Artificial Intelligence
What Self-Storage Can Learn From Other Industries Using AI
In our recent conversations with self-storage operators, we are seeing growing interest in using AI to align tenant experiences with modern expectations.
Prospective and existing tenants want lightning-fast service with instant answers to their queries. Other industries are already offering these types of customer experiences.
So, what does instantaneous service look like in self-storage, and how do you make it possible?
Facility teams are still trying to figure this out, but we’ve got a few ideas to share with you.
Here’s what we know:
- Millennials generally expect quick and instant responses to their inquiries and customer service requests.
- 66% of Gen Z and 60% of Millennials expect companies to recognize their individual needs and interests.
- Three-quarters of consumers expect a response within 24 hours or sooner.
From what we’ve seen, the self-storage facilities that are learning from outside their sector are the ones adapting fastest.
They’re rethinking what their teams spend time on and how tenants experience their service from the very first interaction.
Hospitality Shows Why Fast, Frictionless Service Wins Loyalty
This is nothing new, but it’s being amplified by AI.
In hotels, AI-driven check-in systems now handle thousands of guest arrivals without ever needing a receptionist.
Room keys are digital. Booking confirmations come with clickable links that answer questions before the guest even asks them.
That kind of automation hasn’t made the hospitality industry impersonal. It’s actually made it smoother.
Now, storage operators have begun asking themselves what the front desk equivalent looks like for their tenants.
Access codes. Unit availability. Simple billing inquiries. These are the new check-in moments.
Do they really require a phone call or a staff member on standby? No. What they need is a system smart enough to respond in real time, at any hour.
Many self-storage operators are using our platform, swivl, to handle day-to-day interactions with existing and prospective tenants, all while keeping team members in the loop.
Making service this easy changes how tenants view your brand. It tells them your facility is modern, responsive, and trustworthy. And it frees your team to focus on growing the business, not chasing missed calls.
Retail Proves That Personalization & Scale Can Work Together
Sound impossible? Well, it is without the right systems in place.
Major retailers use AI to analyze shopper behavior and tailor experiences in the moment.
AI tells them what customers are interested in, what they’re likely to do next, and how to streamline the path to purchase. Not next week. Not after a quarterly report. But right this second.
Storage teams aren’t dealing with thousands of SKUs, but they are juggling a wide range of customer needs. Some tenants are price-sensitive, while others prioritize convenience or location.
Smart automation doesn’t treat every inquiry the same. It learns from behavior and adapts and becomes more accurate the more it’s used. This is what we’ve built with swivl.
When you personalize the rental journey, you remove the guesswork and make tenant experiences more consistent. Tenants don’t need to explain themselves twice. They feel understood. And on the back end, your team doesn’t waste time figuring out what someone might want.
Facility team members can jump straight into high-value work and not have to worry about tenant queries disrupting their focus at any hour of the day.
Healthcare Reminds Us That Every Alert Should Be Actionable
Hospitals once relied on overworked staff to spot urgent needs. AI has completely changed that.
At these hospitals, they now have systems to filter through data to flag real emergencies. This helps doctors and nurses act faster, with fewer false alarms.
In storage, that translates to monitoring systems that detect unusual activity, tracking patterns in gate access, or alerting staff to maintenance issues before tenants even notice.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t about having more data. It really just comes down to knowing what to do with it.
Operators who implement these tools find that their teams aren’t buried in low-priority requests anymore. This means they start to act with purpose.
Facility staff are guided by real-time insights instead of reacting after the fact.
The Most Effective Teams Don’t Waste Energy On Repetition
Reserving brainpower for decisions that actually matter is the single best productivity for self-storage teams. So many industries have automated their most repetitive workflows for this exact reason.
It’s as much about guarding their time as it is about saving money.
When it’s done well, it’ll also elevate customer experiences and satisfaction, alongside saving time and money.
We’ve seen storage teams burned out from spending entire mornings sorting through email chains, updating spreadsheets, or answering the same five questions over and over. This is a poor use of your time.
AI doesn’t just clear the backlog. It prevents one from forming in the first place.
When your team doesn’t have to act like a switchboard, they gain a significant amount of time back. They start thinking strategically because they are no longer boxed in and trapped by a routine.
The focus will typically shift to expansion, marketing, and partnerships, which are the real needle movers for any storage business.
The Best Ideas Don’t Always Come From Inside The Industry
The most innovative facility operators are curious. They will pay attention to how other industries use tools, and then ask, “What would that look like here?”
AI in self-storage doesn’t have to be built from scratch. The frameworks already exist. They just need to be applied with care and clarity. What matters most is that the technology fits the reality of your team - and not the other way around.
swivl acts like an extension of your team. With our platform, your facility is always open for business. Get a live demo today and find out more about our self-storage automation platform.
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