Shirley J.

I have been a long time customer of Public Storage since the 90's when it was Minikahda Mini-Storage; they were bought by Minneapolis Public Storage a couple of years ago. I am currently living in California, and had not been in my storage lockers in Minneapolis for 5 years. When I was recently home, and needing to quickly resolve a situation involving new locks, I was greatly helped by Alexander. I was fortunate that he was at the front desk on the day that I came in. Alexander researched what had happened with my lockers during the new management (a lock had been cut off). I was very glad to have the mystery sorted out and resolved at that time. Alexander, even while helping other customers at the same time, gave me his full attention and came upstairs with me to my lockers to see what he could do to help. I am very grateful for Alexander's prompt and effective problem-solving!

7 Stars to an extremely helpful and efficient employee named India! (at Public Storage # ******* in Alameda). She sorted out in a matter of minutes a conundrum that had not been resolved during hours that I'd spent on the phone with Public Storage Customer Service.

India was calm, comprehensive, and successful in changing a tangled situation.

I wish that she were running for President.

Abbreviated story below:

I was attempting to update my ID card number on file because the number on record was from two ID cards ago. Without this number, I could not proceed with Customer Service; they insisted it was vital that I did this update with the office where my storage locker was originally opened.

However, that was years ago in Minneapolis, where I no longer live (hence my storage locker there). I am now in California and can pay monthly bills at any local Public Storage office here -- but I don't have the option of paying online, because my records needed to be updated... (hence my efforts to do that).

I was told by one Customer Service representative that I could update my ID card number on file at the California Public Storage location (Alameda) where I was paying my bill that day. Dutifully I filled out a Contact Update form to be faxed to Minneapolis office, then called Customer Service again... only to be told subsequently by another rep that this seemingly logical solution was not possible, that I'd been given the wrong information by previous rep -- and that updating my ID card number could ONLY BE DONE BY THE MINNEAPOLIS OFFICE WHERE MY ACCOUNT ORIGINATED (with great conviction the rep had stated this, repeatedly).

By now my conversations had culminated in reaching the Corporate Office, where after another half an hour on the phone I was sputtering with frustration, questioning their inconsistent policies. It had been hard to even get through to representatives on the line: the automated operator requested the last 4 digits of my ID card number, the one I was trying to update.

Round and round I went. It was an exercise in futility.

My increasingly stressful calls took place between 2-4 pm (by which time the Minneapolis office was closed for the day).

Having been adamantly advised by the Corporate Office Customer Service rep to return to the Alameda office the next day, in order to do necessary paperwork with Minneapolis office via several steps involving a fax, my patience and temper were now frayed.

India, on duty that day, listened patiently to the details of my quandry and looked up my account in the computer system. I shook my head: "You won't be able to change my ID number here, they won't allow that!"

But she could. She simply went into "Edit" and updated my ID card number in the system, with no fuss. This sensible action flew in the face of the strict edicts I'd been given by Customer Service, that any updating could ONLY BE DONE BY THE OFFICE WHERE MY ACCOUNT WAS ORIGINALLY OPENED.

Apparently not the case. Within a few minutes and key strokes, my ID card number was updated in the national computer system of Public Storage. I verified this by calling the Minneapolis office on the spot, asking them to quote to me the ID card number they now saw on their screen. The numbers read back to me were exactly what India had just entered; no-one else had done that.

India had very admirably made sense of everything involved in this situation. She saved me additional frustration, and money, by giving me helpful information for future reference. She was understanding, tactful, and successful in solving problems.

Yes, I wish that she were running for President.

Laura Davis