25 Mar 2020
Remember that friend who would always wash their hands while at work, routinely as they were socializing, and never missed a beat to to whip out hand sanitizer before any snack?
The current state of Coronavirus has the entire world paying a bit more attention to how many times they touch their phone, their face, or even their keyboard. In the blink of an eye the term “social distancing” has slotted itself into our vocabulary with everyday use.
Self storage facilities across the country are well aware that a nation of citizens simply don’t want to touch anything at the moment.
Store Space Self Storage is one of many storage companies to take swift action during the ongoing pandemic.
"We needed to find a way to provide the same level of access and customer service while limiting exposure to COVID-19 for both customers and employees." stated CEO Chris Harris.
This week, their team introduced “Touchless Rentals” as an immediate method to avoid physical contact across all of their facility locations. Customers can now complete all new reservations and existing payments through the company’s website StoreSpace.com.
The team leveraged Storage360° to be able to complete contracts online without the need for in-person contact.
Meanwhile, Life Storage just announced a new generation of their existing RentNow platform that has already allowed customers to rent without interacting with a person. They've even updated their homepage to reinforce this messaging.
The Radius+ team had the opportunity to break down Life Storage’s Rent Now platform just this past year, to discover how their technology creates an incredibly seamless user experience for new tenants. Yup, its all contactless. (You can watch that video here.)
"We are pleased to provide an enhanced contact-free, skip-the-counter service to our prospective customers, including students as they transition off campus, in these challenging times," said Life Storage CEO Joe Saffire.
"With almost 25% of rentals coming through Rent Now last week, this alternative promotes the health and safety of our teammates and customers, while continuing to meet their storage needs."
Beyond Self Storage also reinforced their contact-less capabilities this week, remarking on their existing online reservation system, remote customer support, and touch-less building access.
“We have always had these options, but potential customers are just now starting to see the relevancy of our offerings and are placing greater value on such amenities,” said Lara Anderson, director of marketing.
“We are doing everything we can to flatten the curve,” Anderson added.
OpenTech Alliance has contributed to the conversation as well, seen as a leader in industry kiosks that are a prime technology for practical use in the wake of this deadly virus.
“Self storage operators are doing their best to keep their facilities open for business while also limiting in-person interactions. The ability to rent units online could have a big impact for them,” stated Robert Chiti, Chairman and CEO of OpenTech Alliance.
Self storage already is a unique asset class that comparitably has a lower quantity of physical touch points than most other classes, which is currently serving the industry well. Many facilities across the country already have the technology in place that will allow tenants to access their unit without the need for human interaction.
Timely adaptations to fit customer needs go a long way in any industry. In self storage, customers can continue to practice social distancing even while accessing their important items during this difficult time.
Source: PRNewswire, YahooNews, ISS
Thumbnail: Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
