It is a tough job trying to handle each person’s problem as they walk through the door as a property manager in self storage. Sometimes you are part business owner, counselor and super sales person all wrapped into one neat package. It is true though those customers just want their situation handled without caring that you just got yelled at right before they walked in. It is a hard time trying to keep your composure as you know people can and will be upset if they are not handled appropriately.

Always treat eat customer with respect and take the time to listen to their problem. You never know what will say. What they say can give you the information that you need in order to help them out. Sometimes you will have to hear a story about their lives and what is going on in order for them to tell you what they need in terms of self storage. You just have to remember, they are there because they need storage.

So take as many deep breaths as you need to take and make sure you are giving them your undivided attention. This customer truly needs you to take care of their storage needs regardless of how you feel and how the customer in front of them felt. There will be plenty of times in which your patience will be tested to the maximum capacity. Just remember, you have what they need. They need you. That should bring a smile to your face, right?

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Should a manager ask what a customer is storing? This has been an idea that has been tossed around many times. There are managers that will not ask because they have come across customers that have been mean in their response back to them. There have also been times in which the customer was pleased that the manager asked so they could find the right space for them. Some customers feel that what they are storing is their business, not the managers. This is some crazy thinking.

It is true, that what you are storing is your business. Another truth is that a self storage manager has to manage the property and ensure nothing is stored that can be harmful to others. Would you rather a property manger give you a list of things you can not store and then ask you if anything you are storing is on this list? Of course not, some people might take offense to that. It is not uncommon for a manager not to be able to please everyone that comes through their door. If they thought they could do that, they would drive their selves crazy. It is hard for you to be able to make everyone happy that you meet. In fact it is impossible. For this reason, rules are in place.

Facility mangers have to find out what size the customer needs. Of course if a customer just says something like I am just storing household goods does not help the manager find the correct space for the customer. The customer can be as stingy with information as they want, but they will end up paying for a space they were not wanting to pay for. The manager could get them into a space that is a great price for what they need instead of a large space that will be more than what they need. Sometimes keeping things to yourself because you do not want anyone else in your business can cost you money.

Property managers are not asking what you are storing to be annoying, nosy or even to covet your things. The manager actually has your best interest in mind so that is why they are asking what you are storing. Do you part and just answer the question. You do not have to go over the complete list of what you are storing, but you can give them an idea. Typically you can go over the largest pieces you are storing and leave the smaller things off the question answer inquiry. The manager always knows that you will most likely store some smaller things along with the bigger items.

Sometimes a customer will be moving across country, city, or state and they are moving everything. Going into a self storage facility and telling them that you are storing a three bedroom house with appliances is all you need to say. Then the manager can tell you exactly what you will need in terms of a self storage space. They have been in the business for a long time. They are there to make sure that you do not pay more for a space you do not need. Believe it or not, the managers do not get paid by knowing what you are storing. They get paid off the satisfaction of their customers.

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There is not an exact science to moving, but there are many property managers who will give you a couple of ideas. Don’t shy away from asking the property manager about different things that you can do in order to store. The important thing that you need to keep in mind is that you need to get your belongings there safely. Since you are going to be putting your belongings into storage, wouldn’t you want to make sure that your belongings stay safe?

Make sure you ware the right clothing for your move, warm for winter, cool for summer, and dry for raining season. Most times when you move you will not have time to change your clothes when you are moving. You want to get done with your move as soon as you can so you can get back to your normal day. Of course you still have to put your new home together before you can really relax.

To keep things dry and free from dust in your boxes, put plastic bag in first and tape shut when done. No one really knows when they put things into storage, how long it is going to be there. In fact many plan to only store for a month or so, while select others believe they will be storing for an indefinite amount of time. If you do not move around your belongings are store them properly dust could really be a problem in the future.

Put car Air fresheners in your boxes to help keep things smelling nice.  They are really not that expensive. It most people would rather smell a great smell of an air freshener than other smells that could be around the self storage facility. Not many property managers or owners will suggest it, but it’s a nice touch.

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There have been some calls from people that need to rent a storage space for their house hold goods. This would be a daily occurrence, but their only problem is they are out of state. So they will not be able to be at the store before it closes nor will they be there to sign the lease. These customers still want to rent a store space so they ask us whether they are able to do all the paperwork over the phone or by fax. That is of course up to the facility manager.

Naturally as a representative of the company, we tell them we can help with that. We still go through the naturally steps of finding out what they are storing so we can get them in the right size. We get all their personal information and an email address so that we can send them the lease and all other paper work. We then tell them we need a major credit card so that she can pay for it now and it will be waiting for her when she gets here. They will either after that point, have to send someone else in to sign the lease or paperwork or rent when they are in town. The customers are happy with the idea that they could do everything over the phone and could just bring in their paperwork. Unfortunately we can’t give them a lock over the phone but they can pick one up at the store from the property manager.

The customer was very happy that they could do it all before they even got to the store. It was a good idea that the manager of the facility gave the caller a follow up call to ensure that every thing went well with the initial conversation. The manager also will want to ensure the customer will be there when agreed they would be there. The manager wants to be there when the customer is actually able to walk into the facility.

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It would seem as if there is special need for self storage for many different people. No matter what your situation is self storage could be a solution for many situations. There will be people who will disagree with that statement but there are many different sizes that could accommodate a variety of customer needs. No matter what you are using self storage for, just know that there are solutions to your needs available.

If you are in need of self storage, you should start your storage search sooner rather than later. Depending on the time of year you can never know when you will have a self storage unit available for you to rent. Some seasons the self storage units leave so quickly that won’t be able to get the popular sizes. If you are in need of one of the popular sizes then you definitely need to call sooner than later.

Every discount that you can find will put money back in your pocket. If you get a first month free promotion, you should still ask about other promotions. If you know that you will be storing for longer than month or maybe even a year, ask the manger whether or not they have long term discounts. Sometimes you will find that the long term discounts would save you more money than the move in specials.

Every manager will tell you that they have good security. You should schedule a site visit to see for yourself how safe the site feels. Reserving a space over the phone is one thing, but signing on the dotted line of your lease without really walking around the facility is a bad idea. Talk with the property manager a little bit about the facility and get a good look and feel of the facility. The great thing about most self storage companies is that you only have to sign a month to month lease. If they treat you badly you could pack up and move out the next month without penalty.

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If you need a truck rental, you may be able to rent one from the facility that you are renting your storage unit from. Just ask the manager when you call in. The property manager, I am sure, will be more than happy to tell you about their special deals on renting a truck. When a storage facility has a truck for you to use they figure that you might also want to use their self storage units as well. It would make sense. If you need storage and need a truck, why not get it all from the same place?

If you shop around enough you could come across a storage facility that is offering a free move service. A free move in service will usually include a free truck and driver. You will not get movers to help you with everything. You will find that not every self storage facility will offer this free moving service so if it is important to you then you really need to continue shopping until you find one. Otherwise maybe the property manager can recommend something in the area that can help you get your belongings to the property.

When you get a storage unit, you will need to have a lock for the space. You can bring one in or the site will sell them for around ten dollars depending on the type of lock that you get. The property manager will be more than happy to direct you to the storage supplies that they have available for you purchase. It is good to have a self storage facility that is a one stop shop when it comes to self storage.

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Climate control is something a lot of people know little about when looking for storage.  Most people think it is necessary to have a climate controlled space, even when they store things that usually sit outside.  This is not the case.  A renter usually only needs at room temperature controlled space when storing expensive furniture and/or belongings. They do not know any better and when they are shopping around, they are asking each facility manager about climate controlled spaces.

There are some things that would need a climate controlled space for. For example, artwork would be stored in a climate controlled space, while patio furniture would not.  If you feel that you can place things in your garage for safe keeping then you can most likely go with a standard space. Most garages do not have air conditioning going to it. So walk out to your garage and see how you feel about storing your belongings in there.

Usually climate controlled units are more expensive, so if you don’t need it, don’t pay for it! Most facility managers will try to tell you which space you need. Listen to them. They will not try to lead you astray. If they tell you something that is not true, they are putting your faith in them on the line. They do not want to do that.

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Many people often ask why they cannot store food inside storage units.  You have food banks and places like that who want to store things off site and unfortunately they are not able to. If there was a way to make this work it is for sure that most property managers will allow that to happen. Since unfortunately there many reasons that storage facilities will tell you no, you will have to find different methods of storage.

One of the main reasons that self storage facilities will not allow food in their units is that food will quickly go bad inside a space. Unfortunately with the change in temperature and the condition of food, the property managers just are not allowed to take them. When food goes bad, you will typically attract some unwanted little visitors that will try to get to the spoiled food. It would seem that no matter how tight the unit is, those little critters find a way to get to the spoiled food. No one wants to have a bunch of bugs and rodents in their storage space.

People often think that climate control means cold storage.  This is not true.  Climate control simply keeps the space around room temperature.  As said before, food attracts pests, such as mice and bugs.  Not only does this affect your things, but also the belongings of your neighboring tenants.  There are places made just for cold storage.  If you are looking for long term storage, try one of those places first before looking at self storage.

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There are a lot of people who do not know what kind of security to look for when getting a storage rental.  In fact there are fair number of people who just call around looking for price and nothing else. Many customers are untrained on what to look for when beginning their search on self storage. There will be times in which a property manager will tell them what features they have to offer the customer, but the customer does not know how it will benefit them. Below are a few security features, and how they benefit you.

Access Controlled Entry:  This keeps people without a unit out of the property.  This helps to monitor traffic and decrease the chance of a break in. Typically a property manager will assign a gate code that is unique to you so no one else can use it. The property manager wants to ensure that no one else will have access to your unit. Also having this code also lets the facility manager know who is entering their facility at what times. If something ends up missing from another self storage unit, the manager can check the records to see who was on the property at that time.

Cameras:  This gives the property extra eyes to keep watch throughout the property. It is good to know that cameras are all over the facility to keep watch on things going on. The manager is not able to catch everything that is happening on their facility. The cameras are a much needed back up. Now some property managers will tell you that some of their cameras are used just for surveillance, where other cameras are actually recording what is going on. Ask your local manager which type of cameras they have.

On Site Manager:  A store with a manager on site is a good bet.  With someone on site all the time, the manager is able to watch the property, especially since its’ their back yard! Most of the time, the property manager, will live above the facility or on the same property as the facility in order to be close when they are in need.  Now sometimes a facility might mean something different when they talk about an onsite manager. They could just mean there is someone on site to help the customer when they come into the facility. Again, ask the property manager which one they are.

Door Alarms:  This prevents people from messing with you lock.  If someone is actually able to break into your self storage unit, an alarm will sound. It could be silent, which gives the manager enough time to catch the thief, or it could be loud enough to scare the perpetrator away. Usually the door alarm will be deactivated by the pin number that you put into the gate upon entering.

As you see, there are many different features a facility can have. Your local property manager will be happy to tell you what sets them apart from the other facilities in the area. Some managers want to brag all about their features. It is good to know how those features benefit you.

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A self storage property manager has pretty much heard it all when it comes to self storage. It would seem as though they are storage experts, storage counselors, and your storage friends. It is completely a great idea to go to them when you need help with storage. They will give you great tips on what to do on your day to move. Of course people will call them and tell them a whopper of a story thinking they are the only one to have gone through that. One word of wisdom that property managers try to give to their soon to be renters, is that they prepare for moving in all kinds of weather conditions. Even though we try to plan, it still does not always go the way we plan.

When moving, make sure you get good rest the night before so that the stress level does not get to high. Do not over stuff yourself the night before or the morning of your move so you are not feeling sluggish when you are moving. If you are having a moving company do the moving for you, then you can eat all you want. It is still a good idea to get some good sleep before moving day. You will have to some direction to give to the movers.

When moving in hot weather ensure you and all your helpers drink enough liquids so you don’t over heat. You do not want anyone going to the emergency room or worse on the day you are supposed to move. That is one thing that you can plan for by having beverages available. If your movers or helpers do not want anything from you, make sure they have something of their own to drink. Some people will say that there will not be a lot of moving so they do not need anything to drink. On hot days, you will sweat more than you think and will need to replace that water loss with liquid.

If you have to move in the winter weather, have salt and sand handy so you don’t have any accidents. Make sure your driveway or moving area is clear, and then call ahead to your local property manager to see if their property is clear. If the property manager tells you that it is clear, then start moving as soon as possible. Wear plenty of layers so don’t have to stop moving to get warm.

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