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Perhaps you have thought about mystery shopping. You may have even enjoyed earning money by shopping for things you would ordinarily buy and actually being paid to give your opinion of the store or product. Now you may be ready to move on to something even more fun, restaurant mystery shopping!

Restaurant mystery shopping is exactly what you think it is, eating in a restaurant and getting paid for your opinion of the food quality and quality of service.  Not only do you get your meal for free, you get paid to tell them what you think!  This can be an ideal way to go for a night out without it costing you any money. 

Some people who do restaurant mystery shopping get paid a nominal sum for eating in the restaurant and giving their opinion.  Others exchange the night out for their opinions.  Some restaurant mystery shopping opportunities will allow you to take a guest, pay for your meals, and reimburse you for your expenses, including the tip.  Restaurant mystery shopping can be an ideal way for couples who do not have a lot of money to get out once in a while. It is also a great way for anyone who likes to save a buck or two to enjoy dining out.

There are many different restaurant mystery shopping opportunities available from fast food, to coffee shops, to five star dining.  You will be acting as a food critic when you embark on your restaurant mystery shopping expedition.  The mystery shopping provider will give you a budget and you have to make your meal stay within the budget.  If you go over the budget, you have to pay for the overage. 

Some restaurant mystery shopping opportunities will just pay you for reviewing the restaurant as a customer.  This can also be a great way to earn cash if you dine out a lot.  You do not have to tell your companion that you are restaurant mystery shopping, no one needs to know.  It can be a great way for you to get paid for eating out. 

Anyone can get into restaurant mystery shopping.  Simply take a look at the restaurant mystery shopping sites available on the internet to discover how to sign up.  It is totally free.  The only thing you need to have is an appreciation for good food and service and the ability to fill out forms. 

After your restaurant mystery shopping experience, you will return home and fill out a form about the restaurant.  Be sure to answer all of the questions so that you can either get paid or reimbursed for your time and money. 

You will get an offer for a restaurant mystery shopping experience in your e-mail.  It will be up to you to accept the assignment or not accept.  The more you do, the more offers you will receive. 

Doing this often not only gives you an opportunity to get out of the house more often for free, but also exposes you to restaurants that you might otherwise skip.  If you are the type who likes to dine out and enjoys good food, why not think about taking up restaurant mystery shopping?  This can be a great way for you to spend a Saturday evening and actually earn some money. 

Indiana Storage Units

StorageMart Halsted & Chicago Ave Chicago, IL 60622

Self Storage

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Anytime that people have to store their items in a self storage facility, you can almost bet that they have some sort of chip on their shoulder already. Why? Well, these people are inconvenienced. The lives they lead are already busy, and making time to store their belongings (not to mention packing and transportation) at a self storage facility is the last thing they would rather do. With that being said, it should be a no-brainer to a self storage facility that they can help out the potential tenant with moving supplies. On way to monitor how your self storage business is doing is by implementing a secret shopping program.

From previous experience with self storage and secret shopping, the managers can typically be under the wrong impression about the moving supplies. To correct their assumption, just because they have the supplies displayed in the office, does not mean that people will notice them or that they will buy them. Selling accessory items is not that simple, that is why secret shopping is aimed at helping managers sell their facility. These tenants are already giving the self storage facility they chose money for their storage unit, so why should they spend more? There are two main reasons for this. The first reason is that these tenants will need the supplies no matter what. They might as well give the self storage facility their business instead of going somewhere else. The second reason is that it is convenient to get everything from the same place. Even the basic secret shopping evaluation has a section about moving and packing supplies. As was mentioned earlier, these tenants are busy people with busy lives. It is safe to say that they would rather not spend any more time getting supplies. In fact they are probably still worrying about how to have time to work and pack while maintaining family life on top of everything. In this respect, it is important for the employees of the self storage facility to purposely show their tenants what kinds of supplies are available in their office. Just a quick mention to potential secret shopping clients on the phone will earn the manager points towards a great evaluation.
 
Moving supplies can come in a variety of forms, so it is important for an employee of a self storage facility to be very familiar with their stock. It is a great customer service tool to include moving and packing supplies in your sales script. Secret shopping evaluators will pick up on the mentioning of these products. The many different supplies that self storage facilities may sell include, mattress covers, locks, bubble wrap, packing tape, anti-moisture products, and of course boxes. The easy way to get out of having to buy these supplies is to get them free. Instead of mattress covers, some people use garbage bags. While this does provide the same kind of protection, the garbage bags are not clear. The clear mattress covers ensures the visibility of the mattress. Tenants may also have their own lock from a previous rental at another self storage facility. However, the self storage facility may sell high security locks that are also better for all different weather conditions. Secret shopping your competitor to see what they are selling their locks for, then you can price your locks a little lower.  Boxes are the key product and should be mentioned for secret shopping points. These can be found at grocery stores, furniture stores, from work, etc. Instead of letting the tenants use these used boxes that may have their integrity compromised, the self storage employee can sell the boxes in the offices. These are brand new boxes that are durable and sturdy.

So next time you sell storage, do not forget to include everything to ensure a complete solution for the tenant. Save them time, save them money, and add money to your bottom line. Not everyone is going to have a perfect secret shopping score, but you can add value to your units and sell some packing supplies along with the rental. Make every call seem like you have a secret shopping evaluator on the other end of the phone and you will see a difference in your sales techniques.

Alaska Storage Units

StorageMart Halsted & Chicago Ave Chicago, IL 60622

Car Storage

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Specialized Search Engines Make Online Searching A Breeze

Alliance Real Estate Management  provides a property management search engine to businesses including, but not limited to single homes and condos ranging in value from 300,000 dollars to over one million dollars, homeowners associations (HOAs) and condominium associations with anywhere from 2 to over 100 households and multi-family properties with just 2 units or countless units. Alliance Real Estate Management also offers the convenience of finding a property management services for vacation properties with two or more units available as well as property management for hotels and resorts.

Alliance Real Estate Management does not stop with residential and vacation properties, they also specialize in locating real estate management companies for retail space ranging from 1 to 100,000 square feet or more as well as office space for small businesses or large corporations. Warehouse distribution and light manufacturing company space can also be contracted through Alliance Real Estate Management services. The company also offers property management locating services to parking garage owners and biotech centers.

With such a vast difference in real estate property management services, one might consider that Alliance Real Estate Management has spread their expertise farther than their industry knowledge can reach. However, consider that the massive amount of content held on the World Wide Web often brings irrelevant results if one were to search for property management via a major search engine such as Google or Yahoo. Niche search engines such as Alliance Real Estate Management allows a business owner results that focus on their specific business.

Vertical search engines like Alliance Real Estate Management are not new to the Internet, however the numbers of specialized search engines have rapidly increased. The benefit of niche search engines delivers online surfers results that are relevant to their needs without the hassle of wading through exhausting amounts of irrelevant results. Vertical search engines such as Alliance Real Estate Management simplify the online shopping process for consumers and remove the need for complex keyword combinations.

Alliance Real Estate Management states in their About Us field of their webpage that they are committed to being the most comprehensive, useful and informative resource for business or property owners searching for a property management company. The company offers property management listings in the United States and Canada.

Alliance Real Estate Management offers some tips and answers commonly asked questions on their web page.  These tips can help those researching a property management service better understand the benefits of what property management companies have to offer. Some of the tips they offer are how to choose the right property management company, why a professional property management company is beneficial to individual owners and businesses, what some of the common duties of a property management service should be and more. The website also answers some common legal questions that one may have about how a property management service will handle legal matters such as collections and evictions, licensing, local, state and federal law and how property management companies may limit the liability exposure a business or property owner would otherwise assume while operating a business on their own.

Colorado Storage Units

JP Morgan Asset Management Real Estate

StorageMart US Hwy 1 & 3rd St. Key West, FL 33040

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Befriending your tenants is an easy way to improve the atmosphere at any self storage or apartment complex. I’m not saying invite them to dinner or to your son’s Baptism, but simply get to know their names and say hi to them in the grocery store. There are several reasons why this is a good idea.

Word of mouth is the best form of advertising available, and the cheapest. If your customers feel like you care and that you keep a good property they will probably encourage their friends and relatives to rent from you. Some self storage facilities offer referral bonuses to current tenants who refer a potential customer who ends up renting. What did that cost you? Hardly anything and now you have another self storage renter.
 
People tend to be more honest and open with you if they do not feel threatened by you. If they are having a difficult time and will not be able to pay their rent by the due date they will be more likely to come to you about it and make arrangements, as opposed to avoiding you and your phone calls. You do not have to give away the shop, just be open to your customer needs and plights and you will save time in the long run with any possible legal matters that might arise.
 
Customers can be your eyes and ears when you are not around. They can report to you if the gate is broken, or the tenant next to them is acting suspiciously, or if the elevator is making odd noises. Strangers will simply ignore the situation and hope somebody else takes care of the problem. If the customer has some investment in the self storage property then they will do their best to keep the site clean and safe for all that use it.
 
Most members of a property management team tend to be outgoing. Encouraging them to use their bubbly personality with the customers is a great way of doing business. Good, positive vibes will come back to you as you give them. Treat your customers well and your customers will treat you well.

Knowing a few things about your customers will help your self storage business a little easier to manage. If you know that Mr. Smith likes to pay his bill in person on the 8th of the month, then you know not to call him on the 5th to remind him to pay his self storage bill. If you know that Ms. White likes to go through her self storage unit in the spring and clean out some unwanted items, you will know to have the dumpster on the property emptied. If you know that Mr. Doe likes to rent a boat storage unit every winter along with his regular self storage, then you can keep one aside. Remembering your customer’s names and little habits will help you give your best customer service. Go that extra distance for your customers and they will go the extra distance for you.

Storage Concierge is your premier Storage, Storage Unit, Car Storage, RV Storage, Furniture Storage, Boat Storage, Yacht Storage, Self Storage finder.

Colorado Storage Units

Storage Units

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A national chain is opening a new restaurant in our college town this weekend. Yesterday from 11am until 7pm they gave free food to everyone that walked through their door. The only stipulation was one order per person.

What a fantastic marketing ploy! They did not advertise this event whatsoever; it was simply word of mouth. And how the word spread!!

Our office heard of it from a coworker that received an email from a friend two hours away. We all spent the day staggering our lunch breaks so everyone could get in on the giveaway. Of course the line was rather long, but the weather was fairly nice and the mood of the crowd was festive. (Free can do that to people.)

What a win-win situation! The restaurant’s new employees got to put their training to good use, the company relied on Word of Mouth advertising to promote their new location, and customers got a free meal. Secret shoppers co-mingled with the hungry patrons to help the store managers know what went well and what needed more work.  And there is no doubt this restaurant gained several new loyal consumers – as they do have a good product!

Written by Ann Sheehan

TN Storage Units

Self Storage Article Directory. Visit our Climate Controlled Storage Section.

Storage Units Location

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We here at PhoneSmart wish you a Happy New Year. We hope that you rented many storage units, gave great customer service and have a strong game plan for the upcoming year. We constantly strive to provide our clients with the highest level of service. If you are still making up business plan for the upcoming year and need help with training of your self storage employees, call center service, secret or mystery shopping or Role Play Helpline information, then contact us at 866-639-1715 for information.

• Employee Training- we offer a comprehensive self storage training packet that is set up to be used classroom style.
• Call Center services- our call center can provide you with that extra sales person that you do not have to employ. We can take 100% of your calls or set up the system to answer when you managers cannot come to the phone.
• Secret Shopping or Mystery Shopping- this is a great tool for monitoring, compliance or incentive based evaluations of your self storage managers.
• Feedback Shops- similar to the secret shop but at the end of the call our trained evaluators revel themselves to the manager and go over the call right then. This allows the self storage manager to talk with the evaluators and go over any sections of the call that they might need help on.
• Role Play Helpline- your managers call our dedicated sales staff and role play any part of the sales call that they want to work on. Many of our clients love this service.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS agent.

Storage 

Self Storage Article Directory.  Visit our Self Storage Section

Secret Shopping 

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Can you teach a seasoned self storage manager new sales techniques?

One of our newest types of secret shopping is our Feedback Shop where we mystery shop the self storage manager and then right before the call ends we revel ourselves. We then ask if the manager has time to go over the call and then the call is discussed. We offer tips and advice on how to make the call better. The instant feedback is great because the call is still fresh in the manager’s mind and they have input on how the call went also.

Sometimes when we are going over the call the manager will hint that they have been selling self storage for a long time and that’s the way they always rent units. Why should I have to change my routine now when it has always worked in the past? It sort of reminds me of the saying; You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But the saying is not true, you can teach an old dog new tricks just like you can teach a seasoned self storage manager new sales techniques, you just have to have the correct approach. Call 866-639-1715 and ask for the Total Quality Assurance Department, better known as secret shopping for information on how to teach your self storage managers new sales techniques.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.

Total quality Assurance Services is brought to you by PhoneSmart – A quality assurance firm.

Self Storage Locations 

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Originally, self storage facility owners provided just that, self storage.  But over the years the market has become far more competitive, so good property management teams have branched out into other related areas.  Besides just providing storage, many of these companies have expanded their horizons and their business income. Almost all storage locations offer at least some, if not all of these services. 

In the 21st Century, with the self storage market becoming even more saturated, many companies are finding new ways to increase profits and to attract more customers.  One easy way to make new monies is through allowing cell phone companies to lease land to install a cell tower.  Many self storage facilities have a lot of land and buildings, so this is a perfect meld between the two industries.

Attracting new customers is another plus.  Installing ATMs, fax machines, and wireless internet allows people with hectic lifestyles to do several things at once, which is very popular today.  Records Storage, retrieval, and destruction services are very convenient for businesses with a lot of sensitive paperwork. 

Here are some other ideas that self storage and property mangers are using to increase their profit margin:

Mobile Storage
Carpet Cleaning Rental
Propane-Tank Rental and Refill
Kid’s Play Area
Car Wash

Written by Ann Sheehan, call center phone representative.

Total quality Assurance Services is brought to you by PhoneSmart – A quality assurance firm.

Self Storage Locations 

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You can’t afford to have a bad day when it comes to customer service. Have you ever heard the saying, Leave your troubles at the door? That is exactly what you have to do everyday that you have to deal with customers coming in to your office or answering the phone. By leaving you troubles at the door you can focus on the day’s activities and provide the best customer service you can. Your customer probably doesn’t care that you had a flat tire or your child has a cold, they have their own set of daily obstacles to overcome. And don’t talk yourself into a bad mood, by wallowing in self pity you are doing no one any good; you might as well stay home.

Be cheerful, friendly and helpful and chances are by the end of the day, your mood will have turned around. Make yourself smile at every customer that comes in and that calls you. The positive vibes will be returned, by sharing a joke or a laugh together. Don’t be grumpy; be happy that you have a job that you get to help people with their self storage dilemmas. A little customer service goes a long way in any business.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive and business blog writer.

Thanks for reading our TQAS blog, a blog about the items needed to have a successful business.

Find your next car storage, boat storage or self storage at your StorageConcierge – Your premier national and local self storage search engine and free quote provider.

Storage available at 625 Lowther Rd, Lewisberry, PA 17339

66221 Self Storage

Planning a move to Chicago, Illinois? Visit our partners at the Chicago, Illinois moving information center.

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Today I had the unique honor of being the MOD. In Best Buy world, that is the manager on duty. This person is in charge of taking all the manager calls (angry customers, calls from corporate, etc). and making sure that the check-in lanes are processing the sales fast and accurately. 

The first call I took today was from a woman that had issues with her Ipod. She dropped it in some water and that ruined the Ipod. Well, I can’t replace her product due to water damage but she bought our service plan. So, she wanted to get her service plan prorated back to her.

She went to my customer service girls and they told the customer that we were unable to process this request in our store and referred her to our 800 number. So, the caller called the 800 number and they told him that she needs to go into a store. Obviously the customer was pretty upset having to go back and forth with no one giving her a resolution. 

I was able to find that we could process her request in the store. I immediately called the customer back and told them that we could get her all taken care of. At the end of the day, she was happy. I was dealing with this problem for over an hour and I was glad to have come to a resolution made the customer happy.

When you are in an environment in which you can make the customer happy and go the extra mile for them, do so. The customer will appreciate it and realize that your customer service is second to none.

Written by: Joel Little

Thanks for reading our property management blog and inside view of the customer service industry.

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center Columbia, Missouri.

Self storage is around the corner at 3006 Druid Park Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215

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