Policies and Procedures in a Self-Storage Business

Every good business needs a set of policies and procedures to outline how business is done. My daughter recently texted one evening from her place of work late at night that closing time had passed, and there was a customer who had not exited the building yet. She needed some assistance and had waited until after closing to leave. She was also waiting for her ride. 

Unsure of what to do, my daughter had texted me in frustration. I asked what the policies and procedures are for closing and what the next steps would be for her. I told her to call the store manager and ask for directions. At the time of this story, my daughter had been employed long enough to close by herself, but she had not been taught or given the policies and procedures for this business. 

Sadly, this is not uncommon. The worst part is that this is not a small business, it’s not family-owned, and it’s large enough for the people in charge to know better and do better.

Business owners operating without a policy and procedures manual will employ staff without clear instructions on handling specific situations. This can impact hiring, firing, and general operations. It’s important, no matter the size of the business, to establish policies and procedures to protect the business and employees from liability. It may not be fun, but it needs to be done. 

The structure of an organization determines the course of the business. It’s the rudder of the ship. Even the smallest boat needs a rudder to chart the path ahead. Policies and procedures are essential to the successful operation of any size business, much like the rudder of the ship.

Policies and procedures create accountability while mitigating risk, and they signal to staff members that the owners know what they are doing. Employees feel confident in their role, and customers have confidence in the business. 

Policies are guidelines that outline general business principles, values, and rules. They provide the framework for decision-making and set expectations for employee and tenant behavior. Procedures are detailed, step-by-step instructions that describe how specific tasks or processes should be performed.

How to Create Policies & Procedures

Policies address specific risks and other issues within the company in order to avoid liabilities that could be financially devastating. Additionally, policies dictate how a business is run and help to establish the desired culture within an organization. 

Procedures address the specific execution of the policies. Procedures are the step-by-step instructions that are carried out in various situations daily. For self-storage, some areas that require policies and procedures include the rental process, customer conduct, security, and late fee assessment. These policies specifically relate to the operation of the business. Another set of necessary policies would be related to human resource management, including hiring, training, staff expectations, and termination. 

When establishing any policies and procedures, it’s important to research common industry practices along with any legal requirements for the state where the business exists. Consulting an attorney and having them assess the final product is also recommended to avoid any legal issues. 

To recap, your business policies should dictate your procedure. Once you set your policies, it will be clearer how to set your procedures to accomplish the policies. To get started, the policies will need to be clearly outlined. Let’s discuss 3 examples.

1. Provide excellent customer service.
2. Maintain the office with excellence and organization.
3. Open and close the office according to the schedule and outlined procedures.

Provide excellent customer service.

The procedures to execute this policy will involve the necessary daily tasks that are required for its function. 

1. Open and close the facility for business.
2. Switch call forwarding service to in-office answering.
3. Wipe down counters and any space used by customers.
4. Make coffee and restock water bottles for customers.
5. Greet customers with a smile and welcome.
6. Answer the phone with a smile and a nice greeting.

Maintain the office with excellence and organization.

The procedures to execute this policy will involve the necessary daily tasks that are required for this function.

1. Ensure that spaces occupied by customers are clean and tidy. 
2. Vacuum the common area daily.
3. Empty trash cans.
4. Wipe down counters.
5. Restock shelves.
6. Clean the coffee area.
7. Restock coffee and water.

Open and close the office according to the schedule and outlined procedures.

1. Unlock the office door at opening time.
2. Lock the office door at closing time.
3. Escort any customers out of the building if it is past closing time and the doors have been locked.

While these examples are very basic, they outline the steps to create policies and procedures for a business to ensure the business’s success if the owner is absent. In short, the policies and procedures keep the wheels of the business moving even if the owner or manager is absent. Think in terms of how you would teach your expectations and duties to someone who had to take your place, and the policies and procedures would be the only guidebook they had to do your job.

Once the manual is complete, it’s important for staff to review the manual for editing purposes. Each set of eyes should be looking for instructions that are unclear or omitted entirely. The review is an important step in the process to be sure that all information is included in the manual. Once the review is complete and edits have been made, it’s necessary to have the legal team review the manual as well.

Upon approval of the final manual, it’s time to implement and train the staff. Even if you have staff members who have worked for years without the manual, train them on the new policies and procedures with the instruction and expectation that they will be training future employees on it as well.

During this introduction, implementation, and training phase, it’s important to explain the motive behind the new policies and procedures manual. The goal is to help all staff approach their job with professionalism and accountability so that they can succeed. Employee satisfaction and success are business success. Employee satisfaction results in a business that works well and provides excellent customer service.

At Coastal Storage, we work with self-storage investors to find existing properties to purchase, locate the best development sites, and create an organization that is successful and profitable. Our expert staff is available to discuss your needs at 904-591-0140. We can’t wait to work with you!