Public Storage 1999 Annual Report Download - page 8

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U B LI C T O RAG E,N C . 1999 N N U AL REP O RT
6
INNOVATION:
Do more of the same but differently
ISSION CRITICAL”INVESTMENTS
One of the most important new resources for executing
our key strengths of Focus, Innovation and Flexibility are
our national reservation centers. Approximately 67 per-
cent of our self-storage rentals begin at our national
reservation centers. Our national reservation centers have
become integral to the way we market our properties,
collect customer data and provide storage solutions.
Trained agents at our California and newly operational
Texas centers evaluate customers’needs, recommend
solutions and disseminate information to properties.We
are enhancing our national reservation centers to pro-
vide even greater customer responsiveness since our
centers are an important point of contact between
our customers and our Company.
A customer calling a property, or our national toll-
free number (1-800-44-STOR E), or accessing us via the
Internet can be connected with the centers. The centers
collectively process approximately 500,000 phone calls
a month during the spring and summer periods when
demand peaks.We market all of our products and services
through the centers. Improving customer satisfaction
through innovations in our centers supports favorable
occupancy trends.
Our national reservation centers also improve our
ability to learn about our customer base because we
can collect and analyze more customer information
than previously.We are learning who our customers are,
where their calls originate and when they are likeliest
to call.We are now better equipped to utilize the cen-
ters through systematic management of service levels,
data collection, call load forecasting, staffing needs,
scheduling and product pricing. This means that we are
getting a tighter grip on the yield per customer.We are
concentrating on understanding our customers because
they are the most important variable for quantifying the
efficacy of our customer interaction strategies.
Last year we added to our customer referral options
by making portable self-storage a choice for customers
who encounter a self-storage property that is fully
occupied or who do not find the right self-storage unit
size. Onsite property managers can help ensure that we
do not disappoint customers by giving customers an
opportunity to have their possessions moved into a
portable self-storage facility for a low transportation fee.
Portable self-storage general managers coordinate with
the onsite property managers and inform them of space
W hat
Innovation starves failure and feeds success.
availability.We believe we are the only self-storage operator
employing such technologically sophisticated national
reservation centers and management practices.
publ icst orage.com
We recently brought innovation to our website, further
differentiating us from our competitors and making it
easier for customers to receive satisfaction from our
products and services. Customers are now able to reserve
storage space online, rent trucks and buy retail products.
We believe we gain competitive advantage by more fully
capitalizing on the marketing potential of the Internet.
• Highest call volume
in the industry
• Two call centers —
California & Texas
• Trained telephone
representatives
• State-of-
the-art
technology
• Extended
hours of
operation
National reservation centers —
customer satisfaction through innovation.
www.publicstorage.com