At first, this storage place was a pleasant experience. That is, until about mid-June of 2017 where I switched banks and had to update payment information. I reached out to them twice through email and both times, no reply. Fast forward a few days, I call and leave a message during business hours and again, no response. Another six days pass, I call again and am finally able to speak with someone and get my information updated. After 11 days and four attempts to contact this company, all was good again, or so I thought...
Fast forward a few months to October, I head to storage to pick up some belongings, couldn't figure out the big elevator (there are two elevators at the Montgomery Ave. location). This happened a few more times before I called on November 16 during business hours to ask for assistance. No response.
Another month passes, now December 17, I'm back at storage again attempting to get some belongings, still can't figure out the elevator and by this time, I'm pretty ticked off. I call and leave another message, this time frustrated with their lack of response to my last call and not being able to figure out the elevator. Again, no response.
December 22, I return to storage and am able to figure out the elevator on my own, it was stupid easy. I wanted to crawl in my shoe when I figured it out.
About the elevator...it used to have a rolling lift gate that would open automatically once a first door was opened. This was replaced with one that needs to be opened manually and is locked with a latch. Had I known this, there wouldn't have been any problems. Had they called back, it would have literally taken seconds to resolve.
December 23, still ticked off, I send them an angry email to let them know I don't appreciate their lack of response to my voicemails and that I'd be taking my business elsewhere. Much to my surprise, they respond within three hours. It seems they don't like it very much when someone expresses anger with their lack of customer service. Below is their unedited, word for word response to my email:
"Every single time you have called it has been after hours on Saturday or on a Sunday. In addition, there is ample signage on the elevator indicating how the latches work AND we sent out an email informing people of the change when it happened.
We appreciate the notice that you are moving elsewhere. However, the only lack of customer service came in your expectation that we would be available 24 hours a day. For example, you came to my door at 6 p.m. on a Sunday evening. Expecting customer service outside of normal business hours will likely lead to your disappointment in many areas."
To be fair, there is signage on the elevator. My common sense eluded me and I didn't understand what it meant. Safe to say, I felt pretty silly when I figured it out.
As far as the rest of the BS that was in their response goes, every time I called (all two of them) was after hours according to them. My first call was during business hours and the office was indeed closed the second time I called at 1:33PM, NOT 6PM. After checking my past emails, I found nothing informing me of the change as they claim.
The implication that I have an expectation they'd be available 24 hours a day is complete nonsense, but I DO have an expectation that when a paying customer calls for assistance, they'd at least have the courtesy to RETURN THE CALL within a reasonable amount of time! Taking more than a month and an angry email just to get a response doesn't cut it.
Here's the response they could've given me within 5-10 seconds:
Give me the Gibbs smack in the back of the head with a "hey bonehead, all you have to do is unlock the latch" and I would have walked away in shame of the sheer stupidity I inflicted upon the both of us. Instead, my calls for assistance were ignored.
When it comes to business, you don't keep customers very long when you don't respond to inquiries for assistance no matter how petty they may be. ALL of the above could have been quickly resolved with a simple phone call. Save yourself the agony and take your business elsewhere. Stirling Storage in Phoenixville is a far better and more modern facility. read more
