Thread: Use of technology in self storage - where are you?

Hello,

I am seeing more and more local businesses use iPad's as their point-of-sale device. Yesterday, I had a customer ask me if I could text bill her. I am intrigued by these things, and remember from the conference that soon we will be able to complete financial transactions through social media resources. This made me curious: what cutting-edge technology do you use in your self storage business?

Thank you,

Jim

OK, I'll bite...

I use a kiosk, web-based reservations and payments, a cloud-based (VoIP) phone system with a "press 1 for pricing, press 2 for customer service, etc..." menu.

The items you mention aren't really on my radar.

iPads/tablets...would only be compelling if I wanted to complete a rental while I was standing in the unit with the prospective tenant. I have to have a PC in the office to make my tenant management software talk to my gate software, so there's no real reason to have an alternate POS device. The only other use I could see for a tablet system right now would be for a remote-managed facility where you are not doing face-to-face rentals and the manager/owner is mobile. Someday, maybe, especially if you believe that all computers will eventually become tablet-based.

Text billing...I already take cash, checks, debit/credit in person, via the kiosk, and via the website. I don't really want to get a cellular provider involved as well. Each electronic payment method seems to have it's own "gateway" and "service charge", so I only add options when there is a critical mass of tenants to support it.

Financial transactions through social media resources...Nope, not really interested in payments through Facebook or LinkedIn, for many of the same reasons as outlined above in text billing.

Well we are hosting Storage Expo 2012 in Sydney, Australia on June 14. We have a session called the Connected Self Storage Facility" its Free to attend! www.storageexpo.com.au

Does our 10 year old pc with the 5 year old motherboard running 9 year old software count?

I use a iPad I live on site so if I get a phone call to make and I am not at the desk I.E in my apartment I will take payments with it . it works very well when doing rounds or lockouts I can check out the tenant to see if I want to overlock or not or find a unit unlocked I can make notes on the spot to the tenants file.

As I sit here at home reading the forum I have a window on my laptop showing the view of all the cameras at the storage facility (20 miles away) in real time. The security system is connected to the internet so I know who's there and that the gates are down, etc....