A few things we've learned
A few things we learned about self storage from taking hundreds of thousands of reservations and making thousands of secret shopping calls.
- Three out of ten calls to self storage companies are greeted by a busy signal or voicemail during business hours. Yes, that is during business hours. It is something like 7 out of 10 after hours.
- Only two out of ten people who answer the phone at self storage facilities are prepared to “sell”. When only asked , “How late are you open?” by a secret shopper, only two out of ten self storage staff members will ask if the caller needs storage.
- Self Storage companies using PhoneSmart to answer their missed phone calls and increase their number of rentals by 10 to 15%.
- Self Storage companies using PhoneSmart for sales training and secret shopping can increase their sales conversion ratios by 10 to 15%.
We recently called 100 apartment communities in a third tier market college town during normal office hours.
66% of the apartment communities answered the phone.
34% of the apartment community calls went to voicemail.
- 24% of the apartment community staff people that answered the phone said their complexes were full. All told our survey callers to try back at a later time.
- 48% of the apartment staff people that answered the phone, answered by only saying the name of the community, without a professional greeting.
- 21% of the apartment community staff people that answered the phone, asked some sort of qualifying question
- 21% of the apartment community agents that answered the phone invited the caller in for a site visit.
- 13% of the apartment community leasing agents that answered the phone actually attempted to and did schedule the appointment.
- 8% of the apartment community employees that answered the phone were able to accomplish all of these basic leasing skill actions:
- answer the phone with a pleasant greeting
- give their name
- smile
- qualify the caller
- invite the caller for a community visit
- set an appointment.
Contact PhoneSmart today and start working towards 100% effectiveness.
