Next Door Storage Doubles Lead-to-Rental Conversion Rate with CallPotential
Our people were spending too much time on the phone. Some people were just not doing call collections at all.
Jack Murphy is a ‘no nonsense’ guy when it comes to making money, and CallPotential is helping him to be much more effective at it.
Jack Murphy is the owner of Next Door Self Storage which has 17 locations throughout the state of Illinois. Jack has been in the self storage business since 1992 and he knows a thing or two when it comes to making money in the self storage industry. He attributes his partnership with CallPotential and its many beneficial products to his enhanced effectiveness in collection management, lead management, call center operations, and performance management.
Collection Management
When it came to collection calls, Jack’s team members were either spending too much time on the phones or no time at all. There was a lack of accountability for employees in this aspect as it was very difficult for managers to know who was doing what they should, who was doing it well, and who was just ignoring the task completely.
“Our people were spending too much time on the phone. Some people were just not doing call collections at all.”
With CallPotential’s Collection Management software integrated with Next Door Self Storage’s system collection calls can be done with or without the assistance of employees. All collection efforts are recorded for easy evaluation of the collection stage of every customer. The payment system makes it easier for customers to make their payments too which allows Next Door Self Storage to get paid faster too.
Lead Management
“Lead Management, as far as I’m concerned, is the ‘gold mine’ in this whole thing.”
Before CallPotential, lead management at Next Door Self Storage seemed to be more of a guessing game. Managers claimed they were doing all of their follow-ups and, though sales were steady, there was much room for improvement.
“Now that we are on CallPotential, we’re pretty much at 100% on the follow-up and that’s reflected by sales.”
Next Door Self Storage takes full advantage of the automated follow-up process that comes with CallPotential’s Lead Management software. Leads are contacted first with text message, second through email, and finally, the third touch point follow-up is done by phone with a live employee. Jack is confident that these calls are now being made 100% of the time which has had a positive influence on sales.
“Now with the CallPotential managing the leads, we’ve more than doubled our conversion rate.”
Call Center Operations
Another beneficial addition that was achieved through CallPotential is the management of their own call center. Next Door Self Storage reflected on previous experiences with external call centers. Jack felt they were lacking a bit as far as service goes. Now with Call Center, they are able to train their staff to reflect the Next Door Self Storage values with each call. They have peace of mind in knowing that each call is being tended to by high-performing employees, which have been warmly identified as “star performers”.
“We know at all times we’ve got a ‘star’ answering the phone.”
Performance Management
When it came to training, evaluating, and grading their employees There wasn’t any clearly defined system to follow. The only way to review performance was by essentially looking over the employees shoulder as they performed their tasks. There was no way to review what was happening when no one was looking. With the use of CallPotential’s Performance Management software, Next Door Self Storage utilizes scripts, call recording, and forwarding features has implemented weekly peer review and self-assessment practices. They have established measurable and attainable goals for their employees. When these goals are achieved, employees receive a cash bonus award. They pay attention to the grading received and take steps to improve based on the feedback which improves upon the customer experience and overall satisfaction.
“I really look at it as, how much more effective does it make me? How many more rentals does it get me? How much more money does it make me?”