1. Take your time answering the phone. Any more than two rings, and I think a) youre not there; b) you dont know how to run your business if you cant answer the phone quickly; c) you dont value my time; or d) all of the above. Any more than two to three rings, and Im outta here. (Another good reason to use two rings as your standard: Most of your competitors use three rings as their benchmark, so go one better than themin everything.)

2. When you answer the phone, dont thank me for calling. No one says thanks to me anymore. Not my kids for their allowances. Not my boss for my hard work. Not my dog for buying him that fancy, expensive gourmet food. Not a soul. And now you dont value my call enough to say Thank you for calling? Buh-bye.

3. Dont ask my name. Bob Seger said it best: I feel like a number. Everywhere I go these days, people assign me numbersthe bank, the deli, the car wash. When I call most companies I do business with, I have to enter a 16-digit account number just to talk to an automated attendant. I just want to be me!

4. Dont use my name. I tell ya, I dont get any respect. I cant hear my name enough. I love the sound of it. It makes me think Im importantespecially if you use Mr. before it, and a lot. Humor me a little here, or Ill find someone who will.

5. Tell me your troubles, dear. I dont care if you cant collect from that guy who rents unit 215, your kids are sick, youre having a bad morning, your boss didnt get the paychecks today, etc. My problems make yours look like a day at the country club. All I know is I need to rent some space, I need to do it now, and as much as Id love to talk to you (OK, not really), I cant help you with your problems.

6. Dont tell me the name of your company when you answer. Ive already called two (or was it three?) of your competitors this morning. I just lifted my finger off your ad in the Yellow Pages, and now I cant remember your name. I dont want you to think Im dumb, so I wont ask you to repeat it to me. Help me out here, just a little.

7. Tell me all about yourself. Oh yeah, I think its really cool that you have climate-controlled, basement-level, sound-proof storage space in 14 different sizes, but Im not going to be using the unit to make Eskimo Pies while jamming to Metallica. I want to hear about what I need. Listen to me, ask me questions. Then tell me how much we have in common. Go ahead. Make my day.

8. Wheres our relationship going? I like you, and Id like to take this to the next level, but I dont know what you want. Do you want to just chat about your features and benefits, or do you really want my business? Do you have a fear of commitment? Youve heard stories about the prettiest girl in school who never got invited to the prom. They were true. If you actually ask me to rent space from you, you might be amazed to find Ill say Yes! If you dont ask, youll always think about what might have been.

9. Assume Im only one call. You might be having a bad moment and decide Im not that important. You get plenty of calls, right? The phone rings all the time. You just ran a new ad, and thats going to generate a lot of new business. Sure, Im only one call. But I work with 25 people. And I have 75 friends. My church averages 750 attendees at each service. My kids sports games attract dozens of people. I like to tell people when Im not treated well somewhere. So does everybody else.

10. Just hang up. You dont have to thank me for callingyou already did that, right? I want you to thank me. I want you to thank me. You dont have a second chance to make a last impression. If you dont thank me, Im gone. Down the road. Next, please.

Ron Welty is the president of Perrysburg, Ohio-based IntelliShop, a national provider of mystery-shopping and other customer-experience measurement services throughout the United States. For more information, call 877.894.6349; visit www.intelli-shop.com.

Workers compensation is designed to ensure that employees injured or disabled while on the job are properly compensated, negating the need for related lawsuits. It also provides benefits for dependents of workers killed by work-related accidents or illness. Some laws also protect employers by limiting the amount an injured employee can recover, and co-workers by eliminating their liability in most accidents.

Bob Brown just opened a self-storage site. He manages the office and has four people who maintain the facility and grounds. When he purchased his business insurance, Bob told his agent he didnt need workers-compensation coverage because his people are not employees but independent contractors.

Is there a problem in this scenario? Possibly. Workers-compensation laws vary by state, and most states have some form of statute regarding coverage. Facilities that meet certain requirements must provide workers compensation for all employees or face fines and consequences if they do not. The question comes in determining who qualifies as an employee.

The Employee

According to law, an employee is someone hired to perform services under the direction and control of another person or company, known as the employer. Since each state has its own definition to explain what constitutes an employer, Bob must determine the exact relationship his business has with hired help. A rule of thumb is that an employer is any person or entity who gives direction to and exercises control over a worker.

The Independent Contractor

Because workers compensation is intended only to cover employees, it is important to define the difference between an employee and an independent contractor. An independent contractor makes an agreement with a person to provide a service but remains in control of the work performed. Services are bound by written agreement.

Some of the benefits to hiring an independent contractor is you dont have to withhold federal, state and Social Security taxes or pay unemployment or workers-compensation insurance. In fact, storage owners dont have to offer much of anything to independent contractors, except that for which they have agreed by contract.

The Subcontractor

When you hire a licensed contractor or vendor, you assume the work and materials will be of high quality and the workers involved will be competent. In most cases, this is true; however, misfortune can happen to even the most reputable company. Accidents that result in property damage or injury to tenants, employees or the general public are known to happen. Hiring contractors that have proper insurance coverage is imperative to protect your business.

The best way to brace your business against vendor-liability exposure is to take appropriate measures when hiring. Seek out reputable companies that are licensed, bonded and insured. Get references from past clients, and request a certificate of general-liability and workers-compensation insurance.

A certificate of insurance is evidence that the vendor is insured by a financially stable company and carries adequate coverage for the service being performed. It should contain information on the insurer, insurance agency, types of coverage, policy numbers, effective dates, limits, certificate holders and any special provisions. Confirm that the limits of the vendors policy are equal if not greater than your facilitys limits and the policy effective dates are current.

Keep certificates of insurance on file during and after project completion. This will be imperative if an incident occurs or other complication arises. For example, if you determine a roofing contractor used defective materials and a roof-related incident causes damage to tenants property, a certificate of insurance from the vendor will release you from liability.

When hiring employees, follow your states statutes and purchase adequate workers-compensation coverage to protect your business from staff-related claims involving injury or illness. When hiring licensed independent contractors or subcontractors, ensure they carry adequate insurance to reduce your liability in vendor-exposure claims.

Amy Brown is part of Universal Insurance Facilities Ltd., which offers a comprehensive package of coverages specifically designed to meet the needs of the self-storage industry. For more information or to get a quick, no-obligation quote, call 800.844.2101; e-mail [email protected]; visit www.vpico.com/universal.