“Open 24/7” is a significant concept for a self-storage business, and it’s becoming commonplace through the growing use of rental and payment stations onsite. According to the 2013 Self-Storage Almanac, 9 percent of self-storage facilities in the U.S. are using kiosks. That was up from 1.4 percent in 2011.
The kiosks serve as a right hand to on-site managers—covering busy times during business hours and automating operations for walk-in customers after hours. Depending on the model, the kiosks can rent units and collect payments in the form of cash or checks; dispense locks; solicit insurance; and confirm identification.
How Do Kiosks Work?
The kiosks are designed to integrate with your property management software, enabling customers to rent units from inventory and apply a payment in real time. Kiosks typically are installed at the welcome center or anchored to the ground outside a facility.
Much in the same way ATMs revolutionized the banking industry in the 1980s, self-storage kiosks can offer a competitive boost to self-storage facilities. Many are bilingual, paperless, and offer two-way video consultations with a call center.
What’s not to like?
