alligatorstorage.co.uk » Blog » What To Look For When Choosing A Self Storage Operator
Our Blog
What to Look for When Choosing a Self Storage Operator
January 2012 (2)December 2011 (9)
November 2011 (20)
October 2011 (14)
September 2011 (14)
August 2011 (12)
July 2011 (9)
June 2011 (13)
May 2011 (3)
April 2011 (4)
February 2011 (1)
December 2010 (3)
November 2010 (1)
October 2010 (10)
September 2010 (6)
August 2010 (2)
July 2010 (1)
June 2010 (6)
May 2010 (3)
What to Look for When Choosing a Self Storage Operator
Posted 27 July 2010What to Look for When Choosing a Self Storage Operator
In recent years, the Self Storage Industry has become increasingly competitive. Throughout the UK, large industrial buildings have been converted and now are occupied by rows of cupboards full of “stuff”. Gone are the days when you could convert any old building into a self storage centre, stick a warehouse man into the office and wait for the customers to come!
Today, buildings are custom built for self storage, are operated by highly trained staff and their services are tailored to meet each customer’s requirement. So what are the key things to look for when choosing an operator? The points made below enable you to consider your options and make a measured decision on “where to store your belongings?”
Price
Price is clearly a driver in choosing a self storage centre but most operators will “price match” and this takes away this competitive edge. However, it is important to make sure you are comparing apples with apples. For example, you can be quoted a price on a 4 weekly basis or on a monthly basis: they sound the same but depending on the month, are longer. Where the space you are offered storage is physically located within the centre, can also reflect on the price. A room on the top floor with roof beams running through it will always likely be cheaper than one on the ground floor but not necessarily easier to use!
Size of Room
This is a difficult concept for most people to understand and therefore relating size of room to price. The key here is to establish “what” you want to store and then have the operator help you decide upon your room size. Operators with well trained staff will be able to estimate very accurately and suggest a room size, giving you the best value for money. You also need to check that if your needs change during your stay, will other sizes be available? If you want to store more or less then this gives you the flexibility to change the contract and again achieve value for money.
Quality of Staff
Storage Centre staff are key. Remember, you are entrusting them with your worldly belongings. If they are slap-dash and unprofessional it is could be construed that “the things that matter to you” when storing your goods, are not being taken in to account by the staff: are the gutters being cleared to stop flooding,are the corridors and loading bays clean to stop rodents occupying the building, is the yard secure and are the gates and doors locked at night to protect your belongings? These are all key jobs that staff in a storage centre must attend to. If staff within the centre give you the impression they “don’t care” avoid that particular storage facility.
There are numerous things to think about when storing your belongings however, the above three points will make sure that you have thought through the key components and enable you to make your calculated decision.
0 Comments | Posted By Alligator in Self Storage Centres
