Sometimes storage units are a necessary part of life.
“We’ve discovered that people use them when they’re going through a big change, and the majority of our customers are going through some sort of life transition,” says Taylor Stewart, sales and development manager at Callbox Storage.
Nowadays, there is an increasing variety of reasons people rely on off-site storage. This Dallas-based company brings a vastly different methodology to the marketplace. And it is a difference that has tilted the industry on its ear.
Callbox may best be described as a service storage company designed for customers who don’t like storage units.
“We do it in three easy steps,” explains Stewart. First, we pick it up, we store it, and then we deliver it … all so that the customer doesn’t have to.”
What are the main differences between conventional storage units, and Callbox? One is an inventive online photographic inventory, pictures of every box, every piece of furniture, artwork, whatever is going into storage. Customers have access to an online catalog of what’s in storage. When they need items returned, they can make a call and it’s delivered.
The company was co-founded by local businessmen Dan Slaven and Kyle Bainter, who was going through his own personal experience with storage when he noticed clients investing in self-storage. Seeds were planted, and Callbox Storage was created. This summer marked the company’s fifth anniversary.
Critics call the company’s online photographic element a game-changer. “We take pictures of everything, wrap and protect it just like a large moving company would, load it in our trucks, and then take it to storage in Grand Prairie,” says Stewart. The facility is climate controlled with 24/7 video surveillance.
The simple concept is achieved through a system of sophisticated processes not seen in other companies. Callbox services a huge area, says Stewart. “All of DFW … up to Prosper, down to Desoto, out to Rockwall, and west of Fort Worth. If it’s within an hour and a half of the city’s center, we’ll service it.”
While client comments vary, Stewart says the most consistent feedback involves convenience, how easy the process works, “and that it takes the worry out of stressful situations.”
As you might suspect, seasonal storage is an important part of Callbox’s annual business. A lot of people store Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween decorations. With Callbox, they arrive on the doorstep, ready to put up.
“I remember one of our early customers had a couple of units to store their seasonal stuff with us. And they’ve used Callbox ever since,” says Stewart.
There are also special promotions scheduled for January, to capture customers’ attention after the holidays wind down.
Stewart says Callbox Storage fights a few misconceptions, sometimes mistaken for Pods. “Some consumers think we’re going to deliver a bulky container, then retrieve it, which is a myth. We do all the heavy lifting!”
Another is a pessimistic connotation regarding storage in general. “If you need to put it in storage, why did you need it in the first place?”
Stewart says people getting married and combining households, selling a home or downsizing are all contemporary needs for storage.
“Currently, we are seeing a lot of people putting their house on the market taking advantage of escalating home prices. But some can’t find their next home right away … there are a lot of customers between homes.”
There is also a significant barrage of restorations due to last February’s record freezing temperatures that’s had homeowners replacing flooring, drywall, and more, requiring furniture removal.
Comparing to traditional storage where customers have to lug everything themselves or hire a moving company, all while dealing with multiple people, Callbox clients deal directly with one rep for everything.
“We can bring (DIY) packing supplies, or we can pack the entire home.”
“The full-service aspect is a big differentiator,” says Stewart. “And, of course, not having to go into a storage unit ever again!”
