Complete Story
09/12/2016
Allow move-in with payment but delayed lease signing?
Liberty Gate Investments, LLC - Jon Griffeth
Allow move-in with payment but delayed lease signing? I'm looking for ways to automated the move-in process. We are putting a call center in place that will take 100% of incoming calls. I can only be at the property on Saturdays since my site manager took a different job. My call center reps will have full access to our management software so they can do one of two things. 1. They can simply take a reservation and then direct the customer to the site on Saturday to complete the reservation which risks the customer renting somewhere else. Or 2. they can actually perform the move-in over the phone including gathering customer data, assigning a unit, receiving payment, and giving a gate code. They only thing they won't be able to get is a signed lease. They would have to direct the customer to the property on Saturday for getting the lease signed, but at least the customer would be paid up and could move-in immediately. I realize this is not optimal and perhaps risky that they would never come in to sign the lease - but I'm looking for a balanced approach to keep customers happy and work around my limited man power right now.
6 Comments
Karen Hise on Thursday 09/15/2016 at 04:51 PM
If you use SiteLink software, there is now an option for e-signing a lease. Your call center rep can just email the lease and request they e-sign and return. I would still have the customer come in on Saturday when you're physically in your office to sign the lease in person. If you don't have software that supports e-signing a lease, have your call center do the move in and explain that they must come by your office do sign the lease.
Jon Griffeth on Thursday 09/15/2016 at 05:14 PM
Thanks Karen, yes sitelink would be great but we are using another system until we can transfer over.
March Chase on Friday 09/16/2016 at 07:41 AM
Jon:
Please give me a call later this morning to discuss this. I believe I have your answer.
You can reach me at 804-436-2596. Thanks and look forward to speaking with you.
Olivia Austin on Friday 09/16/2016 at 08:53 AM
Allowing someone to move-in ahead of a signed lease is risky. Using SiteLink eSign™ would solve your dilemma Jon and no need for a customer to come in and sign again; SiteLink eSign is legally binding and eliminates paper/printing costs and storage.
Additionally, using Sitelink MyHub will provide the flexibility you presently require of remote management.
Let me know if you ever want me to discuss your options.
Jon Griffeth on Tuesday 09/20/2016 at 10:16 AM
Thanks for the answers everyone, much appreciated
Holly Fiorello on Saturday 10/15/2016 at 01:04 PM
What you are looking for is a temporary license to use space. It's not a lease but says the customer can use the space for a specified number of days and must complete an action (eg coming in to sign their lease and bring a copy of their photo idea). If they don't follow through, you can overlock them. I am not an attorney or giving legal advice, but you could call Self Storage Attorney Scott Zucker and he could tell you more, as well as some companies who provide online rentals. You could also have a kiosk at the property that would allow them to finish the reservation. The key here, as the few below have mentioned, is to make sure your property management software integrates with those services.
