OpenTech Alliance Inc., a Phoenix-based provider of self-serve kiosks, call-center services and other technology solutions for the self-storage industry, has added pay-by-phone and online chat to its INSOMNIAC Live! services. Both are offered on a pay-as-you-use model and supported by the companys team of storage representatives.
XpressPay offers tenants a 24-hour alternative to paying their bills over the phone with a self-storage facility manager. Customer calls to a facility can be routed to the XpressPay service, and accounts can be retrieved based on caller ID. They can use touch-tone phones, and eventually speech, to get the balance on their account and process a payment. Once a transaction is completed, a receipt is automatically e-mailed to the customer. If the customer needs personal assistance, OpenTech representatives are available during call-center hours.
The company said the XpressPay service could be a new revenue stream for operators. Many of the largest operators already charge a convenience fee as high as $20 to make a payment over the phone instead of using their website or paying in person, company officials said in a press release. The Live! XpressPay solution is also available to self-storage companies with in-house call centers.
OpenTechs Live! Chat service is designed to direct and convert prospective customers looking for self-storage using a computer, tablet or mobile device. Self-storage operators are spending heavily on developing Web and mobile sites and then even more on attracting visitors to their sites, company officials said. OpenTech has provided its representatives with a library of facility information and chat technology to ensure each visitor gets the answers he needs, the company said. All chats prompt visitors for their name and e-mail address. Upon completion of the session, a contact note is created with the visitor information, source of contact (chat), and record of the chat dialog.
OpenTech provides several models of INSOMNIAC self-serve kiosks as well as a range of self-storage rental solutions including the INSOMNIAC Live! Call Center, INSOMNIAC Online Web and mobile applications, LiveAgent! software products, and the INSOMNIAC ILock Security System, all available through the company's Self-Storage Cloud.
