We knew it was coming … “The talk.” My husband and I had been dancing around the subject for months. Finally, we could put it off no longer.
Were we going to continue to pay the outrageous fees charged by our satellite TV provider, or were we finally going to bite the bullet and make the switch to streaming video? Our show addiction teetered in the balance. The conversion would involve logistical gymnastics as well as some initial inconvenience. And, of course, there would be sacrifices. We agreed we would never give up immediate access to “Outlander,” “Sherlock” or “The Walking Dead,” but we might have to concede the loss of “Vikings” and “Portlandia.” Hey, life is about difficult choices. In any case, we would no longer be pawns in the entertainment-extortion game!
If your household invests in premium TV services, then perhaps you’ve had a similar conversation. Whether you use DirecTV, Dish Network or some other service, you’re likely tired of constantly increasing fees, ever-changing packages and “discounts” that expire after only a few months—not to mention service disruptions. I was having to call our provider every quarter to haggle new pricing. After eight years of being a customer, I felt we should be rewarded, not penalized, for our loyalty. And yet nearly every time we received a bill, our rate had gone up for one reason or another.
No more! We welcomed Roku into our life. It’s an amazing tool for organizing and viewing video content (and it sounds like a delicious Asian food). The best part? We have access to literally thousands of shows, movies and documentaries at the push of a button—all for less than half of what we were paying for satellite.
Technology has changed the world immensely over the past two decades, for good and ill. It’s not just a digital age, it’s an on-demand age. We can access nearly anything we want, at almost any time—and not just movies and TV shows. Need software? Buy and download it immediately. Need the latest Halsey song for your morning workout? No problem. Need something new to read on the plane in 20 minutes? Done. Want food delivered from nearly any restaurant in the area? Take your pick from several budding services in nearly every marketplace. Need a ride? Uber it up. Need pretty much anything else? Thank goodness you’ve got Amazon Prime. Wait … my apologies … I meant Amazon Prime Now.
Consumers are demanding more, and they don’t want to wait for it. Everything has to happen yesterday. In the self-storage industry, we’ve developed many ways to give customers what they want, when they want it, from online reservations and billpay, to call centers, to kiosks and more. For facility operators, too, the list of products and services that can be delivered immediately is steadily growing. Software, technology, security and marketing companies in particular are designing products that can be downloaded or accessed at the touch of a button.
Here at Inside Self-Storage, we’ve also jumped into the “gotta have it now” game. Through our website, we provide a wealth of on-demand information:
- A massive article archive that covers the full range of industry topics
- Self-Storage TV, which gives you access to hundreds of industry-specific videos, including news broadcasts, expert interviews, how-to’s, and many examples of consumer-oriented guides and commercials
- Blogs full of personal insight
- Podcasts and webinars
- Rich image galleries covering events, showcases, case studies and more
- Downloadable assets including digital issues, reports, whitepapers and slideshows
- Directories, including the annual Buyer’s Guide and Top-Operators List
And that’s just the free stuff. Through our online store, we offer a host of on-demand products: videos, books, webinars, reports, business tools and more. We most recently posted digital copies of the 45 education seminars presented at this year’s Inside Self-Storage World Expo. Our customers love the immediacy, convenience and economy of these offerings. Users can be checked out and watching their chosen video within minutes. They tell us they use these online seminars for personal edification as well as for individual and group staff training.
We’re living in an on-demand world. Your self-storage customers want things now, and so do you. If what you require is industry information—whether it be on the building, investing or operating side of the business—you can get it now through ISS. So go grab it, and enjoy the instant gratification it brings!