assistant store manager

general manager

maintenance technician

district manager

senior accountant

Self Storage Plus

I worked as an Assistant Store Manager at eight different Self Storage Plus locations, gaining experience in customer service, sales, and facility operations. However, the role was challenging due to limited training, persistent understaffing, restricted authority to address customer concerns, and a disconnect between corporate leadership and store operations.

New managers receive just five days of training before being expected to run stores independently. Most locations operate with only one employee on duty, and stores are generally not permitted to have three employees working at the same time, regardless of how busy they are. Training was difficult because most stores had only one computer and one phone, even when two people were working there. Trainees were expected to complete training modules and learn the company's software while sharing equipment with a manager who was simultaneously operating the store. There simply was not enough time to become fully comfortable with the systems before being expected to manage facilities independently. Even after training, it was normal for 2 managers to always have to share one computer and one phone. This led each manager to constantly have to sign in or out of the company software or switch tabs depending on who was using it. As a result, there were many instances of people being wrongly credited or blamed for actions they did not commit.

Each location operates differently, with varying hours, access procedures, layouts, and unit numbering systems. Despite these differences, employees are expected to transition between locations and perform at the same level immediately. I was initially hired for one site but was quickly assigned to multiple facilities with minimal time to learn each property. No maps are provided, requiring managers to memorize unit locations, which is especially challenging at larger sites with over 1,200 units and unique layouts.

The workload expected of store managers is extensive. Managers are responsible for answering calls and emails, leasing units, conducting customer tours, monitoring security cameras, handling collections, preparing auction paperwork, photographing auction units, drilling and cutting locks, conducting lock checks, making in-person or virtual bank deposits, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping hallways, maintaining dumpsters, collecting trash, blowing leaves, unlocking and locking units, performing minor repairs, and assisting customers throughout the day. Managers are also required to attend Zoom meetings while simultaneously taking calls and helping customers in the office area.

Corporate leadership often appeared disconnected from the realities of store-level operations. Policies and procedures changed so frequently that it was hard to keep up. Many concerns raised by managers and customers remained unresolved for long periods of time. Store managers have very little authority to resolve customer issues independently. Most account adjustments require district manager approval, which often leads to delays and frustrated customers repeatedly contacting the store for updates.

Company policies frequently led to customer complaints. Rent is not prorated, so customers may be charged for a full month even if they use a unit for only one day. Rent increases occur about every six months, often ranging from $20 to over $100 per month. Managers are not permitted to negotiate these increases, leaving customers to either accept the new rate or vacate.

Refunds were another recurring issue. Customers who had moved out were sometimes still being charged rent, and store managers could not process refunds without district manager approval. This often resulted in lengthy delays and intense interactions with customers who had been charged for multiple months after vacating their units.

The payment system also created unnecessary challenges. Customers were not permitted to make payments directly over the phone with store staff. Instead, they were required to pay online, use the automated phone system, pay in person, or mail a check. Customers who encountered problems with the website or automated system often became frustrated because store employees were unable to process payments directly.

Some locations lacked adequate equipment for customers. For example, one large multi-level facility had only two working moving carts, causing frequent wait times and requiring customers to bring their own equipment or make multiple trips. This led to ongoing complaints and a negative customer experience. Despite repeated requests for additional carts, none were provided during my tenure.

One location where I worked experienced persistent maintenance and security issues that remained unresolved during my tenure. At least one elevator was out of service for most of my time I worked there. There was no regular trash pickup, which contributed to a fruit fly infestation. Two of the three main entry doors were not functioning properly, and one door remained wide open for nearly a year despite repeated reports to upper management.

Because the building was not properly secured, unauthorized individuals frequently entered the facility, including during overnight hours when access should have been restricted. These ongoing security issues led to a variety of incidents, resulting in constant customer complaints and raising safety concerns for employees working alone.

During my time at the facility, staff and customers encountered individuals using the property for purposes unrelated to storage, including bathing in customer restrooms, leaving large amounts of trash and food waste in stairwells, remaining inside the facility after hours, and engaging in behavior that many customers found intimidating or inappropriate. I personally received complaints from customers who reported feeling uncomfortable accessing certain areas of the property, particularly female customers and families with children. There were also reports of homeless individuals exposing themselves, engaging in sexually inappropriate activity inside the facility, and behaving in ways that made customers question the safety of the property.

Some unauthorized individuals repeatedly entered the facility through the unsecured entrance and remained inside for extended periods. Customers frequently complained about encountering unauthorized people in hallways, stairwells, and basement areas. These concerns were raised to management on numerous occasions, but the underlying security issues remained unresolved during my time at the location.

Limited camera coverage throughout the facility, including no coverage in basement levels and areas without cell phone service, made documenting incidents and responding to concerns difficult. The combination of unsecured entrances, limited surveillance, and delayed repairs led to frequent customer complaints, customer move-outs, and ongoing safety and security concerns.

The company also places significant emphasis on selling its insurance product. Employees are trained to use specific language intended to persuade customers to purchase company insurance coverage. Customers who already had renters or homeowners insurance were not always proactively informed that their policies might already provide coverage for stored belongings.

Advancement opportunities appeared limited. The primary promotion path is from Assistant Store Manager to General Manager. However, the increase in workload and responsibility is significant for an hourly increase of just a couple of dollars. Beyond the General Manager, advancement opportunities appeared limited, and many managers remain in the same role for years. Compensation does not reflect the amount of responsibility required. Despite the rigorous workload, no bonuses or commissions were offered for sales and performance.

Overall, this is the most unprofessional company I have worked for, and I would highly recommend that prospects consider other options or continue waiting for new opportunities rather than accept a position here, given the workload, low compensation, lack of safety, minimal support, and operational challenges.

I would strongly encourage anyone considering employment here to think long and hard before applying, especially for a position at the store level. While the company presents itself as team-focused and customer-oriented, that culture tends to stop at the store doors. Upper management at headquarters operates under a completely different set of values.


**Customer Service Misalignment:**
Despite promoting a narrative of exceptional customer service, store managers are often instructed to mislead customers about their actual options — only presenting those that generate the most revenue for the company. Full transparency with customers is discouraged, and employees are expected to stay vague about certain offerings or policies. This often leaves staff in uncomfortable positions when rate increases — which are frequent and excessive — frustrate customers. That frustration is typically directed at store staff, not the corporate office making these decisions.


**Lack of Support and Increasing Expectations:**
Most stores are severely understaffed. It's common for a single person to be responsible for running a facility with 1,000+ units, managing everything from customer service and rentals to cleaning restrooms and pulling weeds. There’s little to no help. Want to take time off? You're expected to find another store that might be double-staffed (if you're lucky) and ask them to cover — which often just short-staffs another location.


**Compensation & Hours:**
Bonuses and incentive programs were eliminated a few years ago in exchange for slightly higher hourly pay. But not long after that, hours were cut. Now, “full-time” is considered 30 hours a week. New hires are frequently promised full-time work only to find themselves scheduled for part-time shifts. It’s a bait-and-switch that leaves employees feeling misled and financially strained.



**Micromanagement & Toxic Culture:**
Store managers and assistants have very little authority. Any adjustments to customer accounts must be approved by a District Manager — and those requests are usually denied. Some DM's run their regions with an iron fist, and if they don’t like you, they’ll target and pressure you until you either quit or get pushed out. If they want you gone, they’ll build a case. Store-level staff are often treated with suspicion, talked down to, and micromanaged, regardless of tenure or performance.


**No Room to Grow — Especially Internally:**
Don’t expect to move up in this company. Advancement opportunities are virtually nonexistent for store-level employees. Nearly all DM and above positions are filled by people hired from outside the company. While a few store managers may be given extra tasks or titles to support their DMs, this comes with no real authority or compensation. It’s window dressing, not career progression.


**Lack of Diversity in Leadership:**
There is a clear and unfortunate lack of diversity at the upper management level. While store staff and call center roles may reflect a diverse workforce, that diversity is not represented in the decision-making ranks. Leadership remains homogenous and disconnected from the realities store teams face daily.


**Corporate Disconnect & Poor Leadership:**
The executive team appears to have little understanding of what it takes to manage or grow a company responsibly. Morale at the store level is low, and HQ shows no genuine interest in feedback from the field. Responsibilities keep piling up, but compensation and resources remain stagnant — or worse, continue to shrink.



What is the best part of working at the company?
There are many things to state concerning being a GM for this company and most were good, until their undying need for a review over the past months has driven me to realize that there are too many flaws to count in being transparent with their sole purpose as a business: the customer, and they are all the way at the bottom of the priority list. Once the customers are in, that's it, keep them paying more and don't tell them much of anything. Compare that to their 'valued' employees; once they are in, that's it, give them the keys and don't tell them much of anything. Enjoy the ride, if you can figure out a schedule week over week or understand the purpose behind increasing rental rates under the dark of night without notices and disputing every penny from every customer. Take a shot at being a waiter before deciding to dissect the best part of possibly the worst industry out there.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Not having a promised assistant manager and trying to help a struggling DM with basic logistical issues and troubled coworkers who should have been let go long ago.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Alone and on your own. Hopefully there are other GMs nearby who can talk one another through the fog that should be a very straightforward and simple process, if it weren't for the constant push and greed of those signing your checks.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Hoping every morning that the tech works in the office, the simple luxuries like running water, elevators, and HVAC haven't fallen apart due to poor maintenance, and keeping ones cool when policy changes tie  GENERAL MANAGERS hands so tight that they can't generally manage anything without three different types of approval and as much paperwork. So, a typical day is just another piece of waiting for a smile from a customer you've been able to help and, well, payday.

You only get 1 week of training then you go work at a store location with the other manager you work with. Your district manager barely has time to take care of your needs at the store. Plus, you can’t make any decisions for the customers without a district manager approval. So you have to constantly put in requests and wait for the approval. You work alone and if you’re sick or you have an emergency, if the other manager that you work with is not available. They’ll try to make you come to work, so you’re by yourself a lot of the times if you don’t have a supportive manager at your location. Certain supplies you need get overlooked, but they’ll constantly supply other things in the store that we constantly get on the regular. They make you do all these weekly Microsoft team meetings that are relevant and nothing changes or update for your store. Plus, make sure you know that if you’re working there they make you do everything for the store. They hate calling maintenance people to fix anything. You are the office person, you are the janitor, you are the engineer, you are the problem solver, you are the boss, but with limited power. And they just hire anybody so if you can’t handle weird people from all walks to life don’t apply. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Team members come together to help others

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Upper management is horrible..

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
My advice is to this company is wake up. The way this company is ran is very unprofessional. Employees are treated with so much disrespect. There is no room to grow within unless your friends with someone at corporate. We are supposed to be a team and instead it’s a dictatorship. When it is taken out on DMs they then take it out on the team. There is no one to talk to at HR because it’s one person and nothing is confidential. So my advice is the corporate office needs a change of scenery. People are not in the right positions to make this company successful. Many employees have ran to different companies because they weren’t appreciated. They are forcing employees out of apartments they were given as part of their job as live on managers. They have no type of organization. Worst company I have ever worked for. Do your research before applying to work here.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
As long as you don’t need help from upper management you’ll be fine customers are number clean property make calls auction work

What is the best part of working at the company?
I do not recommend this company. They don’t care about their employees or their customers.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Customers angry about rate increases and auctions and District Managers who throw you under the bus.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
They are always adding new duties to your job while you are by yourself and expect you to do everything on the property within 30 minutes and then go back to the office. It is unsafe when you have creepy customers and you mainly work alone.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Stressful to say the last. When you have meetings it takes away from work you could be getting done.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Pay was pretty good for amount of work required 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Customer issues or property maintenance 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
You work alone the company does not give bonuses they have weekly meetings and you’ll see your DM once a month if that. Lastly work schedule is not flexible mostly due to turnover rate. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Sit in the office answer calls, send emails , and clean the property if needed

SSP is a decent chain, or at least markets itself as such. Typical customer service type gig with taking payments and calling customers. You also show spaces and maybe occasionally sell the overstocked packing supplies. The management is terrible though. At best, you and one coworker will get along and control a store. But should you both be out, be ready to be disappointed as your district 'team' doesn't do even some of the basics and isn't punished for it due to the district being understaffed in general.

I know this is common but all they care about is money.  They screw over the customers and the employees just to increase their bottom line.  They can barley hold on to enough staff to keep the offices running.  Most of the time you're working by yourself, trying to do the job of 3 people all while having every step you take micromanaged and overanalyzed.  They expect a lot of effort for little pay.  BIG culture of lying to the customers and trying to scam them out of as much money as possible.  Management is full of idiots who love to hire their underqualified friends.  

I have been with Self Storage Plus for a year and found out I'm being let go for no reason behind it. I got promoted to gm got transferred to a store and then demote me back to and assistant with no fair warning. Do not apply to self storage plus. They are very strict and micromanage you. It's not the same as it use to be. Where you come into work clock in and do the job and go home. They want much more out of you and when you try your best it's not good enough. I really am upset with what this company represents and they will continue to fire more and more people. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Assistant store manager 35 salaries reported	$18.46 per hour
General manager 15 salaries reported	$21.73 per hour
Maintenance technician 4 salaries reported	$18.13 per hour
District manager 4 salaries reported	$82,500 per year
Senior accountant 6 salaries reported	$90,000 per year

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