Guest blogger, Jodie Hill from Rent a Space shares her winning approach to customer service.
In my first year working at Rent a Space, I have learnt the importance of giving my customers an excellence experience and making sure they are completely satisfied. I call it the “Goldilocks” experience, providing every customer the personal service that is “just right” for them.
As the story says, “just right” is not too hot and not too cold. This means something different to every customer. I’m focused on getting customer service “just right” and leaving a great impression. You may not meet me with a smile but you’ll always leave with one of mine.
So when two lovely people came into the office today, their treasures packed up high in a trailer and ready to store, I welcomed them and offered them hand sanitiser (an essential part of the brave new world that is COVID-19). As they had parked their car in front of the gate, no one was going anywhere, lol, so I was keen to help them as efficiently as I could.
He introduced himself and his partner, and explained they’d just called us and reserved a space but wanted to view it before they actually moved their goods in – although they were obviously ready and able to move in right then as the loaded trailer attested.
I assumed he had spoken to our call centre and I tried to retrieve his reservation details but came up with nothing – so I refreshed the system and still could not find any record of the reservation.
As I asked him about the size of the storage unit they had reserved, what they needed to store and the packaging supplies they needed, I made one more attempt to search for their reservation, with no luck. But after listening to their needs, I knew that I had the right size available that would be perfect for them and I asked them to follow me to the unit that I was guessing was the one they had reserved.
On the way, he mentioned that our access hours were 9am-5pm only, which would make it difficult to for them to access their unit in the future without any after-hours access. I explained that our access hours were 6am-9pm every day and we shared a joked about them getting their 9’s and 5’s mixed up.
That was not the only thing that they had gotten mixed up. After looking at the storage unit and asking a few other questions about different sizes and prices, he realised that they were at the wrong storage facility. That we were THE Rent-A-Space not just “a” rent a space. No wonder I couldn’t find their enquiry in our computer system!
He was super embarrassed, and he kept apologising. I reassured him that it happened sometimes. I said it was lovely to meet them and if it didn’t work out, to come back and see me.
Before they drove off with their trailer of treasures, he told me how impressed they were with Rent a Space’s set up and wished they had called us instead.
I thanked them for the opportunity, smiled and waved them goodbye and continued with my duties. To my surprise, not even half an hour later, a familiar looking trailer pulled up again in front of my gate and they walked back into the office.
“We’re back!”
They explained that when they got to the correct storage facility, it was not as impressive as Rent a Space. They didn’t like having to pack their items in a small box that was picked up and moved around and jiggled in the process, and they didn’t like the inconvenience of having to give 4 hours’ notice to access their goods, so they decided instantly to come back to Rent a Space.
He picked up the lock again, just like the first time he had walked in the office, completed the agreement and they moved their treasures in right away.
And the moral of my story?
I’m focused on giving every customer the type of service that is “just right” – warm and welcoming like a comfortable chair that is not too hard and not too soft. It is not a case of one size fits all.
Just like Goldilocks found as she was in the bears’ house, storage units can also be too large, too small, or “just right”. Sometimes, as in this situation, the first choice may not always be the best fit, whether it’s the storage space or the storage company.
Jodie Hill has worked in retail and hospitality customer service all her career and has been with Rent a Space for over a year. Her friendly smile and “just right” approach has brightened the day of customers at our Bexley, Miranda, Girraween, Gregory Hills, Lansvale, Padstow and Bella Vista storage centres.
