In The Public Eye
an attorney to write and/or deliver their message to the press and public. At Cox’s Armored Mini Storage Manage- ment, Gibson is the point of contact for the press; she gives two reasons for filling the position. First, you never know what managers may say, so they could be instructed to simply supply a “no comment” to media inquiries. She’s also independent from the situations that arise, unlike the on-site managers, which gives her an unbiased point of view about the circumstances. If Gibson is uncertain about how to handle an incident, she reaches out to the SSA and state self-storage associations for guid- ance from peers who may have dealt with similar situations.
It’s worth noting that not all incidents
need to be public knowledge. For exam- ple, a small fire that only affects two or three tenants may not be worth mention- ing to anyone besides the impacted individuals. Conversely, in the event of
a catastrophic fire, Fritts says it may be beneficial to notify the public about how the issue was handled through an advertisement. This could help repair a sullied public image while generating brand awareness.
“You don’t want to draw attention
to the facility,” says Mixon. Then again, as she points out, a surprising amount of people listen to police scanners and post about those calls on various social media platforms. Remember: Just because you haven’t formally mentioned it, doesn’t mean people aren’t aware that it occurred.
Finally, though not a requirement,
it is considerate to provide affected tenants with information about filing insurance claims. Property manag- ers at a facility in Chicago that Mixon managed took that approach when the sprinkler system malfunctioned and flooded 600 to 700 units. They obtained
two large whiteboards, one for listing impacted tenants with storage insurance and the other for listing impacted tenants without insurance. Packets of insurance paperwork were then distributed to the insured tenants. They also hired a guard to patrol the hallways while the units were open for inspection in order to prevent additional liabilities.
Make It Right While most tenants are generally under- standing about damages sustained from natural disasters, and those with storage insurance or protection plans can often- times receive compensation, there are times when the facility should find a way to rectify the situation. Mixon offers a few examples of “making it right” for custom- ers. She mentions that an earthquake in Napa Valley, Calif., shifted one building so significantly that some tenants waited over a year to retrieve their belongings from their units. Needless to say, they were less than thrilled with that lengthy time frame, even though their safety was the priority.
“Try to negotiate a deal,” says Mixon.
“Sometimes we ask them, ‘What can we do to make it right?’” In her experi- ence, many customers simply want a few months of free rent to offset the inconvenience.
Owner-operators may prefer to wait for
the insurance companies to pay out claims, but that could be a waiting game that ends up damaging your facility’s reputa- tion. “Reimburse them for their troubles,” Mixon says. “Try to make it right.”
She also believes owner-operators
should compensate customers who expe- rience break-ins without forced entry. Since insurance companies will not pay break-in claims that have no visible signs of forced entry, and few people will waste time lying about a theft and filing a claim for cash, Mixon feels paying tenants for their losses generates goodwill. “Give them something to keep it out of court,” she says.
Gibson agrees, recalling a time when a water pressure issue within a city pipe
46 August 2023 •
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