Even the most well prepared and well run business can be struck by disaster. In the last two years alone we have seen the total loss of two major UK self storage facilities due to fire. Events such as these are clearly devastating for the business affected but also for the customers involved, and emotions can understandably run high. If not managed quickly, professionally and sympathetically these emotions can over spill into unwanted (and often undeserving) media and/or legal attention, which can lead to long-term damage to your reputation and customer loyalty. This could mean your business may struggle to recover long after customer claims have been paid and the premises has been rebuilt.
Fortunately there is plenty you can do in advance to prepare and protect your business, and in turn protect your customers. We've put together a guidance note for self-storage operators, covering the most important aspects to get right, covering:
- Contracting with your customers;
- Put in place (and regularly test) a Business Continuity Plan (BCP);
- Understanding your insurance programme
- Fire risk assessments
- A summary of Do’s and Don’ts