In The Public Eye
caused a water line attached to the older facility’s cooler to burst and flood the basement floor. Even though some of the impacted tenants had insurance policies in place, the insurance provider denied their claims because the facil- ity was not liable for the damage. She asks, “How do you turn it around?” Besides being empathetic in these situ- ations, owner-operators could attempt to neutralize the negativity by providing compensation.
To “make it right” with your communi-
ty and improve your facility’s reputation, consider a post-incident act of kindness, such as a donation to the first respond- ers, a nonprofit organization that was affected by the event, or a relevant char- ity. For instance, it would be altruistic to make a donation to the fire depart- ment and/or start a collection drive for a local homeless shelter after a homeless person’s hot plate caused a fire.
Address Reviews In addition to bad publicity, Gibson reminds owner-operators that unsavory situations will likely generate negative reviews online. However, effectively responding to negative reviews shows potential tenants that you care about your business and your customers. Her protocol for responding to negative reviews includes ensuring that the reviewer is or was a tenant, asking the facility manager to clarify the circumstances surrounding the review, and appropriately responding to the review. Here are a few of her tips for responding to negative reviews:
• Give people grace. Remember that tenants may be dealing with a traumatic situation and any minor inconvenience could push them to post a negative review.
• Show empathy when it’s appropriate. Everyone wants to feel like they matter and that someone cares about their experience.
• Gather more information. Additional details will help you determine how to respond and correct the issue(s).
• Apologize. Whether you are at fault or not, a sincere apology is usually appreciated.
• Don’t allow others to interpret the reviews. In her responses, Gibson tries to explain the situ- ation to the reviewer (and the public) by dictating company poli- cies and stating applicable laws. This was especially helpful when one deceased tenant’s daughter “went off” on the facility in a review after she was not permit- ted to empty his unit without proper documentation.
• Do what’s right. Gibson once flagged a reviewer who claimed he would commit suicide over the treatment he received at the facility.
• Remain professional. “Don’t stoop to their level,” she says about reviewers who resort to insults and name calling when mentioning managers in reviews.
• Use facts instead of emotions. Gibson reiterates that it is always best to respond in a factual way instead using an emotional response.
Wait And Update As you wait for the dust to settle, keep in mind that people will forget what happened once the next big thing comes along. And whilst you pick up the pieces, think about what could have possibly kept the incident from occurring. Perhaps there are some site improvements, upgrades, and/or new procedures that could better protect your business, custom- ers, employees, and reputation. You can’t eliminate all perils, but an ounce of prevention is absolutely worth a pound of cure!
Erica Shatzer is the editor of Mini-Storage Messenger,
Self-Storage Now!, Self-
Storage Canada, and the annual Self- Storage Almanac.
48 August 2023 •
MiniStorageMessenger.com
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