Customer service can make or break a self-storage business. It's one of those things that seems simple on the surface but gets complicated when you're running a facility. Your tenants might lock themselves out at 9PM. They could call with billing questions on Saturday morning. They may want to rent a unit right now, not tomorrow (and so on and so forth).
The challenge is that most self-storage operators can't staff their facilities 24/7. And honestly, most don't need a full-time receptionist sitting by the phone all day. But missed calls mean missed revenue and frustrated customers. That's where an answering service can step in as an extension of your team.
If you're wondering whether your facility would benefit from a communications partner, there are some clear signs to look for. In this post, we'll walk through three key areas to evaluate:
Availability
Availability is the foundation of good customer service in self-storage. Your tenants and prospects need to reach someone when they have a question or problem—even if that’s past your regular business hours. If they can't get through, they'll either go somewhere else or they'll get frustrated with your facility. Neither outcome is good for business.
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Are your tenants able to get in touch with your facility in real-time, every time?
This is the big question. Think about the last month of operations at your facility. How many calls came in after hours? How many came in during lunch breaks or when your staff was helping someone else or out on the property doing a walk around?
According to Sparefoot, the industry has become increasingly competitive with over 50,000 facilities nationwide. When a potential tenant calls three facilities and two of them answer immediately while yours goes to voicemail, you're already behind. Real-time availability matters because people make decisions quickly. They're often calling from their car or during a break at work. They want an answer now.
If you're finding that calls are going unanswered during business hours because your team is tied up with other tasks, that's a clear signal. Self-storage is a business where you're constantly juggling priorities. You might be showing units, dealing with a gate malfunction, or helping someone move in. A missed call during those moments is a missed opportunity.
Are tenants (potential and existing) being sent to voicemail when your customer service team isn't around?
Voicemail has its place, but it's not a customer service strategy. Most people don't leave voicemails anymore, especially younger renters. Research from BankMyCell shows that 75% of millennials actively avoid making phone calls when possible, and when they do call, they expect immediate answers.
If your facility is closed evenings and weekends, you're potentially losing rental opportunities. People don't plan their storage needs around your business hours. They realize they need a unit when life happens, which could be at 10 PM on a Tuesday or 10 AM on Sunday.
An answering service acts as a partner in communications that extends your availability beyond your physical hours. Your tenants get help when they need it, and you don't have to personally answer your phone at all hours. That's not about convenience. It's about capturing every opportunity and providing the level of service that keeps tenants happy. This is what builds trust with your tenants, and all great relationships are based on trust.
Can your customer service team handle spikes in call volume during busy seasons or promotions?
Self-storage has predictable busy periods. Summer is huge because people buy, sell, and move more. The end of the month sees increased activity. When you run a promotion, your calls increase, as they should. These are great problems to have, but they're still problems if you can't handle the volume.
If your staff gets overwhelmed during peak times, calls get dropped or rushed. Quality suffers. When someone finally gets through, they might get a hurried response instead of the attentive service they deserve. That's when mistakes happen. Details get missed. Follow-ups don't happen.
An answering service that understands self-storage can seamlessly handle overflow during your busy periods. Your in-house team focuses on in-person customers while the answering service manages the phone lines. It's not about replacing your team. It's about scaling your capacity when you need it most.
Professionalism
Professional service builds trust. In self-storage, you're asking people to store their belongings with you. Sometimes those belongings have significant monetary or emotional value. You are part of the community. The way you handle every interaction signals whether you're a facility they can trust.
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Does your customer service team answer all of your calls in a consistent fashion?
Consistency matters more than most operators realize. When someone calls your facility, they should get the same quality of service regardless of who answers. That means the same greeting, the same information gathering process, the same level of courtesy.
The problem is that consistency is hard to maintain, especially in smaller operations where the same person who answers phones and shows units is also creating new social media posts and handling maintenance issues. When you're pulled in multiple directions, it's easy for phone calls to get the back burner.
A professional answering service provides that consistency. Each call is answered from the protocol you choose, from a script that is tailored to your brand voice.
Does your customer service team accurately record caller details?
This seems basic, but you would be surprised how often this happens. Someone calls about renting a unit. Your staff member is busy and jots down a name but doesn’t get their follow up information on the sticky note they’re using. Maybe they get the callback number wrong. Maybe the note that was stuck to the electric bill gets thrown away or lost. Maybe they forget to mention that the caller needed climate control specifically.
According to research from SuperOffice, 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. A big part of that experience is feeling heard and having your needs accurately captured.
Professional answering services use structured protocols that you customize to gather information. They're trained to ask the right questions and record details accurately. When you follow up with that prospect, you have everything you need. The caller doesn't have to repeat themselves.
Does your customer service team approach each call as an opportunity to help or an obligation to finish?
This might be the most important question in this section. There's a huge difference between answering a phone and actually helping someone. You can hear it in someone's voice whether they care about solving your problem or just want to move on to the next task. The difference is listening to understand or simply listening to reply.
When your team is stretched thin, it's natural for calls to feel like interruptions. But for the person calling, this might be a stressful situation, and are often due to a change happening in their life. We all know that change is hard. They're moving because of a divorce. Their parent passed away and they need to clear out a house. They got a new job in another city or have a dishwasher leak and need a place to keep their stuff while remediation work is happening. Storage needs often come during transitions, and those transitions are frequently difficult.
An answering service that serves as an extension of your team brings focused professionalism to every call. Their job is to help your callers, period. They're not distracted by the gate that's acting up or the tenant who's behind on rent or the auction coming up next week. They're focused entirely on providing compassionate, professional concern to the person on the phone. Because to that caller it is the most important call of the day.
Compassion
This might seem like a soft skill that doesn't really matter in self-storage. But compassion is what separates an adequate facility from one that builds long-term tenant relationships. People remember how you made them feel, especially during stressful times.
Does your customer service team practice empathy on calls?
Empathy means understanding what someone is experiencing and responding appropriately. It's not about being overly emotional. It's about recognizing that the person calling might be having a difficult day and adjusting your approach accordingly.
When someone calls about a late payment, do they get a lecture or do they get a conversation? When someone is frustrated about gate access issues, does your team get defensive or do they acknowledge the frustration and work toward a solution?
Training your team on empathy takes time and intentional effort. An answering service, however, already has these skills built in. They've handled millions of calls from people in various situations. They know how to hear a caller's tone and respond with the right balance of professionalism and warmth. Most importantly, this empathy goes beyond being able to sit in their shoes. It is about taking action to help that caller while working for you, the customer.
Does your customer service team build strong relationships with your tenants?
Relationships are the backbone of a successful self-storage operation, and any business, from our point of view. These tenants are the people who rent for years, pay on time, and refer their friends. They stay because they trust your facility and feel valued.
Building those relationships happens through consistent, positive interactions. Every phone call becomes one of these touchpoints. Every call is an opportunity to reinforce that you care about them as more than just a monthly payment.
A communications partner extends your ability to create these touchpoints. When a tenant calls after hours with a gate code question and gets immediate, friendly help, that's a relationship builder. When someone calls to extend their rental and the process is smooth and pleasant, that's another positive interaction that keeps them loyal to your facility.
Does your customer service team listen intently to your callers?
Active listening is a skill that can be learned. It means hearing what someone is actually saying, not just waiting for your turn to talk. It means asking clarifying questions. It means making the caller feel heard and understood.
In a busy facility, it's easy to multitask during calls. You're half-listening while checking your computer or thinking about the next item on your to-do list. But callers can tell when you're not fully present. It affects their perception of your facility and their willingness to become or remain a tenant.
Professional answering services prioritize active listening because it is a core skill in performing their job. From this active listening, call quality increases. The accuracy of the message taken is ensured. It all starts with being focused on your caller and making sure that person feels confident that their needs are addressed before ending the call.
Making the Decision
The self-storage industry is competitive. The facilities that succeed are the ones that make it easy for people to do business with them. That starts with being available, continues with professional service, and is cemented through compassionate interactions that make tenants feel valued.
So how do you know if your self-storage facility would benefit from an answering service? Look at the questions we've covered. If you're answering "no" or "sometimes" to several of them, you're likely leaving money on the table and creating friction in your tenant relationships. Employing an answering service to bridge that gap isn't about replacing your team. It's about partnership, extending your capabilities without having to hire more full-time staff. It's about ensuring that every call to your facility receives the same level of compassionate, professional attention whether it comes in at 2 PM or 2 AM.
If you're serious about growth and tenant satisfaction, evaluating your current communications partner is a good place to start. The answers to these questions will tell you whether you're maximizing every opportunity or whether some calls, and the revenue they represent, are slipping through the cracks.
