Telephone Mystery Shopping

OUR TELEPHONE
MYSTERY SHOPPING PLANS

SkilCheck takes telephone mystery shopping beyond simply checking whether an employee answers the phone correctly. Our detailed telephone mystery shops evaluate the entire customer experience—from the initial greeting and discovery questions to the invitation to visit, closing techniques, and follow-up.

With more than 40 years of self-storage industry experience, we understand what makes a great sales conversation. We can customize our telephone mystery shopping evaluation forms to reflect your company’s sales expectations, terminology, and training goals at no additional cost.

What Does a Telephone Self-Storage Mystery Shop Include?

Our mystery shoppers pose as real prospective tenants searching for storage. During the call, they evaluate how effectively your employee handles the inquiry, builds rapport, identifies the customer’s needs, communicates value, and works toward earning the rental.

Here is a sample of what we evaluate:

AUDIO & CALL DETAILS

• Audio Recording of the Call: Hear the actual interaction between your employee and the mystery shopper. Listening to the call provides valuable context that a score alone simply cannot capture.

• Detailed Call Evaluation: Our reports document the employee’s performance throughout the conversation, allowing you to identify strengths, coaching opportunities, and areas where additional training may be beneficial.

• Human-Reviewed Results: Our mystery shops provide more than automated call analysis. We review and evaluate reports to provide meaningful feedback you can use for employee training.

GREETING & FIRST IMPRESSION

• Professional Greeting: Did the employee answer promptly and provide an appropriate greeting?

• Friendly and Welcoming Tone: Did the employee sound genuinely interested in helping the caller?

• Customer’s Name: Did the employee ask for and use the prospective tenant’s name during the conversation?

• Rapport Building: Did the conversation feel natural and personalized rather than rushed or overly scripted?

INQUIRY & DISCOVERY

A great storage sales call should be more than a price quote. We evaluate whether the employee takes the time to understand what the customer actually needs.

• Did the employee ask what the customer plans to store?

• Did they determine the appropriate unit size?

• Did they ask when the customer needs storage?

• Did they identify other needs or concerns that could influence the rental decision?

• Did they listen to and respond to the information the caller provided?

These discovery questions give employees an opportunity to recommend the right solution rather than simply quoting a price.

COUNSEL & SALES PRESENTATION

Once the employee understands the customer’s needs, how well do they present the property and available storage options?

Our mystery shops can evaluate whether the employee:

• Recommends an appropriate unit size or storage solution.

• Clearly explains pricing and applicable fees.

• Discusses relevant features and benefits.

• Communicates security features and property access.

• Provides helpful storage information.

• Creates value beyond simply quoting a monthly rental rate.

• Personalizes the conversation based on the caller’s needs.

INVITATION & CALL TO ACTION

Every inquiry represents an opportunity to move a prospective tenant closer to renting.

We evaluate whether the employee takes that next step by inviting the caller to visit the property, reserve a unit, complete a rental, or take another appropriate action.

Rather than waiting for the customer to decide what happens next, does your employee confidently guide the conversation forward?

CLOSING THE CALL

The final moments of a telephone inquiry can leave a lasting impression.

Our shoppers evaluate whether the employee:

• Makes an effort to earn the caller’s business.

• Asks for the rental or reservation when appropriate.

• Provides clear next steps.

• Confirms important information.

• Ends the conversation professionally and positively.

We also look at the employee’s overall sales skills, including friendliness, confidence, product knowledge, listening skills, professionalism, and ability to create a genuine connection with the prospective tenant.

FOLLOW-UP AFTER THE MYSTERY SHOP

The customer experience doesn’t necessarily end when the telephone call does.

Our telephone mystery shops can also track whether the employee follows up with the new lead created by the mystery shopper. This provides another valuable layer of insight into your sales process.

Did the employee call the prospect back? How quickly did they follow up? What effort did they make to reconnect with the potential customer and earn the rental?

Tracking follow-up helps operators see whether leads are being actively pursued after the initial inquiry—not just how well the first phone call was handled.

MORE THAN A SCORE

A SkilCheck telephone mystery shop isn’t designed simply to tell you whether an employee passed or failed. It is a training tool.

By combining the call recording with a detailed evaluation and follow-up information, you can hear what your customers hear, recognize employees doing an excellent job, and pinpoint specific areas where additional coaching can improve the customer experience.

Whether you operate one self-storage property or locations across the country, consistent telephone mystery shopping can give you a clearer picture of what happens when a prospective customer calls your business.

Because every call is more than an inquiry—it is an opportunity to earn a new tenant.