On day two of the Inside Self-Storage World Expo in Tacoma, Wash., Anne Ballard, aka "The Hat Lady" presented an educational session titled, "It's More Than Cookies and Coffee: Creating Exceptional Customer Experiences in Self-Storage." Anne is a favorite at ISS Expos for her many years of industry expertise as well as her southern charm. She's the founder and president of Universal Management Co. and a former president and current board member of the Georgia Self Storage Association.

During her expo seminar, Anne spoke passionately about the methods self-storage operators can use to really "wow" their customers and create lasting, memorable experiences that generate referrals and word-of-mouth advertising. Ironically, she also treated her expo attendees to a selection of cookies to enjoy with their morning coffee!