Sometimes, you might have some difficulty getting a hold of the customer. There are two typical scenarios where this happens, so we've broken down this article to talk about each.

• Can't Reach Customer - The customer doesn't answer the phone and/or doesn't return your call
• Bogus Contact Information - The customer's phone number is disconnected or invalid

On the bright side, in both situations, the unresponsive customer may still be planning to move in. Customers who use SpareFoot expect to have a unit waiting for them on move-in day

As you know, the circumstances that cause people to need storage aren't always ideal. Some top reasons are:

• Moving
• Returning from another country (from a trip, temporary relocation or military service)
• College students storing belongings after finals
• Divorce
• Death of a loved one

In each of these examples, it's easy to imagine how a customer can be hard to reach. Their life event(s) may be taking up lots of time and causing stress. A person's phone might be disconnected in preparation for their move. Or, an overseas traveler might not have access to their American phone abroad.

If you can, please be sure to hold the unit open for the SpareFoot customer! If you're in a situation where that's just not practical, we understand. Let's say a SpareFoot customer reserves your last 5X10 unit and you haven't been able to reach them (after a number of attempts). If you get an inquiry for a 5X10 from another source, we'd ask that you:

1. Attempt to contact the SpareFoot customer one last time (by phone and email) and give them the right of last refusal. Let them know that you've attempted to reach them on numerous occasions, and you have another customer who is serious about renting the space.
2. Give the SpareFoot customer a deadline ("If I haven't heard from you by tomorrow at 10AM I'll have to rent the unit to the other customer.").
3. If you don't hear back from the SpareFoot customer by the specified time, feel free to rent the unit to the other customer.
4. Follow back up with the SpareFoot customer closer to their move-in date. Let them know what you have available at the time and please do your best to accommodate them!

How did this happen?

Shoppers using SpareFoot to find storage enter their own name, email address and phone number into our website, so we're unfortunately at the mercy of the contact information provided. Customers will receive an error message if they attempt to enter an obviously bogus email address or phone number into our contact form, though if they claim the information is valid, we do allow it to be submitted.

We know that many of the people who use false information do so because they do not want to be contacted, though they are still intending to show up and rent a unit. We wish this didn't happen, but sadly we can't control it.

Does SpareFoot have a different phone number for this customer?

Once the reservation is booked on our website, we send you all of the customer's contact information exactly as they provided it to us. We don't have any additional information.

Remember, we really want you to be able to follow up with these customers, so we do everything we can to provide you all the information you'll need.

While we wish customers would always answer your calls, there are occasions when a customer might be hard to contact. If none of your attempts are working, we certainly don't want you to waste your valuable time spinning your wheels. If you're calling a customer a few times a day without any luck, perhaps decrease the frequency of your calls after a few days.

Also, if a customer isn't responsive to your phone calls, perhaps try sending them an email. Since customers who use SpareFoot are online shoppers who used our service instead of calling around to storage facilities. These customers might prefer online communication to the phone.