by Eight places that all claim to solve the same problem: Get you space that you lack at home. They almost were the same paperwise. The same price, the same size of the objects, the same assurances in terms of security and convenience. A visit to all of them, however, was telling a very different story. More info about this page!
Still others were smoothed over at once. Clean floors, proper lighting, readability. You needed no directions where to go. Others… not so much. Dark rooms, distorted shape, that thin stuffy smell that makes you wonder how many times one returns to put the lock on their possessions.
The initial factor that separated them was place. Two of the branches were technically central, however, access was made after clumsy walks or a sequence of turns after getting out of the MTR. Until you are required to carry boxes, it does not sound like a big deal. The further the branches were away, in terms of proximity to major exits, or street layouts on direct streets, the more convenient they appeared.
Next there were the layouts. This is not what I was looking forward to. The storage units which seemed large in the internet appeared to be small in the real world. Welter low ceilings, angles, small corridors, it changes the manner in which you move. One of the roads was wider and it was rather a difference than had been expected. You felt not like pushing past someone all the time.
The communication between the staffs was also different. It was rushed in a few places, as though they were but taking another guided tour. Faster replies, less clarification. The employees went to a level of taking time to find out what you were storing at the others. Their recommendations on the unit sizes were based on real life examples, as opposed to the price levels. That made the experience less transactional.
Neatness too was not identical. Most of them were in good condition, and some were rather traces of disrepair, dusty corners, battered doors, and nothing much but still quite visible. When you are putting away personal stuff even the minor things are lodged in your mind.
The security was comparatively similar in all aspects, cameras, access control and locked units. But those higher which made it apparent. You have seen the systems without searching them. It gave an implicit reassurance.
There were pricing quirks. Other branches would charge cheaper, but had strings attached to them when you inquired. There were others less complicated. No cheapest place there was a place where everything was explained, there were no confounding terms, there were no additional things. There was nothing bad about such candor.
Even the exceptional branch was not perfect. It just was able to do more things at the same time. Accessibility, good cleanliness, helpful staff and a layout that was not similar to a labyrinth. Nothing glitzy, and just good all the way through.
Funny enough it was not the one that was most advertised or most active in its pricing. It was the one that could be put into use on a daily basis. That proved to be more than that and having visited eight of the storage branches in Hong Kong.