As most businesses are closed on Christmas Day and it falls on a Sunday this year, workplaces have a choice on how to observe the holiday. Many offices, including that of the federal government, are closed Monday, Dec. 26, to allow employees to enjoy an extended weekend. Other offices are closed Friday and Saturday, too. Self-storage, however, is different because on the days immediately before or after Christmas, tenants may need access to units. Before Christmas, existing tenants are looking to retrieve stored gifts, and after Christmas, existing and possibly new tenants will be looking to for extra space, having just acquired new gift items. They also may be taking down and storing their decorations.

Therefore, a self-storage decision-maker must weigh the costs and benefits of having the office open immediately before and after the holiday. For some facilities, catering to existing tenants without asking managers to work a holiday is easy because keypads and automated gate access make it unnecessary for anyone to man the office. But what if there's potential to rent new units? Who will answer the phone and make sales?

Self-Storage Talk, the industrys largest online community, is hosting a discussion about upcoming holiday schedules in the thread "Christmas Is a Sunday This Year." It seems the decision to stay open varies from facility to facility. One manager reports having to work 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday before the office closes for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Monday, however, she will be back to work. She'll join thousands of retail workers across the United States, as Dec. 26 is the largest return day of the year and, with the expansion of gift cards, it's quite a large sales day, too. Others report the facility office is closed all day on both Saturday and Monday. Owners and district managers are asked to weigh in on how they decide the store hours on holidays or days surrounding holidays.

You must be a registered member to post on SST, the official forum of Inside Self-Storage, but registration is free and easy. To get your account, go to www.selfstoragetalk.com and click "register." Regardless of how much time over the weekend you're spending at the office, the SST team sends warm season's greetings and Happy New Year wishes.