annie's blog

Holiday Closings

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST

Almost all of the self storage facilities are closed all day on Thursday or at least for part of the day for Christmas Eve. All of the facilities are closed on Friday for Christmas. The Canadian stores are all closed Saturday for Boxing Day. I love the idea of having the day after Christmas as a holiday.

Lost Storage

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST

At least once a week I get a call from someone that cannot remember which storage facility they used to store their belongings. I find this really baffling. Why are they paying all of that money to store stuff that they obviously are not using and do not have a great deal of need for?

Cheese Storage

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST

I just got a call from a guy in Edmonton that needs cold storage . He wants to store cheese. I explained that we do have climate controlled, but that is not going to work for him. We had a good laugh when we talked about the storage unit being seventy five degrees in the summer. His cheese would turn into a science experiment.

Christmas Storage

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST

I really am amazed at the number of people that rent a storage unit just to store their Christmas items. I have quite a few decorations myself, and I am lucky that I have attic space and a spare closet to keep them in. But I do not think I would actually pay for storage for things I only use a few days a year.

Moving Company

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST

Companies often need to rent self storage units . I just talked to a woman that works for a moving company that has its home office in Moose Jaw, but they do a lot of work in Regina. They are looking to get storage rental near where they will be needing it.

Storage Units

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST

I just spoke to a guy that needs a 10x20 drive up accessible climate controlled unit. I asked him if he was storing everything from his home or maybe a car for the winter. It turns out his company is storing large rolls of vinyl. People use self storage units for all sorts of different things.

Just Married

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST

I had a call from a woman this morning that sounded a little frazzled. She was supposed to pick up a rental truck at eight oclock but was running late. I explained that it was only fifteen minutes until eight and that the store was not yet open yet. She told me how she had gotten married over the weekend, and now they were packing and moving to another city. She had good reasons to be frazzled.

Bleeds Blues

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST

I just talked to a guy in Etobicoke about getting a storage unit for his daughter. After a few minutes he told me I sounded American. I confessed that I am. He told me that his son plays for the St Louis Blues hockey team. My boyfriend will be so excited. Michael is a die hard fan that Bleeds Blue.

December Car Storage

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST

December is a popular time of the year for people to want to store a car. Winter is finally here, and will be for several months. The only problem is finding a storage facility that has an available vehicle storage spot. Many people reserve these spaces several months in advance.

Thirty Seven Years of Marriage

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST

I was speaking to an older woman today about storage rental. I new she was older by the sound of her voice, plus she asked if we had a senior discount. She told me she needed storage rental because she was kicking her husband of thirty seven years out of the house. I must admit, that was the last reason I would have thought as to why she would need storage.

RV Storage

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST

I just had a call from a woman asking about RV storage . She said that she had a small one that she needed to put somewhere. Later in the conversation though, I realized she actually wanted to live in the RV, not just store it. I had to explain to her that unfortunately we do not allow that.

RV Storage

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

RV storage can be difficult to find this time of year. People that have owned one for many years already have winter parking arrangements made. They usually just park it at the same place at about the same time and in the same place on an annual basis. People that are somewhat unorganized are scrambling around trying to find a place to keep their big vehicle.

Moving Services

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

There are different types of moving services available for people that are relocating. You can hire a company to pack all of your belongings and the ship it for you. You can pack everything yourself and have a moving company move it for you. Or you can pack your belongings, rent a moving truck, and it all yourself.

Decluttering

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Renting a storage unit is a great idea for anyone that is putting their house on the market. Clearing out all of the clutter makes the home looking bigger and more appealing to buyers. And getting rid of personal items allows potential buyers to see the bones of the house. Real estate agents are a big fan of storage facilities.

Speed Bumps

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

I just had a woman call and ask me about renting a storage unit for speed bumps. No one has ever mentioned speed bumps before, so I had to ask her several questions to figure out what size of a storage unit would work the best for her. We finally decided a five by ten would work okay. Then she told me she might be buying the speed bumps in a few years.

Quality Locks

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

You can purchase a quality lock at most storage facilities, hardware stores, and even discount stores. I really recommend the cylinder locks. These rounded, heavy duty locks are very secure. They cannot even be broken into with bolt cutters because of their distinctive shape. Cheap locks are okay for high school gym lockers, but are not a good idea on a ministorage unit.

Lousy Calls

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

I am just having one of those days when it comes to getting lousy mini storage calls. One caller was mad because she was charged a hundred dollars when the manager cut the lock off of her unit. Another customer was upset because the manager would not take a partial payment for his unit. Still a third tenant wanted a district manager to call him because his local manager was rude to him. I just listen and try to empathize.

Moving Truck

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

The last weekend of every month is extremely buys for truck rentals. People are often on a yearly lease for their apartment, and need a truck to move to the new place once the lease runs out. That is why it is pertinent that you reserve a moving truck several weeks in advance.

Magazines and Newspapers

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

My husband and I are both rather old fashioned. We both like to physically hold a magazine or a newspaper while we are reading it. The problem is what to do with these items when we are done perusing. The newspapers we recycle. But we have several plastic storage containers full of magazines.

Finding Local Self Storage

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

The internet and the yellow pages are both great tools to help you and your family find local self storage . The internet has many different sites available, or you can just google the words self storage. Or you can look the traditional way by letting your fingers do the walking.

The Script

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

PhoneSmart has decided to shake things up a bit with their employees. All of the mini storage sales reps have used the same basic script for the past eight years. The training department has now put together a new script to liven things up, and prevent phone reps from sounding robotic. It should be a lot of fun.

Stacking Boxes

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

You should always try to pack most of your items in storage boxes that are of similar sizes. This will help everything to stack better, and help to keep items from getting broken. Being better organized will also allow you rent a smaller unit, saving you money in the long run.

Answering Questions

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

I like it when I am able to answer the question from a customer and not have to transfer them to the voice mail of the local manager. I just talked to a lady that simply needed the times that she has access to her two self storage units . Earlier, a man simply needed the address and the fax number of the store.

Word of MOuth

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Word of Mouth is the best, and cheapest, form of advertisement for self storage facilities . Happy customers will tell their friends and family about the great service and pleasant staff. Then those friends and family members will rent a unit from you, at no cost to you for advertisement.

Storage Facilities

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

I have found the weather plays a major factor in the number of calls we receive at PhoneSmart. People tend to call around to different storage facilities when it is raining or cold, instead of physically going to the locations. This is one reason I keep an eye on the weather for the entire country.

Ministorage Unit

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

I always ask callers what they are planning on putting into their ministorage unit so I can help them determine what size will work the best. Several times a day caller answers with I do not know what I am storing. I find this to be a really funny answer.

Overdue Notice

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

I had a caller ask me if we had auctioned off all of her belongings from her storage unit . She was upset because she did not receive a notice that her account was past due. I felt bad for her until she mentioned that every time her things are close to being auctioned off that we contact her. She was mad because she had not received any type of notice this month.

Sudokus

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

I love doing sudokus. Some people drink coffee to wake up in the morning. I do at least one sudoku every morning. I find it gets my brain to function and come to life. The only problem is the boxes on the puzzles seem to keep getting smaller and smaller. Surely it is not my aging eyesight.

Moving Boxes

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

My co worker is moving the end of this month and has been asking everyone if they have any moving boxes . As I was sorting through a spare closet over the weekend I found a pile of boxes that were just collecting dust. I am glad I can recycle them by giving them to her.

Storage Company Websites

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

The internet is a great tool to help you find local self storage. Most storage company websites allow you to simply plug in your postal code and then it gives you a list of nearby facilities. The website often even allows you to reserve a unit right then and there.

Great Rapport

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

I just talked to a guy that needs a storage rental this week. We had great rapport and had a few laughs together. He willing gave me his first name and phone number, but he refused to give me his surname. That makes me wonder why he really needs storage.

Books

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

I am amazed at the amount of storage space books take up. I had everyone go through the house over the weekend and collect all of the books that they could find. This included text books, paperbacks, childrens books, and so on. Then I had everyone go through and figure out which ones we need to keep, to give away, and even trash.

Long Term Storage

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

I talked to a man that was looking for long term storage today. He just sold his house and is moving to Spain. He does not want to sell all of his stuff in case things do not work out for him. He said it is cheaper to store it than to ship it all overseas.

Winter Storage

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EDT

It is funny how people in different parts of the country get ready for winter. People in southern California need a storage space for their RVs and campers because the kids are back in school. Customers in Missouri are looking to store their motorcycles before the temperatures get to cold to ride it. And folks in Minnesota need to park their cars to keep it away from the elements and the salt.

Winter in the Philipians

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

I talked to a woman in Scarborough, Ontario that needs a storage unit for the winter. She is going to the Philippians for three months, and does not want to pay for her apartment while she is away. Her apartment costs 1200 dollars a month. Her storage unit will be 93 dollars a month.

Winter Auto Storage

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

Several StorageMart stores are running great specials for auto storage over the winter months. For only seven hundred and fifty dollars you can park your car in a heated unit until March of next year. Since the facility is very clean, safe, and secure you will not have to worry about your automobile at all.

Canadian Thanksgiving

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT

Monday is Canadian Thanksgiving. The storage facility offices will all be closed for the holiday of course, but current tenants with a pin number to an accessed controlled gate will be able to get to their unit. I hope not too many people will need to get to their storage units, and be able to enjoy time with their families instead.

Bringing Lunch

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EDT

I try to bring my lunch to work everyday, since it saves a lot of money in the long run. I bring it in a plastic storage container so I can take the empty home, wash it, and reuse it later in the week. I have finally thrown away all of my mismatching plastic storage containers and have gone with one brand.

Business Center

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

Many storage companies nowadays offer a business center for their customers. There are telephones, fax machines, and copiers available for people to use. A lot of times there are computers available with internet access. And there is often even free WiFi. These are all great services for small business owners.

Sad Stories

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

I hear a lot of sad stories when people call about storage rental . I talked to one woman today whose house had caught fire and they need to store whatever they can salvage. Another person just found out their rental home is going into foreclosure and he has to be out of it by this weekend.

Boxes of Stuff

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT

I have lived in my house for about nine years now, and I have noticed that I have accumulated a lot of junk. I have been working hard lately to go through boxes of stuff that have made their way to the top shelf of the different closets and in the garage. I am amazed at some of the things I have found. Now all I have to do is to be willing to throw some of it away.

Autumn

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT

Today is the first day of fall, which means colder weather is on its way. I have had many people calling about self storage because they need to empty out the garage from all of the summertime paraphernalia that has accumulated. It is time to be able to get the car back into the garage.

Winter is Coming

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EDT

Toronto is a very busy city, with a lot of people moving around at all different paces. This time of year there is a lot of excitement in the air, with people running around trying to everything accomplished before winter decides to set in. Every year it seems like summer gets shorter and shorter. I guess that has something to do with getting older.

Potato Storage

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EDT

A woman just called a Canadian storage facility needing to store potatoes. The food bank where she works was just given a huge donation of them, but they had no where to keep them. I explained that unfortunately we do not allow food to be kept inside of storage units because it attracts bugs, but that my local manager might have some good ideas for her.

Canadian Callers

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT

I was a little intimidated when PhoneSmart first started taking calls from Canadian self storage facilities , but now I think it is kind of fun. The lingo is a little different, but I have learned to figure out most of it. But I will never really be able to get the whole metric conversion thing with a nearby cheat sheet.

Happy Birthday Julie

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:00:00 EDT

Today is the birthday of our PhoneSmart trainer, Julie. She is always so happy and bubbly. Today she is trying to do about ten things at once. She is working on training our new self storage training class, she is trying to get TQA ready for the end of the month round up, and she is trying to answer potential client questions. Happy Birthday anyway Julie.

The Urn

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT

I just had a customer calling because his storage unit was auctioned off. He had the ashes of his mother in the storage unit and he wanted to know how he could go about getting the urn back. I cannot help but wonder about how surprised the person that bought the unit would be.

Great Weather

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT

We are having wonderful weather right now here in Mid Missouri. August is usually unbearably hot and muggy. But right now it is more like October kind of weather. I do hope I am not jinxing it and there is some hot muggy weather moving in. That would be a bummer.

photographers

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EDT

I love looking at all of the different pictures posted on the social self storage network website. There are some very talented photographers that are members. I wish I could say I was on of these people. Unfortunately, I am not. Maybe I should take a class in photography, or buy a good camera.

June

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EDT

It is the last day of June and the phones are ringing off the hook here at PhoneSmart. A lot of callers are stressed out because they have to be moving out of their current living situation by tomorrow. The end of the month just seems to have jumped up on them. But never fear, PhoneSmart employees are here to help.