The CCTV Blog

You’re driving down the street one Saturday evening and you notice a beat-up old truck headed in the general direction of the storage facility you own.  Something about the truck seems suspicious, so you pull over, take out your cell phone, and open up your surveillance software.  Within moments, you access your security system.  You quickly select the security camera feed for the side fence and, sure enough, the beat-up truck rolls up.  You double-tap your screen to zoom in on the truck, and you see a shady character climb out with a pair of heavy-duty bolt cutters.  With a single tap to your screen, you dial to alert the police, who bust the would-be burglars.

Not so long ago, that scene would have been science-fiction.  But now security systems run the gamut from very inexpensive do it yourself packages to custom software and real-time analytics that will make your head spin with their sophistication.

In the self-storage world, there are a lot of ways to approach purchasing such a system.  I have seen lots of owners do different things with their surveillance equipment, from covering their most basic of liabilities to providing an available in-unit night vision camera that their customers can see from home… with a monthly charge attached for the privilege, of course!

Most businesses, large and small, use surveillance equipment for the purpose of limiting their liabilities.  It is important to be able to prove that you have not done anything dangerous or negligent in the case of a civil lawsuit, which may or may not take into account your bullet-proof waiver or renter’s agreement.  Also, unpaid storage unit liquidations can get unpleasant in various ways that I won’t enumerate here.  In these cases, even a very simple surveillance system, when installed and configured correctly, can provide evidence that you have done nothing illegal or unethical, and can help you deter and even convict anyone who tries to take advantage of you.

But what about turning a profit?  Are other self-storage locations in your areas providing surveillance for their customers?  This can prove an excellent sales advantage to your competition.  Some customers may have high value items like classic cars and boats in their units, and if you can offer a solution that can actually email or send them a text message if there is motion inside their storage unit, many will accept that additional “insurance!”  All that is required is a mid-level digital video recorder, a night vision camera, and even the most basic of internet connections. Read the rest of this entry »