JulieBaka's blog

Rainy days at least it's not a monday

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Surprise thunderstorms can be fun. They can also be a pain in the bottom. Today we had one of those surprise storms. There wasn't even any rain in the forecast. I walk or ride my bike to work days that the forecast is ok. Well today was suppose to be a beautiful day so I walked on in. Now it has been raining for a couple hours. Hopefully I will not need my umbrella when it is time to go home because it is still in storage .

OCT 24 International Climate Change Awareness Day

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CDT

October twenty four two thousand and nine is the International Climate Change Awareness Day. According to scientist it is very possible for us to have some rapidly rising sea levals in the next couple decades. Many of the scenerios that are being presented as possibilities include millions of refuges that are going to be forced from their ocean front communities. One possibility to to replace many of these homes with house boats. So now is the time to buy your floating home and put it in boat storage .

Feel Empowered

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CDT

I just read a newsletter article on personal finance and getting rich. The article talks about the importance of where your personal mindset is coming from. Basically you can think about things from either a position of need or a position of empowerment. For example, my outdoor storage space is way to small or you can think I have this outdoor storage space that is not big enough for everything that I want to put away but it sure is going to help out.

The positive is much more empowering.

Redecorating

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CDT

My sister in law loves redecorating her house. She lives in another state so I only see her home a couple times year. I am alway surprised and pleased with how beautiful she keeps it and how she can creatively move her furniture from one place to another in her home to keep it fresh and interesting.

I have lived in the same house for 8 years and the furniture is still sitting where the furniture movers place them. Maybe it is time for a change.

Honesty

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CDT

No matter what type of business you are in, from selling cars to renting storage rooms to flipping burgers at the neighborhood fast food shop. Integrity and honesty are traits that employers are looking for. With the national unemployment rate approaching ten percent and expected to rise in the coming year. Now is the time to learn how to market yourself and your business as an honest place.

doing it like the squirrels do

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Yesterday, my husband and I spent a good portion of our evening getting things ready for winter. We mowed the lawn for hopefully the final time for the season. We boxed up the sweet potatos from our garden and put them away. We also worked on many of our outdoor storage needs.

The biggest task was getting the big tarps out to cover the wood piles so we will be all warm and cozy this winter.

Laundry Room Delima

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 CDT

My family and I are working on helping my parents move their laundry room out of the basement. We are trying to find an appropriate place to place it in the main part of the house. This is a real challenge. My parents house only has access to the underside in a few places so adding plumbing and electric is a real challenge.

We have started calling contractors to get moving quotes for the laundry room.

Need a bigger Desk!

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 CDT

My desk area is getting fuller by the moment. I think I could use some storage boxes to put a few things away. Here in the secret shopping department. We pride our selves in keeping great track of where we are in our progress of our work getting done which means we have all these dry erase boards that need to be put somewhere.

Packing tip

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 CDT

I was trying to find a way to not take a lot of storage room for my kids stuffed animals that they no longer wanted in their rooms but really wanted to keep for keepsakes. I purchased some of those vacumn storage bags. It took these large stuffed animals and shrunk them down to inches thick.

beauty products

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 CDT

In my last blog I was chatting about my daughter getting contacts. It is amazing how she has taken over all the storage space in the bathroom. Who would have thought that one young woman would need so many bottles, hair brushes, straighteners, curlers and all those other beauty aids.

Contact Lenses

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CDT

My daughter got contact lenses this week. I am hoping that it makes reading more fun for her. Also that she stops having headaches. But I was surprised about how many little containers and potions and extra it is taking we are going to need more storage in our bathroom.

Cleaning my Floors

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CDT

This past weekend, I spent 5 hours on my hands and knees scrubbing my floors. I exagerate a little. It took 5 hours for the whole job and that included dusting, sweeping and moving furniture. It is amazing how much stuff has to be moved just to be able to really clean. I think the next time I get into the big cleaning mood. I am just going to hire a moving company have them put all my furniture into a truck for the day then. When the floors are clean I will just have them move it all back in.

It feels like Spring in July.

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Today's high temperature is suppose to only be 78 degrees here in central Missouri. Which is amazing. The humidity is low and the sun is shining. The weather really makes a difference in peoples attitudes. You can hear the smile in our reps voices. I am sure that since it is Friday that does not hurt either. Storage sales is much more brisk on days that the sun is shining because no one want to move or clean out the garage in the rain.

Chiropractors Massage Therapist services.

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CDT

I have an awesome proposal. I think we should trade mystery shopping services for massages or chiropractic services. My shoulder is sore today and Dana went home with a sore neck and we have other co-workers who need these services on a regular basis. Maybe I could get a massage therapist to stand behind me while a work and simply rub my shoulder and neck.

Who would have thought that the storage business would have so many opportunities for trades.

Another good book

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Just finished reading a book called Skinny Bitch this morning before work. Now dont freak out. It really wasnt a book about being a crab. It was an excellent book about eating healthy. Which leads me to my point. Healthy eating is really simple. However it does require a little fore thought and preperation. That means you need the storage available to keep fresh fruits and vegitables handy for eating.

Do you know what a Feedback Shop is?

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Here in the Training and Quality Assurance Department at PhoneSmart we offer a service called Feedback Shops. This specialized secret shopping service combines the shop and evaluation with immediate coaching for your employees. This service keeps your company moving in a forward direction with your sales and rentals. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about our services. We here in the TQA department would love the ability to assist you in your training plans.

Training new Hires

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CDT

I am working on a training for our in house mentors that we use for our new hires. It is very interesting how things that experience staff takes for granted needs to be explained point by point for new hires. Answering calls for the self storage facilities is both complicated and easy.

Mystery Shopping is art

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CDT

The art of mystery shopping a self storage facility is a very delicate business. You must not lead the manager through the process. Yet you must ask good questions and sound like a real customer and have a few concerns for the employee to over come. Our shoppers are very professional and we practice phrases and answers to keep from giving ourselves away.

Books and Magazines

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Today we are going to figure out our storage solution for all of our books. We have thousand plus books in our house. We have all the book shelves filled that are currently built. I am currently thinking that I need to take my National Geographic collection every issue from the beginning through 2001 and just put them away. I am hoping someday my grandkids will be interested in reading through them.

Need a Hammock

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CDT

The weather is awesome. 86 low humidity a slight breeze and sun shine. It is awesome. This weather puts me in the mood to lay outside on a hammock and read a book. Unfortunantly I got rid of my hammock when I downsized into my current house. I need to get me some storage space. So I can get a new summer hammock.

Volunteer of the month.

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Last night I was informed that I am going to be project laundry list volunteer of the month. I add news articles regarding the benefits of air drying clothes and articles concerning legislative agendas regarding bans and restrictions on air drying laundry. Air drying laundry saves any where from 6 to 10 of monthly domestic energy bill.

Just think if you can save money on your utility bill you have more money to spend on a few new storage containers .

Summer Storage

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

It is amazing how much stuff in our house seems to be seasonal. Right now I have all these summer things in my house that is trying to find a home. I have garden tools and clothes drying racks that I use to dry my clothes in the beautiful summer weather. I really need storage rooms for every season.

New Volunteer Position

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Hey I just wanted to brag a little. I was just appointed to the Daniel Boone Regional Library Board of Directors by the Mayor of Columbia. So along with my job of Training and Managing the Quality Assurance departments here in Columbia. I also get to help the library system consider there self shelving systems for the future growth of the collection.

Family Reunions

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

I just returned from spending 3 full days with my husbands extended family. They live all over the country. It was very interesting talking to them about their view of the current economy and housing market from their area.

Peoples views on these issues really effect the work that we are doing here on behalf of the self storage industry.

Personality type training

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Self organized is not a description that I would use for myself. Though I value and respect others who are self organizers . I am still working on a training program about the different buyer types and how personality affects the way we make buying decisions. What I need is about two days uninterupted so that I can work on that project and put out a great training presentation.

Saturday

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Woohee it is Saturday. Today I do not need to think about any storage spaces , even though looking around my house I could use some storage. Saturdays our my days to do some volunteer work.

I volunteer every week for a group called Project Laundry List, they promote the use of clotheslines and clothes drying racks.

Drivers Permit

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

My son got his drivers permit last week. Boy oh boy I am not sure if I am ready for this. We paid him to not get his permit for almost two years. Now though he is ready to go. He has signed up for classes to get his associates degree in Industrial Maintenance at Moberly Community College this fall he can take all his first semester classes on line and in town. Come January he will be driving back and forth. I am sure another car is in our future. We will be needing vehicle storage .

Another Training Class

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

We are half way through another training class. It is amazing how much there is to teach people about the art of selling storage .

Every new employee that we bring in brings us another strength and perspective. It is great learning from new employees. This class I have learned about horses and all the accessories that are required for keeping horses up.

Love to learn

Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Loving to learn, I think that is going to be my new motto. I am always amazed at what I can learn on a regular basis. I went to the Kansas Self Storage Association meeting earlier this week. There were four presenters. Two of them were attorneys and we also had plenty of networking time. During our networking time I was seated at a table with some gentleman who were car buffs. The one had just bought a 1964 custom corvette. I bet he is going to need storage .

How to handle callers who are in crisis

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Lets be real. We often end up on the phones with callers whose lives are falling apart. They can't get an apartment because their credit rating is too bad. They are going through a very ugly divorce. Their house is being foreclosed. They have lost their job.

These stories are common. We know have a resource that we can recommend to those callers who sound as if they need additional services than just a storage unit .

You may recommend that they call 211. It is an information and referal service that is ran by the United Way.

Julie

Messages...

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Have you ever noticed how things tend to happen in bunch. I took a mindfullness class about three years ago and to be honest I was disappointed in the class and I did not feel that I got my moneys worth out of it. Now years later I am finding examples from the class all around me and I am putting some of the class work into practice.

Just goes to show you that training, coaching, feedback learning in general is never wasted time or money. Someday you may have an opportunity to use it in your self storage career or your personal life.

Status of New Business

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:00 CDT

As many of you know my husband and I have recently started a second home based business. We have designed and are now assembling laundry racks out of our garage. We simply have a small one car garage and it really is not big and we also have to keep the center clear so we can open our tornado shelter. So storage for our parts has really become a big issue. We have enough inventory to build up 500 racks.

Just imagine if you can there are twelve, eighteen inch long 1/2 inch pieces of dowel on every rack. That means we currently have over SIX THOUSAND pieces of dowel rod and that is just the arms. So the challenge has been finding storage space rentals that fit our needs for extended access hours and is economical for our bottom line.

More Anniversary Party Plans

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

I wonder if there are long distance movers who would be willing to help people with their travel plans. My hubby and I are celebrating our 25th anniversary this summer and we have relatives that are coming to town from across the country. Trying to figure out the travel and accomodations is a real pain. I am sure the companies that we work with that take whole households from one side of the country to the other are more professional and helpful than I can ever be just trying to organize a week trip for family and friends.

Training people on how to handle Emergencies

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

My 17 year old works at a restaurant. One of the cooks cut her finger last night badly and passed out on the job. Since my son was back in the kitchen with her washing dishes. He was the first one on the scene so to speak. I am very proud of him. When he got home last night he had lots of questions about what the proper procedures would have been. Since everyone there was debating the steps to be taken. He is planning on being an electrician and will be out on construction sites. Since, many accidents can happen on construction sites, by the end of the conversation yesterday he said he would like to take a first responder class or a basic first aid class at the very least.

Does your moving and storage business have a first aid plan? Do you know which of your workers have any first aid training? As a property manager you are responsible for the safety and the well being of your employees. What can you do to make sure training is in place?

Storage needs

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

The other day I came to the conclusion that I really need a records management system that I can organize into a personal storage system. I am lucky enough to have a REALLY large bedroom. Since we have two home based businesses and all of our regular household paperwork, one wall of our home has became the records wall. We have two filing cabinets and a cabinet that is left over from baby care things and we also have about 6 milk crates full of paperwork haphazardly stacked in piles around the room. There seems to be enough room but there definantly is not enough organization.

So a storage is in my future. Now if that would just fix my organization needs as well....

Preparing for our Party cont

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

My extended family are all going to be coming to Columbia for my 25th anniversary party. They are considering coming down in an RV. Once they get here they will be staying at a hotel or with us. So we will be looking for rv storage for the week they are here. Since there is definantly not room on my small residential street for a large RV.

Lake Charles Storage Units : http://www.selfstoragesocialnetwork.com/MikeH/classifieds/173/

Tornado Awareness Week

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

This is Tornado Awareness Week. Do you have emergency plans in place for your mini storage business? Where do you have your employees and tenants go if the tornado siren sounds. Today at 1:30 in the nationwide Tornado drill. Now is the time to figure out your emergency plan. Life and property can be saved with proper procedures and drills.

Storage Unit : http://www.carstorageunits.com/

Preparing for a party

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

As many of you know, my husband and I are going to celebrate our 25th anniversary this summer and we are planning a big party. One of the things that I have planned is to wear my wedding dress again. The good news is that I still fit in it. The bad news is that after 25 years in attics and closets it has a couple stains on it. So I am going to take it to a dry cleaners that specialize in cleaning wedding dresses. Then I have to find a safe self storage so that it will be nice come August.

Keep your fingers cross that the little stains come out. I REALLY want to wear that dress again. It cost way to much to be a one time deal.

Lake Charles Self Storage : http://www.selfstoragesocialnetwork.com/MikeH/classifieds/173/

ONLY 14 days left

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CST

Did you know there are only 14 days of winter left? That means we need to stay focused and keep our eye on the self storage sales ball. This spring should be interesting. Houses are the cheapest they have been in 7 years. Are people going to go bargain shopping thinking the bottom is on the market? If so we are going to be busy, busy, busy.

If you have the credit score now is really the time to think about your dream house. Happy house hunting.

Storage Units : http://www.carstorageunits.com/

Another new class

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CST

It is so exciting seeing us grow. This winter the movers came and moved us into our new offices. It fills very similar to gardening.

All winter we collect our food scraps in our compost bins in preparation for the planting and care of our spring garden. We are now nurturing another new class for growth and success here in our PhoneSmart garden.

Julie

Odenton Storage : http://www.selfstoragesocialnetwork.com/MikeH/classifieds/175/

March March

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CST

Well it is now March 2009 and we are getting geared up for a big california self service storage season. To get prepared for this season now is a great time to review your sales strategies. Do you know your small agreements? Are you ready with those alternate close questions? Have you practiced your feel, felt, found language so that you are smooth when overcoming concerns? Do you know the difference between a real concern and an excuse?

Role playing is a great way to practice and PhoneSmart offers a service to role play with your store managers. Just give us a call and we will be happy to help set up a training program for you.

Julie

Self Storage Unit Location : http://www.self-storage-unit-locations.com/

Wow We Are Headed Into the Busy Season

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

Here at PhoneSmart the phones are ringing and reservations are being made for all the storage companies that we are answering for. It is great to see the call statistics go up and up. It is improving our bottom line and the bottom line of our clients bottom lines as well.

Today I have graduated 5 new phone reps out of the training room. They will be spending the next week or two with mentors. They are going to be awesome.

Julie

Columbia Car Storage : http://www.selfstoragesocialnetwork.com/MikeH/classifieds/180/

Rain Rain Go Away

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

I am so glad that I am not an employee for a Moving Company . Today it rained, rained rained. moving people furniture in the rain, snow and other inclement weather is very bad. However because the move is scheduled it happens rain or shine. That is one of the great advantages of property that has covered loading and unloading docks. It really does protect peoples belongings for the whole moving process not just while it is stored.

Julie

Self Storage Units : http://www.self-storage-unit-locations.com/

New Hires

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

The new hires are getting close to being ready to take their first moving and storage calls. It is exciting. Every group is different and every individual has their own personality with their own strengths. They all seem to be hard workers. So I think it is going to be a great group.

Julie

Columbia Storage Units : http://www.selfstoragesocialnetwork.com/MikeH/classifieds/180/

Spring Fever

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

It is time to not only to plan your Spring garden but it is also time to plan your Spring Cleaning. One thing I always find is that when I clean I always end up with belongings that dont quite have a home anymore in my house but I am not quite ready to get rid of it. So as a great sales person it is great to have those discovery conversations with each storage rental inquiry. Because it is important to ask what they are going to be storing. If they say they are going to just be putting a few things you away you can follow up with a question like are you doing your Spring cleaning? Wouldnt it be nice to have just a little extra space so you can add some of those things into your unit as well.

Kansas City Storage Units : http://www.selfstoragesocialnetwork.com/Rachel/classifieds/187/

Travel sounds good

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

I have spring fever. Today is cold one of the things that I always want to do in the spring is travel. Maybe I can have a travel credit to do some research. I am up for some international self storage research. Where do you want me to go. I can have my bags packed this afternoon.

JULIE

Self Storage Unit : http://www.selfstorageunitproviders.com/

Smiling in a quiet voice

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

We are at day 4 with a great group of new hires that are on their ways to becoming great storage solutions sales people. What we have found in our new training space is that it is REALLY easy to get load. we have 6 people all talking in a 10 x 10 space with no sound deadening materials. So it is a real goal to keep everyone reminded that they have to use their quiet inside voice. But what I have really noticed is that it is difficult to use a quiet inside voice and have the smile in your voice so that it sounds natural.

So if you have any tips on how to smile in a quiet voice just let me know. We all get so excited and have so much energy. It is hard to keep it subdued and enthused.

Julie

Springfield Furniture Storage : http://www.selfstoragesocialnetwork.com/Rachel/classifieds/188/

Gifts

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

We talk all the time about how we are a sales organization and not a customer service organization. Well I am not so sure that service and sales are that easy to seperate into their own entities. If a sales person does a great job selling the furniture movers but then the people who actually come to move the furniture are rude and not helpful what does that do to the persons next sale.

As you know from reading my blogs I am reading the book Complaints are a gift. The book just had a statistic 1 out of 5 disatisfied customers will tell TWENTY people about their dissatisfaction. I like a locally owned restaurant. I have never had bad service there but I know others that have. Everytime I suggest it for lunch I hear the bad story again and again. There were other statistics for every 1 complaint that reaches upper management there are 600 to 700 that never reach the ears of the decision makers. As a sales force and as a call center. What we do with complaint calls does make a difference. How good of a job do we do encouraging our callers to tell us their complaints so we can pass them on to the proper authority?

One the flip side great customer service is also rewarding. As many of you know my husband and I own an online business that sells garden hoes. He had a customer that is using his fork hoe in heavey clay. He broke his handle. So he called to see what could be done. We sent him a new handle and from our conversation we also sent him a tool that had a slight deformaty that we couldnt sell that we thought might work well for his ground conditions. Yesterday we recieved a beautiful hand turned clay mug. That this customer made with the clay that he had been digging. It was a gift. From a complaint. Because complaints truly are gifts.

Julie

Self Storage : http://www.self-storage-lockers.com/

Dealing with Complaints

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

Taking care of complaints can either be a problem or a blessing. I know what your thinking there is no way that a complaint can be a blessing. How ever I am currently reading a book called Complaints Are a Gift. The whole premise of the book is that we can improve our residential moving companies by listening to complaints and taking corrective actions or adding new products and services to make our clients lives easier.

Also the book talks about if a customer has had a complaint that has been dealt with in a professional and complete way they are 80 more likely to become a loyal customer. Also clients that have had their complaints dealt with are much more likely to recomned your residential moving companies to their friends and acquaintances.

W New York Car Storage : http://www.selfstoragesocialnetwork.com/Rachel/classifieds/192/

Getting Ready for Another Training Class

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

We have new hires starting on Monday. There is so much that new hires need to learn every thing about storage buildings . It is amazing how much they need to learn. They are all going to do great.

JULIE

Jefferson City Furniture Storage : http://www.selfstoragesocialnetwork.com/Rachel/classifieds/183/

Breathing Room

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

Hello,

I have been really busy today. This is the first moment that I have had any breathing room. Made me think that there is lots of areas in my life that a little extra storage space would be very helpful. So how can I restructure my day to get more breathing room and more space. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear about it.

Julie

P.S. I will write a book review on Complaints are a Gift when I finish it. There is some great tips that we can use.

Kansas City Furniture Storage : http://www.selfstoragesocialnetwork.com/Rachel/classifieds/185/

Another Book on Customer Service

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

I just started a new book this morning it is A COMPLAINT IS A GIFT. In the introduction it talks about how important it is to have top notch customer service. Customers that feel that their complaints have been handled fairly and thouroughly are 80 more likely to be retained as a customer than some one who has never made a complaint.

The book also mentioned that a new trend is that people are airing their complaints on the web. Something like 13 of dissatisfied customers are now going online and making their complaint public. I know that when I am shopping for a new product or service I look online to see what others are saying about it.

So what are people, who have talked to our phone reps while renting or accessing the manager at their storage facility saying? What would we find about our services. How can we learn from our complaints and turn them into gifts.

JULIE

Brooklyn Self Storage : http://www.selfstoragesocialnetwork.com/Rachel/classifieds/193/

Like a Country Song

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

The current social mood is an awful lot like a country song. Lots of people are singing their woes. Unfortunantly many of them are truely in bad financial situations. They have reasons to be singing those sad songs. That is why it is so important that when we help callers who are interested in storage space that we truly take the time to listen and be responsive to their needs. If we do a good enough job on our calls we can get them through this verse and so they can go onto the next one in their tune of their life.

Julie

Helotes Self Storage : http://www.selfstoragesocialnetwork.com/Sadie/classifieds/198/

Feedback Shops

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

I spent my friday afternoon doing feedback shops. I am working really hard to do two a day. It is amazing how different managers handle a sales call. Indoor storage is the basic business of both of the facilities that I reached today. One employee was very pleasant and really wanted me to come on in. Where as the other employee sounded overwhelmed, stressed and like she couldn't be put out to help one more person. There is real value for owners to have their employeees shopped. It is amazing what those owners can learn about how their employees are selling there facilities.

Happy Friday!

Self storage shed : http://www.Selfstorageshed.com

Busy Busy Busy

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

Wow it has been a really busy day. The phones are ringing and ringing. This is a great thing. It has a couple meanings. One it means that we are doing our jobs. Two it means that people are once again moving And most importantly for me it is a sign that Spring is just around the corner.

The weather outside is even spring like today it is a balmy 55 degrees. I evan sat out side and ate my lunch today. If everyone is as excited about spring as I am then it is definantly going to be a nice one.

However I will say that I am glad that I am not moving this spring. My house is finally after 7 years starting to have more of our families personality than the familys that lived there before we did. 7 years is actually the longest that I have ever lived in any one house since become an adult. Interesting that Americans are such mobile creatures.

I have heard more than once that we move on an average once every 5 years. I am hoping that my moving is done the house that we are in should take care of us even when we get old and decrepit.

Car Storage Unit : http://www.carstorageunit.com

Making Room

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

We are getting ready for our first training class in the new call center. It is going to be interesting. We are going to try to put 6 trainees into the 10 x 10 room. So where is our furniture storage at? We are going to need 4 more chairs for the training room. We also are going to need 5 more telephones and we are going to need to move my computer out of the training room and put it in the cubicle.

It is amazing that when ever we have any type of reorganization there is always other changes that we have not thought through that are going to have to be reworked and reorganized. So where you where are these chairs for my training room stored at That is my question for the day.

Car Storage Units : http://www.carstorageunits.com

Doll House Storage

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 CST

I was cleaning up the upstairs part of my house that the kids use as a rec room. I have came to the conclusion that Barbie and Ken need self storage .

Their closets are totally inadequate for all the clothes, shoes, furniture and miscellanous stuff. The three bedroom home that they have is the frequent site of large parties where all of Barbie and kens friends and ALL of their children come over. When you get all them in the house I need storage for the furniture. When I have furniture in the house I need storage for the people. It is quite a problem.

I bet kent self storage could solve my Barbie storage problems.

Self Storage Complaints : http://www.selfstoragecomplaints.com

Salute to Property Managers

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:00:00 CST

All month I have been working on training videos for property managers who work in the self storage business. Those of us here at the reservation end of things often do not give enough value to everything that the property manager is responsible for.

Property managers are responsible for keeping their property clean, keeping all the units maintained, they are also responsible for collections, sales, and a whole lot more.

This is my salute to all the property managers. If it was not for you doing a good job on your property we would not have a demand to reserve your units.

Self Storage Lockers : http://www.self-storage-lockers.com

Searching for a warehouse

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 CST

My husband and I are starting a second business we are going to be selling drying racks on line. (if you are interested go take a look at best drying racks dot com) There should be pictures of them up by next week. We are ordering manufactured parts for assembly and we have been looking for mini warehouse space. We have had luck finding plenty of space our products are not that big. But they will be delivered by semi trucks on skids so we need a truck dock and warehouse personell that are available to recieve skids of materials. Truck docking and recieving is a great service that you can offer your commercial customers.

Julie

Self storage complaint : http://www.selfstoragecomplaint.org

I Was Right Yesterday

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:00:00 CST

Yep I was right yesterday, we needed car storage for all of our vehicals It took almost 10 minutes to get all the ice off my windsheild. Today the weather looks great the sun is shining. It is only 20 some degrees. By this weekend it is suppose to be back in the forties. Hopefully with spring heading our way more people will be thinking about moving and organizing and storing their belongings.

Spring also is the time for many other opportunities for storage . There is weddings and people coming home from college. So what ever the reason for our callers have for giving us a call, I know that we will do a great job getting them storage .

Julie

Self Storage Comparison : http://www.selfstoragecomparison.com

Ice on My Windshields

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:00:00 CST

Boy I wish we had indoor car storage for our vehicals while we are at work. Since we have had freezing drizzle, freezing rain and snow while I have been in the building today. It is going to take me 15 minutes to get my windows cleaned off. I should have put plastic over them when I parked my car this morning. I really prefer nice weather then I can simply ride my bike and not need to worry about my car at all...

Everybody be safe on the slippery streets. Too bad we can not just put all our cars into storage for the winter and have a car service.

JULIE

Car Storage Units : http://www.carstorageunits.com

Friends Over

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 CST

My husband and I are having friends over this weekend. We have people over fairly regularly and usually about half the people we invite already have other plans so we have just the right amount coming over. Well this weekend everyone has RSVPd in the affirmative. So I need some furniture movers this week to rearrange my house. I am going to try to find some nooks and crannies that I can set up some additional folding chairs and a table.

If anyone wants to help move furniture just drop me a line.

Julie

Self Storage Unit Provider : http://www.selfstorageunitprovider.com

TGIF

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:00:00 CST

I am so glad that it is Friday... This week has been a technical challenge. I have been working on a new training program for self storage managers. The new training process requires the use of lots of software. I am making videos that require voice and screen recordings. The process has a minimum a hundred points that it can all go to peices. Unfortunantly I do not know it is not going to work until the final conversion in to a windows media player recording. Then all my work can just stop and not be playable. BUMMER. Right now I have two recordings that will not save. One of them is 39 minutes long the other one is ten minutes long. It takes triple or more of that amount of time to actually get it recorded and edited. Oh I am glad that it is Friday.

I think the most technically challenging thing I am going to do this weekend is check my emails... Maybe I will even try to watch a movie on my DVD player. That is pretty challenging as well...

Hope you all have a great weekend.

JULIE

Self Storage Complaints : http://www.selfstoragecomplaints.org

Storage Solutions for my Blog

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:00:00 CST

It is amazing how much I learn everyday. It would be great if my days were longer so that I could learn more and more. Today I was working on training webinars for store managers. We are always looking for ways to be on the cutting edge of training and communication and even more important we, here at PhoneSmart, want to be the Storage Solutions expert for all of our clients and our clients customers and stakeholders.

I am wondering at what point I can be considered an expert. When I realize that every day have much, much more to learn. What do I need to do not only to learn the information but then retain it and most importantly how do I share that expertise with clients and callers.

In most cases all I have is my voice and my words to convey meaning and value. I need to make sure that I am using the best of both of those. But with out the knowledge of Storage Solutions how will I know what words to use. Without a firm understanding of our callers how can I use my voice to connect with my callers?

I believe I have much more to learn before I am a storage expert.

Self storage comparisons : http://www.Selfstoragecomparisons.com

Space Storage

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:00:00 CST

I have always dreamed of being an astronaut. Just think about what all I would need to put away if I was going to go on a trip to outer space.

Boy oh boy I would really need some major space storage .

Most space trips are years in length. I would have to have enough food storage, and recreation storage to keep me fed and entertained.

I am sure that their are lots of things that I would need for a space trip. Feel free to reply and let me know what else I need to put into space storage so I can take a trip....

JULIE

Self storage room : http://www.Selfstorageroom.com

Sell Your Mini Storage

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:00:00 CST

Do you have mini storage that you are trying to get rid of? Are you having a hard time deciding how this should be done? Perhaps you could use a few ideas and tips on how to get rid of your mini storage .

One thing that you could do would be to type up a flyer about the mini storage . Make sure you include in this flyer any assets that the mini storage has. Tell about different ways to use it, different things it is good for, and so on. After doing this, make sure you include your contact information. Put your name, address, and phone number so that if anyone is interested they will have absolutely no trouble getting a hold of you. Also remember to put a price on the flyer. Or, if you are not sure how much to sell your mini storage for, perhaps you could just say that the person interested could make an offer. That way you may even get more than you originally thought that it was worth. Sometimes people have no idea how much to offer and they offer way more than they should. This could end up benefiting you even more.

If you do not want to make flyers, you could always post something in the newspaper. There is a classified section where there are all kinds of items listed that are for sale. Again, you will need to explain the item you are trying to sell. You will also need to put a price. And you will also need to include your contact information. You may need to abbreviate some words so that you have plenty of room in the newspaper advertisement for all of the information that you want to include. Hopefully this advertisement will inspire a few phone calls.

If not, do not worry, there are still other things that you can do. One idea is to put an advertisement in an ad finder. Sometimes people list things that they want to sell or get rid of in a local ad finder. Call up the ad finder and give them all of the information they need. However, you must remember, that with both this choice and the newspaper advertisement choice, you will most likely have to pay a fee for posting an advertisement. But if you sell your item for the price you want, it will be worth it.

Another idea is just simply to use the old fashioned word of mouth. Start telling people about it. People are always lookfing for self storage even if they dont know it. Tell people at work. Tell people at church. Tell people that you see at the supermarket. Tell friends and family and then tell them to spread the word. If someone is truly interested they will find a way to get a hold of you. You already know how things get around, so this may be the easiest way to get the word out. Probably, you have heard about something through the grape vine yourself about something that someone else was trying to get rid of. So you know that it can work wonders. So start telling people at the first chance you get if this is the way you decide to go. Household self storage basically sells itself when there is a need for it.

Hopefully at least one of these options will help you to get rid of your item at the price that you want for it. If you stay positive and stay determined, you are bound to sell your cheap storage .

Self storage sheds : http://www.Selfstoragesheds.com

Choosing Climate controlled self storage When Building

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 CST

The self storage industry is growing at an awesome rate. New more luxurious properties are being increasingly built to satisfy the high demand for safe secure personal and professional storing solutions for everything from household items to furs and fine wines. When deciding upon a plan of action for a new building location consider building your new location in such a way that it includes an upgrade to using climate controlled self storage whether exclusively or in addition to traditional units.

Why climate controlled self storage ? There are many reasons. First and foremost is customer satisfaction no matter what your business may be. Satisfied customers bring high returns. Keep those guys happy and you will make more money in the long run. End of story. So what is it about the upgrade to temperature regulated storage units that has customers so enamored? Peace of mind quite frankly. Most customers have heard horror stories of their friends or relatives opening a rental unit only to find all of their personal belongings and family heirlooms ruined by mold and mildew. No one wants to even have to consider that as a possibility anymore.

Eliminating that risk will not cost the owner that much more money. The fact that business owners can charge more for climate controlled self storage than they can for traditional units coupled with the general public willingness to pay more for the peace of mind and the security of temperature regulation makes the decision to upgrade that much easier. The going rate to build to suit as far as temperature regulation goes stands at between 1.00 and 1.50 per square foot. The cost can be made back within a few months of opening the doors so a smart investor will only gain by installing a system which supports climate controlled self storage.

Storage company standards suggest that one ton of air is needed for each 300 square feet in climate controlled self storage . Owners should plan accordingly when building and be sure to add six inches of insulation in the walls and in the roof for maximum efficiency. Failing to insulate properly can increase the cost of heating and cooling significantly. It is a mistake that no one wants to discover once the Grand Opening Day has passed. Temperature regulation in no way means that each and every unit must be maintained at a comfortable 78 degrees. What it means is the the units will never escalate above 90 degrees or below 40 degrees and that humidity will never exceed 60 percent. This general range eliminates the damage that can occur with extreme hot or cold temperatures as well as the growth of mildew that can occur with high humidity. Ceiling fans in the corridors and hallways can assist with air flow.

Climate controlled self storage gives customers the peace of mind that they will need to have when choosing a facility in which to store their precious belongings. It is not always about how much something is worth in regards to money that makes it precious. It is about how much it means to the person who is storing it. Gain the customers trust that their well loved items will be safe from harm and you gain a customer sometimes for life. That is still the best way to do business today especially in this ever growing industry where competition is becoming steadily more pronounced.

Self Storage Comparison : http://www.selfstoragecomparison.net

Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 CST

For all you storage employees here is another great reciepe. I cant claim this reciepe but it is delicious

Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos

SUBMITTED BY Karena PHOTO BY Allrecipes

Once youve had one youll want another. The recipe is a little different from most burrito recipes, but Ive had many, many requests for it. Serve these with sour cream, chopped green onions and salsa. For vegan burritos, omit the cheese and sour cream. These may be made ahead of time, individually frozen, then heated. For an interesting variation, try deep frying these tasty burritos.

RECIPE RATING:

PREP TIME 30 Min COOK TIME 20 Min READY IN 50 Min Original recipe yield 12 burritos

INGREDIENTS Nutrition

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups canned kidney beans, drained
2 cups water
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
12 10 inch flour tortillas, warmed
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 175 degrees C.
Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.
Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.

Broccoli and Tofu Stir Fry

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 CDT

Some of my co workers here in the call center has requested the broccoli str fry recipe that I often bring to lunch, I thought it would be efficient to just stick it out here on the social network for any one who would like a copy.

4 tablespoons Cannola Oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger or 1 teasponn ground ginger (optional)

2 to 3 cloves garlic finely chopped or 1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 package extra firm tofu drained and cut into 1 inch cubes

2 cups fresh broccoli chopped into bite size pieces

1 cup thinnly sliced carrots

1 medium onion cut into 1 half inch slices then quartered and separated

1 cup chicken flavored broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 heaping teaspoon hot and spicy stir fry seasoning mix

1 pinch cayene pepper

Heat oil in skillet fry tofu cubes until browned on all sides can prep vegis while tofu cooks

Also while Tofu is cooking pre mix broth, cornstarch, water, soy sauce, Cayenne Pepper and stir fry seasoning

Remove tofu from skillet and set aside

Stir fry in hot skillet onions, garlic, ginger optional, carrots onions should be tranlucent and carrots should just be getting soft then add broccoli fry another 5 minutes or so until the broccoli is just starting to cook.

Dump tofu back into skillet

Dump in liquid mixture stir constantly until it starts to thicken up and has coated all the tofu and vegis

Serve with Jasmine Rice and enjoy.

Prep and cook time around 30 minutes.

Self storage rooms : http://www.Selfstoragerooms.com

Starting your own business

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 CDT

No matter what type of business you are starting. A self storage business, an apartment complex, a restaurant, or a retail outlet there is much work that needs to be done. My husband runs a successful internet business selling garden hoes out of our garage. The business really is doing what we want it to do.

Now that our kids are older, my husband does not need to be primary care giver we have decided to start a second home internet business. This time instead of importing in specialty garden tools and marketing it, we are designing and assembling a clothes drying rack.

We have put months into research, design and market analysis. We are now in the process of finalizing many of our decisions. Who will our suppliers be. Where will put our excess inventory into storage. Is our marketing plan sound.

Just like in the self storage industry decisions must be made. Where do you cut cost and where do you build in quality. All these things are important. But most importantly you can not make any of these decisions if you do not have a plan.

So no matter what you would like to do or if you are already neck deep into your business start your plans for the future today.

Self storage comparisons : http://www.Selfstoragecomparisons.com

Sports in the Rain

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:00:00 CDT

Every Self Storage Company should have a sports team or two. Nothing builds team work like a common goal of winning a game. Often our work is disjointed and it is difficult to say how the different departments are all even at the same company not to mention working on a shared mission or vision.

As I sat out in the rain this morning and watched my daughter and her team mates play soccer together on the wet slick and muddy grass. They laughed together, they encouraged each other, I think once they were close to crying together.

What a fun way to learn to work together. Heres to our sports teams.

JULIE

Self storage shed : http://www.Selfstorageshed.com

Imaginary fun

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 CDT

I caught the words, Hampshire Self Storage, out of the corner of my eye yesterday. It was getting close to the end of the day. I would have sworn that it said, hamster instead. Then my mind instantly jumped to what all would a hamster need to store.

You know for a small furry critter hamsters actually take up a lot of space and most of us have lots of things for our pets. Let us just take an imaginary little walk through a hamsters life.

First they need a place to live. We know that a little cage can work, but that is boring. Every hamster needs the deluxe ultra climbing tubes, 6 stories of twists curves and nice balls with a window for them to lay down and take a rest when they get tired.

Every hamster has to have bedding for there cage and to buy it a little bag at a time is not economical. So what do we buy the 25 pound bale of woodchips.

Then we have food and toys. Really how many toys does a rodent need. Actually quite a few. It needs a ball so we can let it out in the house. That means we need a cat crate so the cat doesnt think the hamster is just another cat toy. Then we have to have the wheel for it to run on. Have you ever noticed that hamsters only run at night when their cage is in your bedroom and they wont run unless the wheel has a little squeak to it.

It really is amazing how much stuff one little hamster has.

JULIE

self storage complaint : http://www.selfstoragecomplaint.org

Working with Great people

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 CDT

Some times I think I should become a Secret Shopper, listeing to storage companies tell me about their store. I really would love to work in my PJs and slippers. But I have stayed home in the past and I am no good at it. The last time I tried to stay home I ended up volunteering 1000s of hours. I need the social interaction of working with bright and intelligent people.

I have to say everyone at Phone Smart fits that bill. I was amazed when we did our little game how diverse our employees are. How many countries has our staff been too. How many languages do we speak collectively. How many years of schooling have we had collectively. I am sure that it would astonish most of us. I dont think there is a question or a problem that we can not overcome with our intelligence, our creativity, and our greatest resource YOU. Each of you that works for Phone Smart.

It is a pleasure and I always love learning from each and everyone of you in each of our encounters.

Thank you,

JULIE

Self storage unit provider : http://www.Selfstorageunitprovider.com

Home Repain Part 2

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:00:00 CDT

Home Repairs part 2.

In the last blog I blathered on about painting my kitchen. Now the windows in the kitchen look really bad. So we are going to have to make a choice if we are going to replace them, fix them up or leave them alone. We are will probably have to rent a storage unit to store our things during the process.

I am voting for replacing them. I want awning windows that you simply turn the handles to open. Unfortunately they are twice the cost of traditional double hung windows. Since I am so short I really can lean across the counter and get the current windows open. Then the other option is to simply replace the two pieces of glass that were cracked a couple years ago in the hail storm.

With the current economy do we want to spend the money or not. Does it make sense. This is our home and we dont have any intention of moving so it would be a long term investment.

As with all property management decisions it really does become an investment question. Will we get the return on our investment. Will the new windows save us money. Will the new windows be more secure. Will the new windows be more convenient easier to open and close. These are all decisions that all property owners must make.

I am leaning towards the new awning windows. However I think I will wait a little closer to the fall to see what the economy does.

JULIE

Painting

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 CDT

We have been doing a lot of painting at our house and I was thinking it sure would of made our work much easier if we would have put some of the stuff in a storage unit while we were working on it. My friends came out from Lake Charles Louisiana. If you have not been to Lake Charles Louisiana I suggest it, it is a very nice place.

We started off repainting our kitchen cabinets. It took a month to agree on a color. We finally settled on white because no other color was ok with all of us. Now that it is all painted we need to put some type of border or stenciling around the top to give it a little pizzazz.. But before I can do that I need to decide if I am going to get new dishes and canister set. Painting the kitchen is getting more and more expensive all the time. It really would have been easier if we would of put a few things in a storage unit while we were working on this.

Do you realize that before you can paint the cabinets you must remove all the belongings from them and scrub all the years worth of wear, tear, dirt, grease and finger prints off them. Then you must paint them with primer with in a short period of time before they get dirty again. So we have already went over the cabinets twice and they arent even painted yet. Now that we have them clean and the primer on the paint goes over that and goes on fairly fast.

There is lots of new vocabulary words that go along with painting as well as some old ones. My favorite word while painting is oops. Then Im headed for the rag to try to get the paint off of what it did not belong on. It would have been much easier if I would of put all the stuff in a storage unit while I was painting. Next time.

JULIE

Self storage room : http://www.Selfstorageroom.com

Marketing Workshop

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 CDT

I am getting ready to help facilitate an all day marketing workshop for a group of individuals that represent non profits in our community as part of an 11 part series on Organizational Development that will be held up at KOPN, 89.5fm a community radio station here in Columbia, Missouri. My radio was broken but I was able to get a new one just in time, sometimes radios seem like worthless boxes.

In our workshop one of the first thing we need to do is define, What is Marketing.

Some of the ideas that we have is to compare Marketing, Selling and Promotions. Are they different or are they all zebras with different colored strips. I have talked on my profile page before about a book called the 10 minute marketer which is all about the concept of community marketing. In that book it really says that every aspect of your business is marketing from your property management plans to your employee Christmas party. It is all marketing.

If everything is marketing it will be challenging to come up with just a one day workshop on what a group needs to know about marketing. If you would like to come to the workshop there is still space available. To find out more about it and about the main facilitator you can go to the KOPN website and learn more.

It will be a great day. I hope you consider joining me.

Self storage comparisons : http://www.Selfstoragecomparisons.com

Confession of an information Junkie

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 CDT

I have a confession to make. I am an information junkie. I dont care what type of information it is, I am interested.

I spent the last Saturday learning about building community partnerships. I recently finished two books by Dr. Weiss on the economy. I also am re-reading the 10 minute marketer an easy little read about neighborhood marketing. I almost need more storage space in my head.

In my information gathering I have learned a couple interesting tools that I would like to share. Our internal customers are the most important resource that a business or an organization has. I am convinced that Phone Smart has a great group of internal customers. So the challenge is how to help them improve their efficiency and their like for the company so that they also become our best marketers. In the 10 minute marketer it talks about the value of doing anonymous third party surveys to learn information about your organization. Questions can include, What do you like best. What is the worse part about working here. Also asking the questions how many people have you suggested to call about a open position in the past year. This would be a great thing to know. If our internal customers are not marketing us to their friends, neighbors and acquaintances, then we have some in house marketing work to do.

In the workshop I attended on Saturday. There was this great tool that I was introduced to called Consensus Domain. I think it has a lot of value and many uses. If anyone is interested in chatting about Consensus Domains or any other piece of information stop by and see me. I am an information junkie and love the ability to learn more.

JULIE

Self storage comparisons : http://www.Selfstoragecomparison.net

Plumbers Bill

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:00:00 CDT

I am reading my way through a book called 10 Minute Marketing and one of the chapter headings was a Plumbers Bill.

Plumber's Bill

Wear and Tear on the hammer 0.25

Knowledge of where to hit the pipe 250.00

It just made me think about what we do at PhoneSmart.

PhoneSmart bill

Wear and Tear on telephones

Knowledge needed to get the caller into the store

So think of yourself as a Self Storage Facility plumber, you are here to un plug the callers who are stuck in indecision and get them into the store. So we can continue to get tenents into the store for all of our customers.

Julie

Self Storage Lockers : http://www.Self-storage-lockers.com

Bike Walk Wheel Week

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 CDT

So what is Bike, Walk Wheel Week and why would I be discussing it on my Self Storage Blog. According to the City of Columiba website, Bike, Walk and Wheel Week is a weeklong program of events designed to encourage all Columbians to use active modes of transportation to get to work, school or wherever they need to go around town. I began this while in Lenexa Kansas. Lenexa Kansas has been doing this for years, I am glad Columbia is doing it.

So your thinking what does that have to do with Self Storage. As I took my 20 minute bike ride to work this morning down the beautiful Bear Creek Trail I was thinking about how my ride to work was benefiting me and my job. Here are my conclusions,

1. Riding my bike to work improves my health so I am absent less days.

2. I am also more awake and alert when I get to work improving my performance

3. Research has shown that exercise lowers the level or stress, so I am better able to handle the emotional ups and downs of my job.

4. When I ride my bike it means that one less parking space is needed. Which lowers the cost of asphalt maintenance and land required just to park our cars while we are at work.

5. Also riding my bike supports StorageMarts Build it Green Challenge by providing an opportunity to talk about the value of living and building in an eco friendly lifestyle.

If anyone would like to ride to work with me, Let me know I would love to start a trend.

JULIE

Self storage bins : http://www.Selfstoragebin.com

Your Message

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CDT

As you may know I am reading the book, Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. I just want to share this quote with everyone.

If a message can not be used to make predictions or decisions,

it is without value,

no matter how accurate or comprehensive it is.

If we take this into account when we are talking to potential tenants in the self storage industry we need to make sure that EVERY message that we provide to the customer helps them make the decision that we are the best place for them to store their belongings.

JULIE

Self storage clip : http://www.Selfstorageclip.com

Time for Spring Cleaning

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CDT

I came into work this morning, and surprise, surprise someone had cleaned out the work refrigerator. Thank you, Thank you whoever did it.

I clean refrigerator made me think about spring cleaning and de cluttering. It is time to get those rarely used items out of the way. One great way to do that is to put them into a self storage unit. We all work in the industry and we know the value of having a place for our belongings. So as the spring cleaning bug also hits our customers lets help them get the self storage units they need so they can clean up and let a little spring into their spaces.

Happy Spring.

JULIE

Self storage comparisons : http://www.Selfstoragecomparisons.com

The sticky self storage industry

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CDT

I am currently reading a book that Tron recommended called, Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. I am only a couple chapters into it but I thought I would share a couple things that jumped right out at me.

The book describes ideas that are sticky are memorable. Memorable ideas all share these 5 characteristics 1 Simplicity 2 Unexpectedness 3 Concreteness, 4 Credibility and 5 Emotion. So how do we in the self storage industry make it sticky.

Fortunately the Self Storage industry has a couple sticky features built into it. The first principle of a sticky idea is Simplicity. The whole concept of Self Storage is simple. So it is important that as industry insiders we remember this and keep it simple. Many times because of what we know about the industry as a whole and what we know about property management, we know that the industry is not as simple as a place to store belongings. However that is the key to keeping it memorable for the public in our marketing plans.

The other piece that the self storage industry has going for it is Concreteness. The self storage industry has the ability to describe what we do in very tangible language exactly how we serve our customers. For example we can say just visualize your self driving up to this strong and secure electronic gate. You look around and the property is clean and well maintained you see video surveillance cameras watching over the property. You know because you can see these features that you and your belongings are going to be safe while here at our Self Storage Facility.

Since two of the 5 features of a sticky idea seem to be ripe for the picking. I will have to read the rest of the book to see how do we talk about the industry in Unexpected ways with credibility and emotions.

Self-storage comparisons : http://www.Selfstoragecomparisons.net

Storing your Garden Hoes

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CDT

Here are some helpful hints for putting your garden hoes in self storage. Are you moving and the realtor says that the garage has to be cleaned out or maybe it is time to put the car in the garage for winter and move those garden hoes into self storage for the winter.

What ever the scenario there are some helpful tips for keeping your garden hoes sharp and well maintained while in self storage.

self storage tip number one, be sure that your grub hoe, mattock and pick axe are all clean of dirt and dry. Use your sharpening file to put that nice clean, edge to your mattock and garden hoes and then oil it before putting in self storage.

Tip number two for self storage of your garden hoes put 2 to 3 gallons of sand in your five gallon buckets. Then submerge your metal heads of your garden hoes in the sand in the self storage unit to protect them from the air. This will keep them from rusting. It will also hold them upright and keep them contained within your self storage unit.

Tip number three, since your mattock and pick axe will not fit into a five gallon bucket we recommend that you place tools with a big head in a bag with sand. That you tape to the handle to keep the air from your metal heads.

Tip number four be sure to oil, with linseed oil your entire collection of wooden tool handles prior to placing in self storage. This protects handles from chipping, cracking and splintering with the changes of humidity.

Happy storing and happy gardening.

Self-storage search engine : http://www.Self-storage-search-engine.com

5 Agreements

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 CDT

March 27, 2008

I am at the end of a two week training class with brand new Phone Smart Reps. It is always a pleasure to see them make their way into the call center. Tonight they will each be taking their first call.

So how do we get our Reps ready to serve our storage facility customers.

We teach them about sales, the storage companies we serve and the industry. We are very proud to be a sales force and not just an answering service for all of customers rather they have traditional storage units, climate controlled storage units, boat storage, rv storage or wine storage. We work hard to get reservations and tenants into the storage facility we are answering the call for.

Below are the Basic 5 agreements that every Phone Smart Rep uses on every call while on the call center floor.

Is our location convenient for you.
How soon will you be needing storage.
Do you know what size unit you will be needing or can I help you narrow that down.
Security Amenities of the location and their benefits, how does that sound so far.
The price is ONLY. I can lock that price in right now, your name.

Good luck to the new reps as well as a great chance for our mentor reps and long time pros to do a self evaluation that they are using these 5 agreements on every call. Building agreements through out your call makes closing the sale, oh so sweet.

Car storage units : http://www.Carstorageunits.com

Handling Complaints

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 CDT

Julies Occasional Training Blog

March 11, 2008

Topic Handling Complaints

Most of the time we are focused on renting units at our local self storage facility, we have procedures and guidelines to help us determine the size of the self storage unit that an individual would want. We also have specific questions we always ask while helping a new tenant find self storage unit that is best for there needs and budget. However we do not have these same procedures for handling complaints.

Complaints in the self storage industry can be as varied as the customers who rent from us, but some of them seem to be dominate the complaint calls that we field.

1 I cant get in the gate. It always seems to be broken.

2 I didnt know there would be a late charge.

3 The person at the facility was rude to me.

Here are some samples of how you can handle these complaints

I know how you feel mechanical breakdowns are frustrating. I have felt that way many times when stuff I have does not work. What many of our customers have found with our gate is that they need to really push that number 3 key for it to register. It is just a little sticky. If being very deliberate in entering your pass code doesnt work. Let me know and one of our staff can watch you go through the process to see if they can give you any tips.

I know that you feel that the charge is extreme. Other customers have felt surprised about the late charge as well. But what they have found is that putting there unit rent on an auto deduct plan keeps them from having late charges. Also it keeps them from having to worry about when that bill is due

I can relate to how you feel about staff being rude, Ive often felt that same way. I have found that discussing this with another staff member often gets your concerns answered and taken care of. I sincerely apologize if the other staff member did not hear your concern and did not take it seriously and came off sounding rude. Please tell me your information and I will do my best to help you out. If I am unable to help you, I will get your information to the person who is able to help.

Using the feel, felt found response is a powerful tool. Practice using it for your complaints and concerns that you have to overcome.

Boat Storage : http://www.Boatstorageunits.com