Educating Your Future Tenants

When I first started working for PhoneSmart I noticed that a lot of college students who were calling for a storage unit (typically a small one i.e. 5×10) were calling when all of the 5×10 units were sold out. They didn’t really start calling us until mid-May, 2 weeks before they definitely had to be in a storage unit as they were going back home for the summer or moving to a new location after graduation.

My response most of the time to these callers were “I’m sorry, but we are completely sold out of all of the smaller units.” Many of these callers ended up renting units much larger than what they actually needed because nothing else was available. And quite a few even had to rent a 10×20 unit just so they could get into something, because everything else smaller was sold out. I

‘ve always made it a practice (for future reference) to especially explain to college students and other renters looking for 5×10 units who need it for the summer, that next time they need to call us in advance if they’ll need a unit during that time period because those sizes sell out so fast! If they tell me that they called a couple of weeks ago and we had it available then, I tell them “Well, that’s why we asked you to reserve it with a credit card… so you wouldn’t have to worry about it being here when you needed it. At this time of year the college students take up all of the smaller units.” I also let them know that in the future they should call the storage facility ahead of time and reserve it with a credit card to make sure they get one. (This also applies to locking in a special so they are guaranteed they get it even if the specials are pulled).

As each year goes by, I notice that more college students/college students’ parents are calling with advance notice that they’ll need a unit for the summer and are asking if there’s a way to reserve and rent a unit ahead of time. 

***Proof: A mother of a college student called me in March to reserve a unit and rent it one whole month in advance without hesitation, simply to ensure her daughter a unit so that she didn’t have to worry about getting it when she needed it. 

These well informed callers could bring a sales increase one month in advance. Even if you had 10 renters renting one month in advance at $80 a month, you’ve just increased your rental income by $800 and increased occupancy at your storage facility, too. Your boss will be impressed, and if you work off of commissions due to occupancy percentages then you’ve just increased your bonuses! So, even if you couldn’t rent to them this summer, learn how to educate them now so they’ll come back sooner than expected.  This one sales technique can add up to significant profits for your property management business.

Written by Robin Turn, PhoneSmart call center manager.

Thank you for visiting our call center blog.   We offer an insider view of the self storage and property management industry.

Your local self storage unit provider in 9012 NW Prairie View Rd. Kansas City, MO. 64153

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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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