National chain or local?
The popularity of storage in the last few years has led to a number of large companies getting in on the act. Some are regional, some national. Some own and manage all their units, some franchise out to local management teams/owners.
Is it worth risking your possessions with a local business you’ve never heard of? Or should you play it safe and go with a big name that you’ve heard of?
In many cases the decision will be made for you because you will just go with the cheapest or the nearest self storage unit. But if you’ve got time to shop around, the following information may help you decide.
Reasons to go with a big name
- Big companies have big reputations and they will be keen to live up to them. Going with a big company gives you peace of mind knowing that, if something does go wrong, you will have a head office to complain to.
- Stability. It’s true that even the largest companies can suffer problems but generally speaking a larger company will have larger resources behind it and hence will be able to trade out of quiet periods.
- Consistency. In franchised operations, the aim is for you to experience the same product/service wherever you are - much like going to McDonalds. A well run storage chain will ensure that all their outlets offer high standards - whether it be cleanliness or lighting, you can often experience better service at the big companies.
Reasons to go local
- Price. In our experience, the local storage companies have lower overheads and don’t have to funnel money back to head office. This means that they may be more flexible on price - especially if you are taking out a long term unit.
- Extras. Equally, the local units may be able to offer more flexibility on extras like insurance or racking for inside your unit.
- Non-standard requests. In our experience, the smaller local units respond better to non-standard requests - for example one off opening out of hours or needing a specially sized room.
Ultimately it’s down to you to weigh up any storage company that you visit and make decisions based on what you need. What’s right for you may not be right for someone else.