Kyleen Andrews National Storage Centers


Bloomfield East, Pontiac, Mich. By Erica Shatzer


fortably wear many hats throughout their workday. They accomplish a variety of tasks with ease, build rapport with their tenants, and provide unrivaled customer service to everyone who walks through the facility’s front doors, calls the office, or sends an inquiry via email. Although finding these “jacks of all


W


trades” can be difficult, sometimes they discover self-storage while searching for for a job that would put their varied skills to good use. This was the case for Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Pogoda Companies, which operates self-storage facilities under its National Storage Centers brand, when Kyleen Andrews was looking for a change of pace from food service 4.5 years ago.


Time For Change Andrews had 4.5 years of experience as a


Tim Hortons manager under her belt when she decided to pursue a more professional career outside the restaurant industry— one where customers wouldn’t berate her over coffee not being to their liking. She then stumbled upon a property manager position at a National Storage Center facil- ity. Thinking it would be a good fit, she applied for the job, accepted it, and has been growing with Pogoda Companies ever since. Now at her second location, National


Storage Centers – Bloomfield East, a 321- unit property in Pontiac, Mich., Andrews has successfully upgraded the site and her station within the company. When Pogoda Companies acquired that location three years ago, it was is in “sad” shape, with an occupancy rate of only 44 percent, but Andrews was ready to roll up her sleeves and help turn it into a profitable part of the company’s portfolio. After Pogoda Companies removed 12


units from the property to create parking, Andrews assisted with several aspects of


the facility’s renovation. Conscientious FIRST QUARTER 2022


remove walls. “I love learning new things,” says Andrews, who thoroughly enjoyed working alongside the various contractors throughout the process. In addition to keeping costs to a mini-


mum, she was concerned about saving people time. She carried out smaller site duties, such as counting columns and tak- ing photos, so supervisors wouldn’t have to take time out of their busy schedules to complete them. Three years later, the single-story, drive-


up facility is considered stabilized, with an occupancy rate of approximately 94 percent.


Service With A Smile Of course, an updated facility alone doesn’t


double the occupancy rate. To rent up more than half the facility, Andrews relied on one steadfast rule when interacting with customers: “Kill them with kindness.” But bringing that kind of A-game to


customer service is effortless for Andrews, who loves building rapport with customers. “Most of my customers are sweet,” she


says, adding that some even stop by the office to bring her coffee and chit chat. “I see many of them monthly when they pay the rent.” She goes on to say that


talking to


customers like they aren’t strangers helps people feel comfortable with her, especially those who are renting due to unfortunate circumstances. Though her friendly dispo- sition attracts customers, there have been a few instances when customers have attempted to take advantage of her good nature. For instance, Andrews allowed a tenant to slide on a late fee one time, then that repeat defaulter continually requested late-fee forgiveness. Obviously, she could not honor his appeals due to a company policy that only allows property managers to waive one late fee per customer per year. Chalking that situation up as a learning


experience, Andrews has made it a point to treat all customers the same. “I try not to play favorites,” she says. However, when asked about a time that she’s gone above and beyond for a customer, Andrews recalls one tenant who she assisted with


Self-Storage NOW! 35


ithin the self-storage industry, the most standout property manag- ers have the innate ability to com-


about costs,


she took it upon herself


to paint


the bathroom and make any minor repairs she could han- dle on her own. She also worked with


contractors


to replace doors, upgrade the office, and


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