Update 9/8/21 – Five self-storage operators were named among “America’s Best Customer-Service Companies” for 2022 by “Newsweek” magazine and data-research firm Statista. CubeSmart, Extra Space Storage Inc., Life Storage, SecurCare Self Storage and StorageMart were chosen in the “Storage Centers” category as part of the “Personal Services, Home Care and Maintenance” sector. The campaign included 581 retailers across 16 industries.
“Receiving this national recognition from Newsweek for a second consecutive year is a huge honor, and we are so grateful to the customers and communities that trust us to deliver easy, clean and friendly service. Thank you for this honor,” Burnam said.
CubeSmart is a self-storage real estate investment trust and management firm. It owns or manages 1,265 self-storage facilities across the United States.
2/8/21 – Five self-storage operators were named among “America’s Best Customer-Service Companies” for 2021 by “Newsweek” magazine and data-research firm Statista. SmartStop Self Storage, SecurCare Self Storage, StorageMart, Life Storage Inc. and Extra Space Storage Inc. were named in the “Storage Centers” category as part of the “Personal Services, Home Care and Maintenance” sector.
The “Newsweek” campaign annually ranks brick-and-mortar retailers, online retailers and service providers across 160 categories. Brands were selected based on a survey of more than 25,000 customers who have either made purchases, used services, or gathered information about products and services in the past three years. Participants were asked whether they would recommend brands to friends or family, assessing quality of communication, professional competence, range of services, customer focus and accessibility. A total of 160,000 evaluations were collected.
SmartStop is the operating brand of SmartStop Self Storage REIT Inc., a self-managed real estate investment trust. It operates 150 properties in 19 U.S. states and Toronto. The company’s score of 8.07 was highest among the operators named. Through its indirect subsidiary SmartStop REIT Advisors LLC, the REIT sponsors other self-storage programs, including Strategic Storage Trust IV Inc., a public non-traded REIT. It has approximately $1.7 billion of real estate assets under management.
SecurCare placed second in the Storage Centers category with a score of 7.96. It’s a participating regional operator of National Storage Affiliates Trust (NSAT), a Maryland REIT. The brand also appeared in the 2019 listing. Headquartered in Greenwood, Colo., NSAT is a self-administered, self-managed REIT focused on the acquisition, operation and ownership of self-storage properties within the top 100 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas. The company has 788 self-storage facilities in 35 states and Puerto Rico comprising more than 49.5 million net rentable square feet. It's owned by its affiliate operators, who are contributing their interests in their self-storage assets over the next few years as their current mortgage debt matures.
StorageMart was third with a score of 7.72. It operates 225 self-storage properties across Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. Founded in 1999 and based in Columbia, Mo., the company is privately owned and operated by the Burnam Family, which has been in the storage industry for three generations. With a portfolio consisting of more than 15 million square feet, it serves more than 130,000 self-storage customers and operates in Chinese, English, Punjabi, Quebecois French and Spanish.
“We’ve always been a customer-centric business, and we’re honored to receive national recognition from ‘Newsweek,’” said StorageMart CEO Cris Burnam in a press release. “I want to thank all of our customers for their trust and the incredible opportunity to serve the communities we call home.”
Life Storage made the list for the third consecutive year with a score of 7.67. Based in Buffalo, N.Y., the publicly traded REIT and third-party management firm operates more than 900 self-storage facilities in 30 states and Ontario, Canada. Its portfolio of owned and managed facilities comprises more than 65.8 million square feet.
Extra Space rounded out the list with a score of 7.60. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, the publicly traded REIT and third-party management firm owns or operates more than 1,921 self-storage properties nationwide and in Puerto Rico. The company’s properties comprise approximately 1.4 million units and 149.2 million square feet of rentable space.
Other business categories within the "Personal Services, Home Care and Maintenance" segment were automotive repair, car washes, dry-cleaning services, handyman referral services and home repairs, home security, and home-care services for seniors and the disabled. Recognized brands included Brake Masters, Angie's List and Ring.
Sources:
PR Newswire, StorageMart Earns Newsweek’s Best Customer Service 2021 Award
Newsweek, America’s Best Customer Service Companies
PR Newswire, Newsweek Lists StorageMart Among America's Best Customer Service Companies for 2022