My 7-year-old daughter, Gracie, rides the bus to school. The stop is only two houses down, and usually arrives around the same time every day—sometimes a few minutes one way or the other. Usually, Gracie and I arrive at the bus stop five minutes early, just in case.

But one day, we were running a few minutes behind. As I opened the garage door, we could see the bus just hundred feet from its destination. Unfortunately, both Gracie and I had forgotten to grab her lunch box. As I ran back in to seize it, Gracie ran toward the bus stop. I was only a few yards behind her as she stopped in front of the open doors. The bus driver, Tom, waited patiently while we made the hand-off. As I was walking back to the house, I said aloud, “What a difference a few minutes makes.”

For the most part, a few minutes doesn’t make a whole lot of difference in life. Yes, there are those cosmic happenings—missing a car accident by seconds or moving just before something falls. And many TVs and movies wait until the last few minutes to unveil the big moment. But overall, a few minutes doesn’t really carry too much weight.

There is another place where a few minutes can mean a big difference. It’s not a life-and-death moment, yet those extra few minutes count. It’s the few minutes you give each customer.

There’s no doubt your job is demanding. You’re not just the person behind the counter selling units. You’re also the security guard, the maintenance crew, the marketing person, the tenant problem-solver, the software expert, and the list goes on.

But slowing down and giving each customer that extra few minutes builds a relationship with them. Perhaps it’s just a smile and a wave as they pass the office. Maybe you invite tenants in for bottled water or coffee. Believe me, those few minutes will count—especially in these economic times.

And once you have your customers' attention, make it count. Offer them a coupon with a discount on a retail item, ask them for referrals or just update their contact information for your files.

How do you build relationships with your tenants? Share your thoughts by posting a comment below or head over to Self-Storage Talk and join this thread.