Experience with Self Storage Kiosks

[Ronak Patel]

Does anyone have any experience using a self storage kiosk?  

I saw a company that makes something like an ATM that will rent units, collect payment, and send out notifications to customers.  I'm interested in trying it out, but wanted to find out about risks that I may not be considering.  

openseftechalliance.com/products/

[Scott Meyers]

Hi Ronak, 

Yes, we have Quite a bit of experience with this. The ROI is great if you can displace enough payroll dollars to offset the cost of the Kiosk and the $250 Maintenance fee. The "sweet spot" is usually a facility with 200+ units, with a manager currently working 30 - 40 hours. If you can reduce the hours per week that a manager would keep, by approximately 10-15 hours per week, it makes sense.

Open Tech Alliance is great to work with.  THey will consult with you regarding the size of your facility and the demographic of the market to determine the probability of success at your site.   

Furthermore, a responsive website with the ability for a client to rent a unit online may be another solution.  It mimics most of the functions that are performed by the kiosk, and the customer can rent a unit from their smart phone, and move in whenever is convenient.   TheStorageGroup.com and Storedge.com are a couple of folks to check out. 

Cheers,