The Storage.co.uk Award for Excellence in Customer Service

“The customer is always right”, as Harry Selfridge’s famous mantra goes. This is certainly the case in self storage, a fast-growing industry where being known for good service can be the difference between someone signing up a unit, or checking out your competitor up the road.

Self storage firms need to keep their customers happy. One of the easiest ways they can do this is through offering a fast, reliable service. This includes being polite, respectful and attentive towards their concerns; dealing quickly with any issues that arise, and always being on top of the financial side.

This should start right at the beginning, dealing efficiently with potential customers from the moment they make a first enquiry. That’s why this award was judged partly on how fast different self storage companies responded to requests for quotes, and their willingness to provide additional information, as well as customer feedback on services and general level of helpfulness.

The winning self storage companies were:

Windsor Self Storage – This Berkshire-based independent provides helpful, tailor-made responses to enquiries, for instance letting customers know how many units they have left in the size requested, and providing lots of contact information, in addition to giving a price. In the words of one satisfied customer: “Convenient, clean, and affordable, with helpful and friendly staff.”

Armourstore Self Storage – A small firm based in Ely, Cambridgeshire, Armourstore Self Storage provides a very fast response that includes plenty of information about the different sizes they have available, and how much each one will cost. Customers have praised the management for their willingness to go out of their way to help, as well as competitiveness in pricing.

Kennedy Storage – Requests for information may be provided by Peter Kennedy himself, the owner of this family-run business, and a measure of its hands-on approach to customer service. Responses include very precise details about how much space they have available and pricing, as well as describing their site’s security features. “Fantastic service… highly recommended,” to quote one customer.

Your Self Store Ltd – This Cannock-based firm gives a very detailed quote, which includes a breakdown of their site’s security features and a neat summary of their main selling points. Customer feedback includes high praise for the personal attention of the management, and wholehearted recommendation to potential customers.

A-Storage – A Dorset self storage firm who came highly-recommended by a satisfied customer, whom they’d been willing to show around their units on a Sunday before moving his belongings in for free. A-Storage are proud of the standards that they have set for themselves. “All the staff at A-Storage have worked really hard this year to provide our customers with the service and storage they deserve,” they write. And they are proud recipients of the Award, as witnessed in the photo that heads this article.