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Spring is here! Boy this has been a long cold snowy winter. For some states with record-breaking snowfalls they are probably really ready to see spring. Now the sun has come out. The snow has stopped, and the robins are out starting to sing. The daffodils are starting to bloom, and yes, the self storage and secret shopping calls are starting to flow. Everyone love spring . Taking calls for self storage and make calls for secret shopping clients all over the great US is what some companies do. Why do self storage people love spring?  The college students start calling for self storage and taking more secret shopping calls? This early in the game it is probably their parents who are calling in now for self storage. Yes, students no matter what generation are still procrastinators. But we have a few students who will call early. Especially if they have been in school for a few years and remember last year when the self storage facility were filled and could not find a small space.

There are many self storage and secret shopping facilities in the US. Some self storage companies have many facilities and their facilities fill up completely. And they are big stores, lots of self storage and the need for secret shopping services. It is not only the students that fill them up but they do take the majority of the units. Do not think that if you have great business coming in the door that you do not need secret shopping services. Secret shopping is a great way to monitor your self storage business.
 
Most students want a 5×5 space. All they have are dorm things, a 5×5 space is about the size of small bathroom so this size works perfect for them. And besides they are so excited about leaving for the summer they just throw their things in there. Now the ones who are smart about it, will get with several of there friends and get a larger self storage unit and split the cost. That really saves then some money, and we all have heard of the poor college students who eat noodles all semester long. So they like saving money.
 
The 10×10 size usually works well for them. That is a size like a small bedroom size. And really it would hold a full bedroom and living room, some kitchen things and maybe even a washer and dryer just depending on how they utilize the space. So the students will get with three or four friends put their things in together and save money. Only thing with this is one person does have to be responsible for the bill.
 
The self storage and secret shopping industry has grown so much in college towns like Columbia, Missouri. The self storage companies with many locations can still grow. So they will be for sure to help accommodate a lot of students in their self storage needs. And they will probably need more secret shopping services as well. Secret shopping can help your business grow. Try secret shopping for your self storage buisness.  

Now May will come and those procrastinators will call and we will try to the best of our ability to find them a self storage unit. If there is not a small one left then we will suggest maybe sharing with friends but nonetheless we will try to help, and hope we still have something left.

So spring is here. The birds are singing the daffodils are blooming and if you are a student do not procrastinate try something new this year, call early.

Self Storage Owner

Iowa Furniture Storage

Columbia Storage

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When you as a business owner are hiring people for your company, you have some expectations that employees should meet. You are not just looking for a warm body to take up space and not produce for you. If this is true in your case, do you already have people on your staff that are not pulling their weight? Why are those people still employed by you? Now this might sound harsh, but take the time to think about it. You are a business owner, who probably worked hard to get your company up and running. Now that it is up and running, you need to have people in place that will have the same goals that you have. You might ask yourself, what is the point of all this? When you have different programs in place to train and help associates achieve the company goals and the associates do not appreciate it, why are they still with you? Many companies pay for programs like secret shopping, and their associates do not use the coachings that result from that secret shopping experience to better themselves. You are throwing away your money.

Many companies use the secret shopping program in order to improve their level of customer service. Unfortunately, there are people within those companies who do not believe secret shopping is a good use of company resources. They believe that they know who to sell and how to take care of the customers. They do not even try to learn or take feedback from the secret shopping evaluation. It is unbelievable the level people go to so they will not have to do something they do not want to do.

If a manager at a self storage facility absolutely refused to learn anything from a secret shopping agent, what is the value of that employee? Or of any employee who outright refuses to participate or cooperate? What if the manager, when the secret shopping agent revealed himself or herself as a secret shopper, started getting angry and frustrated? A professional secret shopping agent would still attempt to go over the call with the manager. However, some managers go on to tell the secret shopping agent about their years of sales experience or that they dp not need anyone to coach them on how to sell. In some extreme cases, employees being shopped will become enraged and say how much of a waste of time the call was or even how stupid secret shopping is.

Such extreme behavior is few and far between in the secret shopping industry, but when it does occur it can be a shocking experience for the secret shopping agent. The best way to handle these cases is to end the secret shop or training and the secret shopping agent can give it to their boss so that the client can see the results immediately.

As stated before, you have to have people on your team who care about how the company is growing. With people on your team in the example above, you can not be sure your company goals are being met or that customers are being treated respectably, but they could be doing a great job. On the other hand, how much more could you gain if you had someone who was able to take feedback and criticism? Having someone on your team who is not willing to learn or to help the company get to where they need to be is a risk that some self storage business owners do not take.

Key West Self Storage

Indiana Boat Storage

Lexington Storage

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Have you ever gone on a guided tour? To the Hoover Dam or perhaps Niagara Falls or visited an art museum showing of impressionist painters? Did you come away with a better understanding of what you saw, of what you felt? Did you look at the experience as something that added value to your life? Hopefully so because the intention of the tour operator is to educate you about whatever specialty they represent. A good tour guide knows the history, construction, and cultural connections giving them the opportunity to have you participate with questions and answers ultimately leaving you a changed person from the time you paid the price of admission. Sometimes the guide gives you tips on the good local restaurants and everyone leaves happy and enlightened.

Part of the job responsibilities of property management is taking the customer on a tour of the self storage facility once they arrive.  It is important for property management to have some type of plan in place, knowing how long the tour will take and what you want the new tenant to see and know. Try and have the time prearranged for a meeting so you do not have to rush through it.  For many self storage customers this is the first time they have ever rented self storage before and this gives them the opportunity to see how the whole process works.  For the seasoned self storage veteran this gives them the opportunity to see what they may have missed before storing elsewhere and what your self storage facility has to offer.

Property management should be prepared by having the self storage units cleaned and ready for inspection, a variety of locks on hand for point of sale once at the self storage unit, and any information given from previous contact with the self storage customer. If possible have a self storage lease agreement preprinted for a quick and hassle free checkout when done with the tour. 

The property management tour itself should have a beginning, middle and end. First impressions of course are crucial so always smile, use the self storage customers name and have a professional appearance. After the meet and greet take whatever form of transportation, your legs or a people mover, and begin showcasing your self storage facility. Remember as the tour guide and property management you are the expert and you are reinforcing that image by your knowledge of the self storage facilitys history, construction, and pointing out features. Property management should narrate the process so the self storage customer can visualize the experience and what it would be like to store there.

When property management arrives at the self storage unit, again, help the customer visualize what they will be storing and the process by demonstrating the particulars of the unit. Open the door, show them the light switch, operate the alarm if any, and get them comfortable with the unit.  Now is a good time for property management to ask if they have any questions and ask for the sale. By this middle stage the customer should be ready to rent because showing them and helping them understand the process also helps close the sale. 

As you wind the tour down on the way back to the property management office the customer should feel relaxed, comfortable, and be ready to sign the self storage lease agreement.  Now is a good time to share a little personal information about the property management with the customer and get to know them maybe even be able to recommend a good local restaurant or two. You may not have a bullhorn, maps to the stars homes, or a double-deck tour bus but for your new self storage tenant it was certainly worth the price of admission. 

Self Storage Business

Hawaii Self Storage

Miramar Storage

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Property management is not for everyone. Most people out there believe that they could get involved with property management because they like the potential of gaining huge profits from this type of business. With property management, growth potential is exponential and solely up to the individual that is trying to get involved. Oh yes, and it is up to the economy.

In property management, the hardest part is finding a property to manage. If you are an individual, that is a self-starter and passionate, you can represent yourself well and find a facility that is in need of property management. You can search the paper, Internet or just hear by word or mouth, but there are opportunities out there. Unfortunately, to begin, you need experience. Most people who are looking for property management mangers and do not want to take a chance that an inexperienced person is managing their property.

With property management, you have to have the desire to grow and learn. You will always encounter something that you have not seen before. Some people decide to live on the property they are managing so they do not have to drive long distances to take care of the problem. You have to have an extreme amount of patience to be in property management. We all can think back to a time in which we were a pain to our property owners or we know friends that gave the property management team a hard time. Now, you will be on the side that will handle all the problems. In property management, you have to be ready for whatever comes your way. Then again, how can you be ready for the unknown?

That is where experience comes in to play. Sometimes, being humble enough to realize that you do not know a lot about property management could help you in the future. You can take the time to get involved with a property management company that will train you and send you to classes. That is one of the best ways to have the training behind you, which will give you a potentially better success rate in property management. Still, after all that is said and done, it is up to you to make the property a success.

Every property management system is different. Whether you are managing a self storage facility or an apartment complex your goal is the same, to make money. With storage or apartment rentals, you have to get your facility to reach capacity. The company or individual that owns the property has to pay for the property. Well that make sense, but they can not afford to pay for the property if there are more vacancies than occupied units. As a property manager, you need to be proactive and find a way to get people to rent spaces or apartments from you. You could place an ad for great value in storage or you can go to local businesses and collaborate with them to advertise your facility. There is no end to the ways you can fill your facility and make a huge profit. The key is that you have to motivate yourself and think outside the box a little to make it happen.

Getting involved in property management could be a daunting task. You have to put a lot of energy and time into making it successful. It is certain, in the end it could be very profitable for you and the owner.

Self Storage Business 

Delaware Car Storage

Kansas City Storage

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Property management is an established, profitable, and well-respected profession. Property management is not only a lucrative career choice, it gives you multiple career options. You can go into various careers such as real estate management, rental property management or even commercial real estate. There is no limit to what a career in property management can have for you. What path you decide to take can lead you to a very prosperous life. Property management is not for everyone and it can be demanding. However, before we get to that portion, how does one get started in property management? Does one have to take classes or find some all might guru of information and become an apprentice? There are different avenues you can take.

One of the first avenues you can take to understand property management is by enrolling in property management classes. These classes, depending on the area you live, can be taken online or within a classroom. Over 50 different online universities specialize in property management and a variety of classroom type schools as well. There is one school out there based out of California that offers a complete 16 course comprehensive teaching around property management. They help you understand the complete ins and outs of how to manage a property. They offer sixteen courses from tenant relations to marketing. After you complete the course, you are certified in property management and then you have access to be a part of a variety of companies that are involved in the property management field. From there, it is solely up to you on how profitable you would like to be because then it is on you to take what you have learned and apply it.

Now, some of you are thinking that is all you need to get into property management. We all know that just because we go to school for a particular field, does not mean that we can go out there and be profitable at the beginning. Just because we know the football has to go in the end zone to score points, does not always mean that we know how to get into the end zone. After or in the place of school, some people take the road of finding someone or a company involved in property management to learn from. This is where you can take either the knowledge that you know or the knowledge that you learn, and apply it. There are many companies out there involved in property management, and just like most companies, you might have to start at the bottom and move up to the top. Some people think they can take on property management on their own without experience only to realize clients are looking for experienced individuals to run their properties.

Whatever path you decide to take in learning about property management, it is still up to you to apply that information in order to be successful. You have to be driven, organized, and business minded in order to take on such a demanding profession. Property management can make you a very profitable and you can have a great life financially if you are willing to do the hard work involved. Do not get into the property management field unless you are ready to take on that workload. Get as much information as you can, study, look at all aspects of property management, and then you can decide and see where you sign up.

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Arkansas Furniture Storage

Merriam Storage

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Have you ever had the opportunity to be secret shopped? At first, it was thought that the owner of the business has no need to be shopped because they know what to do when customers have to be served. Secret shopping can also help those people at the top get a reality check sometimes. We all know that even we property owners need to understand what our managers are doing and what they are facing. Secret shopping the property managers might not be a bad idea to show them that they also have some opportunities in their customer service.

Now do not get it wrong. We are not saying that the property managers do not know how to do their job or do not know what their managers are going through. It is just being said that maybe a property owner should work in a store for a day or two and see how it is for your managers. Then, while working, a secret shopping agent gives them a call to see how they handle the customers. The secret shopping agent could call a couple of different times in the day just to catch the property owners at different situations. This will give the manager a snap shot of what is really like for the property managers to be shopped when they are least expecting it. This will allow managers to maybe rethink how they coach and train their associates around customer service.

There was an example of a manager of a large retail store being involved in secret shopping. He was in his department and a regular customer, or so he thought, came in to ask for assistance. The secret shopping agent proceeded to go along with the shop even though they identified he was a manager. It just so happens that same manager was shopped again in a different part of the store that same week. Both scores came back from the secret shopping agent and it revealed some interesting things for the general manager. It showed that even the leaders of the departments were inconsistent in their customer service presentations. One score was over a 90 percent, which their individual secret shopping score goal was 85 percent. The second score was a 56 percent very sub-par.  The manager was pulled into the general managers office where they had a conversation around consistency and expectations of a department manager.

So what does this show us? This shows us that even the property owners have some opportunities in the area of being consistent around customer service. They would not know that unless secret shopping assisted the manager in the example above. The secret shopping evaluation opened his eyes to show him that if he is not consistent, how can he expect his people to be. How can a property owner that expects a certain level of service receive such low secret shopping scores?

Maybe we all need to put ourselves in the shoes of our employees. We can go out there and sell just like them. We can take calls just like them. We can also receive customer issues just like them and see what they go through on a daily basis. After going through all of that, then we can see what our secret shopping scores would be.

OR Storage Units

StorageMart Odenton, Maryland 21114

Self Storage

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In California, real estate management is usually performed by an individual or team of individuals who have sufficient knowledge of the real estate industry. California real estate management can encompass either residential real estate or commercial real estate. The skills that you need are basically the same although one is much more complex than the other. 

California real estate management with regard to residential real estate can consist of managing condominium units or large apartment complexes. There are various duties performed for each type of property and anyone who is seeking to go into California real estate management in the residential spectrum should be familiar with all aspects including tenant versus property owner laws, building codes, etc. Professionals in the real estate management industry in California will also need to understand their duty to act on behalf of the property owner, not on behalf of the tenant.

Large apartment complexes usually employ a property management service to oversee the complex. In California, real estate management for a large apartment complex might include collecting rent checks, running credit checks on prospective tenants, advertising for tenants, paying building upkeep and salaries to anyone who works in the building, such as the custodian or security personnel. Other duties in California real estate management for a large apartment complex might include taking care of all common area maintenance including parking lots, garages, pools, lounges and recreational areas. The property management service will also be making sure real estate taxes have been paid and paying common utilities. Lawn care, sprinkler systems and upkeep of the building all falls on the shoulders of the California real estate management team. 

Another thing a person should know when getting into California real estate management is the landlord tenant laws. It will be up to the California real estate management team to make sure that the lease is executed properly. Any questions regarding the lease from the tenant will most likely be addressed to the property manager, so it is important for anyone in California real estate management to have a good understanding of the California landlord tenant laws. 

Many people who work in the California real estate management arena deal with condominium management. If you are interested in learning about this aspect of the job, you will have to learn about the bylaws and association declaration laws in the state of California.  As condominiums are owned by those who live in them, there are no tenant landlord leases,  however, the declaration laws can must be adhered to by the owners. While the owners cannot be evicted, if they do not pay their assessments, a lien can be placed on their property. Anyone who works in California real estate management should understand the lien laws and how to place a lien on a piece of property. 

Despite the fact that the California residential real estate market is in the dumps, there is still quite a bit of opportunity for anyone in California real estate management to advance in this profession. California real estate management can be a lucrative career for anyone who is interested in real estate, either residential or commercial, and who is willing to take the necessary preparation courses to learn about this field. 

California real estate management is a blossoming field and one in which anyone who is interested in real estate and is willing to learn, can excel. 

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StorageMart Willits & Park . Basalt, CO 81621

Car Storage

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If you are practicing real estate management in New York, you have to be prepared to understand New York real estate law. Real estate laws differ from state to state, so in order to do real estate management New York, you need to take a few courses in New York real estate law. Real estate codes and regulations will also differ between cities and counties within New York.

Real estate management New York can be hectic, especially if you are managing commercial buildings in the city of New York. There are many different aspects when it comes to property management. There is both commercial and residential real estate management. New York is both a state and a city and real estate management New York can be involved or simple, depending on the property. 

Commercial real estate management New York in the city can be challenging. Most people who work in this field go to school to learn the aspects of the job. In addition to learning about commercial real estate law, anyone in this field needs to know about construction law as many of the commercial buildings are being revamped. 

New construction real estate management in New York involves knowledge of the lien laws as well as financing information. Once the financing is approved for a project, it is up to the real estate management New York team to see that payouts are made to the contractors and sub contractors on a timely basis, but still save the building owner money. Whenever a payout is made on new construction, the interest rate for the loan begins immediately. When speaking about a large commercial project in the city of New York, this could mean tens of thousands of dollars a day. It is important to have had the proper training before taking on such a large project, which is why many real estate management New York agents study under an advisor before flying solo.

While there is software to help those who work in real estate management New York, knowledge of the field and particularly the laws regulating the real estate industry are crucial. Someone who wants to get into real estate management in New York needs to attend classes including those that teach commercial and residential real estate law. While the two fields are synonymous with one another, someone who works in commercial real estate management New York will probably not work in the residential aspect of the field and vice versa. 

Residential real estate management New York, especially in the city, can also be very involved. This encompasses managing condominium buildings and includes figuring out assessment fees. As many of the condominium units in the city of New York vary when it comes to square footage, they are usually charged per square foot for assessment fees.  This can be determined by using property management software. In addition to assessments, common area maintenance is also figured on a square footage basis. 

People working in real estate management New York can expect to earn good money in this field, particularly with commercial real estate experience. Although the residential real estate market in New York when it comes to sales has plummeted, when it comes to property management, the field is burgeoning. Real estate management New York is an exciting and very prosperous field in which to practice. 

Tennessee Storage Units

StorageMart San Pablo. Oakland, CA 94612

Boat Storage

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Someone looking to rent a self storage unit for the first time from a property management company may not know the routine in renting a storage unit.  That actually tends to be the case in just about every single situation where there is a caller calling to rent a storage unit or a prospect coming into the self storage facility to rent a storage unit from a property management company.  The potential renter may think that renting a storage unit may be a cumbersome task at hand, however, the potential renter will soon come to realize that renting a storage unit is a very easy undertaking.  If a potential renter is looking for information on renting a storage unit by way of calling in to get information they will be helped quickly. The potential renter will be given all the information they need to be educated on how simple it is to rent a storage unit from a property management company. 

If the caller gets a rep from our company to answer his or her questions pertaining to renting a storage unit, the potential renter will know these things.

What size unit they will need or what size unit will work for them
They will know the amenities of the self storage facility they are looking to rent a storage unit at
Monthly rent and any other information they need to know when it comes to renting a storage unit
Any specials, discounts, free trucks, etc.
The types of unit the self storage facility offers (climate controlled, ground level, etc.)
Directions to the property
How the facility does their billing (anniversary date, monthly, etc.)

It can seem to be a bit nerve-wracking to pay for a service or a product a potential renter has never had before.  The call may feel as though they have no idea what they are doing or how to go about renting a storage unit from a property management company.  The caller will eventually feel confident enough to rent a storage unit from the property management company at the end of the conversation. They will breathe a sigh of relief once having realized that renting a storage unit is easier to do than they thought.  The potential renter will end up making a statement like, they had no idea how easy it was to rent a storage unit from a property management company.  The potential renter feels confident in the reservation they just made even though the caller has never seen the self storage unit they are going to rent or the self storage facility for that matter.  When all the tools necessary to be able to assist the potential renter are readily there and available, renting a storage unit from the property management company will be one of the easiest things a potential renter will find they will have ever done. The main reason why people feel renting a storage unit from a property management company may be stressful is because they may feel they need to make several phone calls to several self storage facilities or visit several self storage facilities before renting a storage unit from a property management company.  Renting a storage unit is easy, especially when you have our company reps helping potential renters on their storage needs from a property management company.

Colorado Storage Units

StorageMart Butterfield & York Hillside, IL 60162

Wine Storage

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Working for a storage or property management company is not as easy as it seems. You have to know the property management company business. It is all about organization, such as filing property management company papers in order by date and then charging credit cards for the storage company is also hard. Sometimes the machine will not tell you if the card has been charged already so you charge the card again, and when you do that, you have to refund what you just charged back to the customer because it is like taking the money from them twice. This can be overwhelming because the machine will either say, do you want to charge the card again or it will not say anything and let you charge the card. Working for a storage or property management company can also be very educational. You learn about all the different storage unit types, how much the storage units cost and any specials with the units. That helps our customers out and they get better deals with our storage and property management company.

When filing out the papers for our storage and property management company, it is easy to place them in numerical order. They also come with a sheet that says if the paper succeeded, if that second sheet says that it failed you then will refax the sheet and it will see if the sheet went though. If it does not then someone will call the storage company and they leave a message to the property management company saying all the information on the sheet like, what type of storage unit the customer is interested in and if they offered any specials. If the fax is successful then you will hear a beep and that indicates that the fax has went through and you do not have to leave a message with the property management company. Many calls are taken for self storage and many property management company businesses. 

When taking property management company phone calls, you should always ask for the name of the caller. Asking them what they are interested in storing and what size they need.  Knowing what size storage they need is important to helping the customer. Giving them options about climate controlled storage and sizes will help you complete the helping of the self storage or property management company client Also, the customer will tell you that they will want to store with you. Gathering the customers information so that it is sent to the self storage or property management company manager is vital to the communication link. The more information that you can get from the customer while still controlling the call will help the actual store manager when they receive the information. By asking the right questions, you should be able to find out why the caller needs storage and this information should be included in the document sent to the self storage or property management company manager. Our system immediately sends the information gathered by the telephone rep to the appropriate store manager so that no time is lost. Many times when someone is calling about self storage they are already on the way over to the site. By sending the information to the self storage and property management company in real time, the manager on site will have the document in hand, ready to help the customer.

Arizona Storage Units

StorageMart Columbia St & Dunlap Milledgeville, GA 31061

Boat Storage

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