future use. Furniture covers or rolls of plastic wrap will keep your furniture dust free and like new, saving you money that you would have spent on cleaning it after you moved it into your new home.�� So as you can see, spending a little will save you a lot.� Check out other storage supplies offered at the self storage rental facility you rent from and you will find many useful items that you can take advantage of.
So how does one determine which type of property they would like to rent. Many people like to the privacy of a house for rent because they do not have the pain of having another person or family that is banging on their walls, or making more noise than you could bear. Finding a house for rent that is in good shape could be hard to find. Most times houses for rent are in areas with colleges. You guessed it. That means that the owner of the property is gambling or gambled on college kids taking care of their property. Most houses for rent in those areas are in affordable areas or near the colleges. There are some houses for rent that are just perfect for the college kids because that gives them more room to express themselves vs. being cooped up in a stuffy dorm room. For some people, renting a house is a good idea, but they are looking for a permanent position if they are going to live in a house. A house for rent still gives a family the feeling of living in a house, but without the hassles of managing the property.
Some people like the option of living in a condominium. A condominium for rent gives the caller a more upscale approach to living. Most people who rent a condominium will not have to do any of the maintenance outside and they can sit back and enjoy the comfort. Most condominium renters are not there long term because they are looking at buying a condominium or a house in the future. By renting a condominium, you have the luxuries of a house, and the responsibilities of an apartment.
For those who are looking in the apartment market, you will find many vacancies. There are more apartments for rent than houses and condominiums put together. Depending on the market, finding an apartment for rent is easy. Now, finding the apartment that you would like to live in is a different story. There are so many types of apartments. There are many different amenities that could be offered could suit many different people. Finding the right apartment for you to rent is solely up to what amenities you would like to have as well as how much you want to pay for those amenities. In addition, what area you would like to live and how far of a commute for you to your work and or your everyday life. There are plenty of things to consider when choosing the right apartment for you.
As you can see, there are many options in terms of property for rent. You can rent a house, townhouse, apartment or condominium that is available where you live. The easy thing is finding a property for rent. The hardest thing is finding the best property that fits you.
The mortgage companies wanted in on the housing boom, and they were willing to give home loans to people that were definitely questionable as far as a credit risk went. Banks also wanted their share of the action and they gave credit cards and lines of credit to people that were already over extended.� Construction contractors, swimming pool companies, landscapers, everyone wanted a chance to make the quick buck.�
Many novice Flippers had taken an Adjustable Rate Mortgage to purchase their rehab project. They used these monies to pay for the supplies and the appliances and the labor. They knew that the interest rate on their ARM would skyrocket in a short amount of time, but they were convinced they would have the house sold by then.�The television shows and the newspapers and the magazines all said this was an easy way to get rich quick!
And for many of these novice Flippers things just did not go as they had planned. Their project took longer and cost far more than they could have ever of guessed. Unfortunately, in the meantime the entire housing market took a dive. And then the housing boom went flat. Ouch!�
Do not fear though, because many of these Flippers are true entrepreneurs. They were not looking to make the quick and easy almighty dollar.�
These professional Flippers are turning their unsold rehabbed projects into rental properties. The monthly rental fee that this Flipper turned landlord receives from their tenants is used to cover the amount of the mortgage until the unit can be sold.�
These experienced Flippers know that having someone actually living in the rental property is good for several reasons. The rental occupant can keep the grass mowed and the gutters free of leaves and the flowerbeds colorful. The rental occupant knows immediately if there is a faucet dripping in the kitchen sink or if the heater is not working properly or if the stove needs to be replaced. The rental occupant can keep both unwanted critters and squatters away from the rental property. And the monthly rental check from the tenant can be used to pay the monthly mortgage. In most areas of the country rental rates are higher than mortgage rates, so this is a win win situation for the opportunistic Flipper. And an added bonus for the Flipper is that a rental unit with a tenant actually living in it is much easier to show, and eventually sell, to a prospective buyer.�People want to see beds and dining room tables and refrigerators when they are looking at a house. They do not want to see empty rooms and bare walls and a blank space where the refrigerator should be. A boarder actually lives in the rental space, so they make it looked lived in to any prospective buyer.
The get rich quick day of flipping houses may be at standstill for the moment, but there will also be the entrepreneur that loves the business.� And these Flippers know when life gives you lemons, turn it into rental property and make lemonade!
That statement in itself tells you that most likely this sort of prospective customer does not have enough information regarding the self storage business, and everything that comes with it, if all they want to know are the self storage rental rates. Yes, self storage rental rates are important and they will play a big part in the customers quest while searching for a storage unit where they can tuck away all of their little goodies for which they can not bare to see themselves without.
However, there are many factors that will affect self storage rental rates and the average storage shopper does not have any idea why one store is more expensive than another store. They simply have the phone book out in front of them, while they start from the beginning of the list and work their way down the listings of stores, asking the same question. What is your self storage rental rates like? And if you do not inform them on what they get for their money, then they will continue to call until they find the cheapest self storage rental rates. However as we all know, cheaper is not always better. Actually it rarely ever is. This is why it is so important to let them know why the cost is what it is. Especially, if they are storing their most prized possessions. Many times callers will tell you that they do not care about amenities and the features of the store, yet you have to wonder why they would bother to store their items then.
If that were true, then why go through the hassle of opening the telephone book? Why not just throw all of those items away and not worry about even searching for a place to store it? Because they do care. It is usually because they have an emotional attachment to it. And this is just the reason why it should matter to the customer as to why self storage rental rates are what they are.
They need to know what they can expect for from renting with you. Give them all of the fine details, the little tidbits and the ins and outs of your property. You need to educate them in order to have your property gain some respect as the knowledgeable storage facility that can help with all of their needs, even if it is simply giving them the benefits and features of the property. If the next store does not explain to them why they charge the self storage rental rates they charge, they will likely call you back. Give them the information that the previous storage facility may not have given them. Why? Because each property is different. It is just like comparing one hamburger fast food service to another fast food hamburger service. Although they are both burger joints, they offer 2 entirely different burgers. The product may be the same idea overall, however the tastes are different, the looks are different and the prices are different. The same goes for self storage rental rates. Just make sure the caller is comparing apples to apples to get a true comparison and not apples to oranges.
A graduate student needs very little space in which to live. He spends most of his time at school. He is teaching classes, studying, and writing his thesis. He is trying to conserve his finances until he is able to graduate and attain his dream job. His requirements in a rental unit are simply that it be close to the university, low maintenance, and have a low rental rate.
Twenty something parents with young children need their rental apartment to be located in a kid friendly complex. They are not able to yet buy their own house so they want a rental space that feels like a home. Their unit needs to have at least two bedrooms, for the benefit of kids and parents alike. The apartment also needs to have washer and dryer hookups, or at least a convenient laundry area within the complex. And the facility needs to have kid friendly amenities such as a playground, a swimming pool, and a club house available for birthday parties. And a very important thing for an apartment facility that wants their rental units to accommodate a young family is that it be located in a good school district before most parents will even consider it.
Then there are apartment complexes that cater to DINKs. DINK is an acronym for couples that are Double Income, No Kids. These families have extra disposable income that they enjoy spending on their living arrangements and their lifestyle. The actual amount of their monthly rental rates are less of a concern to them than what all is included with their payments.
These apartment complexes are located in popular areas and need to have great views. The view can be of a big city skyline or the mountains or a large lake. The list goes on and on. But the scenery outside of the windows needs to be spectacular for a landlord to get a large rental rate.
These apartments need to have an upscale design and appliances package. The closets are large and the ceilings are often high. The walls are well insulated to keep noise to a minimum. And there is usually a No Children policy, to help with noise levels as well.
Tenants living in high end apartments are accustomed to high end amenities. A doorman and concierge are common in large cities. Rental spaces located on a golf course have unlimited golfing for their tenants, as well as a golf shop and a golf pro on hand. Unlimited use of tennis courts, exercise room, and hot tubs, are important.
Almost all apartment buildings with a high rental rate have a swimming pool, a sundeck, and whirlpool and sauna for the residents. A clubhouse with a big screen television and a fireplace is common. A business center with wireless network, computers, and fax and copy machines are available for busy multitaskers.
There are a variety of rental properties available because there are a variety of people needing to rent. Location is the largest factor in determining the price of a rental space, but the included amenities also makes a difference.
In most apartments or complexes, there is someone or some company that is in charge of everyday life. When you have issues in your apartments, as if the water does not work, you call a person or a company and they send someone out there. Sometimes you will have a person that is on call twenty-four hours a day or you have a maintenance person that has normal everyday work hours. Whatever situation you might be in, you can rest assured knowing that you have someone available to help you take care of any problems with your apartments.
With that all figured out on whom to call when you need something fixed in your apartments, what do you do to make the apartments your own? You will not be the first person to live in that apartments unless it is a brand new construction. Even so, can you stare at the bland white or neutral colored walls of your new apartments? Most times when you rent apartments and you want to do something to the interior of the place, you call the landlord or property manager to make sure what you are trying to do will be fine. Most landlords or property managers are not bothered by changes to the interior of the place because they can just redo the work if they do not like it. On the other side of that, most property managers of apartments want you to change it back before you leave the apartments. So as you see, there is a positive and negative to trying to make the apartments your own.
How can you find the best apartments for you? There are a couple of different ways people search to find their first apartments or other apartments of their choice. Some decide to use the Internet to see what is available. If you go to any search engine to see where you can find apartments, you might not always get the best results. You especially will not get a good search result if you live in a small town or not near a major city. Most times on the Internet, it will give you a search result of zero. That is why the majority of people look for apartments in the newspaper. That seems to be the best place to locate the best apartment for their needs. You can look for apartments of your liking, but most ads give a quick description, price, and location. You will have to call or drive by to actually get a good feel of what you will be paying for.
Finding your first apartments or another apartment can be fun or it could be very taxing. You and other hunters of apartments have to know what you want and ensure that you are making the best decision for you. Find a place with a good landlord or property manager that you feel comfortable contacting if you have any issues. All apartments and complexes have one and they should be at your service if you need them to be.
For example, the duties of a facilities maintenance crew in a hospital would include things like
��Facilities maintenance should quickly cleaning patient rooms after a discharged patient so that new patients can quickly be admitted. Efficiency and high quality are important in hospitals, where patients may be more susceptible to germs or disease.
��Facilities maintenance also means being available twenty four hours a day, seven days a week for accidents and spills in hallways, operating rooms, cafeterias, etc.
��Cleaning common areas of the hospital such as lobbies, cafeteria, hallways, waiting rooms, elevators, stairways, and more on a regular basis are important aspects of facilities maintenance.
��Attending to any mechanical maintenance issues, changing light bulbs, keeping fire extinguishers up to code and checked, and maintaining security standards throughout the structure of the building are also the responsibility of a facilities maintenance service.
��Another responsibility of a facilities maintenance would be taking care of the lawn, landscaping, indoor plants and more.
Other kinds of facilities maintenance such as a resort or beach would present other sorts of duties. Guests of beach resorts expect a certain level of pristine water and clean sand. Some of the duties of a facilities management company might include
��Raking beaches to clean debris out of the sand.
��Netting off a swim area of the beach to keep debris and fish out and maintaining the net.
��Maintaining the lodge areas, as well as other common areas.
Resort facilities maintenance would be an ideal job for someone who loves the outdoors.
Facilities maintenance of a self storage facility would require a manager or team of managers to do several unique things that differ from the management team of other real estate properties such as
��Ensure the gated area is clear of all tenants before closing each night.
��Conduct collections calls for tenants who have fallen behind on monthly rent.
��Collaborate auctions for the content of storage units whose renters have fallen behind.
��Lease self storage units to new tenants and sell other moving and packing supplies such as boxes, tape, bubble wrap and a lock for the self storage unit door.
��Advertise the self storage facility to local papers, radio stations, colleges, real estate brokers, etc. to draw local patrons who find themselves in need of more storage.
��Clean the office and restrooms, clear the parking lot of any clutter or debris.
��Ensure that tenants who have moved out left a clean unit in good condition and is ready for the next tenant needing self storage.
��Check the units to make sure that no empty units are being used without authorization.
��Maintain the lawn or outsource lawn care to a third party.
��Report any building or property maintenance needs such as cracked driveways or parking lots, chipped signage, damaged unit doors, etc. to the owner.
��And much more
A self storage facility manager is often times the sole force in the day to day successes of a self storage business. They are responsible for all business aspects, above and beyond facilities management.
Self Storage Article Directory
District of Columbia Boat Storage
A rental unit in an apartment or condominium complex is the perfect living situation for a college student. Many rental developments are geared specifically toward students, and have unique lease agreements with them. Oftentimes these facilities allow each individual to have their own lease, as opposed to everyone living in a unit being responsible as a group. In other words, if five men live in an apartment and one skips out, then the other four renters are not held liable. Each person is responsible for their own lease.�
Rental places that cater to college students oftentimes are fully furnished, since most of these kids do not have much furniture of their own. These complexes usually have Wi-Fi, cable, and utilities all included in the monthly rental rates. The buildings have great security for the peace of mind for the parents, and are located close to colleges and universities for easy access. The owners of this type of rental facility are aware that the turnover rates are quite high, and often give discounted rental rates to students renting over the summer months, or families willing to commit to a longer lease.
A single person that is constantly on the go, such as an airline pilot or a professional baseball player, finds living in a rental unit works best for them. Owning a home includes a lot of tedious and continuous work. Mowing the lawn and shoveling the sidewalks have to persistently be done either by the homeowner or someone she hires to take care of it for her while she is away. By living in a rental unit, she knows that someone else is responsible for all of this maintenance. Plus, there are usually other single people living in the same rental complex!�
Newlyweds are yet another group of people particular rental properties tend to cater to. These young married couples are often fresh out of college and beginning their new careers. This type of a rental complex is usually found close to fashionable restaurants and bars, and within easy access to public transportation. There is often a swimming pool, a clubhouse, and a playground available for those with young tots living in these rental units.
Retirees have owned their own home and raised their children. Now it is time for them to sit back and enjoy the fruit of their labors. This kind of rental facility is becoming more and more popular as the baby boomers begin to age. These complexes usually have strict rules such as a minimum age of fifty years old and no children aloud to reside in a rental unit. Although grandchildren visiting is always a welcome site!
Retirement villas have activities available geared at senior citizens, such as poker tournaments, yoga classes, and dart leagues. Transportation is available for trips to the mall, or the grocery store, or a doctors appointment. Organized trips are planned to wineries, professional baseball games, and Alaskan cruises.�
Many people at different stages in their lives find the amenities and the benefits of living in a rental unit far outweigh the work incurred when owning their own home.
District of Columbia Car Storage
Most responsible homeowners would find a way to remove the tree before it threatens their family. Forking up a couple of thousand of dollars for tree removal may not be in everyones budget. If you feel confident in your tree cutting abilities, you may find yourself without the proper tools. That is where tools for rent come in handy. Not only can you find tools for rent, but you could also find the heavy equipment for rent to lift you up into the tree. This is just one example of why finding what you need for rent is better than purchasing.
You can find practically anything for rent. Take storage for example, you are selling your home and the realtor does not like the pictures on the wall, the extra chair in the office, the boxes you have already packed sitting in the garage, the candles over the mantle, etc. The realtor tells you to de-clutter your house.
Despite the fact that you love all the characteristics of those things that make your home cozy, your husband insists that you take the realtors advice. One solution to your storage problem is to buy a storage for rent. This makes perfect sense because you do not want to store those things in a closet or garage of your home and you may not have a friends garage nearby. Finding a space for rent will help you sell your home quickly and make both your husband and the realtor happy - not to mention your friend who would have otherwise been the victim of your realtors opinion.
Here is yet another scenario when thing for rent are a wiser choice than purchasing all you need. The father of the bride may find himself in need of 20 tables, 120 chairs, 1 chocolate fountain, 3 tents, a dance floor, sound equipment, a few doves and a horse-drawn carriage. It would cost a small fortune to purchase those things, and unless you have the local matchmaker marry off all your daughters quickly, you may not need them for a while. And surely, daughter number eight would never want the same wedding as her seven older sisters.
The best solution is to find a party store or wedding planner and ask if such items are available for rent. Now Dad can breathe a little easier and worry about more important things, like who his daughter is marrying.
Lifes milestones bring reason to celebrate and the luxuries that you can rent are more reasonable than buying them. Lifes hectic moments bring stress, and the luxury of renting a storage unit can help alleviate some of that stress. Even the big projects that present itself can be overcome with less cost by choosing to rent tools and equipment rather than purchasing.
And if you are a business person, you may consider investing in a rental business or becoming a self storage owner.
The landlord pays an important part of apartment or housing rentals for students. Sometimes a landlord is an individual that has rental property that they rent out. Some landlords are companies that belong to property management services. Depending on the size of the apartment, house or community the landlord will have many duties to keep him busy. Besides collecting rent, finding and approving renters, and paperwork, a landlord has many physical duties as well. If the rental property is smaller than the landlord can maintain the interior and exterior of the rental. If the rental property is on the larger side, the landlord can hire out the work to sub-contractors.
In the interior of the rental, the landlord will have to maintain any appliances that came with the lease. The lease will list all major appliances that will be repaired or replaced by the landlord. Before a new tenant can move in, the landlord will make sure that the walls are painted and the carpets cleaned. The landlord should also present the new tenant with a checklist of any dings, dents or other damage to the property. This checklist will be used on checkout to see if the tenant gets their security deposit back.
On the exterior of the building, the landlord will usually be responsible for mowing, landscaping, and the general upkeep of the outside of the structure. Because the landlord is responsible for outside maintenance, he assures that the property looks great year round. In the winter months the landlord will usually plow snow from the parking areas for the safety of the tenants.
Landlords can be very helpful to tenants, they also can be very controlling and picky. Make sure to meet with several landlords before you sign a lease. Ask to see one of their rentals and if possible ask the current tenants how they like their landlord. An additional source of information is from friends and family. They might know of a great landlord and would be glad to pass along that information to you.
There are many laws about landlords and tenants, with each having rights. If you are thinking about becoming a landlord, then do your homework. Some people find renting out apartments or houses is more trouble than it is worth. These people will usually find some other way to invest their money, other than rental property. Most college students cannot afford to buy a home or condo to live in while at college, so renting is the way to go. That is why in college towns, the landlord is very important. However, there is a trend that is going on now in college towns. Some parents will group together and buy a small home or condo and let their college-aged children live there for their years in college. This becomes an investment and a money saver for the parents of the college kids. Plus, you do not have to move you kid every year from apartment to apartment.
It may seem to the prospective renter that they are committing by giving a specific date and time. If that is the case the representative can give the hours of operation that self storage facility has someone in the office that can show them the grounds. Then the representative can tell the prospective renter they are more than welcome to come in and take a look at their own convenience, during those hours of operation. In order to get that site tour and more rentals, it is crucial to get the prospective renters name and phone number. Sometimes the caller will not wish to give any information out, and that is understandable. However, the majority of the time the caller will not hesitate to give that information out. They can be told it is so that the self storage facility will have a heads up as to them coming by to take a look around at possible rentals. Or it could be told to them it is just for note reference to oneself in case that prospective renter does indeed call back to reserve the unit, being that space is limited.� The greater the chance it will be that the caller who makes that site tour appointment will indeed end up reserving a storage unit sooner rather than later. By making that site your appointment, if the prospect does not make it in when they said they would be able to come in to look at the facility, by having their telephone number, a brief telephone call can be made to them asking if they were still in need of a self storage facility. Their site tour appointment can easily be rescheduled to gain rentals. Rescheduling that site tour if need be is very important for the caller and the facility. Future rentals for self storage depend on getting the caller to the site. The more rentals a self storage facility has, the more money they will have also.�
If you are planning on leaving an apartment rental early, before you even sign the lease try to negotiate a lease term with the property manager. This way the property manager will know your intensions and an agreement will be in writing when you want to leave. The property manager can also take steps to prepare your apartment for future rental.
Regardless of you initial intentions to fulfill the terms of the lease, unexpected events may cause you to seek early lease termination. Anxiety is not necessary. This happens all the time. Usually, a property manager will not have a problem with ending a lease early. The least you can do to show your thanks is to try to find your replacement. But of course the person must be acceptable to the property manager.
Hopefully you do not have a property manager who is a stickler to leases. A property manager is under no obligation to end your lease early. This does not mean give up. Try to negotiate a new lease. This type of property manager only cares about is liability. As long as your name is on the lease you are liable for any damages that may happen to the apartment rental. If you can give him a reasonable move out date, it will give him time to find a new tenant. Some property managers will try to keep your security deposit. But if you have been a good tenant and maintained a good relationship with the property manager, you should not have a problem getting the full deposit returned.
So you tried everything and your property manager still will not terminate your lease early, what is next? Well you are still legally responsible for all remaining apartment rental payments. You can try subleasing your apartment rental. But you are still legally responsible for damages.
Perhaps you fulfilled your lease, what is next? The property manager will try to get you to sign another lease. Unfortunately, transitions from one apartment rental to another are not always smooth. But if you are planning to leave the apartment rental shortly after the lease is up sign a month to month lease. All this requires is a written 30 days notice before you are planning on moving out to the property manager about your intentions. He will already know your intentions when you sign the month to month lease, but the 30 days will give the property manager time to find a new tenant. Month to month leases are usually not granted until you have completed a one year lease.
Most students are intimidated about signing their first lease. After all, it is a long document and probably the students first major commitment outside of dating. But it really is not a big deal. College towns usually have a lot of apartment rentals that focus on the students life. The main thing a student needs to know is treat apartment rentals differently from their dorm room and form their room at home. All damages come out of the renters pocket now. Welcome to adult life.
Looking ahead, preparing for apartment rentals seems like a daunting task. First you have to look for apartment rentals and decide on the best one. Then you have to sign a lease and come up with a security deposit. Once you lock yourself in, you have to buy furniture and possibly rent a self storage unit to keep stuff in while you wait for the moving date. And then there are just a lot of little things. But most students are surprised about the quickness of the process. In fact, it goes by in a blur.�
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Perhaps the best time to look for apartment rentals for the fall is in the spring. There will be many other students like you looking for apartment rentals who are ready to depart from dorm room living. So, starting early increases your chances of landing your ideal apartment rental. By summer, most apartment rentals in a college town are booked up for the fall semester. Starting early also increases your chances of getting the best apartment rental location on the rental property. Like dorm rooms, apartment rentals are assigned. It is not like picking out a house. The property management assigns apartment rentals on a first come first serve basis.
Also, if you start early you can take your time and not feel rushed about finding apartment rentals available. But do not take too much time because the best apartment rentals go first. If you do not understand something about the apartment rental ask questions. Think before making a commitment. Remember that your priority is school. You do not want to commit to an apartment rental that requires two jobs to afford. Amenities are nice, but they jack up the rent. Live within your means. It is always smart to explore your options. Do not jump in on the first apartment rental that is appealing. Make sure your roommate is in it for the long haul too. If your roommate has plans to study abroad, make sure he has intentions of paying rent. If not, find another person to share an apartment rental with.
It is not personal. It is just business. This is why the credit and background check is very important. A landlord is legally allowed to choose and reject an applicant based on legitimate criteria. Personal decisions may get the landlord into legal trouble and then he will have a negative rating on his background check. Landlords are allowed to make decisions based on credit history, income, and past behavior at a former property rental. This information tells the landlord if the applicant is a bad risk or not. Do not use judgment based on personal beliefs. A landlord may be surprised to find his apartment rental in disrepair after using his own judgment.
Understand the facts, Jack. Adding to his repertoire of being a jack of all trades, a landlord must understand the fair housing laws. These laws make it clear that a landlord cannot refuse to rent to a tenant based on race, religion, national origin, gender, age, familial status, and physical or mental disability. This also goes for the discrimination based on marital status and sexual orientation. If a landlord is accused of discrimination, not only will he face legal trouble, he will face public embarrassment from the community as well.
Treat everyone the same. A landlord is violating federal laws and welcoming lawsuits if he does not treat all prospective tenants as equals. For instance, if a landlord runs a credit and background check on one applicant and not on another, he is discriminating even if the prospective tenants are the same race, religion, sex, etc. Or, if a landlord gives a tenant special treatment such as more time to pay rent for a single mother but not for other tenants, the landlord risks a discrimination charge from the other tenants.�
Running a rental property is like any other business. A landlord must follow the same rules and laws, but in a sense has it tougher because his customers are always around. A landlord is also responsible for his employees actions, so he must make sure they are fully aware of the rules and regulations too.
During a hurricane threat, news coverage always shows people including property management buying large pieces of plywood and working vigorously to board up windows and doors. Anyone living in a hurricane zone area should already have plywood cut to fit and ready to install. A better option is to have permanent storm shutters installed on the house to protect windows. This way all you would have to do is close them and evacuate.
Trim tree and shrub branches around your home to prevent them from smashing into your home during a hurricane. Much damage comes from dead tree limbs that property management neglects to cut. They break off easily during a hurricane and their weight crushes the roof.
Property management should always make sure to clear clogged rain gutters and downspouts a few times a year. This not only helps during a hurricane, it prevents basement flooding during any rain storm.
Designate a safe room on the property. If the property management has tenants, he should pick the safest area on the property where tenants can hide to ride out the storm if the tenants did not evacuate.�
When preparing for a possible emergency situation, it is best to think first about the basics of survival: fresh water, food, clean air and warmth. Here are some recommended items to include in a basic emergency kit to be prepared by property management:
��Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
��Food, at least a three day supply of nonperishable food
��Battery-powered or hand crank radio
��Flashlight and extra batteries
��First aid kit
��Whistle or air-horn to signal for help
��Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air
��Moist towels, garbage bags for personal sanitation
��Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
��Can opener for food
Property management should make sure the emergency supply kit is stored in a safe zone and easily accessible. Property management should also let a few tenants know where to find the kit just in case the property management is not able to recover it. A secondary kit also can be prepared to help keep people calm during a disaster. Keep a supply of books and games for kids. If property management allows pets, keep a pet food supply and extra water for the critters as well. Put some blankets and extra clothing in a secure storage space to stay dry and warm.
If property management lives in hurricane zone area, it does not make sense to wait for the last minute to prepare for a storm. It is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when a hurricane will strike. So you might as well get prepared.
The first thing property managers need to do is set up a recycling waste program at the rental property. Since most rental properties have a shared trash area, property managers need to be the front man who leads the community to a greener lifestyle. The trash area should have more than just one dumpster for everything so not everything ends up on the landfill. Property managers need to learn what is recyclable and how it should be recycled. For example, property managers need to have a recycle container for glass, plastics and metal containers and another one for paper and cardboard. Property managers can take it a step further and have a recycling container for batteries and ink cartridges. If recycling containers are provided for the community, then the community will become more environmental conscious.
Once property managers have the community ready for recycling, it is time to educate the community about being environmentally friendly. Setting up separate recycling cans is not enough. The community needs to know what is recyclable and what is not. Property managers can conduct a meeting and educate the community about recycling. Property managers should not only go over what is recyclable, but also teach the importance of recycling. The community will not only be followers, but become environmental activists. Property managers should also post signs around the community about the new changes to the trash system so no one is left out.�
After the recycling program gets underway, property managers should track the communitys progress. One way to see who is out of synch is to implement contests. If property managers gave out incentives to residents who come up with the best green plan, more people will get involved and soon everybody will be in rhythm.�
Property managers also need to set an example and boast about their recycling contributions. They can revise purchasing specifications to allow greater purchase of recycled-content materials, and purchase at least one new product with recycled content each year, starting with office supplies. Property managers also should convert to a paperless rent bill and an epayment system. All of these accomplishments should be posted in a common area bulletin board where everybody in the community will be able to read it.
Recycling is not just the normal everyday trash. Recycling also involves clothing. If property managers set up a clothing bin in an indoor common area, tenants can toss their unwanted clothes in there for good use instead of tossing it out like an old boy band tape into the trash can.
Living in an apartment can feel like living in a large hotel. There are always people around who want to stop and chat. The people above you always sound like they are moving furniture around all hours of the night. On the left, the neighbor is too loud, on the right, the neighbor things you are too loud. The only difference between hotels and apartments is room service.
Houses for rent are free-standing buildings that offer much more privacy unless the house is broken up into individual units. But lets assume it is the whole house for rent. Houses for rent offer a level of privacy that you cannot get with apartments for rent. You will avoid the stop and chat with the neighbors. If the home next door was full of circus performers who used the home to practice their acts, you would never know what is going on. The walls are thick in houses for rent and they are not attached to the neighbors wall. So blast the stereo as loud as you want. No one is going to complain unless you are playing disco and the window is open.
If you are looking for a new place to live and have a lot of furniture, sporting equipment, china set, and other hobby and collectable storage, you better search for houses for rent. Houses for rent have much more storage space than apartments for rent. Your fishing pole will not go with the home d�cor in your living room if you have an apartment. On the contrary, houses for rent may have a garage or basement where you can store such items. An apartment rental may require an additional rental, a self storage unit, to stash extra storage��
Houses for rent are usually harder to find than apartments for rent. Most apartment rentals are owned by property management firms. Apartments usually come in bunches, like at an apartment complex. Houses for rent are mostly owned by individual owners who made a small investment or are renting their own house out while they are temporarily away. So houses for rent are not usually in the normal real estate listings unless they are owned by a property management firm. Many people look for rental properties by using the internet. However, many houses for rent listings will not show up on the search list. One should add the newspaper classifieds to their search methods to get all of the available houses for rent.
Though it might seem that houses for rent come with more amenities than apartments for rent, it is not always true. Apartment rentals have the luxury of a property manager on duty to take care of all the apartment maintenance responsibilities. Some houses for rent require that the renter take care of some of the maintenance responsibilities. For example, lawn care and landscaping duties may be performed by the renter.��
StorageMart I-64 & Twilight Trail Frankfort, KY 40601