Extra Space franchise caters to their business customer’s storage needs.
Franchise UK – Extra Space Storage, the nation’s second largest self storage facility, has established a special sales force, called Area Sales Managers or ASMs, who cater exclusively to the needs of business customers. The program is now offered in six cities – New York, Boston, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Thanks to the program, Extra Space has some facilities where as many as one in three customers is a business customer.
Traditionally, the self storage industry has always catered to customers who are moving or trying to clean out the clutter in their garage or attic. But increasingly, business customers are finding that self storage facilities offer a more convenient option than traditional warehouses – and this allows them to use storage as an extension of their office.
“Business customers have more complex needs than just stashing a bunch of boxes for a couple of months,” says Brittany Loffredo, the Regional Sales Manager for Extra Space’s ASM program. “We understand those needs and can work with them on everything from long-term leases to arranging package acceptance for items delivered to our properties.”
Extra Space’s ASM program began in 2003 when Extra Space Storage wanted to find a way to differentiate themselves from the competition and better serve their commercial customers. They had a radical idea that no one in the self-storage industry had before: develop a dedicated sales team whose only job function would be to help commercial clients with their storage needs.
Extra Space Area Sales Managers are specific to each locality. When businesses inquire about self-storage with Extra Space Storage, they are directed to the local ASM, who can help them with their storage needs across any of the facilities in their specific local area.
Extra Space Storage saw an opportunity to cater to the business customer who has specific needs when using storage. Extra Space Storage has also helped business owners by offering services that would simplify their lives, including: specialized mapping service, a simplified rental process, forecasted ROI, 24 hour access and delivery acceptance.
Area Sales Managers also help business customers with their changing storage needs. A common problem that occurs is a business may have rented or leased 5000 square feet and previously been signed to 5 or 10 year leases for warehouse space. But with each year, they may experience slow periods for several months where they only utilized ½ the space. This becomes a liability and loss for the business.
Extra Space also offers month to month or annual leases with the added benefit of unit flexibility allowing a client to only utilize and pay for the space they need as business climates are constantly changing. All of these storage and self-storage services can make a big difference to local business owners.
Extra Space Storage Inc., headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust that operates 634 self-storage properties in 34 states including Washington, D.C. The properties comprise more than 425,000 units and 46 million square feet rented by over 340,000 tenants. The Company is the second largest operator of self storage in the United States.