Storage Tip Number 1

I realize that we are partially responsible for this loss and I plan to include tips on this blog that might help someone else prevent such a loss.

The truth is I took a lot for granted. The companies responsible for paying for our storage are international corporations. They have history of moving people around the globe and taking care of the details – like storage.

We still don’t know if it was an accounting mix-up or actual theft that led to the loss (investigation is underway). But, in hindsight, I was pretty naïve to just blindly trust an unknown unnamed person in AP somewhere with the security of our things.

My sister enlightened me to the fact that things can go wrong. She at one time worked for a national builder of new homes at one of their show homes. She said, “Someone in accounts payable left and the phone got shut off. The company had money to pay the bill. What company that is selling houses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and has paid thousands in advertising to promote their homes and their phone number WANTS the phone shut off? The phone company sent notices. I tried to prevent it. But there was no one taking care of things at corporate.”

Storage Tip Number 1: Befriend the AP person responsible for paying your storage bill. This goes beyond knowing the bill cycle and checking to see if the bill was in fact paid each month, quarter or year. Notice the first word in the tip – BEFRIEND. If someone is your friend you know their name, phone number, e-mail, birthday. You know if they have pets. We are beyond e-mail and phone 101, here. I’m not suggesting you pick up the phone, hunt down the person, and ask them a list of questions. Start small – send e-mails to check on your storage. Be polite, respectful, friendly. And most important, keep in touch regularly.