Lok'nStore Case Study

Focusing on customer service

Lok'nStore prided itself on its customer service standards and on-site facilities, offering customers access to free trolleys, forklift trucks with qualified operators, and insurance as standard. Its flexible storage solutions were both affordable and highly secure, and its staff were trained to go above and beyond to deliver consistently excellent service, setting Lok'nStore apart from its competitors.

Roadmap to success

Maintaining, and ideally, enhancing customer satisfaction drove Lok'nStore's decision to outsource its telephone answering service. Answer4u immediately recognised that success depended on delivering a solution that:

• Aligned perfectly with Lok'nStore's existing customer service standards.
• Provided a dedicated account manager for initial consultation meetings. 
• Created and implemented an extended service roadmap.

Following initial consultations, Answer4u launched a message-taking service at a single Lok'nStore branch but within just one month, the benefits became clear, and it was decided to roll out the service across its entire store network.

Delivering a tailored solution for Lok’nStore

To provide Lok'nStore's 7,000-strong client base with the best possible service, Answer4u designed a scripted call-handling solution. This ensured that operatives could capture all the necessary information from callers. FAQ’s were established to assist customers seeking details on pricing, storage sizes, opening times, accessory costs, and any other store-specific information.

Call agent training

Answer4u's call handlers received one-to-one and group training to guarantee that every call was handled confidently and professionally. They also underwent extensive roleplay sessions to ensure they were fully prepared to support Lok'nStore's customers effectively.

Service expansion

Less than a year into the partnership, Lok'nStore expanded the service to include out-of-hours call handling. This decision allowed customers to:

• Make telephone enquiries beyond regular business hours.
• Request quotations based on specific store locations.
• Get up-to-date information about storage unit availability.
• Finalise reservations and pay for booked storage units.

Maximising conversion rates

To maximise sales conversions at the point of enquiry, Answer4u introduced a secure payment solution. This allowed customers to provide payment details over the phone, meaning they could confirm a reservation immediately rather than waiting for a follow-up call. The relevant payment information was then forwarded securely to Lok'nStore's internal systems via an encrypted file.

Instant script updates

With 27 stores operating under slightly different pricing structures and policies, Lok'nStore also required the ability to make frequent updates to individual store scripts.

To address this, Answer4u's internal development team created a bespoke software solution enabling Lok'nStore to make in-house changes. These updates automatically generated new scripting information for Answer4u's operatives, streamlining the process and eliminating unnecessary delays.

Service goals achieved

Since partnering with Answer4u, Lok'nStore significantly improved its customer service operations, ensuring that every enquiry was handled promptly and professionally.

"Having used (and been disappointed with) other call-handling companies in the past, we approached Answer4u. We were pleased with the way our account manager had shown an interest in our business and was constantly looking for ways to optimise and improve the service without us having to ask.

We were delighted with the service provided by Answer4u and would have no hesitation in recommending them to other businesses."

Neil Newman, Group Managing Director of Lok'nStore