» Daily Tips

Today’s daily tip: ask the self storage caller at the end of the call if they have any questions before the call is over. Why? Well if you have done a good job letting the caller know about features, benefits, additional fees and asked qualifying questions then the caller should not have any doubt about renting there. But, sometimes sales people have a tendency to go on and on and not be listening to the caller and when you ask then at the end of the call if they have any questions it gives them a chance to clarify anything that was talked about on the phone. Another reason you should ask the caller if they have any questions before ending the call is it gives you the manager one last chance at great self storage customer service. You want the caller to come off the phone with a good feeling, and if you leave them with a good impression at the beginning, middle and end of the call, they will carry that feeling with them. In some cities there are many self storage companies to choose from, what sets your self storage property apart from the rest? It might just be the way you handle yourself on the phone.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.

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Snap! Crackle! Pop!

These have been familiar sounds here in the Midwest these last couple of days. Snow is one thing, but right now we are experiencing what is being dubbed the Ice Storm of 2007. 

Thankfully the weather forecasters gave us some advanced warning, and most people were somewhat prepared.  The problem, of course, is that it is always easier to prepare after the fact. So here are several things good Missouri property management teams need to do before this weather system heads to the Northeast; things that should ideally always be done before Ol’ Man Winter ever even strikes.

Clear all powerlines of any overhanging tree limbs.  The electric company does this every couple of years or so, but it is a good idea to stay ahead on this chore.  Freezing temperatures can be a nuisance; freezing temperatures without power can be deadly.

Clear all large and/or dangling tree limbs away from buildings and structures.  A combination of ice and snow will cause that seemingly harmless branch to come crashing down on that structure, probably in the middle of the night.

Have someone reliable lined up to clear driveways and sidewalks before any inclement weather arrives.  There are a lot of scammers willing to take advantage of people in desperate situations.

Keep an ample supply of Ice Melt, salt, and sand on hand.  No matter how treacherous the weather conditions are, there will always be self storage customers driving and walking on your property.

Make certain all of your tenants know what to do in case of an emergency.  Prolonged power outages can be very serious, especially for the elderly and anyone with special needs.  Contingency plans are of the utmost importance in self storage. 

Certainly ice storms can be intimidating.  But just think, we are one day closer to spring!

Written by Ann Sheehan, PhoneSmart Call Center Representative

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Today’s daily tip from the PhoneSmart call center is to SMILE when you are answering the phone. Yes, I said to smile when you answer the phone. The person on the other end will not be able to see you smile but they will be able to hear it in your voice. These first few seconds on the phone are critical when trying to build rapport and trust from a potential self storage customer. If you have a million things going on around you and you pick up the phone and blurt out a greeting, it will show that you are not ready to give your full attention to the self storage caller. You would be surprised to know the amount of self storage managers that pick up the phone and are still talking to someone else in the room and then they say Hello. It is almost like the person calling is an afterthought. If you are talking to someone else in the room, finish or put the conversation on hold and then pick up the phone, don’t forget to smile and give your best customer service. So, it does not matter whether you are answering for San Antonio Self Storage or Springfield Self Storage any self storage owner will want you to dedicate your attention to answering the phone with a smile.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.

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I wish I had a storage unit full of the Nintendo Wii video games. I went out shopping yesterday will full intent on buying two different video game systems. First I wanted to buy a Nintendo DS lite handheld system for my dad and then I wanted the Wii for my house. Little did I know that finding the Wii system is next to impossible. I have not been hiding under a rock but have also not been out doing any holiday shopping. After yesterdays encounter, I then noticed newspaper stories and news stories about how the Wii is a big holiday seller. I was pretty naïve to think I could walk into a store and just pick one up.

I wish I owned a self storage business, somewhere fun like Austin self storage or Colorado, Basalt self storage. Owning a self storage business would be a great way to take advantage of land that might not be desirable to develop into something else. Maybe a site in Kansas City self storage would give you a large city atmosphere but not as big as a self storage unit in New York City. What do you wish you had a self storage unit full of?

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.

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When it comes to food storage, most Moms complain they just do not have enough room to store everything they need. The problem with most homes is that the cabinets are full of dishes that are rarely used and very few homes are being built with pantries today. If you are without a pantry, there are options for food storage for you. Don’t worry, this food storage blog can help!

The armoire is a great option for a homeowner that needs an area to house snacks. Children often have great difficulty getting their own snacks from cabinets and can even get hurt trying to climb up a counter to reach a snack. With an armoire, you can simply show them how to open the large doors and they will be able to easily access snacks. In addition, a snack armoire will look great in any kitchen and will keep your home trendy and fresh.
 
Another option for food storage is to purchase a book shelf to place in your kitchen. Use the shelf for boxes like cereal or other things that are used often by those in your home. If you keep the shelf nice and organized, you’ll find it can be an inexpensive and trendy way to store your food. Your kids will also be able to access these items readily if the shelving unit is not too tall.
 
As you can see, there are many simple food storage business options that are easy to implement and can make your life a lot simpler. Just be creative and use what works for you and your family!

Submitted by our Guest Blogger.

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

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Many may view the cost of advertising as costly; however, the price of advertising will pay for itself if the ad is advertised using certain techniques.  I am a firm believer that if the advertising is done properly for a product, self storage, or the property management industry that the ad will be paid for by the number of consumers that purchase the product.

Here are a few things should be considered when you are placing an ad:

1. A catchy phrase or word that will capture the reader’s interested to continue throughout the ad.
2. The answer to the five W’s (who what, when, where, and why)
3. The contact number and then to summarize it up with another catchy phrase or word that will get the reader to act on the advertised product.

Here are some things to consider when capturing a reader’s eye:

1. Color- Bright colors are difficult to ignore
2. Word usage-Small or short, choppy wording is easy and quick to read
3. Type of words-Big and bold lettering

Whether the advertised product is in the self storage industry, or advertising for property in the property management industry, or just advertising another product in a different industry; consider the above suggestions and the ad will pay for itself as the reader’s will not only read, but call and purchase the advertised product.

Written by Angela Perry, business blog writer.

Thanks for reading our property management blog, a blog about the property management industry. 

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Usually we don’t re-post published article, but today is a bit different. We ran into this article published at Yahoo.com which talks about the U.S. Navy sending its top admirals to be re-educated. The article states that the goal is to get the military leaders to acquire a business management mindset. You can view the article at

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060611/ap_on_re_us/reeducating_admirals

This is of utmost interest. The question is can you do the same thing for your small business? The answer is most likely a big No. Ask yourselves what the alternative is? 

Email us with your thoughts.

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Workforce Diversification. Diversity and diversification are rather subjective and abstract concepts which may be in the eye of beholder. There are many aspects of an organization that can be subject to scrutiny in terms of diversification, including work force diversification based on race, gender, and religious affiliation, process diversification based on standard procedures, target market diversification and many other aspects. However, in this particular endeavor, we will concentrate on definition of work force diversification and organizational behavior, process and goals which would lead to a generally agreeable diversification.

Background

As obviously implied by the word itself, diversification refers to inclusion of a greater and more unique poll of participant. According to Wikipedia “Diversity is the presence of a wide range of variation in the qualities or attributes under discussion.” This simply translates into greater unique individuals in terms of background, religion, race and gender. Naturally, as in any business related activity, measuring and controlling actions are the best way to collect data and create more effective ways of implementation.

Others have defined work force diversity as organizational commitment to value differences and uniqueness beyond statistical prove, positive internal reinforcement of individuality and diversity, legal commitment and reverse discriminatory actions in order to rectify historical discrimination against minorities. There have been also two dimension of classification within diversity. First dimension is based on natural factors “gender, race, ethnicity, age physical ability/qualities, sexual/affect ional orientation”. The second dimension which is considered changeable factors, include “educational background, geography, income, material status, religious believes and work experience”. However, there appears to be a lack of uniform and realistic ways to quantitatively measure diversity.

Necessity of Workforce diversification

One of the more important issues that has to be considered is the reason why diversification is not only necessary but increasingly vital. First and most importantly, there is an ever increasing trend in the diversified composition of the U.S. population. Secondly, there is a growing participation of foreign companies within U.S. territory and its economy. Thirdly, U.S. Owned companies increasingly conduct business in foreign countries. Thus leading to the logical conclusion that the growing poll of potential and actual participants and employees are composed of a greater diversification.

Impact of workforce diversification

Another important issue is the impact of diversification on organizations. One of the most significant issues within any organization is acquisition and retention of human capital: those firms that achieve an equal quantity of diversification within all levels of organizations are more likely to access the poll of talented minority employees. Further, a diversified workforce not only allows the managers to make better choices, it also enable the organization to market to untapped minority markets. Companies such as Wal-Mart have utilized such diversified force in order to serve to minority markets and minority consumer which feel that a diversified firm can more easily relate to their particular needs. All of these factors create a better platform for success by addressing multi dimensional aspects of business.

Levels of diversification

Further, it is important to differentiate between levels of diversification. There are three different level / stages of diversification: monolithic, pluralistic and multicultural. Monolithic refers to those organizations which are composed of a majority group with the expectation of minimal minorities to follow the norms of majority. Pluralist refers to those organization that have minority members because of creation of special programs to promote minorities, however, those minorities are still expected to follow the norms and standards of majority (Allen, Montgomery 2001; p.150).

 Multicultural refers to advanced organizations which strive for actual integration of minorities in the corporate culture by adapting values of minorities within the organization. Organizations which fall under the last category are the once which benefit the most from diversification programs.

Implementation of workforce diversification

Yet another significant issue is the ways in which diversification can be successfully implemented. One of the rather successful approaches has been social pressure on corporations to implement diversification. In this particular approach socially important goals are rephrased and reworked to fit the language and understanding of business oriented organizations in order to enable the decision makers to recognize the benefit.  This approach assumes that in order to initiate change, the internal cultural settings have to be in tune with the goals of the change. This will virtually always translate into profit, which can / should not be opposed buy profit oriented organizations. Another way to successfully implement diversification is information diversification. In this particular approach educational training which contains diversified material is supposed to benefit the diversified composition of organizations. Some studies even suggest that educational diversification may illustrate a better foundation to reach the goal of diversity than other modes of implementation. Further such approach may lead to better usage of information, knowledge advancement, knowledge creation, team work and decision making. Naturally there are other ways to initiate and implement work force diversification such as internal organizational pressure, internal and external legal actions, and customer demands.

One particular approach to manage and implement diversity effectively has been coined as “organizational diplomacy” referring to the process of deep commitment to resolving institutional and constituency conflict that may among other issues entail and oppose diversification.“Organizational diplomacy” is supposed to encounter the artificial and superficial commitments termed as “pacification”. The diplomatic approach is based on the premises that encouragement of employee input, proper policy design and implementation, and all possible attempt to minimize organizational conflict will lead to more effective implementation of diverse workforce. 

Ethics

One additional crucial factor in organizational behavior in implementing diversity is ethics. First and most importantly, a successful implementation of diversity has to be based on eliminating stereotypes within an organization. Second, emphasizing uniform and common organizational goal that will lead to increased value of diversity. Thirdly, an ethical approach will have to include affirmative action whereby it should be as a part of “valuing diversity” instead of caving into external pressure. Fourthly, the ethical implementation of diversification should be broad and inclusive of diverse workforce, thus resulting i

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One of the more noticeable concepts is virtual organizations which take advantage of advances in informational technology to combine resources and expertise from different partners and even competitors. In general such organizations are naturally more adaptable and flexible because of inherent advance usage of technology to overcome burdens such as latency in communication, implementation and execution of desired actions. Such flexibility ultimately contributes to a better performance platform which would greatly increase the possibility of success.

Just recently, I had a discussion with a potential new client which told me about some study that corporate giants’ such as Boeing are increasingly attempting to enhance their telecommuter capabilities. The discussion led to citation of some astonishing results: Telecommuters work twice as many hours at home, than they would in office. Consider the impact of such infrastructure and its implication as virtual organization: the cross sourcing, cross networking, and enhanced time and human capabilities. Personally, I believe that virtual organization are a natural evolution of traditional organizations: in the age of advanced technological tools such as VPN, Satellites,  high speed internet, and enterprise high end communication solutions, it is safe to assume that adaptive approaches have a good chance of replacing the traditional methods of collaboration.

In my experience virtual organizations have even a better chance to be more innovative: remote communication and collaboration is sometimes accompanied by unexpected challenges. For instance, using old technology such as fax maybe common in every office, but is cost effective in terms of hardware, ink, paper, maintenance, etc.? I would say no. Alternative methods such as eFax may eliminate some of the cost. I would go as far as suggesting that virtual organizations, in my opinion, are in a better position to compete with their counterparts; given the fact that the concept is in its infancy, only time will tell.

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In terms of public relations it is really difficult to encounter the criticism that accompanies ranking number 1 in any industry. Just look at the criticism that Wal-Mart or addidas vs. those of Target or Rebocc. Essentially it is vital to understand that besides the profits, there is a public relations dilemma accompanying the number 1 in any industry. Now, in most industries there are two situations: either there is no tremendous difference in terms of real profits between the top and the second position; or there is so much difference that a comparison is redundant. In the first scenario, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try to avoid being number 1; in the second case it really doesn’t matter, because there is a lot of work to be done before your P.R. concerns will kick in. Either way, one should be aware of the consequences that will accompany a firm once it is financially doing well.

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