Artificial Intelligence
Voice AI In Self-Storage: Here’s What We’re Hearing On The Ground
When we talk to facility operators, phone calls still come up as one of the biggest time drains on staff. Existing and prospective tenants call for everything from gate access to billing questions, and the calls rarely come at convenient times.
The reality is, AI can now answer most of these queries either through written words or voice.
We are noticing that many operators have already automated web and chat interactions, but phone calls often remain manual. The minute that office phone starts to ring, team members have to drop everything and put their customer service hats on.
Fortunately, voice AI is beginning to ease the burdens on facility staff who often feel tethered to constant phone calls.
This means fewer disruptions and more time to focus on high-value, needle-moving tasks that center around business development.
The absolute last thing you need is a team bogged down in routine tasks. Instead, you want folks focused on the long-term vision. They need time in the working day to think about the bigger picture.
Why Voice Still Matters For Tenants (It’s Never Going Away)
Even in a time of chatbots and digital self-service, phone calls continue to be a preferred channel for many tenants.
We don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Some tenants just want to speak their request out loud, whether they are driving, in a hurry, or less comfortable with web forms.
I’m sure we can all relate to that feeling of wanting to get something resolved quickly.
What we’re seeing on the ground is that ignoring voice means ignoring a significant share of tenant communication.
If staff cannot pick up every call, that means missed revenue opportunities and frustrated customers.
Voice AI solves this gap by providing the convenience of an instant answer, with the flexibility of natural speech.
How Voice AI Works In Self-Storage
Voice AI isn’t a traditional phone tree with “press one for billing.” Instead, it uses natural language processing to understand what the caller is asking. The system can then pull from your facility’s data to provide an accurate answer.
A tenant might say, “I need my gate code,” and the AI can securely verify their details and deliver the code. Another might ask, “Do you have 10x10 units available this weekend?” and receive up-to-date information in real time.
The difference is that the tenant feels like they are having a real conversation rather than having to navigate a script.
What Benefits Do Facility Operators See From Voice AI?
Operators who adopt voice AI quickly notice three core benefits:
- Fewer missed calls and lost reservations.
- Staff time reclaimed from repetitive phone tasks.
- Happier tenants who get quick answers without waiting.
In a business where nearly 60% of customers rent from the first facility that responds, answering calls instantly can mean the difference between a new tenant and a missed opportunity.
How Does This Impact Facility Teams?
We don’t see voice AI replacing staff. That’s not what this is about.
It is, however, going to alleviate the pressures they face in dealing with incoming communication.
Even the best facility teams often miss nearly 49% of all incoming communication that can turn into revenue.
Instead of picking up the phone 40 times a day to answer the same handful of questions, staff can dedicate time to move-ins, maintenance, or long-term growth projects.
The technology acts as a buffer. It’s going to handle routine conversations while escalating more complex issues directly to a manager when needed.
That balance makes teams more productive and less stressed, while ensuring tenants still get the service they expect.
Do Chatbots Also Have A Role To Play?
Absolutely. Over 4,500 self-storage facilities have used swivl to handle tenant queries 24/7.
As swivl’s conversational AI platform is trained on data from over 4.5M interactions, it can easily identify what existing and prospective tenants are looking for.
This means it can process gate code requests, reservations, and billing questions without skipping a beat.
Instead of relying on generic chatbot tools, swivl integrates directly with facility systems so answers are accurate and secure.
Automating Your Most Important Customer Touch-Points
Not enough self-storage facilities are using trained chatbots, and even fewer are using intelligent voice AI to automate tenant communication.
Everyone wins because:
- Tenants want quick, spoken answers.
- Teams want fewer interruptions.
- Facilities want more conversions and stronger tenant retention.
Adding voice AI to your operations delivers on all three.
The operators adopting it today aren’t replacing human touch.
They are simply making sure their facility is always open, responsive, and ready to deliver.
If you’d like to find out more about how swivl can fit into your facility’s technology stack, book a demo today, and our team will be happy to show you how swivl helps operators big and small.
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