•    Access gate- the access gate is how you access the self storage property. Not every facility will have this feature as an amenity so if you want good security you should make sure to ask about how you and outsiders can access the property. Access controlled gates are generally controlled by a key pad entry system where each tenant would have their own individual access code. Additionally, all indoor Scarborough self storage units at secured facilities will have an access key pad to restrict indoor access.

•    Drive up access- This term refers to the ground level units that have doors that your moving truck can be backed right up to. Units inside the building or not located on the ground level would not have drive up access. Be sure before you rent you ask what amenities they have for the non-drive up access units. Is there an elevator, or must you take the stairs? Are there hand cards and dollies available to help move in your belongings, or do you need to rent your own?

•    Access hours v.s. office hours- The times that you may access your self storage unit are referred to as access hours. Some facilities and locations have twenty four hour access, and some have access hours that are set. Check with the facility before you rent to find out when you will be able to access your belongings. Office hours are those hours that are set where the manager is on duty and can help to answer any questions that you have.

•    Climate controlled- these are Scarborough self storage units that are kept cool in the summer months and warm in the winter months. These self storage units are ideal when storing furniture, electronics, art, books, antiques, collectables, and anything that shouldn’t be in the extreme hot and cold temperatures that can occur thought the year.

•    Satellite store- these are storage facilities that are generally a few blocks or less away that are managed by the same store.

As you can see from just these few terms the self storage industry has its own lingo, and understanding the terms can be a huge part of finding the right self storage unit for you and your family. If you have questions about the facility that you are looking at renting a unit at, be sure and ask about all amenities that are offered, as well as ask for a definition of any term that you do not understand. All good self storage managers should be willing to take the time to explain the terms so that renters can find the right unit for them.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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One of the most important things to do to make this a possible feat is to stage your house to make it more open, inviting, and warm for potential buyers. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to rent a Scarborough self storage unit and clear out everything that is not a necessity item or is just clutter. Over the years we collect a lot of stuff in our home. By moving the majority of our stuff out, potential buyers will feel less overwhelmed by all of your belongings.

When beginning the process give each room a purpose that makes sense for the space, and use furniture and a few touches to create the space. Be sure to accentuate the best features in the room. Don’t cover up windows and make the fire place the focal point. Make the room present its best features so that buyers can see all that is special in the room.

While you don’t want to go too extreme doing renovations to a home that you are planning to move out of, most potential buyers don’t want to purchase a house that already has a long list of items that need fixed. Take the time once the rooms have been cleared of clutter to fix any problems that there are to the rooms. Repair any holes to the walls where nails or just wear and tear can be seen. Add a fresh coat of paint to brighten up walls.

Having a Scarborough self storage space is a great way to stage your home so that potential buyers do not see rooms of clutter, and so full of your stuff they could not envision their own stuff in that space. By having clutter everywhere it can also be a potential turn off for buyers because buyers may only think that there is not enough space in the house if it is full of clutter.

Besides the benefits that you can get from staging your home, and finding the right buyer you also get other benefits by utilizing a Scarborough self storage unit. Thanks to the staging process, you now have a great head start on packing for the actual moving process. You have already boxed up the majority of your possessions, and when it is the actual time to move you will be already half way there.

Moving is a huge job, and getting your house sold is often one of the hardest parts of the process. So give your home a great advantage over other competitors in the area by staging your home and presenting a clean and clutter free home for buyers.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Thinking of packing and moving in stages can be a great help to not feeling overwhelmed. Here are a few of the stages that can help you reach your end goal of having a successful move.

•    When you first begin the packing process you will need a few essential tools. The first thing that you will need for packing is packing supplies. Boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, wrapping paper, furniture pads, and glass dividers are all items that are needed to pack and to pack well enough that your items will survive the process. Another item that can make the packing and moving process much simpler is to have a Toronto storage unit. A nearby self storage unit can really be a huge help while moving. With a storage space you can move boxes and furniture as you go. This allows you to still be able to move around your house without being overwhelmed by boxes, and still have room to pack more.

•    If just one person is moving out of the house, a child going off to college or getting their first place on their own make a packing list of everything that they need to pack. Include any items that are not located in their bedroom. This sometimes includes furniture, appliances, or decorations. Create a second list of things that they will need to purchase before they move out. This can include things like their own vacuum, sheets, a desk, lamps, or their own set of dishes. Having a Toronto storage unit is a great way that they can use the checklists to make sure they have everything they need before going off to college.

•    One of the best idea to get a ton of packing done at once is to host a packing party for friends or family. Have some really great food and drinks and enough packing supplies on hand for everyone to have their own stuff. This is a great way to have fun with your friends, laugh over old photos of you together, and get a ton of the packing done. Just make sure that if any adult beverages are served they are not responsible for packing the glassware.

•    Before you move all of your packed boxes into the Toronto storage unit be sure to label all of the boxes with its contents. This will allow you to move it into the right room in your new house. Not only should you label the boxes, but you should label more than one side of the box. This will make it easier during the moving process so you don’t have to continually turn boxes around to find the label.

There are just a few of the packing tips that can help you make the process run a little smoother.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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•    The first step in the moving planning process is to get a calendar to that you can keep track of all the dates and times that you need to have things accomplished by. You can go with the more traditional paper option or look for an app for your phone that will help you keep track of your process. Not only will a calendar help you keep track of the moving process, but you can continue to keep track of the life events that will continue to happen while you are in the process of moving. No, life does not simply stop because you are busy packing and moving.

•    The second step to planning a successful move is to rent a nearby self storage in Scarborough unit to help you in the packing process. With month to month leases you only need to keep the space until the day of the move. With a self storage unit to help  you in the packing process you will be amazed at how easier your move is.

•    When you begin the packing process you should always start with the nonessential items around your home or apartment. Box up everything that you can live without and move all of the boxes and extra furniture over to your storage in Scarborough space. This is helpful for two reasons. First, you will have more room to move around and continue in the packing process. When your home begin to be overrun with boxes and you must traverse a maze simply to make it from one end of the house to the other life can get complicated. By moving everything over to the self storage unit you will have room to pack and to continue living in your home. The second reason that having a self storage unit during the packing process is useful is that you will want to clean rooms as they are cleared out. This is especially true if you are renting and would like your deposit back.

•    Another reason the planning is the best way to handle the moving process is that there are so many other people that need to be involved in the move. Everyone from utility providers, mail carriers, and magazine subscriptions will have a deadline to let them know about your move. By planning these all out in advance you will not loose any of your mail and your will not be paying for utilities that you do not need.

The moving process can be tricky at times, but with the right plan and a storage in Scarborough space you can try to avoid any pitfalls that may be up ahead and have a smooth and successful move.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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•    Have your help in place- “ No man is an island” and this especially applies to those times in life where it is moving day. Find family and friends who are willing to give up a few hours of their day to help you move. In return be kind and provide them with drinks to help them keep away their thirst and perhaps some nice pizza when lunch times rolls around. Let everyone involved know the days schedule. What time you will begin loading the last few final boxes, and when to meet at your Scarborough self storage unit for the rest of your items.

•    Have everything packed- since you planned out your moving process in advance by the time the last few days rolls around you should be nearing the completion of the packing process. The majority of your items should already be in a Scarborough self storage unit. By adding a self storage unit to your packing process that has allowed you to pack and clean as you go. without your apartment being overrun with stacks of boxes you have done all of the cleaning in advance and once your landlord looks over it hopefully you can get your deposit back. The last few days should really just be spent packing the essential items that you had to use up until the last day.

•    Be prepared to face the day- Get plenty of rest the night before moving day and make sure you get a good healthy breakfast to start your day. You will need the energy to make it through the long moving day ahead.

•    While pets and children are lovable they are often more of a hindrance than a help on moving day. If at all possible arrange for a baby sitter to watch the kids and find a great dog kennel who can keep any pets for the day. Without these lovable people and pets things can go much quicker.

•    Remember to leave space in your car for moving day. While the majority of items will be already in the Scarborough self storage unit there are always those last few items that can not be packed up, and important papers that you may need on the day of moving. Save space in the car for any last minute items and any last minute friends who show up to help you move.

Moving day can be an exciting time. It is the start of a new journey in life with a new house or apartment. Make the process run smoothly by having a check list and a calendar of when everything has to be completed by. With planning and being organized you can make the moving process run smoothly and more enjoyable.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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•    Use a calendar to help you plan around work, school, and personal responsibilities that can have an effect on packing and moving. Life does not stop simply to accommodate your moving, and by having a calendar where everything can be seen you can plan out your time to make sure you get everything packed before moving day arrives.

•    Once moving day is set keep an eye on the mail that you receive. These are great reminders for people that you need to notify of a change of address. Talk to your utilities providers to ensure that they have enough notice so you are not paying for extra utilities you are not using.

•    Once dates are arranged start to look at packing. Packing is a marathon not a sprint. Get a head start on the packing process with a little help from an Etobicoke storage locker. Self storage spaces can be a great aid when trying to uproot you and your family’s life from one space to another. With the added space that you now have with the storage locker all of the boxes that you pack ahead of time and the extra furniture around the house can be moved into the unit and out of your way. Not only does this keep your home from becoming stacks of boxes but you can clean rooms before you leave in case you are renting and want your deposit back.

•    Ask for help. There may be items in your home that require more help to move than you can find. For large items or heavy items it may be easiest to plan on getting the help of professionals movers who can do the heavy lifting  for you.

•    When beginning the packing process and getting ready to begin to move boxes and furniture into your Etobicoke storage locker start with a stock pile of boxes, tape, bubble wrap, and specialized moving supplies. This way once you begin the process of packing you will not have to stop in the middle of a packing frenzy to stop and get more supplies. This can sometimes put an end to the momentum that you were working with. Refill packing supplies as necessary along the way to ensure a full supply before you begin.

Moving does not have to be a nightmare story that you will be telling for years to come. With planning, preparation, and the space that you gain by adding an Etobicoke storage locker you can make the move into a new home or apartment quick, easy, and as painless as possible. It will be a success story that you will be telling for years to come.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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However, even with all of the nuances that come with moving the basics are generally the same. Here are the four steps of moving that each person has to undertake.

1.    Planning. Each moves requires some kind of planning. When is the exact day that you will move? How are you going to get all of your possessions from the old home to the new one? What last minute things, like cleaning to get a deposit back, must be done by a certain date? When do the utilities have to be moved over? There is any number of things that much be planned out. To help in the planning process be sure to use a calendar, and keep a list of questions so that you don’t forget anything.

2.    Organizing. One of the most important things that you can do to help your life continue while you are in the process of moving is to remain organized. One of the easiest ways to do this is by adding a self storage Toronto storage unit to the moving and packing process. By adding a self storage unit you can begin packing and moving boxes into the unit. This will keep your home from being overrun by stacks and stacks of boxes and limiting the space you have to move around and continue packing.

3.    Packing. Packing is an important step in the moving process. When it is time to begin to pack for the move ensure that you get quality materials. Get sturdy boxes, bubble wrap, tape, dividers, and any specialized materials that will help you to pack up your belongings and get them moved in the same condition you packed them. Remember to clearly distinguish any heavy boxes or containers holding fragile items. These items will need special attention when being moved into the self storage Toronto unit and again when being moved into the new home. Be sure and label each box with either the contents that it holds or if it is more generalized items distinguish what room it goes in. This will save you from having to move boxes more than once.

4.    Moving. On the day of the move since you have followed the first three steps you will have planned out your move and be ready to go at the designated time. Load up the last few boxes that you had to save for last to pack. Since you have moved all of your boxes and furniture into a self storage Toronto space you will have already cleaned up to ensure you get a deposit back on apartment spaces but do one final walk through to make sure there is not any last minute touch ups needed. Now you are ready to move into your new home or apartment.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Newly married couples or couples who have decided to move in together face the challenge of combining two peoples stuff into one house. Deciding whose couch is going to go and whose is staying can be a lengthy discussion at times and often there will be two set of many of the same items. Once way to find a compromise in these situation is to sell what items you can and find self storage unit for those items that are just a must to keep but currently have no room in your house or apartment. His dream of someday having a place to put his favorite chair that you find completely ugly will be safely stored away until the day that you have enough space for it.

Once the family starts to grow and expand, having a storage unit Scarborough space can really be a space saver. That little baby, who just last week it seems was coming home from the hospital is now beginning to grow out of their nursery space. If you plan on having more children in the future the best thing to do is to save the crib, changing table, baby clothes, and all of the other numerous items that babies need in a self storage space.

Children grow faster than it seems you can keep up with at times. All of those toys, clothes, and sports equipment can be saved for hand me downs for younger children in a self storage space and save you money in the long run.

Life throws us unexpected challenges at time, and there are situations that we can never see coming. Things like a death in the family can be one of those times. While trying to deal with the grief the family is also left to deal with all of the stuff. While clothing and non personal items can be sold or donated there are often treasures and mementos of the lost one that we would love to hold on to. Things like antiques or family heirlooms are items that we often want to hold on to but struggle to find space for. By renting a storage unit Scarborough space these items can be kept in the family and be passed on to future generations.

Life brings about many changes and having a little extra space to be able to deal with all of these can really be a great advantage to you and your family. Whether it is a short term situation to adding space to your home, or it is a long term solution to holding on to family heirlooms a self storage unit can really help you deal with life as it comes.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Encourage children to see moving as a grand adventure that they get to be a part of. Include them in decisions about what rooms to pack, and when possible let them help. Show them the Toronto storage unit that will be a part of the moving process. While they may not be the best for packing up the breakable dishes, they can help you pack other household items and the move may feel more like something that they are taking part in rather than something that is happening to them.

When it comes time to packing the children’s room, that can be one of the best rooms in the house to let them help with the packing. If they are old enough to be able to write have them help in the process of labeling the boxes. If they are too young to be able to write, having special stickers that they can apply to the outside of the box that shows that this box belongs in their new room is a great way to help them still feel involved. Show them how their stuff is safely stored in the Toronto storage unit until moving day.

Have older children help in the assembling of boxes, and try to make the process of packing up all of the possessions a little easier on them. Children often have a special stuffed animal or blanket that they sleep with or must have in their life. To ensure that the animal does not accidentally get packed away provide your child with a special place in their room that is a strictly no-packing zone. A delineated space where the animal or blanket may live while they are not playing with it to ensure that it does not accidentally end up being packed away. Stuffed animals can also be given a bright colored tag to hang around their neck that boldly points out it is not to be packed and moved into the Toronto storage unit.

Children often need an adjustment period. Begin a few weeks of days ahead of the big moving day to really talk up the process and how great their new space will be for them. Ask them what they are most nervous about, what they are most looking forward too, and what they will miss the most about their old home or bedroom. See if there is some way that you can work to alleviate some of their worries or nervousness.

Moving has its troubles and issues and they can seem more numerous when you add children into the process. Try your best to include them as much as you can in the process so that they will be able to accept the moving process a little easier.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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The smart companies out there of course realize that they cannot rely on customers always coming to them only when the customer needs to make a purchase. The company cannot just sit back and wait to see if the customer will keep coming to their store in order to have their needs met. They know that their competition is trying to do different things in order to lure them away from what they are offering. The customer nowadays is smart and savvy and wants to ensure that their dollar stretches as far as it can. Some customers try to make their dollar from coast to coast and it does not matter what they need to do in order to make that happen. So companies cannot just sit back and see what happens.

There are some people that would view a company telling everyone they match competitor’s prices as a desperate plea for help. Some business people see matching prices as a last ditch effort to stay alive in the competitive marketplace. That is poor thought process because many strong business do that because they want to retain all the customers they possibly can and let go of those that are just jumping to whoever has the lowest price. Matching the competitor’s pricing is just another method of creating value for the customer. Now that particular business has a great selection and amenities of what the customer wants, and the customer can feel confident that they getting a fair deal.

To be competitive in the marketplace a business has to stay on their toes. In the self storage industry there has been much debate about lowering prices and running specials in order to attract customers. They still don’t get the idea that customers want the best value. Value does not just have the price as the most important thing. Value is showing the customer that they are getting the best for their money. The customer does not have to go very far to get to the facility, they can access their belongings when they want, etc and then on top of that, the price is fair. They do not have to keep shopping around because you also let them know that you match or beat competitor’s pricing. If you as a property manager can take it a step further and tell the customer what your competitors are offering for the same storage space, you are golden. That shows the customer that you are serious about what you do and you have a firm commitment to help them. The competitive market is tough. As a self storage facility, what are you doing to stay afloat?

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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All signs point to the fact that customers are way more educated and know a lot more than they used to about a particular product before they go to see it. When the customer goes to see a particular product they have pretty much made up their mind they are just going to make sure it is exactly what they expect and there are no surprises. Some customer want to look at it, open up the storage doors, and walk around the facility to ensure it is everything they expected and more. If it is not what they are looking for or the wool has been pulled over their eyes, they hop right back in their care and go to facility two on their list.

Store managers are trained to say things that could make what they have appealing or trying to create a sense of loss if the customer does not rent a space right now. They think they can throw out discounts and specials if the customer is wavering and about to leave. Sometimes making the price cheaper will work for the customer but if something is so far out of place that the customer is wants to leave, the price is not the deciding factor. Storage sales people need to realize that yes the customer wants to know the price of the self storage unit, but that is not all they are after. They have been shopping around to see if a facility has all they need, not just some of the things.

There will be some times in which the customer will feel they are about to settle on getting  storage space they didn’t particularly want but it is as close to what they want as possible. It had nothing to do with what the sales person was saying, even though some will take the credit as so, the customer knew what they wanted. Self storage has been a concept out there for many decades and there are not a lot of nuances that will separate most facilities from each other. Sometimes how the managers treat the customers when they walk in will make or break the sale. Customers sometimes just walk into a storage facility and say, this is what I need. They lay it all out for the manager and then ask the manager, can they do this for them. The self storage customer is more assertive these days and they know that they want. There is nothing wrong with knowing and expecting to get what you want.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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When a customer is told about a specific price, special or offer over the phone, they expect to collect on what was told to them. If they do not they could make a straight line for the door or suck it up and decide to store anyway. Just know that they will tell someone about their experience which could cause some issues in the future. If you lie to one customer one time and get away with it, you could think that you could lie to another customer. That is not the way you want to handle business.

Lying gets you somewhere sometimes. Trying to make a consistent thing is not good. Customers will not appreciate being lied to and treated like that. Eventually it will catch up to you and you will lose customers because of that. Self storage is a great industry to be a part of, but keep it clean and keep the nonsense out of it. Customers love to shop around, but they are also looking for truth when it comes to what they can get for their money.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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I know many of us have been told at some point that we need to clean our ears. We are told this for many reasons. One reason is because we do not listen to our elders and we should. Now of course no matter how much earwax we have in our ears, we can still hear our parents. We just choose not to at some points. We know that we should listen to our parents because they can save us from making some pretty bad decisions. But we all know we have chosen to make bad decision and learn from our own mistakes instead of those from our parents. When we choose the profession we will work at for a time, we need to keep our ears open and learn something.

When you are at home and you choose not to listen to your parents that could cost you a week of not watching television or hanging out with your friends. If you choose not to listen at work, that could cost you your livelihood. There is not a reason to chance it at all. Ensure that you go into any job of your choice with your ears open and your listening cap on. The more you listen to the more of a chance you will have to learn something that you did not know that could really help you on your daily job performance. Keep your ears open to learn.

There are different techniques that you can do in order to perfect listening. You can keep your mind clear of anything that you are thinking and focus just on what they are saying. A lot of times we not actively listening and we are trying to think about what we are doing later. Don’t fall into this trap. Clear you mind and ensure that the person talking to you is your main priority. Another tip that you can do in order to improve your listening skills is to repeat back in your head what they are saying. Sometimes when you hear your own voice you will remember it better.

Some of us have a problem listening when our eyes catch something that is more interesting. Let’s be honest, not everything we are listening to is going to be interesting. We still have to stay focused on what the person is saying to us because it can be very important. Our eyes tend to wander a little bit from time to time. Then we start to think about what we are looking at. That is no good. Try to focus on just the person that is talking. Some people close their eyes and just focus on the voice of the person that is talking, but that could also put someone to sleep. There are many different listening techniques out there. You just have to find which one best works for you.

Remember these techniques when you are doing your secret shop. That is important because you do not want to miss anything that the representative you are shopping is saying. What they are saying and how they are presenting to you is what the company wants to hear about. They want to hear if the representative is saying key words that they are supposed to. Keep your ears open to the customer and make sure that you are aware of everything they are saying.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Not everyone knows what they are supposed to do when they come in to their job. If you knew what you were supposed to do, there would not be a need for training. It would be great if when new people came into your company, you could just put them were they are supposed to work and they could begin. There would not be that time and money invested into training them. Unfortunately, that is not real world thinking. We actually have to ensure that we are doing our due diligence as managers to ensure people are trained correctly. That goes for any company involved in any kind of business. The more training that is involved as well as development, you can expect a great employee that will produce great work for you company.

If you are not aware of how secret shopping works, here is a brief overview. Employees sometimes think they know exactly what to do and how to do it, but they are very much off base. They will have to come in and learn how to do the job just like any other job. Yes they are being hired to impersonate how a typical customer would be, but there is a lot of reporting involved. You have to do more than just to get into character to be a customer. You will also have to ensure that you keeping your eyes and ears open on what is going on during the shop. It is more to secret shopping than making the shop and then reporting.

Just like any other job, you will need to be trained and then you will need to still be developed. There will always be tips and ideas out there that can help you be a better shopper. The better you are at learning the different techniques the better you will be at your job. The more you are equipped with different phrases, scenarios and tips the more you will be helping the company succeed. If you do not do your job correctly or to your best ability, then you are not helping anyone. There are companies paying your company a premium price to secret shop them and you are not doing them any justice. This is a serious job just like any other. Your job helps other companies improve. Not many people can say that their job does that.

There is more to secret shopping than most people realize. Listen to your trainers or whomever is showing you the ropes. You want to ensure that you know what you are supposed to do either while you are on the phone or while you are in the place of business. What you see and report will be crucial to the company you are shopping. Don’t take it lightly what you are doing. Some of the comments you say could mean the hiring or firing of an employee, a company making major changes, and also a company investing a lot of money where it needs to be invested. Understand the magnitude of what you do and how you can help others reach the goals they are trying to obtain.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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When shopping around for self storage, one thing you should think about is that most self storage facility are the same. What we mean by the same is that the all give you the option of putting your belongings into a space at the facility. That is what self storage is, you taking your belongings and storing them at the facility, yourself. There will be subtle differences that will separate one facility from another, but for the most part, they all have the same standards. One standard is ceiling height. Unless otherwise noted, the ceiling of a self storage unit will be eight feet.

The typical ceiling height in a storage unit is at least eight feet tall so consider the items that you need to store to make sure they fit. Many customers try to stack their unit full so they do not have to pay more than they need to pay for. There are others that will just decide to get a bigger unit just so that everything is in there and they have access to it. Not many people try to stack their unit to the brim to save money. It would be the best idea, but not many people do it even though the property managers and other storage professionals recommend it.

So when you are shopping around for self storage and a facility says that they have ceiling heights of ten feet and higher, not many customers stop and say wow. They don’t say that because they know they won’t stack their belongings than high. Some will think, how can I stack my belongings that high? Will they fall on me? Most storage facilities are created equal but most customers won’t flinch or choose this one facility because of their ceiling height.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Just like everything that you shop for, people also shop for self storage. Of course you can try self storage on like new boots, but you always check out the facility to see what they have to offer. It is hard not to look at the price tag of self storage facilities when you are shopping around because in the long term, that will be one of the deciding factors. Other factors that you can look into should be security, cleanliness, and how current tenants view the facility.

Shopping around for storage seems to be pretty popular. There are choices to be made along the way. When people call around, they seem to kind of gravitate towards the price. They do not want to know anything else about the space except for the price. This is not really the way to go if you are looking for quality. You should try to find the site that is going to be able to offer you the best value. Value does not always come in the form of price.

As stated earlier it would be good if you can bump into some current tenants that can help you figure out what kind of facility you are going to rent from. Now that might be harder than you think. The reality is that you can only stop by so many times into the self storage facility before you had to decide which one you want to rent from. You can’t grab the master list of tenants an start calling them asking for their opinion. So you have to either get reviews or get lucky enough to bump into someone. Sometimes you are able to go into a self storage facility and possibly overhear a customer dealing with the property manager. That would be ideal.

You are paying for self storage because you feel that your belongings are special enough to you that you want to keep them. You just are using self storage because you don’t have room for them at your home. So when shopping around, you really have to feel comfortable about the place your belongings are staying at. Do you feel that this place can protect your belongings at a fair price? Do you feel that you can leave your belongings there and security the facility has will make sure all is well until you come to pick them up? You have some decision to make so make sure that you are not just looking for price. You could make the wrong decision when shopping around.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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There are right ways and wrong ways to do pretty much anything. When you do something right, you will reap the benefits for a long time to come. Usually, when you do something wrong, you pay for it much longer. Make sure you do it right the first time and you will be glad that you did later. There is a right way to shop for storage and that is to shop for quality as well as a cheap price.

The good way to shop for good storage prices is to have a list of storage facilities that you want to call. Before you call those self storage facilities you need to have in your mind what you are really wanting from your self storage facility. Of course that facility will need to have the right size you need, they will need to be in the location you want them to be at and also they price needs to fit with in your budget. Naturally there are other things that you could look at when you are shopping for self storage, but we will focus on these.

So after you find out which things you want out of your self storage facility, you pick up the phone, look on the internet or drop by the facility to check them out. When you are there talk to the facility manager and see what kind of person they are and also do you feel you can trust this person. Check out the facility, walk around or ask about how the facility is kept.  You can even look online for reviews and the opinions of those people who has used self storage before. You have an unlimited about of information out there if you use it. It might be more proactive to look the self storage facility online, then call to speak to the manager, and if everything sounds good, drop by the facility.

One of the worst things you can do is decide to shop just for pricings. Pricing is not always the end all say all. Well I guess for some this is true. For the most part, cheap storage spaces are usually bad in terms of quality. You seem to always get what you pay for. Maybe you will luck out and come across a self storage facility that is cheap and good quality. You won’t know unless you actually do enough research.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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As a company is looking for different flaws or ways to improve their business they definitely want to ensure that they do not leave any stone unturned. They want to make sure that everyone that comes in contact with their company. They want to know whether or not someone is not cutting it in terms of their performance or their duties. When people sign up to work there, they typically understand what is asked of them. So if they are not able to abide by the rules and regulations, the company has to decide what to do with that employee. Shopping their selves is not a bad way to find this out. If you are a company that solely operates by a people calling you and you selling them solutions, you really need to ensure you know what they are saying on the phones.

Everyone who has answered a phone over and over again has made the mistake at some point not treating that person on the phone with the upmost respect. We don’t try to make that customer feel bad or not give them our best service. Sometimes people take a call off and the quality of their call is not as good as it was the first time they answered the phone that day. You should strive to make a friend each time that you pick up the phone for you company.

Making a friend on the phone, especially when you are calling for storage prices or something similar can go a long way towards getting what you want. If they only have one spot left, they may hold it for you if they like you. It is good to be nice because people are just more likely to help out a friend than someone who is rude or unpleasant. You can also never know when your boss or client is listening in, so you should always give it your best.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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I do not think people truly understand what I means to do a secret shop and what it truly is. There are actually people out there who believe they can get an accurate gauge on how their team is doing by announcing their visits and to tell them they are being called. The reality of it is that employees will always but their best work forward when they know their manager will be, especially if it is the owner. Anyone that has the ability to fire them, they will perk up and make sure everything is in order.

Without secret shopping managers would be in the dark on how their facilities are really running. They will not know how their self storage managers are taking care of customers or what the customers actually think of them. As a manager you are dreaming to think that you do not have to be secretive about your visits or you do not have to check up on your people. If you do not do this, then your business will fail.

There are many people who will say that you will truly know and understand what is going on at your facilities when you drop in unannounced or call. You can remotely check in on how the business is doing, but there is more to running and understanding a business than the black and white. You have to get in there and feel how the business is being run. Schedule some time, call and walk into your self storage facilities.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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It is always a good idea for a manager to check up on their managers and staff. For a manager to not know what is going on in their own store is not a good idea. If you are a manager of a region or territory and you have not been inside one of your stores, you should be ashamed of yourself. Some managers just think they can have a secret shopping team inform the manager on what is going on at their storage facilities. That is not good enough. You need a first hand account on what is happening in your store.

For the most part your team at your locations should know your voice and see your face. So the idea of secret shopping them might seem crazy to you. This is not a suggestion to secret shop your facilities daily to the point where as soon as you walk or call they stiffen up and try to do what their duties are. This is a simple suggestion to call ever so often to hear what your team sounds like on the phone and also make unannounced visits to your facility. This way you can see how they interact with customers as you pretend to be one. This is a great way to really know how good they are doing for you without having to really on someone else to do the job for you.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Secret shopping companies are definitely out there trying to ensure that every company has the opportunity to ensure their business is running smoothly. Self storage companies use secret shopping companies for the reasons to ensure their customers are being taken care of, the right things are being sold, the facility is clean, and the customers are greeted with a smile. The managers at the self storage facilities never know which of their potential customers are going to be shoppers. They have to be on their toes at all times.

One of the things on their secret shopping assessment could be did they offer you tips on how to move their belongings. If the property manager does not offer such tips, they could score low on that part of the assessment. So they can give tips like the ones below.

When moving dressers, keep the draws in it to keep it sturdy. Not all dressers are built well and the drawers keep the piece of furniture from breaking during the move. Now of course the people who have decided to buy furniture that is sturdy might want to remove the drawers because the dresser could be really heavy. Do tests on the dresser or even the end tables before you move them into the truck? If you take out the drawers and the furniture is flimsy you might want to keep the drawers in.

Save all your weekly newspapers at least a few weeks before you are going to pack. This will save you some money on buying packing supplies. In the past people didn’t have bubble wrap to wrap their belongings, they used newspaper. Newspaper is still a good buffer between items when packing and moving. Plus it is free. Depending on your budget, you might want to save the newspaper that comes to your home.

For pillow top mattresses lay them down instead of putting them on their side, it helps to keep for buckling. Most people pay a lot for their pillow top mattresses so they do not want them to get messed up during the move. It is not always easy to get them to their original form after they have buckled and been that way for hours. Sometimes you might have room at the top of the moving truck for your pillow top mattress to go. Plan how you want things to go into the truck and you will good.

Secret shoppers have to be honest and not hold anything back when it comes to grading self storage facilities on what is asked of them. So if they come in to the facility and do not get help on how to pack their belongings, the facility will receive a low grade. The owners and managers of those facilities expect their workers to get a particular score on their shops in order to stay employed.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Many people are actually quite excited to do a mystery shop and to give their opinion. Giving your opinion to someone or a company that will actually take what you say and potentially make changes, makes you feel good. Everyone wants their voice to be heard and everyone wants to feel as though they are making a significant change somewhere. In the world of secret shopping, there are fair amount of people that want to get involved but are not sure how to do so. They also do not know what kind of things are required to do a shop or what kind of business are asking for the opinions of these shoppers.

The great thing about secret shopping is that everyone needs to know what the general public thinks about their business. They want to know exactly what their issues are and what they need to do to change those opinions. It does not matter what type of industry it is that is needing a shop done. The thing that could make it tricky is how do you do a shop for some of these companies who are requesting shops. In all honestly, every company has some sort of way they communicate with the general public or their customers. Even the people who distribute just to business, they are asked to be secret shopped as well. They need to know how they can improve their customer relations just like those who deal with the general public.

Whether it is a factory, self storage, an investment company or many other companies, they want to know how they are viewed. The secret shopper will be asked to either walk into their establishment, call on the one, write an email or even reply to a banner add on the internet. There are many different ways a person business can be shopped and every business could benefit from being shopped. When you sign on to do secret shopping, just ensure you know exactly what the business is asking of you and do your best to give them a great example of what a customer would think.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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N o one wants to be taken for a fool and especially when it comes to losing money. There are plenty of people out there who are interested in getting rich quickly and they do not always measure out the risk that is involved. So they get involved in some kind of scheme that will hopefully bring them the amount of cash flow they were expecting. They are so excited about the potential money making opportunity that they do not always read the fine print or listen carefully to what is being said. You should never pay anything or sign your name on the dotted line if you do not know what you are getting involved with.

There are so many scams out there that take innocent people for a ride and they have a hard time trying to recover from it. This is especially true in the secret shopping world. There are some companies out there who will try to scam you and try to take your money to deepen their pockets and make your pockets lighter. Typically as a person who is looking to do some secret shops, you do not have to pay membership dues or monthly costs in order to do the secret shops. If a company is asking you for money on a consistent basis, that company is probably scamming you.

No do not get me wrong, there are a couple of companies out there that actually are legit and they do require a onetime membership fee. So make sure that you ask plenty of questions and understand where that money is going. It is completely ok to maybe pay a small onetime fee if you get many different opportunities to do a shop. Look at the longevity of the secret shopping company. You want to make sure that you getting involved with a company that has been around for a long time. Typically when you see a company has been doing secret shopping for decades, you feel a little more comfortable giving them membership dues without feeling you are being scammed. Be careful out there and do your research.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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How would you feel if everything that you were doing on your job was being graded? Would that typically make you nervous or would you feel like nothing is wrong because you feel your level of service is superior. It is definitely great to have the confidence that all that you are doing a great job, but what would happen to your confidence if a customer that you were serving gave you a bad grade? For many people, that would be a blow to your psyche but you have to get back out there and help the next person.

Some management personnel decide to tell each associate that they are being secret shopped every customer, every night. They do that because they do not want their service personnel to get stagnant in their service and let something slide. They want their servers to get a great grade from each person they serve. Of course there are not many people who go out there and aim to make each customer their serve angry or upset. Many people want to hear how great of a job they are doing.

Secret shopping is in place to let a customer service agent and the company they are representing know how a customer feels about the level of service they receive. Most of the time the store, or the corporate office, deems how they want each agent to be graded and how they want that agent to find out their grades. These secret shoppers aim to be as positive but helpful as possible. Not every agent will take the comments well. In fact there are many agents that will take offense to not getting a perfect score. They will have to put their pride aside in order to improve the next time they serve a customer.

You could go months without getting a review from a customer, and it is natural to let your guard down. It would seem as though when you let your guard down, that customer is judging you on this particular night. Secret shopping is not limited to in person. You could be graded the next time you answer the phone. Typically the company will let each agent know what they are being graded on so they know how to impress their customers. That gives them the advantage if there is one.

The secret to being great each time you serve a customer is actually care. Most times when service is not up to par is when the service agent is not paying attention or caring about the customer they are serving. Good customer is service is not rocket science, but it would appear that many people believe it to be.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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In every business or group, someone has to be in charge. Even if there is leadership by committee there is still someone that most of the rest of the group looks up to or wants their opinion. This is just how it is. When a decision has to be made and there is not a unanimous decision from the rest of the group, someone has to make the final decision.  In addition that person in charge there has to be someone that keeps everything organized and keeps good records of what the business does. Each person has to be trustworthy and have the best intentions for the company on their minds.  With that said, everyone has to be completely honest with one another.

It should go without saying that honesty needs to be first and foremost in any business, but so many businesses fail because someone in an important part of the business made a bad decision. They want to make the company appear as they are doing better than they are actually doing. Then when it is time to report the bottom line, someone outside the company is wondering how their profit is possible. For this reason many smart companies have someone outside of the fold come in and audit the company. This would be someone who has not ties to the company and can give the owners a very accurate report.

This is similar reason that companies have secret shoppers come in and give their opinion of their business. These secret shoppers will let the company know what is really going on in their company. Not many people know that someone is grading them, their product or their services. This is one of the best ideas that have been presented to the business world. Many companies tighten up when the boss comes into one of their stores, but they cannot pretend they know that every customer they talk to is a secret shopper.  This gives the company a very accurate view of how their company is doing in the eyes of the public. When the outside company sends over their report, the shopped company has to take it seriously. This is just a sample of what more people could potentially feel about the company being shopped.

In the business world there are many decisions being made that not all people will agree with, but the decision still has to be made. Every owner has to able to examine their business and see what changes need to be made. Everything needs to be honest findings or else it will catch up with them in the future. There is nothing like an external company informing you of what can improve for you business. The hard thing may have to be to figure out how to make the necessary changes to improve your business. Sometimes the truth hurts but honestly will keep your business afloat in the long run.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Companies will pay regular everyday people just like you to come to their restaurant or place of business to see what you actually think of them. They want you to put your consumer cap on and actually go through the whole process as if you wanted their product. There are many people who feel that there is no such job available, but why is it so hard to believe?

A company will need some kind of check and balance system that can help them figure out if what they are doing is working well and the public wants their product. So they will actually hire people to give them their honest opinions. They want these honest opinions to see what they need to change about their company. Companies will take these opinions seriously especially if multiple people have the same suggestions. With these suggestions and opinions a business could make some important changes to their business which could help their business grow.

Would it surprise you if your current company has a secret shopping program in place that you did not know about? It should not surprise you that your company took the necessary steps to ensure the future of the company. With a secret shopping program, the company will be able to get a snapshot of the level of service their customers are getting. They will also be able to correct any issues quickly before a fair number of people make valid complaints.

If you see companies looking for secret shoppers, if interested, you should check it out. This is a legit business that many companies are asking for to check their systems. There are secret shoppers for every industry and can perform the shop many different ways.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

Tweet This Post 

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

Tweet This Post 

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

Tweet This Post 

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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