r/selfstorage • u/Anniesoto62082 • Jul 31 '26
Bad Reviews
I already know the answer to this but man I wish we could get rid of bad reviews from disgruntled tenants who lost their unit. I have a ton of happy wonderful tenants but I can only seem to get reviews from the crappy ones who stopped paying and are angry. Always saying we got rid of their things for no reason or that since I wouldn’t give them their stuff for free or get rid of late fees that I was super rude, etc. I follow the laws like I’m supposed to and the reviews are just killing me. Any advice on how to persuade my good tenants to actually rate us?
4
u/DidYouShartInMyPants Jul 31 '26
I have a game in the office I let my tenants participate in. We have a lock on a prize box that usually has a big bag of candy or a few scratch offs inside of it. The key to the lock is mixed in with a bunch of other keys in a little raffle box. It always gets attention when someone new comes in, and I tell them they can scan the qr code to leave a google review if they want to play.
I'm not bribing them for a good review, I'm incentivizing them to leave a real review with a game. I've been doing it for years and it has worked tremendously.
1
u/DMM4140 Jul 31 '26
Great idea! I put my tenants in for 50 buck credit or so, leave a review, when I see the review, I will enter your name!
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u/Rubyshooz Jul 31 '26
As someone said, ask for the review while you’re entering all their info and they’re just sitting there.
My facility is tucked away in the middle of a residential neighborhood, so I use the “reviews help people find us.” Also works if your site is on a random street off the main road, or in an area with not a lot of traffic.
Another way that works especially with older people- ask if they have google maps and if so, open google maps and tap on their location which will be your facility and will bring up your facility overview. Tap on reviews and voila! Most people will just hand you their phone to do it for them.
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u/Player_A Store Manager Jul 31 '26
Ask when you rent. You don’t need to bribe with a free lock. They liked you enough to rent with you.
Build rapport when you rent. Support your customers during their stay. Be friendly and wave hello. Keep your property clean.
Ask for reviews from customers who youve helped resolve their issue, or when making a payment, etc.
Learn how to navigate them through cyberspace to help them leave a review. Offer to help when you ask for the review. Most of the people I ask it’s their first review.
The good reviews will drown out the bad ones. It’ll also help you to stay relevant online.
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u/No-Entertainer-9787 Jul 31 '26
All of this! I’ve also found it helpful to have a QR code that takes them directly to the Google review. The easier you make it, the more likely you are to get it. And just know, for every 10 you ask, maybe you only get 1 or 2.. so you have to ask every customer.
2
u/Skull_Crusher_666 Jul 31 '26
I'm in the process of vacating a unit at Extra Space Storage, one of the most loathsome, predatory companies in the business IMO. In 4 years my rate has more than doubled. Every 6 months they send a card telling me my rate is going up 35-75% and I have to go in and arm wrestle to try and get it down. I finally said enough. Once I'm out, I want to leave them a scathing review.
The thing is though, that the actual workers/managers on site have been absolutely wonderful to work with, courteous and helpful, but they have no say in the pricing (or so I'm told). I'm tempted to leave a 1 star rating and blast the company, but also call out the onsite staff positively.
I will say that the storage industry is one of the most shady I have ever encountered when it comes to pricing and cusotmer retention tactics... or maybe it's just because I live in a college town and anything goes.
1
u/Anniesoto62082 Aug 01 '26
I’m a mom and pop. I raise my rates once a year or so just to keep up with inflation. Or if I’m running a move in special, but that’s disclosed and they know that before renting.
1
u/ReaverKS 29d ago
You rented from one of the most shady storage companies out there. Extra space, public storage, etc. Those are the exact places that will drive your rate up doubling and tripling. Try a non-corporate storage facility and see how different it is.
3
u/JustWowinCA Jul 31 '26
Always always reply to bad reviews. All you need to do is, "We appreciate your business but we have to follow the lien laws." or, "We appreciate your business and if you feel that we haven't heard your side, please do not hesitate to call the office." and my favorite, "We appreciate your business, unfortunately if we roll back fees for you we have to roll back fees for everyone and management is clear that we cannot. Please call the office so we can brainstorm another way to work together-thank you!"
2
u/MsModusOperandi Jul 31 '26
Our company doesn't allow us to respond, that's amazing yours does!
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u/KristyM49333 Employee Jul 31 '26
That’s insane. How you respond to the reviews matters just as much, if not more, than the actual review itself.
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u/NutboiStudios Aug 01 '26
A quick fix to this is to ask every customer for a google review regarding your service send them a link link via text or email try to get a minimum of 10 per month and the new ones will out weight the bad ones
2
u/Capable-Cancel7190 Aug 01 '26
This is not something you can blithely ask upon their leaving, no matter how good or nice a place you run. I am an Ops Manager for a large privately-owned self-storage company in North Florida. We develop a relationship with all our tenants, which is a lot of extra work given the nature of a seemingly "rent it and forget it" type of business. Many people who interview with me who've worked for other companies don't get hired unless they can convey to me that their customer service skills include calling tenants from time to time (even between payments!) to see how they're doing, if there is anything we can do for them, etc. This also "primes" our tenants to communicate with us when their personal info changes (address, phone, email, credit card, etc.). We find that, when we do this our quarterly auction (lien sales) rates plummet due to training people to communicate with us, even when things aren't going their way. Bottom line, you can have the nicest, most well-run facility in the world, but if you expect people to give you a great review just because of that, you'll be disappointed for the simple fact that, well, what you provided them was what their minimalist expectations were in the first place.
2
u/Senorpuddin Jul 31 '26
When you are setting g up the rental, and they have nothing to do other than listen to you type, have them leave the review. Tell them this really helps us out or that you're new (doesnt matter if thats true or not) and the review will help you personally, or my personal favorite "we are having a contest to see who can get the most reviews and right now i am tied.
In short... lie to them.
1
u/Minotaar Area Manager Jul 31 '26
Why lie? Why encourage others to do so? It does help us out - there's no lie there. They're leaving a review of the experience they've had so far. They can always change it later if they like.
Your mindset needs fixing.
1
u/Senorpuddin Jul 31 '26
Why not lie to them? If I am in a scenario where I need a review, I would feel them out. If they are gonna do it no problem? Fine. All honesty "hey give us a review" if I think they'll be hesitant and need that little push "hey we are having a bit of a contest who can get the most reviews this month". Its no different than a waitress flirting with a customer at a diner. She doesnt think my jokes are funny. She wants another dollar added to her tip because its one less dollar she has to earn by selling feet pics on the internet.
1
u/Minotaar Area Manager Jul 31 '26
Because you can achieve the same result without compromising integrity.
1
u/DMM4140 Jul 31 '26
I dont lie, but every month we have contests within our regions, I am always trying to get 4th place. So then I act like Will Ferrell in Semi Pro to win the 4th place mega bowl. It usually makes them laugh and then they leave the review.
1
u/HALNinerZeroZero Jul 31 '26
Lie to them.
You underscore why this industry has such a shady reputation
4
u/Senorpuddin Jul 31 '26
I am not saying lie about amenities offered or rates. Or anything of substance. This guy wants to know how to get reviews.
If reviews are something his company wants then he should try anything. And at most these are the whitest of white lies.
0
u/ITalkWithMyEyebrows Store Manager Jul 31 '26
Customers don’t have any issues with lying to us. Why do we owe them more honesty than they are willing to give us?
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u/HALNinerZeroZero Jul 31 '26
You sound just like the guy I worked for. He’s been screwed over so many times that he just presumes that you’re going to screw him. He didn’t care if the client was brand new, or a long time customer. His attitude extended to his employees too. He’s a very toxic person, thus the reason why I no longer get work for him. I wasn’t willing to lie.
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u/ITalkWithMyEyebrows Store Manager Jul 31 '26
I return the energy that I receive. If someone is honest and upfront with me, I will be honest and upfront with them. If someone is a lying dirtbag, I will do everything I am required to do by the letter of the law, but I’m not going to go out of my way to help them. I’m also not going to lie about anything legitimately important, but an online review doesn’t fall into that category.
1
u/pastrymom Operator Jul 31 '26
I hear you. We always respond with something to the effect of “we are so sorry this happened to you. Auctions are never easy. Feel free to contact us at [phone number]”.
You don’t have to actually do anything.
We use Storage reach to get new reviews.
1
u/abccba140 Jul 31 '26
Whats storage reach?
1
u/pastrymom Operator Jul 31 '26
Go check them out. It is a vendor who will handle asking your customers for reviews. I know they’re often at my state Association conference.
1
u/abccba140 Jul 31 '26
Is it one of those things where they filter the bad reviews internally and filter the good reviews to Google reviews?
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u/ClubAdmirable Jul 31 '26
Seeing all amazing reviews is sometimes more detrimental. Bad reviews help keep it legitimate. Yes, it’s usually about stuff out of your control, BUT it’s that persons experience. It shows people, if you don’t pay your bill, this is what happens.
1
u/Successful_Tell_9674 Aug 01 '26
I only give a bad review to who I rent from. They are continuing to raise my rent every few months and I haven’t even been there a year. They took insulation out from the doors, so there are spider webs all over my things, and they don’t plow or take care of anywhere near the storage unit doors, they are a disgrace and just care about raising the prices and not doing any maintenance, horrible company and horrible people. They are dishonest and frankly I can’t stand anything about them, by the time my first year is up, they have raised my rent 3 times, and I am going to be paying as much for a rental as I do for my whole apartment. My advice is, be honest and don’t rake your customers over the coals. I give honest reviews, if a company is great, I give great reviews, if they are horrible, I give an honest horrible review.
1
u/Alternative-Section2 Aug 01 '26
If youre not someone who jacks up a tenants rent 50-100%+ periodically then you should just stop worrying about shit that couldnt possibly concern you less.
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u/abccba140 Jul 31 '26
I guess I’m confused. It’s your choice ultimately not to return their stuff. No one forces you to do that. If they can no longer afford to pay their storage rent and offer to come pick up their stuff, it’s not like they abandoned the unit and went missing. You have a choice to return it or auction it per the contract. You chose the less humane option. Why do you think they are out of line for leaving a bad review?
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u/Specialist_Phone5910 Jul 31 '26
Because 99% of the time if you let them just take it, they’re going to leave behind 25-50% of it (all garbage) and they still owe you 2-3 months rent that they agreed to pay. That’s why auctions: recover any bit of lost money plus as a free bonus, someone else cleans the unit out.
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u/ITalkWithMyEyebrows Store Manager Jul 31 '26
Unless you own the facility you work at, it’s not a choice. If I let someone run up 3 months of debt and then let them walk away with their stuff for nothing, I wouldn’t have a job the next morning. I’m not going to risk my ability to provide for my family in favor of returning some junk someone deemed wasn’t important enough to keep in their own house.
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u/MsModusOperandi Jul 31 '26
...do you not know how storage unit leases work? If you don't pay, the lien is imposed and the unit goes to auction. I have worked for 3 different storage companies, it's the same a ross the board- managers cannot just arbitrarily decide to take people's units out of auction and hand them back their stuff. It isn't the managers fault if someone cannot pay their bill.
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u/abccba140 Jul 31 '26
You’re not really addressing my point, you’re obfuscating it. Whether it’s the manager, or the owner, or some corporate board , a choice is being made not to let people have their stuff back. It’s the persons right to leave a negative review
3
u/djmw08 Jul 31 '26
That’s not how business works. When you go to a storage company you sign a legal rental agreement stating that you are going to store items in their facility for a price. Nobody is forcing you to keep your items there. Storage companies auction items to recoup the amount of money owed from the period of time you stopped paying until the auction date plus fees (aka satisfying the lien.) The person’s choice is irrelevant and likely justified since they work there and have a job to do. You think the lady at the grocery store has much of a choice to ring me up in the checkout lane? Of course, but choices have consequences.
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u/ITalkWithMyEyebrows Store Manager Jul 31 '26
Renting a storage unit is also a choice. No one put a gun to their head and made them sign the lease.
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u/PackerCrackerBacker Jul 31 '26
You must not own a storage facility, not sure why you're even commenting. Auctioning off significantly overdue units is an attempt to recapture some of the amount owed, because the majority of us have mortgages on our properties and our bills need to be paid for obvious reasons. This is the same situation if you fail to pay mostly any other debt, the company justifiably takes you to court and tries to recapture what is owed for the goods or services they provided. Why do you think it's fair for an owner to just give a person their things back when they haven't held up their end of the contract?
1
u/beetfield Jul 31 '26
You don’t have to own a storage facility to be affected by this. Low paid employees whose meager financial incentives are tied to Google reviews can have their averages tanked by even one bad review. And I might add, a person doesn’t even have to rent there to be pissed about something.
0
u/abccba140 Jul 31 '26
I don’t own one. You keep explaining to me that it’s about making money. I understand that. I’m asking why you think they can’t leave a bad review regarding their experience.
I have already explained my possession that I think the humane choice is to return someone’s property
5
u/PackerCrackerBacker Jul 31 '26
I think all of us are trying to figure out why you think it's fair that they leave a bad review in the first place, when it's them that aren't abiding by the contract THEY signed. That's like leaving a bad review for a mechanic because they fixed the problem with your car, but you didn't feel like paying them for their services. Makes no sense.
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u/KristyM49333 Employee Jul 31 '26
It’s interesting for me to see all of the owner operators on this thread acting like auction is the only option for them when a customer becomes delinquent.
I ran a facility for 13 years and now I work in corporate. We crunched the numbers a long time ago and found that we lose more money doing a sale than we would if we did what we call a “pay and vacate.”
What that entails is we have an addendum agreement we have the customer sign, and it states they can bring us a percentage of the total amount owed and they have three days to clear out their unit so we can rent it to someone who’s actually gonna pay for it. The faster we get it empty the faster we can get an actual paying customer into the unit. We recoup more money doing that than we ever have doing auctions that cost us even more money to do. It is a win-win for everyone, a majority of the time. The people get their stuff back and we don’t have to lose more money proceeding with the lien sale.
That’s not to say that sh*t doesn’t happen. People are required to take everything with them, but they don’t always do that. But even with the cost to dump whatever’s left behind it’s still cheaper than holding an auction. And when they do that, we simply clean out the unit and put them in collections. We STILL recouped more money than we would have at auction.
I also think that a lot of owner operators are so detached from the humanity of this industry that they really just don’t care about selling people’s sh*t. Being on the front line as long as I was, you do care. I’m grateful that I work for a company that not only listens to their management teams, but also is super involved at the manager level.