Last week, the coronavirus outbreak was declared a global pandemic and a national emergency, meaning most countries have been put into lockdown and self-Isolation.
The fallout from the safety precautions means that the self-storage industry will be at risk, as the non-illness fallout from the Coronavirus is impacting the normal flow of businesses, education, entertainment and financial markets. This is an emotional and economic fallout, but it’s important to keep the picture positive.
Coronavirus Uncertainty
This is a time of uncertainty, but the declared global pandemic and national emergency should mobilize us all towards a common purpose and ideal way of slowing down the virus spreading, unless you’re the United Kingdom and have Boris bloody Johnson in charge.
In the last 48 hours, places of interest have closed and will not reopen until further notice. With the self-storage industry, however, the operators and companies have a crisis-management plan in place such as, cleaning and disinfect handles on the containers, keypads, buttons, gates that customers have access to, to even office furniture and desks that could carry bacteria.
Though self-storage operations are considered low volume in terms of customer foot traffic, this is also an optimal time to consider areas of the business that reduce interaction.
Avoid Contact
We very much encourage for customers to rent a container online through out this coronavirus outbreak – we even encourage you do this if one of mangers or employees are off sick to avoid catching any other service.
The crisis is also an opportunity for self-storage operators to be visible in their communities, offering solutions to those impacted by circumstances. At the top of the list easily could be students who are displaced for the spring.
Several universities, including my daughter’s, have asked students not to return to campus following spring break, as they shift learning online. Students who have been forced to move out of dorms without an easy place to store belongings can certainly use assistance. Special rates or temporary giveaways aren’t uncommon in the industry during times of crisis.