» Customer Service

I was shopping the other day and while I was walking around the store an associate was walking towards me. She went from blank faced to super smiley and asked, are you finding everything you need? Besides the glaring fake smile, her voice grated on my nerves. It’s really hard to go shopping without evaluating the shopping experience.

Are you giving genuine customer service or a rehearsed rendition of customer service? Whether you are answering a call in the call center, greeting a customer walking into your store, or taking a call in your office you must be genuine. It doesn’t matter if you have had to greet 3,479 people. All of them are entitled to the same customer service. Trust me, you might get away with a few that are not 100% but most people can spot a fake when they see or hear it. Being genuine also puts the customer at ease and allows them to open up to what you have to offer. Our secret shopping training materials stress smiling when you answer the phone and building good rapport with the customer. Both of these actions will help make your secret shopping evaluations go much smoother.

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

Thanks for visiting our secret shopping blog, a blog that speaks of stories, tips, advice and more for the self storage and mystery shopping industry.

We have storage in 4725 NE 4th St, Renton, WA 98059

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I was speaking with a customer today who had problems getting into his unit. The customer explained that he had to be at work at 10:00 am. He needed to remove his tools out of storage for work that day. It was 9:30 there. He stated that he spoke to a manager and paid his bill and there was still a lock on his unit. The customer was upset about this and I politely explained to him that I was currently at a reservation office for the self-storage company. The office was supposed to open in 30 minutes and there was a manager that lived there on site. The manager told the customer that he could not unlock his unit until the office was open because he was not getting paid yet. Talk about customer service! The manager finally came back outside and told the customer to get off the property or he would call the police. While on the phone listening to this terrible customer service by a manager, I was shocked. The customer was upset and I was worried that they would loose their customer.

My immediate thought was, why not help the customer now to keep the customer happy, rather than lose a customer. Although I was not there on site, my first concern was for the customer. In my personal opinion that should have been the managers first concern rather than him getting paid for it. Here at the PhoneSmart call center, our motto is to Provide excellent customer service for our internal and external customer  while making money hand over fist. By working here I have learned that it is best to help the customer in any way possible. We work in customer service to provide for the customer, who should be our first priority.

Written by Glenetta Haymon

Thanks for reading our property management blog and inside view of the self storage and property management industry.

Rent storage at 615 7th Ave, Longview, WA 98632

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It has been noted that the last thing one hears is the first thing one remembers.  This is true in the self storage industry as well as the rest of the world.

It is normal for the human mind to retain the last thing it was given, whether a verbal or physical gesture; the mind recalls the most recent things first.  I keep this in mind as I work at the Phonesmart call center and I use this knowledge to my advantage when it comes time to give the price.  When giving the rates of the self storage units, I offer the choice of two prices/sizes in the order of the least expensive unit being quoted last.  Why?  For the very reason that I previously mentioned; the mind recalls the last thing first.  In the customer’s mind they are thinking about the last price that I gave them which subsequently is the least expensive unit so the caller feels as though they are getting a great deal for a reasonable rate. 

This technique can be used in everyday life with self storage, selling or buying a vehicle or purchasing furniture. This technique is a successful sales tool if presented properly.  In sales it is a good rule of thumb to remember that the mind remembers the last thing first. Manipulating that may affect how the caller responds to the price and their interest in self storage or the product that is being sold.

Written by Angela Perry

Thanks for reading our secret shopping blog. We offer sales training and quality assurance to the self storage industry.

Rent self storage at 2708 Bedford Rd, Bedford, TX 76021

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I was in one of those coffee shops the other day with the green motif and saw the newest CD from Paul McCartney. I recall as a child that he and his compatriots were seen as a horrible example of the worst in youth culture and harbingers of doom. He seems like a pretty tame character now, doesn’t he?

The muzak you hear in the grocery store is mostly what was once called Rock and Roll in the 50s. If you want a little perspective, you need only look back at what the powers-that-were called the cool music Chuck Berry, Little Richard and their contemporaries played. Some even said this was the music of The Devil.

I even noticed at the coffee shop with the green motif that they were selling a Bob Marley anthology. Bob Marley and his friends were seen as the worst ambassadors of drug culture and third world revolution to ever hit the shores of this fair land. But years later, I rocked my infant children to sleep to his “Exodus”, “Buffalo Soldier” and “I shot the Sheriff”. When asked about the lyrics to “I shot the Sheriff”, I explained it is a tale of honesty and of taking personal responsibility for your actions. This was not the interpretation that would have been given when the song first hit the air waves.

Whether you like the hip-hop culture or not is immaterial. You may certainly choose to be an active participant or to avoid it in your personal life. There is no avoiding it in your professional life. It is so wide spread and entrenched in the culture of our youth that its influence will be felt for years, even if it stopped being a culture tomorrow.

Hip Hop will be the elevator music of the future. Old school hip-hop is already seeping into the wider culture. To prove my point, you can hear Run DMC’s “Fight the Power” playing now in the background at the grocery store.

You will hire members of the hip-hop culture. Your staff will have dealings with members of the hip-hop culture and you will likely get a boss one day soon who is a hip-hop aficionado.

My father, who just turned 85 said there are three generations living in our society today, the old, the new and the future. He says it is not determined by age, but by one’s way of thinking. He said there is a very easy way to tell which group you belong to. Watch how someone uses a cell phone. The old generation keys in a number with the index finger. The new generation uses one thumb. The future generation uses both thumbs.

Written by Tron Jordheim

Thanks for reading our property management blog; a journal of the self storage and property management industry.

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

Rent self storage from 103 Stone Mill Rd, Lancaster, PA 17603

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A rose by any other name still smells as sweet. Mr. Shakespeare left us with these immortal words of wisdom in his famous star-crossed tragedy. However, I have to call shenanigans! My name is Julio, and by any other name I don’t answer. It never fails that at least two or three times a shift here at the storage reservation center; someone doesn’t call me by the correct name. Sometimes it’s Julio (pronounced with an English J instead of a Spanish J), José, Raúl, Paco, or Pablo. Basically, the people inquiring about storage call me any male Hispanic name but my own. I pleasantly correct them and move on.

Now please don’t misunderstand my message. I’m not complaining of the inability to remember a person’s name that the caller only speaks to for about 5 minutes. My message is quite the contrary. Understanding the frustration I experience helps and motivates me to ensure that I remember the name of the person I speak with. It sounds simple, but in the storage industry, anything that helps you stand apart from the competition is necessary. When someone calls in for storage, I make sure I ask what the caller’s name is within the first two questions. I then write the name down on my scratch paper to ensure it is remembered. When it is time to enter the information to reserve a storage unit, I always double-check the spelling of the name. Even the simplest name can have multiple spellings. Make the person feel special by letting them know we care how they spell their name.

Written by: Julio Montes, Call Center Supervisor

Thanks for reading our secret shopping blog. We offer sales training and quality assurance to the self storage and rental industry.

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

Self Storage is conveniently located at 80 Mill Rd, Freeport, NY 11520

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Take a moment and ponder on this for a couple of minutes. Why would a customer decide to rent with your facility instead of driving a couple of blocks down the road to your competitor? What are you doing that is delivering the service that the caller is looking for? Well you are in luck. Here are some proven steps that will have the customers filling your storage spaces with their various belongings.  

1. Introduce yourself to the customer and let them know that you are here to take care of their needs. This helps break the ice and starts the rapport building process.

2. Ask the caller what their needs are. Finding out what the customer’s needs are and being able to satisfy those needs will make you a winner each time.

3. Recap their needs. By accurately recapping their needs, this informs the caller that you have actually listened to what they have to say. This step establishes that rapport with them. Most people just want to be listened to. During this step, you have to be sure not to interrupt the customer when they are talking.

4. Satisfy those needs. This step is definitely the hardest one to do, because if you don’t do the first three steps, the caller won’t be satisfied as the visit ends. Whether it’s the alarm doesn’t work on my unit and some of their things are missing, to I will need another space for my belongings, try to do your best to take care of their needs.

5. Thank them for coming to chat with you and allowing you to be the one to take care of them. Customers appreciate the fact that you tell them thanks for coming by or renting from you. How you end the relationship that day helps the customer decide whether to have a return visit. 

How you manage your property is up to you and you are in charge of its everyday business. If you can provide excellent customer service, you will win in your piece of the market. 

Written by Joel Little

Thanks for reading our property management blog and inside view of the self storage and property management industry.

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

Rent storage at 9455 215th St W, Lakeville, MN 55044

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I like to use public transportation to get to and from the office. I do it partially as an environmental offset to make up for the gas guzzler I drive. I do it partially because I spent many years living in New York City and I got really used to riding public transportation. I do it partially to study people. As a marketer, I am very curious about people and their habits. Riding the bus gives you a chance to see a lot of people doing their daily routines. I also like public transportation, because being chauffer driven is my favorite way to travel. Since I don’t normally have that option available to me, riding the bus is a way to satisfy my craving. Sharing a bus with a whole bunch of other people may not seem much like a chauffeured experience to you, but I can see a few similarities.

Here in Columbia Missouri, the bus system is pretty small scale. The coverage areas are not extensive and the schedule is pretty narrow. But the people who run the bus system make it as enjoyable as they can. When you get on the bus, the drivers say hello. When you get off the bus, the drivers tell you to have a good day.  They are helpful to inexperienced riders and people who need assistance. They try hard to keep on schedule and manage to do so almost all the time. This is a pretty small town and many people have lived here for a long time, so the drivers end up seeing a lot of their acquaintances and friends on their routes. It is fun to see the drivers chat with their friends and share a little teasing.

A lot of people ride the bus because they have to. Some people do it to save the planet. In any case, being the bus driver is not the most glamorous or lucrative job a person could have. But the bus drivers here make it as pleasant as possible because they share a friendly gesture or two with every rider. It is not that big a deal. It is not that hard to do.

If your only success in your business was to get your crew to share a friendly gesture or two with every prospect and customer, you would find yourself building a great business.

Written by Tron Jordheim, PhoneSmart Director

Thanks for reading our property management blog. We give you the inside scoop in the self storage and property management industry.

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

Self storage is close by at 7225 Bush Lake Rd, Edina, MN 55439

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In the sales industry, sometimes we lose focus on why we open the doors.  I think we forget who’s important to us and need to realize that it’s our customers.   Look at it, if the customers aren’t happy, they do not buy things from us. If they do not buy things from us, we don’t make any money, and if we don’t make money, there is no business.

I go into work to each day and strive to ensure four different categories are served: The customers, the community, the employees and the shareholders.  Every sale that I do I know that I have to make money on it to take care of the people listed above.  If I don’t make money, each one is effected in their own way.  The great thing for me is that if I take care of the customers that I encounter on a day to day basis, I will be taking care of my employees, the shareholders and the community. 

It is hard to balance the importance of maintaining the plus side of the profit/loss category.  The employees that you put on the floor have to understand what the ultimate goals are: good customer service, good margin and good profit. If the employees understand these things, in that order, then your profit/loss numbers will be pleasing to those shareholders.

Written by: Joel Little

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

Rent self storage at 2445 Crain Hwy, Waldorf, MD 20601

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How many of us out there love our jobs?  How many us of have a routine that we follow every day and don’t like to deviate from that routine?  Do you control the routine or does the routine control you?

My GM and I sat down and planned out my week so I can ensure that I can get all the things I need to get done, done in the week.  We mapped out my exact, to the half hour, tasks that I had to do on a daily basis.  I try my hardest to follow this plan because I know that it is a good plan to follow and I can ensure that I get all my behind the scenes stuff done. 

Unfortunately, we didn’t account for customer issues that can rise up at any moment. I decided that I could hide from customers and ensure that I got my work done.  Then I realized, this paperwork and such that I am doing is there to help the customers and my business.  Without my customers and me serving them, I wouldn’t need to plan my actions for the week because I wouldn’t have a job.

Even though routines are great, they help you map out your day, and they keep you in order, they should never get in the way of customer service.  Your business is open to assist customers.  Control your routine, don’t let your routine control you.

Written by: Joel Little

Thanks for reading our property management blog and inside view of the self storage property management industry.

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

Rent storage at 2055 Mercator Dr, Reston, MD 20191

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If you don’t know when, then you could be making a large mistake.  Knowing when, could refer to many of everyday life situations.  In our Call Center it could refer to many aspects regarding to telephone conversations with potential customers.  We have to kow when to bite our tounge, when to ask the appropriate question, when to listen, and when to move on to the next item.  We also need to know when to move on to the next call.  If your caller is keeping you on the phone and you’re really not getting anywhere, you have to know when to tell your caller that you have another call waiting.  You have to know when to crack a joke or when to ask for thier name.  If you ask at the wrong time, it could be really awkward and ruin the flow of your call. You have to know when to ask for help so you make sure you are doing your job correctly.  Self storage managers need to know when to call back customers. If they wait too long they could lose them to their competitor.  If they don’t wait long enough (we may put in the manager notes that the caller needs to check with a spouse or boss 1st and to call the customer back after 1pm) the caller could be turned off by that thinking that we weren’t listening to them when they gave us specific instructions.   Timing is everything and should be included in your sales techniques and training procedures.  This also rolls into your life outside of the workplace.  If you ask your spouse at the wrong time for something in particular, you could ruin your chances of getting an agreement on it.  What else can you think of where timing is everything?

Written by: Robin Turner

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

Rent self storage at 1010 N.E. Crain Hwy, Bowie, MD 20716

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