Try A Little Kindness

I have been thinking about kindness a lot lately.  Listening to the lyrics to Mad World yesterday (written by Roland Orzabal of Tears For Fears) put such a sadness in my heart.  My son said, "Wow, he must have been really depressed when he wrote this". You would think, listening to the song that he was on the verge of jumping from a building.  In all actuality, Orzabal was just simply making a statement based upon his observation of people while peering outside his window.  A simple observation told him there were a lot of hurting people in our world. Yesterday, I was running through my Twitter feed and saw a tweet about anger being nothing other than the depth of someone's hurt (not a direct quote). If we could get into the habit of seeing things this way, perhaps our responses would not only change our perspective of others but maybe it would be a catalyst for change in this world.

You know, I think it would be quite wonderful if we didn't see this as a "Mad World".  Would it be too difficult to extend a kindness to someone else today?  A simple hello or how are you just isn't enough anymore.  Those greetings have become too cliche in America.  We all know when we ask someone how they are that more often than not, we don't want to hear.  It has become a superficial way of being polite.  Now, when people come into my office and I ask how they are, I DO want to know.  It means a lot to me and it also helps me to be a better service provider to them. We cannot tout ourselves as being top notch with customer service if we truly don't care. Knowing someone's circumstance can make all of the difference in the world to them and to me. I understand there are days when the office is so busy you may not have extra time to listen. In that case, bypass the socially acceptable, "How are you?" when people come in the door.  Just greet them with a huge smile and hello.  Let them know how special they are not only because they are your customer but because you see them as a person.  You can do that by complimenting them or by sharing an encouraging message when it is obvious they are down.

Allow me to elaborate, when I say encouraging, I don't mean sharing religious quotes or asking if they have been to church lately (that gets my goat more than anything when people do that to me).  We need to be very wary about doing this in any business setting. We can be encouraging by saying, "Hey, I can tell you're feeling really down today and I would like you to know that things will get better.  I've had some hard times in my life, been unemployed, lost a loved one (etc, fill in the blank with something brief, not your life story) and man, I wondered if it would ever get better, but it did.  So, hang in there, you're such a good person who deserves good things and they are just around the corner."  I remember reading a story not too long ago about a man who was planning to commit suicide. It was someone's kind words (not a friend, just a stranger) that gave him the encouragement to keep pressing on.  We don't know how many people are ready to just end it all.  In the self storage business, we see people from all walks of life and many are here not because they want to be, but because they have to be and we should be mindful of that when renting to anyone who walks through our front door.

Take some time today and think about how you would like to extend kindness to others.  When you give it, you often get it back as well.  As a matter of fact, the rule of thumb is: whatever we give, we get back.  And sometimes we get it back twice as much as we gave it.  The television show "My Name Is Earl" gives a great depiction of how it works both ways.



Now, keep in mind, being kind to everyone doesn't always mean THAT particular person will reciprocate.  However, they have their own "Karma" lesson to learn.  What normally happens is an unexpected kindness directed at you in another circumstance and sometimes even bigger than what you extended.  Just don't get caught up in being offended by the person who didn't reciprocate to miss what good things you have coming to you.  And it WILL come back to you.  It is all very much worth it.   Give it a try today.


Have a great day!

Michelle Armstrong
Manager
Star Storage
816-765-7300

Customer Service Extras On A Small Budget

About a month ago I went in to my mechanic for an oil change.  I remember waking up and thinking, ooooohhh, I get to go see Nick today.  I closed my eyes and visualized walking through his front door, checking in and staring longingly into the face of......the Keurig machine.  Something I have dreamed of having in our office for a long time.  To quote the great Wayne Campbell, "It will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine".  In the meantime, that machine gives me something to look forward to when it is time for an oil change.  And on top of that, they give you coupons for your next visit, give your rides to and from work and leave you with a lot of great information regarding your vehicle.  They are the epitome of customer service.  But, all of that costs money and not every small business has that kind of income right now.  So, how do you know what appeals to your customers?

When I began working here, one of the first things I noticed was the peppermint candy.  We keep a container of it well stocked on our counter and we have customers who will pop in just to grab a few for the road, catch a quick conversation and head out on their way.  I love that and the excuse to talk to my customers.  During that time, I often learn about their needs and what we can do to better serve them.  We have to remember that our job is not only to talk but to listen.  During this time you can clue in to the needs of others. What types of needs am I referring to?  Well, having a small budget means we have to look even more closely, listen intently and remember the old proverb that says, "The poor man's budget is full of schemes". 

Often times I will be visited by families with children.  Everyone has different parenting styles and at times, it can be a bit difficult for the parent to juggle their children and listen to my sales pitch.  It is pretty imperative when you are trying to rent a unit that the customer is able to hear all you have to explain.  In the past, I would see one child running up and down our showroom while another was hanging off of Mom's arm and the other was in the public restroom doing ( ?? fill in the blank).  As I said, everyone has different parenting styles but the main key is to place the parent in a comfortable and relaxing spot so they can concentrate (and for me to be able to do the same!).   

We have a small store nearby that sells everything for a dollar.  Greatest concept since sliced bread.  One day while running errands, I went into this store and grabbed two puzzles, three childrens books, stickers for boys and sticker for girls and a small, plastic basket.  I put the girls stickers in a plastic container with a lid and the boys in another and marked them as such.  I placed everything in the basket and put it on the floor in the customer waiting area.  I did not spend more than $10. Not long after, a woman came in with her two children and was so pleased to see that we had shopped at the dollar store her husband managed.  She recognized the toys and they were enough to keep her children quiet so she could make a decision.  She became a repeat customer and she and her husband now have several units with us.  I turned that $10 into hundreds of dollars!

I'm a seasonal decorator as well. Nothing gaudy, just enough to brighten things up a bit.  I first started decorating our office as soon as the first sign of Autumn hit. Autumn just happens to be my favorite.  So, I went into the trusty little dollar store and picked up a bag of fabric leaves, some autumn print ribbon, a fabric bag in the shape of a black cat's face and two bags of suckers, total of $5.  I decorated the door and counter.  I also purchased an apple-cinnamon spice air freshener which helped with the autumn "feel" when you walk in the door (it has been proven that certain scents put people in a "buying" mood). I had a lot of compliments from our clients regarding the decor.  People DO notice.  I believe it makes them feel more comfortable when they come in to see that we aren't a cold, corporate office but we truly care about how they perceive us as a company.

Of course the holiday season always begs for decorating.  During the holiday's I brought out items that were festive but remained conservative with the amount I put out.  I think we can be a little overkill and that takes away from the ambiance of an already festive season.  I tested out some simple ribbons, bows and bells and bought a new candy dish.  Our customer's loved the simplicity and commented on this as well.  And once the season ended, everything came down.  It was as simple as that.

As you can see, it isn't difficult to offer customer service extras on a small budget. Giving top notch customer service is my top priority.  You can read many of my blogs and see just how important that is to me.  So, maintaining an environment that reflects that is equally as important.  It takes little time, effort and money to ensure your customers feel special because they ARE special.  We all are and so is your business.  Let's set the bar high so we are always reaching for the highest standards.  I promise, it will pay off.

Have a great day!

Michelle Armstrong
Manager
Star Storage
816-765-7300

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Michelle Armstrong
Manager
Star Storage
816-765-7300

Have A Great Day

The owner came in with a sign the other day and asked what I thought about it.  He thought it might be fun to mount it onto the back of the gate so our tenants would see it upon exiting.  We have a little "mascot" man on our logo and a lot of people who drive around our various properties recognize his face when they see him.  He's a cute little guy with a 1940's look.  I loved the new sign and thought it would look marvelous so he proceeded to hang it up.  When I look at our security camera monitor from my desk, I see the sign and it makes me smile.  So, what is on this sign that makes it so special?  "Have A Great Day!"

Now, you may have let out a little chuckle but I can say that there is a psychological effect which takes place when a person hears the words "Have a nice day" or "Have a great day".  Inspirational speaker and writer Norman Vincent Peale said, "To have a great day every day it helps to think great thoughts and to concentrate on at least one every day".  Sometimes it is absolutely necessary to have the extra boost, isn't it?  Today was a particularly good day at work. A lot of my regular customers came in to make payments.  I love the people who came in today.  All full of smiles and greetings.  Despite the fact they were paying their bills and it was gloomy and cold outside, they didn't care.  They came in sporting smiles and really good attitudes.  My son (also an employee) was standing in the room and I turned to him and saw him all smiles (as always) and at that moment I realized how much I loved what I do.

Now, don't get me wrong.  My work doesn't define who I am.  I am a firm believer that we aren't defined by our jobs or anything else in life, it's us who defines whatever we are doing at that moment.  We have the power to change any situation at any given time simply with our attitude.  So, why is that so difficult sometimes?  Truly bad situations can happen in someone's life that reshapes their lives.  Those defining times in our lives can leave us in a space where it is difficult to recover.  When those people enter our lives, we can either look at them and determine they just have a bad attitude or we can assume it is a combination of bad situations that have taken place in their lives.  When we change our perspective of other people's situations, it makes it so much easier to respond to them on a more compassionate human level.

How do we do this?  Well, it takes time and practice.  It can start with a simple smile and a warm greeting.  Give them a chance to vent if necessary.  Respond with understanding (empathy and sympathy go a long way).  Apologize, "I'm so sorry you are going through this right now" means a lot to a person who thinks no one else cares.  A hug.  That's right, I have hugged people who have walked in and just lost a loved one or a job.  I keep a box of tissues close to me and hand them out freely while listening to stories of divorce, lost homes, lost jobs and lost loved ones.  And when they are finished, they feel as if, strangely enough, this is a place of refuge where they can come and reflect.  That's nice to know we can do that for people.  Business goes way beyond that simple transaction that takes place behind the counter.  We should always convey that message to our customers and let them know how much we value them as people.  Warren Schmidt made quite the statement when asking this of himself in the movie, About Schmidt:  "I know we're all pretty small in the big scheme of things, and I suppose the most you can hope for is to make some kind of difference, but what kind of difference have I made?  What in the world is better because of me?" I suppose that is something I can ask myself each time someone leaves and I say, Have a great day".

Michelle Armstrong

Manager

Star Storage

816-765-7300