I'm not much for doing surveys or online reviews. I'm going to make an exception.
Short version: This is the worst business I've dealt with in my 64 years of life.
Long version (but worth it): After renting our 5x10 unit here, we moved from Texas to Florida. I forgot I had anything there (what happens on "Storage Wars"), but I remembered when I needed to get what was there sent to an auction house. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the locker keys.
I asked my son to go to the facility to see what he could do to help. They couldn't/wouldn't help him. I then called and talked to "Eric," who said he was the manager. He was ZERO help - literally the same as if he had said, "Sorry, pal, too bad, so sad." There was no extra key (it is THEIR key), no security questions I could answer, nothing. According to Eric, I was SOL.
So I asked my family if they knew anything about the keys. My daughter found a key ring she thought might be it and sent me pictures. I called the facility again and talked to "Chris." I had exactly one question: "If I send you a picture of these keys, could you tell me if they are your keys?" When I described them, he said, "That sounds like our keys." I thanked him for that opinion but said, "I'd like to know for sure before I get the keys to a friend in Texas to open the locker. So, may I just text you this picture?" His response? "We're not allowed to text." My response: "Okay, I'll email them to you. What is your email address?" His response? "We're not allowed to give out our email address." This is 2022 - what business doesn't have an email address?
In any event, I said, "Look, all I want to do is have you look at this picture and tell me whether these keys are yours. I don't want you to go into the unit, move anything, or literally do ANYTHING ELSE." Chris' response: "I can't do that."
I then asked, "Well, do you have any great ideas or suggestions for what I can do?" He said they could drill the lock out, which I immediately agreed to. Then, he said that would take at least a week. I told him I didn't have a week and that I would happily pay to expedite it or send over my own locksmith. He said he couldn't do that. I then asked for their locksmith's number to see if I could bribe him to go over in less than a week, but he wouldn't give it to me.
I then asked Chris for his boss' name (yeah, I was kind of a "Karen," but I didn't feel like I had any other choice) with the hope that perhaps the boss might be a little more helpful. He gave me his boss' name, Jessica. I called Jessica THREE times over two days, and left VM messages every time. I got zero response.
From Jessica's voicemail greeting, I realized that Chris had given me her cell number. I called Chris back and asked him why he wouldn't give me his cell number to text him the picture, but it was fine for him to give me his boss' cell number? He just said that he couldn't do that. (I should add that I also texted Jessica three times and got zero response.)
I'm now in a quandary. I need to get in the unit pretty much right now, but I can't. I went to Google and found email addresses for several Public Storage big shots at the "corporate office" and sent them this story. Justin, a Senior Regional VP, called me almost immediately and, long story short, worked out the problem quickly and kindly. Great guy.
So, here's the skinny: Justin gets an A+, but Eric, Chris, and the local facility get an F-. Besides being totally unwilling or unable to help, Eric and Chris weren't even willing to say, "Look, we don't normally do this, but let me make a few calls and see if I can somehow help." Nope, nothing. Zero, zip, nada.
Besides the galactically poor service from Eric and Chris, I realized something else. Like most of us, I have at times lost access to things like my online bank or AMEX account, etc. Every time, they will happily ask you security questions or text you a code to be sure you are who you say you are, etc. Here? Nope, nothing. The response by Eric and Chris was literally the same as if they had said, "Sorry, too bad, so sad, you're screwed."
Three final comments. First, I asked Chris if he'd ever heard the phrase, "The customer is always right." He said he had. My response: "Well, here I am."
Second, if I ever need a storage facility in Southlake again, I think I'll just leave my stuff on the street and keep my fingers crossed that it's not stolen. That would be a better option than giving this place even one more penny of my money.
Third, they unilaterally raised the price of my unit from $37 to $93 per month without telling me. They claim they sent me a letter (of course they did, because they don't have email, cough, cough...) but I never got it. Putting aside whether they actually sent an email or were even contractually allowed to raise the rate unilaterally, it seems to me that raising the price 250% is a little greedy.
The end. Thanks for reading this far. read more
