By Garrett Byrd
Auto-pay tenants stay with you longer and they absorb rental increases with less resistance.
Getting self-storage customers on auto-pay can be a convenient and efficient way to ensure that rent payments are made on time and to minimize the risk of late fees and missed payments. To encourage customers to sign up for auto-pay, there are several steps you can take.
Make the auto-pay enrollment process as easy and streamlined as possible. Offer online enrollment options or provide clear instructions for customers to enroll over the phone or in person. The easier it is for customers to sign up, the more likely they are to do so. In addition, make sure to clearly communicate the benefits of auto-pay to customers, such as the convenience of not having to remember to make a payment each month, the peace of mind of knowing that payments are always on time, and the potential savings on late fees.
Provide reminders and follow-up with customers who have not yet enrolled in autopay. Send reminders highlighting the benefits and making it easy to enroll. Follow up with customers who have expressed interest in auto pay but have not yet enrolled, and offer assistance if needed to help them complete the enrollment process. By implementing these strategies, you can encourage more of your self-storage customers to sign up for auto-pay, which can benefit both the customer and your business by reducing administrative overhead and improving customer retention. Quit asking new tenants if they want to sign up for autopay, it's the customer's reflex instinct to say no. Instead, make it part of the lease and sales presentation. The simple phrase is when you get back from your facility tour you say: "All I need is your ID and debit card to get started " As you are adding the card into your facility management program, you say "is this the card we are going to keep on file", great we will send your monthly receipt to the email we have on file.
Your lease does have to state that with the customer's card on file and the tenants' signature, they are agreeing to autopay, but don't worry within the Storage Authority franchise model we have you covered.
If you would like to learn more and start your journey to self-storage ownership click the link here: http://www.storageauthorityfranchise.com/opportunity2
Storage Authority Franchising is about owning your own hometown self-storage business and having the professional systems and knowledge to assist and guide you. We like to say You are in business for yourself but not by yourself. If you are thinking about self-storage you owe it to yourself to contact Garrett Byrd at Direct: 941-928-1354 or Garrett@StorageAuthority.com to learn more about the Storage Authority Franchise opportunity