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  • Tips for Shopping for Storage by Phone
    By jeff on February 7, 2011 | No Comments  Comments

    When in need of storage, do not just go with the first place that you call. It is very helpful to go ahead and make a few calls for info. That way, you can find what the best place in town actually is. It could take a couple of calls to find this information out but when you do you can very happy you did. Not every facility is going to make you happy with what they have, but you can at least know what you are getting from each facility when you are calling around.

    When you are calling around there are a couple of things that you can determine just from the phone call. You can determine where the facility is actually located, the level of customer service the facility offers and also what the value of the facility is. These are three great topics of discussion when you are calling around. Calling around can definitely save you some time and effort when you are looking for the right Quebec City self storage facility for you. Your time is very valuable to you and you are not out to waste it. Make sure you are writing notes as you are calling around.

    Making sure the facility you are looking for is close is very important. It is important because you can ensure that you can get to the facility quickly and easily. Just because the location is right down the street from where you work does not mean you can get there quickly and without problem. Sometimes a customer will know what street the facility is on but they might have not been there before. So what ends up happening is that they go there and they are not expecting the facility to be where it is. So making sure that the location is where you want it to be when it is convenient for you is very important.

    When you call around does the Quebec City self storage facility answers the phone? That could be a deciding factor in your search. This is a good indicator that the facility will answer the phone when you have an issue. They are maybe not as committed to service as they appear. We all know that it could be hard for the customer on the phone to understand that the manager could also have someone in front of them. Trying to serve two different customers could be really hard to do. The fact of the matter is they can still try to have the customer on the phone hold on why they help the customer in the store or vice versa. The Quebec City self storage manager should just make sure that they are not, not answering the phone.

    When calling around, is the manager telling you what you are getting for the price? Sometimes that is all the manager is going to tell you. You want to hear more from the manager. You want to hear why they should rent with them instead of the people that are down the street. The manager should do their best job to create value in their security features or their extra features. Whatever it might be you should not just go with the company who offers just the price and nothing else. Otherwise you could go down to the store, and it is not anything as you were expecting.

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  • Keep Your Hockey Gear in Ajax Self Storage
    By jeff on October 7, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

    Football in Canada is different from football in America.  They throw the ball more in Canada because they only get three downs to get a first down and in America they get four downs to make a first down.  The end zones are longer in Canada too.  There are actually football games from Canada on TV once in awhile in America.  The championship game might be on once in awhile and people in America may watch it.  We are obsessed with football in America.  Sunday is sacred for more than one reason.  At an Ajax storage place, I had a nice conversation about football.

    Hockey is important in Canada and I happen to love hockey.  I could fit in anywhere in Canada because I watch hockey when it comes on TV.  This person at an Ajax storage locker showed me hockey sticks signed by great players.

    I held them in awe and thought about watching hockey with my Dad so many years ago.  I recognized some of the names and actually saw a few play in the great old building, the Chicago stadium.  My newest friend knew of the place and we went back in time together talking hockey.  Most people talk football and baseball and Michael Jordan and Lebron, but hockey is different.  Try fighting on ice skates or hitting people on hockey skates.  They are the great skaters of the world.  Anybody can run.  I can run.  I cannot dunk a basketball though.  I am short.  I can not ice skate very well either.  I could never be a hockey player.  I tried ice skating but my feet got so cold I never did it again.  It took forever to put the ice skates on too.  That is why my feet almost froze off.  We did flood my back yard once in awhile and slid on our shoes to play hockey.  Not the same I know.

    My new friend had different stories.  He has skated all his life starting at five years old.  He still skates today in a fun league as he puts it, for old men like us.  Yes, I guess I am old compared to a long time ago.  The hockey stick seems heavy at this Ajax storage place.

    I will not stay much longer here but I hope I see this person again.  And talk hockey, not football.  I am only here in Canada on business.  I keep this storage space because my company pays for it and I store things here and there.  I nodded goodbye to the hockey guy and rolled up my storage locker door.  I thought of my Dad and the Chicago Blackhawks.  We loved the team and last year I watched them skate around with the Stanley Cup.  It made me happy but my Dad was not there to see it.  He passed on.  He did loose a little interest in hockey over the years after he moved away from Chicago to California.  We did not talk about hockey together anymore.  I still watch it though.  I have no one to talk about hockey to now either.  It is less popular in America these days.  Football is king there.  We all talk about football in America and not hockey.  I am glad I held a stick signed by Bobby Hull.

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  • Get Familiar With Etobicoke Self Storage
    By admin on July 26, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

    There are many differences between on Etobicoke self storage location and the next and you will want to know what to look for so you can make the best decision possible when looking for storage. Shopping for storage is not on the top of any list of favorite things to do in your free time. However, it is definitely time well spent because you do not want to store at just any store location. You want to store somewhere that is close by, safe and secure, and cares about customer service.

    You can get a good idea of the kind of customer service you will receive as an Etobicoke self storage customer by how well you are treated on the initial phone call for storage. If you are treated rudely or they do not answer the phone, then you should maybe move on to the next property because they are not going to be there when you need them. However, is you do not get someone on the phone right away, you should leave a quick voice mail message with your name and number asking for prices. If they are quick to respond, then they may be good at helping their customers but were momentarily unavailable. It happens. Keep in mind that if they are not very helpful when you are looking for prices, chances are they are not going to improve when you are a customer. When you are shopping around they should be on their very best behavior trying to earn your business. You want to have a store that cares about you and making you feel like a valued customer.

    Before you do anything, however, you want to narrow the search to around ten Etobicoke self storage locations that are close by. You do not want to have to call all over town in a blind search for a good location. The phonebook is helpful at finding a few Etobicoke self storage locations that are close by if you are somewhat familiar with the area. If you do not know your way around the local area, it may be more advantageous to look online for an overhead view of the different storage locations in the area and where they are at in relation to your house. Do not underestimate the value of a good location when you are shopping around. It might be worth a few extra dollars to have a spot that is close and convenient and located in a good neighborhood. It sure beats the alternative.

    Something to remember as well when you are looking for Etobicoke self storage is to find a spot that has security that makes you feel safe and secure.  When you are spending your hard earned money, you want to feel like you are getting a lot of value for your money. The site should have a few basic security features such as a pin access controlled gate, security fencing, video cameras, and door alarms. If they do not have some of these basic features, you may want to make a few more calls to find a place more suitable to earn your money. They should have spent a little money on security and if they do not, then there may be some other areas that they are lacking in, as well.

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  • Getting To Know Montreal Storage
    By admin on June 3, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

    One of the greatest things about Montreal is all the outdoor activities that it can offer you. Beth and her family loved to do anything outside. During the summer there was camping, hiking, swimming, kite flying, and biking, during the winter months of course you have all things associated with snow; snowboarding, skiing, sledding, snow mobiles. Any kind of family fun activity outdoors they were up for.

    Of course liking all of these sports types activities did have its drawbacks. It got to be a hassle each year to rent the equipment necessary for the family to do all their favorite activities, so Beth and her husband decided that since this was something that they really loved to do they would just buy the equipment that they needed. The second thought that they had was that they were going to need some place to store all of their equipment in. so Beth began to look into their Montreal storage options. She knew from talking to her friends who also had Montreal storage units that it was a great storage solution.

    Getting some advice from her friends led Beth to find the perfect spot for her and her family. The Montreal storage unit was close to their home, and had good security to keep all of their belongings safe. That weekend they moved in all of their sporting equipment that was allowed to be stored. They had tents, camping gear, skis, sleds, bikes, kites, snowboards, and all of the little things that went with all of this equipment. Of course the manager explained that they could not keep the snow mobiles inside the Montreal storage unit, but Beth was able to find a place to keep the two that they owned at their house.

    They found that it was really convenient to know right where all of the things that they needed for their outdoor adventures were. When ever they were planning a family weekend or adventure they would go to their unit and get out what they needed. They were no longer having to rent the equipment at the lodges they liked to go to and could also get away form the lodge type settings on their own now that they had their own equipment and no longer had to find a place close to where they were planning on going. It was the perfect family outdoor fun storage solution.

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  • Your St-Hubert Storage Choices
    By admin on May 28, 2010 | 1 Comment1 Comment  Comments

    As you consider the question of do I really need a St-Hubert storage unit think of a few of these points. It may help you in your decision. 

    Would you like your home to be a little more organized? With the use of a self storage unit you will be able to keep all of those things that you are attached to but might not necessarily have the room for. with the use of a St-Hubert storage unit you can organize your files, clean out your closets of those clothes that you are just determined to fit in again someday, or clean up for kids rooms and get rid of some of those baby toys that they have outgrown.

    Do you need to downsize your living situation in this downwards economy? If you are looking for a smaller apartment to make your monthly bills lower but do not want to get rid of all of your furniture and things. Consider using a St-Hubert storage unit to help you through these times of financial difficulty in downsizing. You can find that smaller apartment but still keep everything until your financial situation turn back around and you can move back into a nicer apartment or get a house. It is a good solution for the in between times of your life.

    Are you tired of not being able to park in your garage in the middle of the Canadian winters because you have so many boxes and things stored in there? Consider using St-Hubert storage your storage space and your garage as your actual garage. You will not have to move the Christmas tree out of the way anytime you want to open the door to the garage. You can park your car in your garage and save yourself an hour of scrapping off snow and ice from your car before work until your fingers are so cold you can no longer feel them. Just think of how nice that would be. It will also be beneficial to your cars paint and undercarriage.

    There are many different reasons why people decide to use self storage. Whether they are just cleaning up and trying to be organized, downsizing their living situation, or would actually like to use their garage again to park in their car in instead of a storage space. Self storage can be very beneficial to you and your family.

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  • Laval Storage Customer Service
    By admin on May 25, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

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    There is nothing like an angry customer to make us feel better about the service we provide. We all know that sometimes it is unavoidable for a customer to get upset at something done and then try to let whomever know about what is going on. Not ever manager is going to be able to handle anything the customer would be upset about. The best think you can do as a manager is just to find out exactly what the customer is upset about, calm them down and then give them a solution. Usually the longer you take to give the customer a resolution, the more upset they get. To the customer, they have a legit reason they are upset. The worst thing you could do is to tell them that they do not make sense or that their concern is not valid.

    The key for a Laval storage manager to handle a customer complain is to listen. That should not be a problem in the most part, but there will be sometimes in which the manager does not want to listen to the problem, they are just ready to solve it. They cannot solve the problem without knowing what the problem is. Sometimes the solution will be an easy fix where other times, the complaint might have to someone higher than their position. The best thing for the manager to do is handle the situation as best they can because that will let the caller know how they are able to assist.

    In no way is the caller looking to start trouble, they just want their problem fixed. Sometimes these kinds of situations can be avoided if all the steps to leasing the unit were done correctly and understood by the caller. Typically the most common issues are their gate code does not work and they have an issue with their bill. As a Laval storage manager, it is very important that the customer understands what they will pay month to month and what will happen if they do not pay their bill. When it comes to mechanical problems, as long as the manger makes all their routine checks and reports they can do all they can do.  Not everything will be in the control of the Laval storage manager.

    As long as the Laval storage manager on site listens to the caller and makes a conscious effort to assist the customer, all will be well. Ignoring the problem and making empty promises will only make the customer angry, and leave your facility. The worst thing will follow thereafter.  They will tell all they know about the service they received. Not good for business.

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  • A Small Gesture From St Hubert Storage
    By admin on May 22, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

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    It is not often that you hear that someone from the military will need St. Hubert storage. It is something that is often required but not mentioned often. The managers at the different locations have heard many different reasons for people having the need for Quebec storage units. No matter what the reason a customer will need storage, the manager is always ready to assist them with their needs.

    It is always good to hear when a manager is able to help a customer who is in the military with their storage needs. Not every one is able to help our country in the way that the people in the military are able to do so it feels like we are helping our country by taking care of their St Hubert storage needs.

    There are many time in which a St. Hubert storage location will give some kind of discount to those who are in the armed forces in order to help them out and to show some sort of appreciation for their service. It is a small gesture for the facility to do for the people serving the country, but every little bit helps. The facilities know that a customer in the armed forces might come and go quickly depending on their assignment or they might have to stay a long length of time. What ever the customer will need, the manager will do their best to assist them.

    There is many times in which the customer will be moving everything they own to put into storage because they will have to go over seas or to a different country. It all seems to happen quickly and sometimes without notice. It would seem as if the armed forces do what they can to set the customer up well and sometimes take care of their storage needs while they are serving. That does not sound like a bad set up. It is for sure that it is not always easy to focus on getting your storage situation taken care of when you are trying to determine your assignment for the military. Many thoughts run through their minds but hopefully the manager at the St. Hubert storage facility are able to get at least the moving part of the process with ease. In the military it seems nothing is for certain in terms of when you will return or if you have to go away again, but at least you know that your belongings will be safe at your St. Hubert storage facility.

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  • Less Stress With Montreal Storage
    By admin on May 20, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

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    Having four growing children can be stressful especially when they have to share a room, and it seems as though everyone is right on top of each other. Kate and her husband Bill were trying to figure out what to do about having two teenagers and two more about to be teenagers living in their three bedroom house. There was just no space for anyone to move around and sharing a room can be tricky when you have teenagers who want their own space.

    In the end Kate and Bill decided that they would put on an addition to their house. They were going to add two more bedrooms as well as a family room that could be for the teenagers and their friends to hang out in. they contacted a contractor and began to plan out what exactly they wanted. When the plans were all drawn up they began to realize that they were going to have to move stuff out of the way while the construction was going on. So Bill went to a nearby Montreal storage facility to see about renting a unit. he was thinking that the nice furniture that they had in the rooms that were being remodeled to add doors and take out windows were going to need to be cleaned out so that the construction workers could come and go as they please and the furniture would not be ruined.

    The kids in the rooms that were being remodeled were responsible for packing up their things, and Bill and Kate took care of the other rooms that were going to be needed cleared out. When they had everything that was ready to go to the Montreal storage unit Bill and the kids took everything over. It was a little strange having part of their house cleared out and moved over to the Montreal storage unit, but it seemed that it would be a lot easier for the construction to get started.

    Three months later the rooms were completed and everyone was moving back in to their own rooms. The two girls were the most excited to have their own rooms. It was amazing to see how when everything was moved back in from the Montreal storage unit there was a lot more space. Everyone had a little spot that they could go to when they wanted to be on their own, and they were no longer all piled on top of each other so there was less fighting and yelling. Of course the first Friday night there were a ton of teenagers hanging out in the family room watching movies, but Kate kind of liked it because at least she knew that they were all safe. It was the best thing that they had ever done for their family.

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  • A True Friend In Laval Storage
    By admin on May 15, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

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    Have you ever tried to do something nice for someone and end up giving more than you were expecting. That is what happened to Seth. He let his best friend, Greg, of six years move in with him when he lost his job and was having trouble paying for his apartment. Seth agreed that he could live with him until he found a job and was able to save up some money. Seth was even nice enough to rent a Laval storage unit to clear out some of his stuff as well as let Greg keep some of his stuff while they were sharing the apartment.

    Greg was suppose to come over to help move stuff into the Laval storage unit, but after waiting for thirty minutes Seth just did it by himself. When it was Gregs turn to move his stuff in he called Seth to ask if he could help. He really wanted to say no since Greg had failed to help him move his stuff, but he decided to just help and be done with moving that much faster. When he got to Gregs her quickly realized that it was not going to be fast or easy. Greg was still packing and trying to find a truck to move some of the bigger items that he had. It ended up taking them the rest of the day to move Greg out of his apartment and into Seth apartment and put stuff into the Laval storage .

    After seven month of living there Greg finally moved out, and Seth could not have been happier. He was ready to have his own apartment again. He helped Greg move the stuff out of the apartment and in with one of his other friends that he was planning on living with. He told Seth that he would get his stuff out of the Laval storage unit as soon as he could. Seth knew that it would probably be a long time since there was not much room at the apartment Greg was moving into so he told him that he did not need the storage unit anymore now that he had moved out and that he had one month to either rent a unit himself or find somewhere else to store his stuff. He was no longer going to be paying for the unit when he did not need the space. It seemed that after all of this mess with trying to help out his friend they were not as close as they once were in the end.

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  • Capture More Self Storage Sales and Rentals
    By admin on April 19, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

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    Are you concerned that you are letting your sales calls drip through your fingers?  Are you concerned that you are not doing everything within your power to grab potential sales as they come in?  Are you worried that, over time, your failure to capture these sales is going to have a serious impact on your bottom line?  Well, if you have answered yes to any of these questions, then you are going to want to be sure that you are rethinking your sales approach.  Fortunately, there are tons of little things that you can do to improve your sales, and you are not even going to have to change your entire approach.  Do yourself a favor, here, and be sure that you are taking this article seriously.

    The first thing that you are going to want to do, here, is be sure that you are actually treating your potential customers with respect.  The last thing that you are going to want to do, here, is lead your customers to believe that you are only trying to sell them your product, and that you do not actually care about helping them out.  Fortunately, there are some very simple things that you can do to show your customers that you are listening to what they are saying, and that you respect and understand their concerns.  First of all, be sure that you are maintaining eye contact with your customers as they are talking to you.  This is going to show them that you are not shy, that you are listening, and that you are mindful of their concerns.  Second of all, be sure that you are never interrupting your customer.  You may feel the need to control your conversation, but you are never going to want to accomplish that task at the expense of good manners.  Let your customer finish what she is saying, and then step in with your own commentary and advice.  Remember, they do not have to rent with your company, so you are going to want to be sure that you are doing everything within your power to make sure that you are making a great first impression.

    Of course, you are also going to want to be sure that you are delivering your information in a good, strategic order.  If, for example, you start your conversation by listing all of your fees, then you might very well find that your customers do not want to rent with you.  While your fees may be perfectly fair, presenting them at the beginning of the conversation is going to destroy your ability to build rapport.  What you are going to want to do, here, is present your basic pricing information, and then move on to your fees at the end of the conversation.  If your customers overwhelmingly object to the fees that you have listed, then you are going to want to be sure that you are moving, quickly, into the specials that you are going to be able to offer them.  This, of course, is going to preserve your ability to build rapport.

    At the end of the day, your presentational skills are going to play into the number of sales that you are able to secure.  Really, it is just that simple.  Thus, if you are not doing everything within your power to build rapport and inspire confidence in your customers, then you should not be surprised when your bottom line begins to slip.  Practice often, reader, and be sure that you are heeding your constructive criticism appropriately, here.  Before you know it, you are going to see the improvements that you need.

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