Security is a top priority when it comes to protecting customers’ possessions

By Marty Cheek

The staff at Cochrane Road Self-Storage know every unit holds a story. Whether it’s a small storage unit holding a few file boxes full of papers or a large unit holding the contents of a home, they make sure their customers gain peace of mind knowing their possessions are well protected.

“Security is the biggest factor when people want to store stuff. It’s their biggest concern,” said Katy Florio, the manager. “We have individual alarms on every unit. We have over 30 video surveillance cameras so we have coverage recording 24 hours a day. We do security checks every hour where we just check around and make sure our customers are here and not random people.”

Every hour, staff does a check to make sure all the locks are secure. If they find a lock that’s not secure, they immediately call or text the customer. And if someone comes in through the gate and uses a different code on a unit, it sets off the alarm.

“All the units are activated and when you put in the code (at the gate) it deactivates the alarm,” Florio said. “When you code-out to leave, you set the alarm back on.”

The locally owned and operated business located on Woodview Avenue in northern Morgan Hill behind the Madrone Village Shopping Center. It opened in 1997 with seven buildings. Over the years it expanded and now has 1,098 storage units total, with 96 percent being used. They range in size 5 by 2.5 feet to 14 by 20 feet. Unit prices per month range f

Sales Associate Courtney Tice started working at the site in July and enjoys the camaraderie of the crew.

“We have a fun team here,” she said.      “I applied for the job because of the team. That’s the reason I wanted to work here in the first place.”

Getting to know the customers and treating them with a friendly and professional attitude make the job even more fun. The business brings in a variety of customers with diverse self-storage needs, she said.

“There was this couple who were so sweet,” Tice said. “They first told me they wanted to store some bikes, and I go ‘Oh, cool,’ thinking they were normal bikes for one person. Once they moved in, they drove up their dual bicycle and it had a little canopy over it. And they drove through the lanes on their bicycles. It’s so fun being with people here.”

Friendly customer service is a priority for Toeniskoetter Development, a real estate investment and management company that owns Cochrane Road Self Storage and other storage sites in the South Bay, said Melissa Volau, area manager.

“The first thing is you have to like people. You have to like all kinds of people,” she said. “And that means people who are homeless, and people who are working homeless, and people who are storing Ferraris. You really have to have a niche for conversation and you have to be very welcoming and a people person.”

Toeniskoetter encourages their self-storage staff to create a small town charm so customers and potential customers always feel welcomed, said Ernesto Escareno, the assistant manager.

“It’s not just a business,” he said. “People come in for the storage  and they get great storage, but they also get to build relationships with us.”