I struggle with the "Business Model," of the Storage Unit Business. They get you to rent a unit, with an intro teaser fee. Approximately 4 months later, you get a 44% increase (in my case it was that amount). Ben was helpful, to reduce down to 22% (don't blame Ben, he is in a tough spot - direction coming from the Top). I did speak with the District Manager (George) and he was polite, and articulated the business model/philosophy within the industry. I was hoping for at least another 5%-8% reduction, to no avail. George did assure me, if I saw another increase, over the next 2-4 months - contact Ben. Having been in Business for 30+ years, this doesn't seem like a sustainable business model (also individuals on the lower spectrum of "compensation," struggle to pay these amounts - I know this firsthand). I firmly believe, the industry leader, that creates a more transparent/customer Centric Business Model - looking at Customer Service, still managing a reasonable profit, creating pricing "tier levels " by month, and with a focus to reduce negative reviews by 30+% - they will be the winner! They will dramatically increase their share of the business, at the expense of their competitors. As we have learned in business - be proactive versus reactive, and plan for long term stability (look outward 2-5 years), within the industry you operate in.
Frustrated Short Term Unit Rental Customer - Mark
Please Note: This would have been a 4 (Ben's Team does a great job) - the Business Model reduced to a 3 (originally I put 2 - didn't feel it was fair to Ben's Team)!
Rob was fantastic. He was very helpful and he did not rush me. He showed me several units and we compared sizes until I found the unit that fit my needs. Rob is a very good asset to your company!
Ben the property manager at Plainfield pike location has been so helpful and accommodating to my needs!! He has been by far the best property manager I have ever dealt with!!! Thank you so much Ben!!!
Ben is absolutely amazing. I was very stressed when I entered the Johnston location as I originally signed up at the Cranston building (no one ever there)
Ben transferred everything over, showed me the appropriate size unit I would need. He's a consumate professional with a great sense of humor. I am relieved that I have the right place to store my important things while I move.
I stopped by the Johnston location and met Ben - super helpful, friendly and helped me out with my storage needs quickly! Helped make my moving experience less stressful for sure - thanks Ben!
5+ stars for Ben in Johnston! I was dealing with the customer service line before which was not helpful at all besides giving me the phone number to Ben, at last I am happy to be renting from Public Storage, Ben was super helpful and accommodating he had to call me back with additional information and in less than 20 minutes I had all my questions answered and a storage unit rented out! Yayyy for Public storage having Ben giving great customer service!
10,000 stars for Ben! He helped my mom and I choose a space to put our stuff while we work on moving. Super friendly and informative, we couldn't have asked for a better experience :D
Edit: checking in after we just got done vacating our unit. Ben was once again super lovely and very helpful, and he's truly the one that made the experience a million times better! The facility itself was very clean and aesthetically pleasing, we had no worries about leaving some very personally valuable stuff in their hands as we moved.
This company is a scam artist. They wheel you in with specials. When I opened unit it was supposed licked in at $99 . In 2023. Like others have said then every six months to a year prices change and they call in unit is in demand supposedly, . When aome famiilies are in crisis and need a storage unit the price of $99 was good until it was raised. Not to mention late fees. And they lock you out and away from your things. They dont have a heart . They dont care what is stored in there you get no access until you pay full amount. Not to mention when you request to close your account Ben wont close it he will keep it open racking up more chargers even those you close it on app. Then they wait a few more minths. Many harrassing calls later then they close it finally. causing a bill of over 700. As for it being clean. It does look clean from outside and halls. However there was mold. Had to throw many baby items away. And even with your own lock on unit they can still enter it. I know cause i seen mouse trap in unit months after i put lock on it. I was never told they were going in . Not sure how they did when locks supposedly onlyhave two keys. Which my son and i had. Elevator code was working sometimes. Elevator got stuck one day with me in it Johnston Fire and emt had to come to scene.
And as far as corporate dont bother no corporate to complain to just alot of folks answering at some call center in god only knows where. After you leave storage unit . They aunction unit for pennies. And you are still stuck with high bill. Which gets sent to some collection agency noone has heard of before.
The customer service is quite good, but the quality of the features of the building and mobile applications have only gone down drastically, while the cost has skyrocketed. The cost of my unit went up almost 100% in the 2 years that I had the unit. In that time, for almost a half a year, the Mobile app didn't work, the billing information on the website and the app is never in sync, when I moved out, almost all of the moving carts were simply nowhere to be found. The codes to get through the doors and the elevators are extremely long, and the automatic sensors from the mobile app, haven't worked in quite a while, making going in and out EXTREMELY painful and difficult. The lighting in the building doesn't reach into the units, making them very dark in the back, and the property doesn't have any sort of dumpster available to customers, nor any trash cans, other than in the bathrooms. The amount of time and money that I have wasted on this unit is truly astonishing.
If I could of given more than a 5 star review, I would have. Moving is very emotional filled with anxieties. BEN, walked me thru the easy process of securing a rental unit. I could "hear" Ben's smile through the phone! Upbeat, confident and literally cheerleading me a bit made a very difficult time turn into " I got this" moment. Can't put that sort of customer service I received....and cannot thank Ben enough! How lucky this company is to have such a person! Thank you, again, Ben!
I lived 2 blocks away from the location and the hours give me access to my stuff without having to drive. Ben is very helpful and I didn't ask him what the favorite food is
Lynn is the best!! very helpful and outgoing, would definitely recommend!!!
The guy just sits in there and has the door lock and just keeps telling me to leave what a great place to have you're stuff stored
This facility is clean, easy to navigate, and well lit. But the best thing about it is it's manager, Ben! I recently experienced sudden financial hardship and Ben was extremely understanding. His ability to sense my fragile emotional state and respond with respect and compassion was so appreciated. Thank You!
Yolanda is always such pleasure to work with. I always appreciate her patience and knowledge
Ben at the welcome counter has assisted me twice in the past 6 months when renting units. Always friendly, patient, and courteous. Provides instructions to the rental agreements, and units with simple details for anyone to understand. Place is always clean as well on both levels I have rented.
STAY AWAY FROM PUBLIC STORAGE IF STORING FOR LONGER THAN A FEW MONTHS.
I rented a 10x15 unit at 1825 Plainfield Pike in April 2024. When I first rented it, I received a promotional rate of $109/month. 6 months later my rate was raised to $144/month (32% increase from original rate). I could justify a 15% or even up to 25% increase this first bump up to come to market value. However, then 8 months later it was increased to $181/month (a 66% increase from the rate I signed for).
I reached out to them about this predatory behavior in only 14 months after I had rented the unit - which led to them giving me 3 months at $153/month before returning to the predatory rate. The only other solution they offered was to move my items into another unit which would require movers as I am in another state.
Now at 24 months, I just received my invoice for next month with a new rate for a monthly rate of $242/month (122% increase). One could justify a steady 3-7% annual increase (10% max), but this is absolutely predatory behavior. They know they have you trapped as the items are already there - which is sickening.
The "standard price" on the website says $143/month for a unit this same size.
This type of business practice is why our country is where it is and why there is strong anti-corporation sentiment. They take advantage of loyal, hardworking customers to squeeze out as much as they can. I will never use a Public Storage facility again.
New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) filed a lawsuit against Extra Space Storage for "bait and switch" predatory rent hikes. I hope this sets precedent to go after all of these companies who think there is no consequence for unfair/bad business practices.
Also, spoke to someone at this location who were incredibly rude and unhelpful. No customer service whatsoever.
I had a good expierence with the staff, Ben. He is very helpful and friendly when you have questions or issues. The place is always well kept and easily accessible.
i have very good experience and absolutely helped whit Ben at the rental office he is great customer service 10 of 10 👌
I’ve rented storages units many times and can’t say enough good things about Public Storage ! I’ll start with Ben from the Johnston location he went above and beyond helping me and making everything go smooth and easy , his superior customer service and professionalism was just outstanding, Thank You so much Ben ! I just moved here and needed a unit ,terrific price no hassle no hidden fees and super easy app my price is always the exact same low price every month , I’ve had too many bad experiences with renting storage units I’ll be a customer of Public Storage going forward .
Ben was amazing very nice to speak to and very helpful.
I visited the store location and spoke with the on-site manager, Ben. He was knowledgeable, helpful, and professional, with a great personality.
Very clean place and easy to setup to get a unit online! The pricing is great. They actually do mean climate control unlike another place I had a storage place at. I like the fact that I can use the app to be able to unlock the doors if I don’t remember the code to get into my unit. Ben at the front desk was very helpful, funny and sweet! Overall a great place to store your stuff with great customer service! Thanks Ben for helping us!
Would highly recommend this place. It is very clean and conveniently located off 295. The staff is responsive. Ben was absolutely amazing. He walked me around the different sized units and was extremely patient. He offered great advice and an amazing promotion. I have run into Ben a few times while bringing things in and he always had a great big smile and eager to help.
Ben was VERY pleasant and very informative! Great customer care!!
Thank you again Ben for all your help & A+ customer service and attention to detail 🙏🏻
Ben is fantastic!! Super helpful, professional and kind!
Ben was the best! Helped me out with everything I needed.
Came in to look for the perfect size storage and rate, Lynn was the person to help me she was outstanding!!!! 100% loved her stayed longer than I needed and we had a great conversation! Love love love and couldn’t had been a better interaction
Ben was excellent! Explained everything thoroughly and helped me feel comfortable about storing my belongings with them. The building is clean and very secured.
Ben was excellent. I was nervous booking a unit because it was my first time doing so, but he made it super easy for me. Very friendly and easy to talk to. 5 stars ⭐️
Lynn was very friendly, prompt and helpful with my situation! Best employee I've dealt with since renting at Public Storage.
Scam artists!! Their sales page says "lock in this rate now" and they promise all these great benefits upfront like 'second month free' then they have you sign a variable rate contract where they jack the rates up by 30% after you've paid for the first two months.
Contacted customer service (which is a nightmare) but they did keep my initial rate for 3 more months and warned me that it will be reassessed then. You can bet I'll be out by then!
Great customer service from Lynn!
Excelente customer service. Answered all questions. Very happy with my subscription.
I was a customer here for over a year, starting at $112/month in July 2024. Within just three months, the rate jumped to $148. Now, they’ve hit me with another increase — to $185/month starting August 2025. That’s a 65% rent hike in less than a year with no added value or improvements.
This seems to be Public Storage’s business model: lure you in with a low rate, then keep raising it, assuming you won’t want the hassle of moving. Well — I moved.
I found Storage Place in Cranston, which offers better service, clear pricing, and doesn’t play games with your rent every few months. If you’re fed up with unpredictable costs and want to be treated like a valued customer, I’d suggest looking elsewhere.
Public Storage has lost my business for good.
I was here with Jeremiah he help me with my move in very helpful nice and out going I’m very happy with my choice with public storage and glad I meet Jeremiah thank you so much
My dealing with Lynn was the best. She was very professional and enjoyable to work with. She went beyond the norm to resolve my issue to my greatest satisfaction. I always look forward to seeing/meeting her at your facility. She is the BEST!!!👍😃
Love this place! The facility is extremely clean and well kept and the units are very easy to access. Everything is well monitored so I always feel safe. Jay is awesome! He is kind and helpful and just awesome with the customer service. Definitely goes that extra mile to take care of the customer’s needs. Highly recommend this place!
My husband and I had a great experience today at Public Storage in Johnston thanks to Lynn! She was incredibly helpful, patient, and knowledgeable. Lynn took the time to answer all of our questions and made the entire process smooth and stress-free. It’s not every day you come across someone so kind and professional. Thank you, Lynn, for your excellent service. You made our day!
Lynn was amazing! Super funny, very very helpful, and just the sweetest. Made the whole experience smooth and actually enjoyable. Thank you, Lynn!
Had questions about my unit.
Lynn took the time to thoroughly answer my questions and solve my concerns!
Awful company. I had called multiple times left messages with no call backs regarding increase in bill. When I finally got someone she was so unprofessional. Reached out to cooperate supplies them with audio of conversation unfortunately it was only towards the end of conversation never heard back. The place is filthy and I have been told rates WILL increase every 3-6 months because they can now get more money for the storage units. Locking in a rate means nothing. The place is disgusting, never cleaned and bathroom is gross. They only keep the first floor bathroom open and it’s never supplied with TP. No one is monitoring the loading area and have witnessed multiple altercations. Loved the location and the fact it was new and great rate now I’m concerned about safety and cost. Very disappointed that people can act this way with no consequences but when the district doesn’t follow through what can you expect from its employees. Hopefully won’t need to be there much longer
I was a customer of Public storage at the new location in Johnston for over a year now (Recently moved out). My husband and I went to our unit to grab some things and found mold covered all over our belongings. My somewhat new couch that I spent $2,000 is covered in mold, all of my furniture, my bed, shoes, clothes etc. is all covered in MOLD! My wedding dress box has water damage all over the bottom of it due to what ever leaked in. Other than what was stored in plastic containers, there isn’t much salvageable. I am so upset! Reached out to the insurance company that they force us to pay for and seems like from what I read, I won’t be compensated. Will never ever do business with Public Storage ever again! While I will say the facility its self is clean for the most part, but the units are full of mold! The cracks in the concrete floor must be where the water is seeping in from. I’m devastated about the loss of all my furniture, clothing and so much more. My wedding dress is damaged. Super disappointed
I’ve been a customer for over a year and everything has been great. Clean facilities, brand new building, great prices and best of all, customer service.
Lynn is the best, she goes the extra mile to make sure she takes care of customers’ needs.
Have a storage unit here ,haven't had any problems so far
Great customer service. Deena was a great help and answered my questions.
Deena was a great help and very patient. Walked me through each step. Great customer service. Thank you again Deena
Nothing but good vibes and quality Awnser the property manager Deena helped my find everything I needed and she was respectful and helpful she did a lovely job
Very nice the girl was. Very helpful and sweet
It was a great customer service and the person on the phone helped me out so much and it was great experience overall
Great things to say about the place the staff they where very helpful, Deena the property manager was super nice and professional overall a good experience!!!
Nothing but good things to say about this place. I was looking for a decent-sized storage unit just to keep some small boxes while in the moving process and I was happy with the space of the units. I had browsed around before and Deena, a property manager at the location, was very helpful and kind. Everything was very clean, even the restrooms. I 100% recommend public storage if you need a safe place to store your things.
Great things to say about this place, I’ve had a storage unit here for a little over a year and I have zero complaints. The facility is extremely clean and well kept and the units are very easy to access with your items, I like the fact that they keep carts at the entrance to make things easier while you are transporting things. There’s no characters that loiter in the area or facility and it is well monitored, so I’ve always felt safe accessing my unit. The management team is also very pleasant to deal with, just overall a great place to store your belongings!
Kim went above and beyond to help us with our specific requests for an additional storage space. Public Storage is always clean, well lit and we feel safe accessing our storage spaces.
Very clean & easy directions to follow for a smooth transaction.
The workers and customer service are very helpful when needed.. the facility is very secure and clean!!
I had the best experience recently with the Johnston location. I was in the middle of my big move and had to rearrange my storage unit(s) that worked best for me. Keith, the manager was kind, professional and helpful during the process. It’s always so clean and well kept. And a great location! I’m very happy with how things are taken care of at this storage facility.
Very clean and safe, right off the highway. Attendant always available.
Keith is great! Great service. Thank you. Stacie Smith
Feels like every time I deal with public storage, there will some extremely bad experience here and there. I promise I would turn to other storage service next time.
This time the location is a bit far from dt Providence, but it is new, clean, with AC in the storage.
What bad happened this time is, this is almost the first time I heard a monthly service cannot do prorated refund, if you ask, then that is on their no-one-would-read service terms. I moved out on Sep 3rd, pay the full month 🙂 🙂🙂🙂 Great job fooling your customer, Public Storage!
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Here is the suggestions: If you are looking for storage place, avoid using Public storage; if you already signed, i've paid the month to learn the lesson, hope it helps you!!
Johnston is a great location, brand new..get into a nice, new, clean, facility.
👍
Rasheed is amazing! He went above and beyond when we had to change the size of our unit! He was so helpful in all ways! Clean storage and easy access....Thank you Rasheed for eliminating some of the stress we were feeling!
Started out with an online application to rent out the space, later received an email about tried to contact. Once, called them back the person was rude and hung up the call between conversation this is utter unprofessional behavior.
Keith was wonderful! Did a great job handling the account setup and getting us a great deal. Thank you so much!
Keith was so helpful this past week as I helped my son move
his household boxes and furniture in to storage.
Public storage is lucky to have such an excellent employee
Great storage Very clean. Keith was very helpful and I am thrilled to be there
Bill W
Keith was super helpful and so nice definitely appreciate him for the help
Excellent customer service
Kim was very helpful
Keith was also very helpful
Cleanest place I’ve seen
Kim was very helpful and super easy to work with!
Just wanted to give a shout out to outstanding gentleman, my father had a stroke recently and is in bad shape he has to move out of his house of 40 years and go into a nursing home,so my father and I went to the public storage in Johnston and met manager Keith he was so helpful and patient with my father who is now not easy to understand when he speaks but Keith took his time ended his lunch early to help us and went over everything with us and gave us a tour of the building made sure our access code worked and brought us up to our unit made sure my father knew how to work the lock and elevators, he took the time and showed unbelievable empathy for my father's condition which was great to see in today's world so great choice in employment public storage with manager Keith over in Johnston you should find more like him
Thank you
Been shopping for a new storage unit for several weeks - this one by far has the worst customer service on site. Apparently their hours are very different from whats listed online and what their customer service teams are aware of - but dont question any of that for clarity as you give them a 3rd chance to feel it out .... save your time, dont buy into their intro rates online - terrible terrible location