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Investment
Check Your
Revenue Engines
Your Call Center And Website Strategy
Might Be Costing You Rentals
By Jen Barroqueiro
Check Your Revenue Engines
Your Call Center And Website Strategy Might Be Costing You Rentals
By Jen Barroqueiro
A man wearing a headset and glasses holds his head, looking stressed or tired while working at a computer in an office setting.
I

n today’s competitive self-storage market, operators are investing more than ever in marketing strategies designed to drive calls and clicks. But what happens when those calls go unanswered, or when your website fails to convert visitors into renters?

The truth is that your call center and website might be costing you more than just phone bills and hosting fees. They could be costing you rentals.

The Call Center Trap
Most owners feel relief knowing that someone is answering the phone. That’s the baseline. In an industry where 30 percent to 50 percent of rentals still come from phone leads, that baseline isn’t enough. If your call center agents are simply taking messages or passing along basic info, you’re missing out on one of the most important conversion points in the customer journey.

The phone call is often the first real interaction a potential tenant has with your business. It should feel like a front desk experience, not a phone tree.

Hidden Costs Of Poor Call Handling
Every unanswered or poorly handled call has a cost. These costs aren’t always obvious, but they add up fast:

  • Lower conversion rates – Potential tenants move on to the next facility when their questions aren’t answered quickly or confidently.
  • Lost revenue – One missed rental could equal $1,200-plus per year.
  • Brand damage – Inconsistent or unhelpful interactions shape how your brand is perceived in the market.

If your marketing budget is doing its job, but your call center isn’t closing the loop, you’re leaking revenue.

Even if your call center is strong, your website may be silently hurting your conversion rate. Today’s self-storage customers are often mobile-first, price-aware, and ready to rent now.
A High-Performing Call Center
A great call center strategy doesn’t just answer phones—it drives revenue. Here’s what top-performing storage operators prioritize:

  • Dedicated sales agents and team segmentation – Assigning specific agents or teams to designated facility groups allows for personalization, stronger rapport with tenants, and a more consistent customer experience. This structure improves lead conversion, enhances follow-up, and ensures that tenant questions are answered with facility-specific context.
  • Sales-trained agents – Your call center team should be trained in objection handling, upselling, and urgency creation, not just customer service.
  • Full system access – Agents need visibility into unit availability, pricing, and promotions in real time. Without this, they can’t book confidently.
  • Lead tracking and follow-up – Every call should be logged, and every missed rental followed up. What gets measured gets improved.
  • Script flexibility – The best agents follow a framework, not a rigid script. They should sound human, not robotic.
Overlooked Revenue Leak
Even if your call center is strong, your website may be silently hurting your conversion rate. Today’s self-storage customers are often mobile-first, price-aware, and ready to rent now.

Here’s where many storage websites fall short:

  • No online rentals or reservations – If a customer can’t book immediately, they may not come back.
  • Slow load times or poor mobile UX – Frustrated users bounce before they ever see your pricing.
  • Lack of clear calls to action – If it’s not obvious where or how to rent, you’re creating friction.
  • No integration with live inventory – Showing availability and rates in real time builds trust and drives urgency.

Just like your call center, your website isn’t just a digital brochure—it’s a 24/7 leasing agent.

Audit Your Front-End Experience
Regular testing is essential. You should complete test rentals on a scheduled basis, not just once and done. Test the process using a mobile phone, desktop computer, and tablet to ensure a smooth, consistent, and user-friendly experience across all platforms. If the process breaks down or feels clunky on any device, you’re likely losing potential tenants.

Operators often focus on SEO and digital ads but forget to evaluate what happens after the click or call.

Ask yourself:

  • Can a customer rent or reserve a unit on my site in under 60 seconds?
  • Does my site perform well on mobile?
  • Is my call center seamlessly integrated into the online journey?
  • Am I tracking conversion data and using it to make improvements?

If any of these questions give you pause, now’s the time to take a closer look.

Check Your Revenue Engines
Your call center and website are more than conveniences—they’re your first impression and your frontline sales tools. In a world where self-storage demand is shifting and competition is everywhere, the difference between a full facility and one that’s underperforming may come down to who’s picking up the phone and what happens when someone clicks “Rent Now.”

It’s time to stop thinking of these tools as support roles and start treating them like the revenue engines they truly are.

Jen Barroqueiro is the vice president of third-party management at All Purpose Storage Management. With over a decade of experience in the self-storage industry, she has led the successful onboarding of more than 350 facilities across the country. Known for her operator-first mindset and passion for performance, she brings strategic insight, operational excellence, and a deep commitment to partnership.
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