Self storage facilities are used to getting a lot of calls. This is also true during peak seasons and times during the year including summer time and the end of the month. Many times the facility gets calls from consumes that are inquiring about storage with a genuine need. Other times, the facility may get a call from a person whose job it is to secretly evaluate them in a number of different areas. These calls can typically be harder because the shopper may not be forth coming with the information necessary to determine a need for storage. This type of shopper usually belongs to a company that specializes in secretly shopping stores for information without the intentions of committing.

The Purpose

The purpose of a secret shopping company is to routinely evaluate the level of customer satisfaction that the manager of a particular facility offers to outside consumers over the phone. This call is completed routinely, as stated before, because it is important for the manager to practice and try to improve in any area that he or she may need to work on. The important thing to remember is that the manager will recall what aspects are necessary to mention to each caller in order to prevent any surprises for the consumer. This shows continual improvement in the personnel and facility, and will result in a better first impression with most consumers. The secret shopping company ultimately has one goal. It is to help the facility that employs them to improve. Keep in mind that this can mean that the improvements can be in any area of the call including the basic flow and transition of the call. The specialized service that the secret shopping company provides, allows for a lot of experience to be shared amongst those that make the shopping calls and the managers at each location.

The Call

The steps to a great self storage call are simple in nature. It is desired for the greeting by the manager to sound enthusiastic and happy for them to be answering the phone. This immediately helps the caller to fell comfortable and confident in the person assisting them. It is also important to make sure that the person has called the right location and one that is convenient for them. This can ensure that the caller did not incorrectly dial the telephone number thinking that they have called another, more convenient location. The manager has a chance to help the customer decide if the location is nice and convenient for them. The employee for the secret shopping company must be able to confirm that they know where the facility is so that the manager does not know that they are not in the area. This is where the call can get trickier. The shopper must keep their true identity a secret while they portray themselves to the manager as just another inquiring customer. It is the managers choice as to which aspects of storage and the facility he or she chooses to mention to the caller. Size, price, specials, move-in information, and features are among the ones that should be mentioned to every caller. This is also true if the manager suspects that they are being shopped by someone employed with a secret shopping company .

The Evaluation

The evaluation of a self storage call seems simple, too. The experienced shopper most likely has a lot of guidelines that help them to accurately evaluate many aspects of the call in an unbiased way. The greeting is first and foremost. It is the first impression a consumer gets once they dial the facilitys number. If the manager does not sound like they are happy to be there or too busy to get the customer the time of day, then the consumer is not likely to even come to the facility for a site visit. The manager must earn points and does so by mentioning and covering as many aspects during the call that the caller will allow. Depending upon the type of shop the secret shopping company is conducting, there may be a chance at the end of the call to talk about what areas of the call needed improvement. This type of call is called a responsive shop. These are very important because the manager gets an immediate chance to see their needs for improvement rather than waiting for the secret shopping company to send the evaluation to them.

The reality is that managers do not always know who is on the other end of the telephone when they receive a call. It could be a consumer who is new to storage, a current tenant, a past customer, or a secret shopping company . Regardless of the type of caller, the manager must remember to give as much of the information that the consumer will need in order to determine their need for storage. It is imperative for them to learn from each evaluation and grow in those areas that do need improvement. This will help the manager to become more successful and the facility to provide a better level of customer satisfaction for everyone inquiring about storage with them.