FACT VS. FICTION
to 10 hours a week are time that could be spent on revenue - generating activity like lead follow-up, making collection calls, fielding customer inquiry calls, marketing activities, and generally spending more time in front of customers.
3. Automation And Rentals/Move-ins - When talking about rental automation it’s important to note that rental and move-in technology doesn’t simply mean moving from on- line reservations to paid-in-full online rentals and mobile move-ins. Instead, online rental technology allows for a fluid buying experience regardless of platform, either com- pleted on a particular device like a mobile phone or con- verting to a rental in stages (i.e., browsing, calling, making a reservation to signing a lease). Automation allows the customer to continue through their journey without having to start over/repeat at each engagement, be it online or in store. This type of technology also means more flexibil- ity for customers. With the right blend of technology en- abled, your store hours no longer dictate move-in windows for tenants. All units can be pre-prepped for online rentals given the right pieces of website, e-lease, and smart entry technology are present.
For first-time renters, accessing a property outside of
business hours can be somewhat daunting without the right tools in place to easily allow them to identify and access their space. Mobile app-technology like tenant wayfinding tools allows new tenants, movers, or shared key users to easily find their space without having to come in the of- fice, call an after-hours call center, or wait until the next day when someone is on site to locate their space. For managers, this means fewer after-hours trips back to the property to help a new tenant find or access their space. Another important factor when considering the impact of rental automation on operations is weighing the benefits of capturing after-hour rentals with maintaining a high level of security. That’s were tools like phone number verifica- tion via texted authentication code and mobile or online ID verification come into play. These tools require that an on- line renter submit their mobile phone number to receive a verification text to login to the mobile app that they’ll use to access the facility and their unit. Additionally, requiring a tenant to upload an image of his/her government issued ID (front, back, and holding next to their face) gives you the ability to virtually authenticate his/her ID without requir- ing they first come into the office. This technology is being leveraged more and more in similar industries and worth- while for both traditionally managed and virtually managed facilities to consider implementing.
4. Automation Of Overlock And Lien Process - Another once mundane and tedious procedure that can now be made automatic in self-storage operations is the overlock- ing and lien process. One of the most important things to
October 2021
consider when it comes to overlocking units and prepping units for auction is the importance of consistency in policy. By leveraging technology, like smart locks on units, the ap- plication of overlocks is instant, and that means tenants don’t have an unauthorized access window to vacate without pay- ments. As mentioned previously, instant overlocking also al- lows for increased employee efficiency; meaning time isn’t being wasted applying locks when it could be better spent on rental and collection efforts. When instant overlocking is paired with online payment capabilities, operations teams on site and via call centers also save time collecting past-due payments because those actions can be completed online or from the mobile app, allowing for facility and unit access to be restored in real time. There is a tremendous amount of labor involved in tenant lock removal during the lien prepara- tion, and drilling locks can even be a safety hazard as it’s a relatively dangerous task for employees who are using power tools to remove tenant locks.
When technology prompts tenant payment and automates
the overlock removal process, it provides an improved tenant experience, especially when delinquency is caused by acci- dental oversight. When a unit does go into auction status, automation tools, like smart unit locks, provide an audit trail for auction by logging each entry into the space. This also gives operators the ability to create and monitor customized access for delinquent units to handle special circumstances like limited manager access for lien preparation, tenant par- tial payments, tenant pay-to-vacate agreements, and auction buyer access.
Automation And Operations When broken down, it’s much easier to see that automation is an operational tool, rather than a management philosophy. It’s certainly true that by automating certain processes, the nature of operations may change with it, but only insofar as efficiencies are gained so that time can be better utilized for customer facing interactions and revenue-generating activi- ties. To recap, here are a few ways that traditionally managed facilities can reap real benefits from automation technology:
1. It helps your team get the most out of a workday, en-
abling you to staff sites by facility visitation and rental traffic while monitoring those sites remotely.
2. It keeps managers focused on revenue-generating tasks
like collections, marketing, and speaking with customers in the rental office and on the phone.
3. It improves visibility and minimizes the risk of employee
theft. It improves the overall security of the site by adding data to incident investigations (activity beyond just entry record, such as specific user information of who was on site when and the potential for wayfinding to track user movement).
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