Pros
There is a certain amount of autonomy in the stores, so it's an ideal job for self motivated individuals. You can make a difference by simply caring about the property and your customers and being willing to commit to giving 100% when working. It's interesting and varied, no two days are the same. There is a good blend of office and outside work, so it doesn't get boring. The customers are an interesting mix and it's nice to be able to improve someone's day with such a simple service. For the most part, the coworkers are helpful and caring, and fun to work with. Paid vacation, sick time. Company match 401K. Some properties have onsite apartments. Uniform is comfortable, 5 shirts provided annually. The "free" apartment is by far the best perk of this job, although it is really earned with after hours work and dealing with customers at your door after business hours.
Cons
Inconsistency, lack of communication, and low pay/ only so-so benefits for amount of work required The district managers are not all on the same page, even though this supposedly has been addressed. Changes are made and not communicated, and everyone is just supposed to know. Not all employees are treated the same. Some people can be chronically late, spend the day chatting on cell phones, or doing their nails and are paid more(!) than someone who is dedicated, punctual, and spends the day cleaning, renting, fielding complaints, and making collection calls. Some employees can be constantly rude to customers and coworkers alike, even calling people offensive names, with no fear of reprisal. Complaints about this do little good (except to be called a negative person), as this company seems afraid to address personnel issues in a timely manner. There is constant mention of how well the company is doing, and how profitable each year is, but the field workers see very little of this money. Maintenance on properties takes begging and pleading and employees who already have enough to do are required to clean gutters, fill potholes,repair golf carts, change light fixtures, plumbing, and other things that should be hired out , bonuses are practically nonexistent, and pay raises are microscopic. The extreme rate increases in the past two years have caused major complaints from long term customers, as they don't see any of the money going back into properties. CubeSmart's culture seems to be to complicate the simplest things for maximum frustration and irritation. In 30 years of corporate culture/customer service, I have never before seen a company so dedicated to making one step into three steps.