A Mystery Shopper Knows How To Help

Self storage has become a very competitive industry. There are many parts of the country where it is not uncommon to see several different facilities within a short distance of one another. And nowadays almost all self storage companies provide their tenants with basically the same types of security and amenities. They all have some kind of access panel so only customers can get into the area. They are equipped with door alarms and video cameras. And most locations usually have an onsite manager living on the property. So to get a step ahead on the competition, many self storage businesses have hired a mystery shopping company to help.

If two self storage facilities are located very close to each other, and offer virtually the same amenities and prices, then what differentiates the two of them? A mystery shopping evaluator knows that it is the people. And the excellent customer service that these people are able to provide. 

Everyone is accustomed to okay customer service in this day and age. We see it everyday at the bank and the grocery store and the dry cleaners. If someone was extremely rude or incompetent, then that would stand out in our minds. But as long as the customer service is all right, then everything is, well, okay. A mystery shopping evaluator is able to improve the customer service from just ho hum to fantastic!

The customer service at a top notched self storage facility needs to be more than just okay. Okay is what everyone has, and what every patron is expecting. A mystery shopping evaluator knows that going above and beyond okay, to excellent customer service, is what is going bring about devoted customers. 

These elated tenants are the people that are going to rave about the self storage facility, tell their friends and families and coworkers how fantastic this location is. And all mystery shopping evaluators know that word of mouth is the best and the least expensive form of advertising available. Plus, these loyal customers will keep coming back to this self storage location anytime they need storage, or boxes, or a rental truck, etc. This alone pays for the costs of hiring a mystery shopping company!

A mystery shopping evaluator knows all self storage employees need to have excellent product knowledge. They need to be able to give a good visual of a unit size over the telephone or via email to a customer. They need to know what size of a self storage unit is going to work the best in each individual situation. Staff members should be able to give advice as to how a renter should stack their boxes to best take advantage of the unit height. And employees need to be able to assist customers with purchasing moving and storage supplies.

A mystery shopping evaluator checks to make certain that all employees must be able to give excellent directions to the facility. They need to be aware of well known landmarks to give to the locals, while at the same time giving detailed and easy to follow directions to out of towners or someone new to the area. If there are several self storage facilities in the area, then the worker needs to make it easy for the customer to know which location to go to. For example, tell a caller that it is the first driveway past the stoplight, or the building with the red roof. However, telling a potential customer that you are the facility located next to Moms self storage is not a good idea.

A mystery shopping evaluator knows that excellent customer service includes self storage employees being able to recommend movers to tenants that are moving into or out of a self storage unit. Great employees can also recommend nonprofit organizations that are willing to haul away unwanted furniture and appliances.

Above all else, a mystery shopping evaluator is looking for self storage employees that appear happy and excited about their job. This attitude will show in their customer service skills and in the way they treat people around them.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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