April 5, 2019 – Phoenix, AZ, OpenTech Alliance, the leading developer of innovative smart connected technology solutions for the self-storage industry, has helped Atlantic Self Storage rival top operators with a custom combination of INSOMNIAC Live! call center solutions, INSOMNIAC XpressCollect and INSOMNIAC CIA. As a small entrepreneur that operates facilities in the competitive Washington D.C. metropolitan market, Atlantic Self Storage knows you can’t miss a phone call. “We’re a small mom and pop competing against the REITs,” stated Eric Miller, President of Atlantic Self Storage. “Every call and every rental counts.”
As part of a long-term retirement plan, Miller has made strides to automate his facilities while preserving the core qualities that define Atlantic Self Storage. “We needed a call center we could trust with Storage Counselors that would represent us in the light we wanted – a mom and pop facility, with good service and good facilities.” Though their brand promise remains consistent, needs differ dramatically between their two facilities. OpenTech’s multiple call plan packages made it easy to customize call center solutions to the needs of each property. At the 800-unit Hampton property, where no single manager can keep up with the call volume, INSOMNIAC Live! RollOver answers calls whenever a manager is unreachable – up until 11PM. The Woodbridge facility, housing just over 50,000 sq. ft. with a low call volume easily managed by onsite staff, utilizes Live! AfterHours to cover calls prior to opening and just after close to extend their office hours.
“We’ve always looked at how we operate for this location vs. this location,” stated Miller. “We’ve been able to make little changes like that to help balance our budget and fit the personality and needs of each location.”
After years of success with OpenTech’s INSOMNIAC Live! call center solutions, Miller was quick to reach out when his access control systems began to fail. “We’ve had the same gate control system at all of our facilities going on 20 years. They worked, but we were struggling to get parts, and paying more to convert them to the current operating systems (Windows 3, 8, 10). The piece of equipment had outgrown its viable lifetime.” Miller was the first operator in Virginia to buy INSOMNIAC CIA – OpenTech’s cloud-based access control system – and has been an active advocate for its adoption since.
“The installer came in, had it up and running in less than two hours, and it’s worked seamlessly since then,” stated Miller. “I tell everyone in the industry that it’s the next best thing since sliced bread. Tenants think it’s so cool that they can open the gate from in their pocket.” Miller discovered another unexpected feature of CIA when local law enforcement tried to locate a current tenant – a customized alert that will notify site admins if a tagged individual enters your facility. “It was a feature I didn’t know anyone had. I couldn’t be happier,” Miller said.
Atlantic Self Storage expanded their services in 2018 with INSOMNIAC XpressCollect, an automatic payment reminder and collection system, and have already seen positive ROI from tenants’ utilization of that solution as well. Despite these enhancements, call center solutions remain at the core of their success. Miller stated: “Of the three services you provide us – call center, text messaging, gate control – call center is by far most important to what this business is all about – renting units.”
Miller attributes his resilient success in the face of stiff competition to his people. With a combined tenure of 39 years, Miller has substantial trust in and respect for his two onsite managers. “One manager can sell ice to an Eskimo! I would give the other the same accolades,” Miller exclaimed. “People make all the difference in this business up here.”
Despite managers that Miller believes make his business, he is adamant the call center is central to his success. “My managers love the call center – if they’re on the phone, they know the call’s getting answered and not going to voicemail,” stated Miller. “It not only makes their job easier; it makes them more successful.”
To learn more about INSOMNIAC Live! call center solutions or other products and services mentioned, contact OpenTech Alliance at sales@opentechalliance.com.
