“Absolutely love Kim and the staff at this location!!”
“The manager, Laura, exudes hospitality.”
“The guy who runs this place is probably one of the coolest guys I've ever met and I would definitely be a return customer.”
You’re looking at three five-star Google reviews for self storage facilities–and we didn’t have to search hard to find them. That’s because the vast majority of positive reviews (our math puts it at about 85%) for storage facilities center around the management, staff, and customer service.
What we did have to dig for were positive reviews related to the units themselves, or even positive experiences related to unmanned amenities.
Potential renters may not always read reviews–but not having reviews can be a red flag that turns people away. And in choosing between two products, would you be more likely to buy the product with five positive reviews…or five hundred?
The bottom line is this: a great self storage manager creates a lasting impression on customers, solidifies your image as a local, and keeps your facility up and running. And while full automation is a tempting prospect, it’s worth acknowledging the power of a skilled manager–and how having a manager at all contributes to your success as a business.
Choosing a self storage manager is a critical hiring decision for facility owners. A good manager’s name becomes what people associate with your business–and a great one becomes so integrated into your customer’s journey that people rent for the manager over the storage units themselves.
This likely isn’t a surprise to veteran operators. At the end of the day, what else can differentiate two facilities selling storage units? To most customers, one facility is just as good as the one next door.
Reviews and word-of-mouth act as the deciding factor. And the positive customer service your manager performs nets you more sales. Around 94% of consumers say that a positive customer service experience makes them more likely to keep buying from that brand. This isn’t related to the product–it’s the service attached to it!
Few industries rely as heavily on a single employee as self storage. A strong manager can help overcome other factors such as a tough location and an older building. Your manager adds a human element to an industry that otherwise lacks it–and this is crucial, given how often people rent self storage while facing life-shaking losses.
As the face of your facility and the person on the front lines every day, your manager is your facility’s key to success. When your customers think of your facility, your manager will be the first thing that comes to mind.
If you’re still on the fence, consider this: when you have a problem with a product or service, do you prefer the automated service, or a person to guide you through the process? If you’re in the 56% of consumers who prefer a person, it’s likely you’re leaning toward an expert manager for your facility.
Given the scale of this task, though, it’s important to ask: what does my manager do for me? What makes a great self storage manager? And whether you’re just getting your facility up-and-running or you’re ready to take your existing facility’s service to the next level, this guide is for you.
What does your self storage manager do for you–and how can they excel at it?
Some potential renters prefer to pick their unit on your website and get started renting contactless. But when a potential renter has a question, your manager is the first point of contact–and helps that customer decide if you’re the right facility for them.
If a manager gets a potential tenant on the phone or in the store, they (and you!) should feel confident in their ability to convert them into a renter. A lead calling in with a question can be so impressed with the experience that they stop their search for a storage facility–because your manager inspired such confidence in your product that they’re ready to buy.
To effectively convert, your manager must be a top-notch salesperson. Competent salespeople are creative in overcoming roadblocks and pricing objections. Sales requires flexibility, product knowledge, and excellent communication skills.
To effectively sell renters on your facility, your manager should know your facility from top to bottom and what differentiates your facility from the competition. A sales-minded manager will see opportunities in the problems a lead is facing, and offer solutions in the form of amenities you offer.
Likewise, your manager is ready to answer questions in a way that satisfies potential customers. Why do you charge the rates that you do? Are there rate guarantees? What’s the move-out policy? What if a unit’s broken into? You don’t want your manager to just list rates and rules to potential customers. Instead, your manager should sell customers on why your facility meets their needs.
The best answers don’t just respond to the question, but the need behind the question. When your potential customers are at ease, they’re ready to give you their trust–and rent from you.
Your manager responds to existing renters just as much, if not more, than potential leads. And this makes your facility revenue in a different way–it keeps people renting, and gets your word-of-mouth marketing rolling. Consider that
To accomplish this two-for-one gain, excellent interpersonal skills are critical for self storage managers. Considering that 80% of customers say that the experience a company provides is as important as their product, investing in your manager’s ability to deliver an experience means providing that experience without fail.
It can be difficult to pin down exactly what makes for good people skills in a person, but three traits to look for are empathy, patience, and friendliness.
People looking for self storage are often going through a stressful time in their lives, possibly experiencing the worst week they’ve ever had. Having a self storage manager who can empathize in a genuine way makes a big difference.
It goes without saying that patience will be required when dealing with angry customers–and a good manager knows how to stay calm. But a truly great manager can remain level-headed and use that clarity to see beyond the customer’s frustration to their unmet need, potentially transforming the conversation into something profoundly positive.
Throughout every interaction, friendly and helpful should be your manager’s default attitude. It’s hard to make your customers feel welcome if they’re seen as a nuisance, and for customers struggling with grief, it falls on your manager to go the extra mile in interactions.
Your manager will also enforce your facility’s policies and procedures—from gate hours to late payments—taking a huge burden off your shoulders. The key to success here is thorough knowledge of your policies, so that your manager can enforce them fairly and with confidence. An excellent manager knows when to exercise flexibility and where to draw the line–customers who know they’re being treated fairly but with understanding are much more likely to offer their trust and recommend your facility to others.
Self storage managers tackle an impressive range of tasks every day—from customer service to facility maintenance to marketing and sales to collecting rent. And without a manager, all those tasks fall to…well, you. By performing their tasks effectively and efficiently, your manager keeps your time freed up to handle other aspects of your business.
With such an important aspect of their role comes a unique challenge: many managers work alone for large chunks of time.
Working independently and switching roles and tasks throughout the day requires incredible self-discipline and time-management skills. Knowing how to prioritize duties and responsibilities appropriately is essential to success.
This isn’t just multitasking, though–it’s about knowing how to maximize time while remaining flexible. A manager with a process for getting things done without getting burnt out is a manager that remains available for your customers.
Knowing how to communicate clearly over the phone, in person, and in writing is an essential skill for self storage managers–but a great manager goes beyond just customer service communication.
The way your manager answers, the style they use to provide information, their response to customers’ social cues during in-person interactions, even their written communications–everything your manager says and does conveys your company image.
This message is important. One of the things that sets you apart from the big chains is your facility’s personality and human element. Your story as a company–whether you’re more casual or professional, your goals and vision–makes you stand out. And it’s your manager’s job to carry that point home in every action they take, from their appearance and demeanor to how they start and end calls.
As the public representative of your facility, you want to make sure your manager doesn’t just look the part; your manager lives the part.
Adding security and accessibility to your self storage facility can attract renters; even the most basic facility benefits from the automation offered by management software. But all that extra tech is useless or even a hindrance to those who don’t know how to use it.
For self storage managers, mastering the technical skills to use all programs and peripherals involved in running a self-storage facility is a must, and double that for your property management system.
From your gate software to your website and social media, even aspects that your manager doesn’t directly interact with can add to their problem-solving toolkit.
And remember that your manager isn’t the only one interacting with your facility’s tech. Customers will have questions and need troubleshooting, and your manager needs to be their expert.
Our industry may have stayed static for a while, but the pressure’s on for operators and managers alike to step up their game at an exciting pace. We won’t compete with those big chains by resting on our laurels!
A self storage manager’s job requires skills in many different areas. Today’s good manager can quickly fall behind unless they’re open to learning new ways to do their job effectively.
Your vision for your business helps set the bar for your manager. And when you communicate your expectations to your manager, you want to ensure that they can listen to what you are saying and put it into practice.
A manager who focuses on their growth is constantly hungry for new information, and you can help feed that hunger by seeking out resources to build out their toolkit. Staying open to innovative new ways your manager comes up with to run the facility better can lead to profound improvements that make your customers’ lives easier. After all, your manager is the one who sees renters and their pain points on a regular basis. That openness on both of your parts leads to proactive solutions that make customers feel truly cared for.
You can run a fully automated facility–and automation in targeted areas does save you time and money. But the possibility of a human being who can go above and beyond for your customers carries the potential for delighted, engaged renters.
If the many facets of a manager’s job sound like a lot for one person to do, consider that you can take truly exceptional service even further with a team of hardworking experts for each role. How you approach that dream team is up to you–but for now, consider that a great storage facility manager is an individual worthy of respect, not to mention a steady stream of five star-reviews!
Want to learn more about the importance of a self storage manager and how to maximize their performance? Read more:
