2nd Generation Owners Take Hardy’s Self-Storage to the Next Level
Brothers Norman and Steve Hardy using Kiosks and Call Center Technology from OpenTech Alliance to Expand their Business and Gain New Efficiencies
(August 24th, 2018) – Hardy’s Self Storage, a second generation self-storage business with locations in Maryland and Delaware, is moving into new markets and building on their success with an assist from some forward thinking and new technology from OpenTech Alliance.
Hardy’s Self Storage was founded in 1986 with locations in Delaware and Maryland. Today, they have six locations, ranging in size from 124 to 300 units. Having grown up in the business, brothers Norman and Steve Hardy took the reins from their parents over 10 years ago and haven’t looked back since. The brothers have continued to expand and invest in new technology to help manage their growing enterprise.
While not wanting to “give away the secrets” to their success, Norman readily admits to the advantages Hardy’s has seen from automating their facilities: “We purchased our first Kiosk from OpenTech Alliance in 2013. Its’ value became obvious as we quickly proceeded to fully rent the facility. Since then, we’ve put (kiosks) in all of our locations, and plan for them from the start with each new property. In fact, through the first 7 months of 2018, we’ve completed 67 new rentals and received over 550 payments on the kiosks alone! In terms of competitive advantages, they help us keep our overhead and payroll expenses down, while at the same time keeping our facilities open longer and making it easier for our customers to rent a unit or pay their bill. It really allows our staff to focus on other maintenance and administrative tasks that need attention.”
Hardy’s is also using OpenTechs’ INSOMNIAC® Live! Call Centerservice to handle incoming calls. According to Norman, this offers the business even greater efficiencies: “All of our inbound calls are handled by the OpenTech call center. Outsourcing our inbound phone traffic frees up our people to focus on the most important tasks at hand and gives us peace of mind in knowing that calls are handled quickly and efficiently, even when we’re not available. Incoming leads go immediately into our SiteLinkTMproperty management system, enabling us to follow-up right away and providing a detailed record of each call. I can’t imagine running a self-storage business without it.”
