eKourier April 2019

Kennards Kourier

April 2019

THE WORLD IS YOUR ATLAS

It’s arrived, ATLAS the new Intranet replacing Kosmo. An idea seeded back in May 2016 when we decided on the strategic choice to create “a connected Digital Workplace” at Momentum16.

F rom research to choosing to testing and now launch, “Atlas” phase one is now in use. Team Members can easily search Best Practice documents using the intuitive search function, communicate and collaborate using Yammer, the Team Directory and project spaces. Conduct certain business functions all in one place at any time on any device with your own personal log in. Never miss another communication with the Atlas alert function that works like your phone apps. Most of you would have seen our fun video introducing Atlas. Big name actors and high-end production gave you a little insight into the history and evolution of the Intranet over time at Kennards. The video also announced the successful name which was polled on Yammer to help us decide. The contribution by Team Members on what to name the new intranet were great. Each contri- bution was given a lot of thought and consideration, all were very clever. A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the naming and the poll.

the Titans’ revolt against the gods is forced by Zeus to support the heavens on his shoulders. One who bears a heavy burden. 2. A book containing maps often including illustrations, informative tables, or textual matter showing where particular things are made, and can be found. Atlas is a collection of information and resources for Kennards Self Storage, where things can be found, discovered and learnt, supporting the operations of the business. The homepage was inspired by Google and Bing’s main search page. The use of a beautiful image and some personalisation was adopted to make Atlas appealing and elegant to the eye. ‘

of a beautiful image and some person- alisation was adopted to make Atlas appealing and elegant to the eye. This is a major departure from traditional intranets that use tiles or boxes to display relevant information to the user. The Atlas design is fully responsive for any size screen on any device. This is not the end but the beginning for Atlas. Atlas will evolve and grow with feedback from Teams and the changing needs of the business. With a dedicated approach to continuous improvement, ensuring Atlas is and remains a useful and valuable tool in how we operate our business day to day. Our hope is that Atlas will make work easy and more enjoyable. Logging into a common space everyday, a place that invites and motivates our Teams to engage and contribute.

Darren Marshall Chief Operating Officer

The name “Atlas” was the final choice, why;

Definition of Atlas according to the Dictionary;

The home page was inspired by Google and Bing’s main search page. The use

‘

1. Greek Titan who for his part in

1 Kennards Kourier April 2019

WHO’S WHO

TEAM MEMBER PROFILES

IN THIS ISSUE The World Is Your Atlas

1

Fawaz Sari Centre Manager Camperdown NSW

Team Member Profiles

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10 Questions with... 3 The Importance of Milestones 4 COO Makes Way For GMoO 5 Google Reviews 5 How KSS Storers Pay 6/7 To Blog Or Not To Blog 8 Achievement Dinner 2019 8 Google Reviews 9 Aiming Our Sites On Gun Storage ... 10/11 PEP 2019 12 90% Occupancy - What It Takes 12/13 Spotlight On... 14 Construction Updates 15 Adelaide Airport Huddle 16 Are You Happy Just Browsing? 16 Proud To Be A Kennards Freedom Fighter 17 Save The Date - Achievement Dinner 2019 18 Nev’s Notes 19 Kennards Community 20

Career background: I have worked at Dick Smith, ING Insurance and a Hobby Shop over the last 10 years. Any children? I have three; Ahmad who loved Tennis, Layaal who loves Gymnastics and Rayanna who loves Paw Patrol. Hobbies/interests: I enjoy getting out into the great outdoors. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? I don’t really play any sports. Favourite movie: The Island Favourite restaurant/food: I like Seafood Where did you grow up? I grew up

in Revesby on the south side of Sydney. Any pets? No Favourite holiday destinations: Heading to the snow would be my favourite place to holiday.

John Maisey Team Support Manager Auckland and Tauranga New Zealand

NEXT ISSUE Deadline: June 14, 2019 Editor: Sharon Munro Email: sharon@kss.com.au Distribution: July 12, 2019

Career background: Sales and Management; kitchens, beds and matresses. 39 years in the East Coast Bays. Marital Status? Married. Any children? Two grandchildren! Aiden who is seven and Emma who is three and a half going on 21! Hobbies/interests: Royal Doulton Character Jugs, Flora and Fauna in our 14 acres of bush. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? Not really. Favourite book/s: The Stand - Stephen King. Favourite movie: Anything with Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson or Arnie!

UPCOMING EVENTS 19/4 - Good Friday - KSS Closed. 20/4 - Easter Saturday - Normal Saturday Trading Hours 21/4 - Easter Sunday - Normal Sunday Trading Hours 22/4 - Easter Monday (NZ) - Mt Eden/ Three Kings - PH Hours. All other NZ centres closed 22/4 - Easter Monday (AU) - NSW/VIC/QLD/ACT/ SA - PH Hours. 25/4 - ANZAC Day - KSS Closed. 6/5 - Labour Day QLD - QLD PH Hours 1/6 - Maleny Show Day Warana QLD - Warana PH Hours 3/6 - Queens Birthday (NZ) - Mt Eden/ Three Kings - PH Hours. All other NZ centres closed 10/6 - Queens Birthday (AU) - NSW/VIC/QLD/ACT/ SA - PH Hours.

Favourite restaurant/food: Bays Club, Brown Bay or home cooking. Where did you grow up? I grew up in West Auckland. Good Rugby and good wine. Any pets? Three chooks; Poof, Speckle and Charlee. Favourite holiday destinations: Anywhere in our seven metre self contained campervan. We travelled the Great Ocean Road in 2018, it was a fantasic two weeks.

14/6 - Sunshine Coast Show Day QLD - Maroochydore, Kunda Park PH Hours.

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WHO’S WHO

10 QUESTIONS... With Glen D’Souza - Centre Manager North Lakes, QLD

Tell us about your favourite holiday – where did you go? I love travel and have visited a few countries so far but not enough for me to sit back and say I’ve done it all. Last year we visited Vegas and threw in a Helicopter ride into the Grand Canyon. This has to be the best trip we’ve had. The glitz and glamour of Vegas was everything we had heard and read about. It’s not often we return to visit the same place but we could do with another visit to Vegas to take in what we missed the first time. To sum up Kennards in one word would be? FAMILY! The past 11 years have gone quick and I have enjoyed every bit of my time with KSS. Not often are you privileged to find yourself in a workplace where there is so much trust. The ability to make decisions and take ownership of my centre makes coming to work all that more nicer. To me KSS has not been just a workplace but a place to do more than just the day to day running of a centre. It has helped me grow both person- ally and professionally, which gives me a great sense of fulfilment and accomplishment. The support I have received over the years has been phenomenal. Having moved countries to settle down in Australia, I could not have asked for more.

How many years have you been part of the KSS Team? I am into my 12th year with KSS. Do you recall your first impressions of KSS? I was intrigued by the set up and did not realise that storage was much more than three walls and a door. Having used storage eight years prior to joining KSS I did not know what to expect, given I did not have a very good storage experience then. Before KSS what did you do? I worked at a Service Station and Red Rooster for a couple of years prior to joining KSS. Before that I had a 13 year stint in journalism in print media and television. This role started in India and took me to the United Arab Emirates, where I spent six years. I enjoyed the adrenaline rush the role brought along, all the time being on the ground reporting on events or meeting people. How many centres have you worked at? I’ve worked at Chermside, Virginia and North Lakes and a mini stint at Newstead. Outside of Kennards what keeps you busy, what hobbies do you have? With two teenage children at home, there is not much spare time shuttling between The family enjoying a day out at Disneyland

school and extracurricular activities they do. I love going for long drives when time permits or having a BBQ along a waterfront. Tell us about your family? We are a four member household. I’ve been married to Kerry for 19 years and she keeps the wheels spinning at home juggling full time work and kids. Elijah is 14 and is in Grade nine and has recently picked up a part time job, which means I don’t have to worry too much about pocket money for the moment. Mackayla came into our care five years back and will stay till she is ready to organise her own life in the big world. What is your favourite meal to cook with your family? I am still learning the finer nuances of cooking a good BBQ. Other than that, I can prepare a few Goan curries. The kids don’t whinge too much to eat what I cook, so must be doing alright on that front. Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time? 10 years is a long time given that I was not sure of lasting for that amount of time when I first joined KSS. However, I would like to see myself on a beach in Goa (a little state on the west coast of India) sipping Feni (the locally brewed alcohol made from the cashew fruit). Time to wake up I guess!

Elijah cruising the Colarado River in the Grand Canyon, USA.

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FEATURE

THE IMPORTANCE OF MILESTONES A milestone is a significant event, not just in our personal lives but also our business lives. people as it’s an opportunity for activity, conversation, laughter and excitement. For many of us, we get so caught up in the day-to-day of building a business or career that we don’t stop and celebrate our milestones and achievements.

Multiple generations of family come together at Birthdays and Anniversa- ries, to think about their shared history, to tell familiar stories and unveil new ones, to enjoy seeing how the children have grown, to feel close to people they’ve known their whole lives. Our Years of Service Award is no different. It reminds Team Members of the years they’ve shared together, the struggles they’ve endured and the triumphs they’ve savoured. Celebrating such events allows people the chance to feel like they’ve achieved something significant, that their commitment to each other and towards Kennards has value in the eyes of their family, friends, and work colleagues. Special workplace milestones can become a reunion such as our Annual Achievement Awards Night, allowing far-flung Team Members from New Zealand or Australia the chance to see each other in the context of celebrating their own personal career milestone. These moments reinforce the continuity and endurance of company ties, another important source of strength and peace when challenges arise. Team Members having worked and lived together within Kennards for many years, long-standing friendships are often the result. Giving people the chance to celebrate any service milestone with Kennards is an essential way to show someone that they matter, that their journey has had and will in the future, have a meaning. Why does Kennards recognise 10 years plus milestones with ‘Hands in Cement’?

I’m sure you know this feeling; when we are working really hard and so focused on the task, we often forget what we are achieving is incredible. We all do this, whether it’s training to run a Marathon, renovating an apartment or achieving a personal career goal. It’s so important to celebrate milestones and achieve- ments and even more important to share them with the people who love and support us in the workplace. We cherish special life milestones like Birthdays and Anniversaries for a reason. We also cherish special business milestones for a reason. One of many areas Kennards Self Storage celebrates a Team Member milestone, is the Years of Service Award with the ‘The Hands In Cement’. ‘ Life moves so fast and it’s really easy to forget what an individual has achieved at Kennards and how far they have come. Any Award is a sign of triumph over adversity, of strength and of hope, particularly in the later years when they represent a decade of experience. Our Years of Service Awards (10, 15, 20, 25 & 30) represent continuity and growth, the unbroken threads that shape our company’s life and culture.

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has achieved at Kennards and how far they have come. 10 plus Years of Service is a fantastic individual journey by any company standard, given the smaller stature of our storage business compared to many other larger corporate Australian and New Zealand based businesses. There are now already a staggering 79 ‘Hands in Cement’ plaques proudly displayed in the front entrance garden area of THQ Macquarie Park. These ‘Hands in Cement’ recognise the fantastic milestones of many individuals who have devoted their time, passion, and sense of worth with Kennards. Sam Kennard presenting HK Tung in 2014 with his Kennards Self Storage 30 Years of Service Award.

This is why we celebrate Years of Service milestones.

Wayne Birch VIC & SA Operations Manager

Life moves so fast and it’s really easy to forget what an individual

Celebrating a milestone is also good for

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FEATURE

COO MAKES WAY FOR GMoO Congratulations Tony Vuong, on the successful appoint- ment to the new role of General Manager of Operations.

I mentioned in my original communi- cation that as companies experi- ence growth, they ultimately face questions around how to propor- tionally scale the Leadership Team to keep up with the demands of the business. Much has changed over the last 12 to 18 months in the business. We have grown the number of centres we operate and in turn this has grown the Operations Team. We appointed a Digital Marketing role, and we are actively looking to appoint a Revenue Manager, Pricing Analyst position. The time has come to face those questions and grow the support structure of the Leadership Team. This involves the creation of a Chief Operating Officer (COO) role and changing the General Manager’s The time has come to face those questions and grow the support structure of the Leadership Team. This involves the creation of a Chief Operating Officer (COO) role and changing the General Manager’s position to be more specific as General Manager of Operations (GMoO). position to be more specific as General Manager of Operations (GMoO). I used a sporting analogy to describe the change. Historically the General Managers role I would describe as the Coach and Captain providing direction and support for the Operations

Team on and off the field as well as supporting the additional functions within THQ. These roles will now split, like any big Team in any sporting code in any country, they have an on field Captain who directs traffic, makes decisions, motivates the Team and executes the plan and the vision. Off field we have the Coach who is sometimes referred to as the Player Manager, looking out for the wellbeing of the players providing specialised support functions in the way of Fitness Coach, could be a Kicking Coach, Offensive and or Defensive Coach. The COO is the Coach providing the support functions to the Operations Team and the wider business such as, skills Training and Development, Digital Marketing, Pricing and Business Development and direction on the overall strategy. The Coach and Captain are critical for Team success working closely so there is clarity and alignment on executing the vision. We are pleased to be able to make the General Manager of Operations appointment internally from a highly capable and highly passionate group of people. Ultimately at this time there is only one position and one successful candidate. The decision was very close and very difficult to make, once again congratulations to Tony. I know the Operations Team will rally and support our new General Manager of Operations. This change allows the business to continue on its path to grow and be the best company it can be, as we endeavour to fulfil our dream of becoming a “Famous Household Name”. Darren Marshall Chief Operating Officer

“Good afternoon,

I would like to record my sincere thanks for the exemplary way Daniella and Kristy at Kennards Self Storage Adelaide Airport assisted our company on the 5th March. Our company is Australia’s largest builder of emergency (and none-emergency) ambulances. As part of an ongoing tender process an evaluation team had to inspect our product. As we do not have a facility in Adelaide (and we could not rent a warehouse for a half day at short notice) I approached Daniella at KSS as I am a personal customer there. The KSS Team went out of their way to make us feel welcome and we had the use of the confer- ence room for the evaluation (with an ambulance parked in front). It made the day a success for us and exposed Kennards Self Storage to a number of potential future customers. Once again please pass on our thanks and congratulations to the Team at Kennards Self Storage Adelaide Airport.

‘

Regards, Dean”

‘

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FINANCE

HOW KSS STORERS PAY

We recently completed a report on 58,000 payment transactions processed in January 2019 to see how KSS stores pay. *Auto Direct Debit: recurring payments from a Bank Account. *Credit Card – Auto Pay: recurring payments from a Credit Card *Credit Card – Online: Credit Card payments made from our website *Credit Card – Manual: Credit Card payments processed manually by Teams. *Direct deposit: Bank Transfers from customers Bank Account.

68% and 50% of payments were made by a card in Australia and New Zealand respectively, however only half of that were recurring payments. The recurring payment show most of our centres are around the 30% mark. Both KSS and customers would enjoy huge benefits if we were able to encourage more customers to set up recurring payments either via a Credit Card or a Bank Account. THE FUTURE RECURRING PAYMENT SETUP FROM THE KSS WEBSITE: There is an impression from customers that the recurring payment would be automatically set up when they pay the first rental fee online from our website. However, this is not the case. We are working with CBA to understand our options and are in a stage of planning and developing to enable this feature. This would improve our recurring payment numbers greatly. Watch this space!

BENEFITS FOR THE CUSTOMER Set and Forget: allows customers to enjoy our services without unnecessary payment distractions. Simplicity and conveniences: customers only enter their details once which removes decision barriers and encourages continued spending. Avoid unnecessary charges e.g. late fees. No suspension at gate or unit locked due to missed or late payments. Avoid emotional breakdown when customer’s goods are sold due to missed payments.

BENEFITS FOR KSS Better experience for our customers. Decrease missed or late payments and improve cash flow. Improve customer relationships: Teams can focus on having positive conversations with customers on our services instead of having awkward conversations chasing payments. Increase customer retention: given the set and forget nature of recurring payments, the payments are out of the customer’s mind, allowing them to enjoy our services. Reduce associated costs, risks and Team efforts on delinquent customers and banking process, reconciliations and cash handling.

Con’t next page

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FEATURE

DOES YOUR CENTRE CALL TO BOOK BINS IN? Why not save time and book pickups on line. Register an account

AUSTRALIA’S NEW PAYMENTS PLATFORM (NPP): The NPP is Australia’s new payments infrastructure which enables businesses and consumers to make real time payments. It allows us to transfer money instantly using a phone number, an email address or ABN instead of a Bank Account number.

for your centre -www.suezconnect.com.au/login WHAT PADLOCK IS ON YOUR BINS?

Suez have padlocks available for $10 each. The driver unlocks and relocks the bin after pickup. This takes the hassle out of remembering to unlock and lock your bin when being emptied.

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The NPP is Austral- ia’s new payments infrastructure which enables businesses and consumers to make real time payments.

HOT TIPS

THE NPP WOULD BRING SOME GREAT BENEFITS FOR KSS: • Better cash flow as we would receive a payment immediately. • Quicker Bank reconciliation as the payment transaction would include more data e.g. 280 characters reference, customer name, etc. • By bringing real-time and 24/7, we can offer customers a quick and easy way to make payments no matter what time of the day. Currently NPP applies only to individ- uals and will be released to businesses during 2019/2020. You can register a Pay ID for yourself (if your Bank is offering it) and try to use this innovative payment method now. Wouldn’t it be great when it came to splitting the bill when you were out to dinner with friends! ‘

Dear Michelle, Jai (KSS Chatswood) and Ross (KSS Camperdown),

We would like to thank you all for being so pleasant and helpful during our visit to each of your centres last Thursday, when we were looking for a suitable set-up to store 20 cases of wine for our son. Eventually Ross showed us their second option of ‘’cellars’’, which avoid my lifting of boxes whilst up a ladder. But the purpose of this email is to record our appreciation of the manner and friendly way in which each of you dealt with us – VERY REFRESHING, especially all in one afternoon, and a great reflection on your company. WELL DONE and thank you so much.

Chi Ly Senior Management Accountant

Our kind regards, Douglas and Lorna

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FEATURE

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG T he short answer is YES. So what is a Blog you might ask? Blogs are an online diary or journal containing a writer

ACHIEVEMENT DINNER 2019 It’s our biggest night of the year and you’re invited! We don’t do big fancy events very often so when the Achievement Dinner rolls around – we go all out. The fact you are reading this means preparation is already underway, this year at a bigger and better venue! It’s our night of nights as Teams from everywhere come together celebrating, socialising, reminiscing and raising glasses. Entertainment, canapes, beverages and a three course meal are of course on the cards. You can even get your photo taken with our professional photographer on the ‘orange carpet’. Most importantly, we get to recognise the past 12 months, celebrating peer to peer FREEDOM achievements and showcasing of our famous Gold, Silver and Bronze SCOTY Awards. (If Kirrawee claims another award this year they may need to start displaying them on the roof!) Our newbies and those of you who have been ‘Locked Up’ with us for 5, 10, 15, 20 or even 30 years are also recognised in our Service Awards. Our 10 Years of Service recipients even cement the occasion with a traditional “Hands in Cement plaque” for our Walk of Fame at THQ. embarrassing things you’ve done with us throughout your journey. Remember those who are there get to defend themselves! Best of all you can don your favourite frock or tie, mingle and enjoy. We are so proud of our business and the culture we foster. This event definitely highlights the talent we have. Do yourself a favour save the date and we will see you there. It’s also a chance to hear all the wonderful and perhaps slightly

BUT WHAT DO I WRITE ABOUT YOU MIGHT ASK? The best starting point, jump on the KSS website and click on the “BLOG” tab at the top of the page. Have a read through the blogs that have been published to give you some ideas. Working in your centres and knowing your market gives you the advantage when putting together content for your blog that’s relevant to your centre. With the growing move to customers using the web, posting blogs constantly is another way we can elevate our Brand and presence on the web. I am looking forward to seeing fresh new ideas and content for blogs being published.

or group or writers own experiences, observations or opinions. Blogs are a great way to share information on the world wide web. Search Engines such as Google or Bing use what’s called Search Engine Optimization. What that means is when the user punches in search terms, for example Storage Waterloo, all relevant hits for these words are ranked and appear in order in the results. These Search Engines love fresh content outside of our already established website. By embedding blog articles in our website this ensures we are constantly adding fresh content to the web and maximising our search results.

TIPS ON BLOG CONTENT BLOG TITLE: The first part of a blog your reader will see and is usually responsible for them clicking. Your title should be catchy; It could ask your reader a question, or it could make a bold statement. It can also include a keyword. INFORMATIVE CONTENT: Could almost read like you are having a conversation with your readers. Ask questions and make comparisons. WORK ON A TEMPLATE STRUCTURE: Introduction, lead in, body and main points then your conclusion. KEEP PARAGRAPHS SHORT: With two to six sentences in each, keeping one idea to one paragraph. CONTENT TO CONTAIN KEYWORDS: Example: Kennards Self Storage, your suburb, storage, business storage, gun storage, wine cellars... LINKS: Your blog should contain links to pages within the KSS website or to informative reliable information outside of the KSS website. INCLUDE IMAGES: This creates a positive first impression about your post. It’s the famous old saying, “a picture paints a thousand words”. ONE SENTENCE: Should contain one idea only.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Simply send your article to your Operations Manager for publication.

Anyone can write blog articles, so put on your creative hats and start writing blogs to optimise your centres search results.

Fiona Harding Business Development Manager

Tony Vuong NSW Operations Manager

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REVIEWS

OOGLE REVIEWS

CAMPERDOWN NSW

ST MARYS NSW

FYSHWICK ACT

Staff helped me decide best options based on my needs and cost. They are patient and gave detailed information. They update you regularly. Also gave ideas on storage solutions. Recommend to all.

Amazing Team. I spoke to Steven on the phone and he answered all my questions and made me feel comfort- able to go in store. While I was in store I met Kim she is amazing! She is super friendly and knows all her customers. She was the main reason why I decided to do business with them. 100% recommend! Will never go anywhere else. I didn’t expect to have such a positive experience about storage. David was so helpful, and happy to make suggestions and answer questions that no doubt had been asked a hundred times before. He made the entire process easy. The unit itself was clean, the facility having recently been renovated. Highly recommended. John, Albert and the Team are awesome! We run our nationwide business from here and couldn’t be happier! Great Team and great facilities. We work 24/7, with lots of inbound and outbound delivers, so this place suits us perfectly. Keep up the awesome work Kennards! PORT MELBOURNE VIC ABBOTSFORD1 VIC

Darryl and Colin are both great, really helpful if you need them. They also made a stressful time so much easier with quick service and a great product. The prices are very reasonable as we managed to fit our entire household into a smaller storage unit for under $400 a month! I'd most certainly use their services again if I need to in the future and would recommend Kennards 100%.

KUNDA PARK QLD

I have the unit conveniently placed for my line of work. Easy to get in, clean, no obstructions and easy to exit. When I have needed to talk to the staff I have found them very easy and obliging. Now that I have retired I know I can visit there any time of the day without any worries what so ever.

CAMPBELLTOWN1 NSW

Rented a short-term storage unit here and the service was brilliant. Staff were able to accommodate all needs/ requests without question, and even took the initiative to arrange for a pro-rata refund when I emptied my unit 4 days early - very impressive!

PROSPECT NSW

Very helpful staff and great location. Had a shed here for two years while we were living in a smaller house. Really enjoyed how easy it was to store and access things here. Happy customer.

KIRRAWEE NSW

When I contacted Mike from Kennards at Kirrawee on a Sunday inquiring about storage, he was so obliging and inform- ative. Everything was organised within minutes. I met David this afternoon and he completed all relevant documents efficiently without a problem. Thanks guys you have got me out of a sticky situation. Thank you so much for your expertise.

NAPIER NZ

Great experience, the Team helped whenever I needed it. Understood my storage needs, helped when I needed an upgraded asap.

BURLEIGH JUNCTION QLD

TAURANGA NZ

MURARRIE QLD

Great service. Great storage facility. Have used Kennards many times over the years now. Always a safe reliable and easy place to access your storage. Staff are very helpful.

Great people, easy and safe! Mike and his Team made our experience super easy. Flexible access and very safe facility. Thanks Mike

Very helpful staff, I believe I dealt with a lady named Pam? She was very inform- ative and knew how the system worked, she answered every question I had and I was satisfied enough to sign up. signing up was very simple as well, so I am very pleased with the service I got.

MONA VALE NSW

CROYDON PARK SA

We occupied a very large, fully shelved storage unit in Mona Vale for just over two years. All our stuff came out dry and clean when we emptied it. All the staff have been helpful, polite and really just great, either on the phone or during our many visits. A big thank you to you all but with a special shout out to Max who’s been with us all the way!

The Staff at Kennards Self Storage at Croydon Park are friendly and helpful. They greet me with a smile, always willing to answer any of my questions. They have made renting the self storage unit so very easy. Thanks to all I have spoken to over the months at Kennards.

HASTINGS NZ

Consistently helpful and accommo- dating. I live overseas, so it is a great advantage to deal with a professional team. Thanks!

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FEATURE

AIMING OUR SIGHTS ON GUN STORAGE IN A

As published in the SSAA Insider Magazine

ments located in a storage facility.

Additionally, there has been a renewed emphasis on specific Gun Storage requirements for Category A, B, C, D, H & R firearms and their storage.

WHAT ARE FIREARM CATAGORIES?

Category A : Air rifles, blank firearms at least 75cm in length, a shotgun other than a pump action. Category B : Muzzle loading firearms, single shot, double barrel and repeating centre rifle. Category C: Semi-automatic rim-fire rifle, a pump action shotgun.

Category D : Self-loading centre-fire rifle.

Category H : Air pistol and blank firearm under 75cm in length.

Category R : Machine gun or sub-machine gun fully automatic.

GUN LOCKER CONSTRUCTION

For all these firearm categories a Storage Locker must be of a rigid structure and made of either solid steel or solid timber. Rigid structure refers to the strength of the container and the use of reasonable force to the sides or top of the container should not result in deflections of any panel or the Gun Locker itself. Lockers are required to have continuous locker panels e.g. without venting/holes or perforation. The Gun Locker must be constructed of either steel (aluminium/ alloys are not compliant) or can even be solid timber. It is interesting to note that certain species of timber or structural and Marine Ply are compliant. However, Chipboard, Particle Board, MDF and Plaster Board are not compliant to the Act. If the Gun Locker used for storing these firearms weighs less than 150kg, it must be securely fixed to the frame or floor of a permanent building. The Locker itself must have a sturdy combination lock, keyed lock or keyed padlock.

Firearms Licensing and Permits differ depending on the State or Territory of residence of the licence holder. All Firearms Licensing in Australia is under the jurisdiction of the relevant State or Territory Police, and these Licensing Agreements can vary.

R ecent gun crimes over the past 12 months in Victoria has necessitated Kennards Self Storage to change gun room designs and implement new security features. With a continu- ance to be innovative with the gun storage product supplied to the storage industry, and with the added improve- ments in security features implemented during 2018 to minimise any risk of

theft, recent changes to Gun Storage unit designs and layouts have further enhanced our gun storer’s storage experiences. As set out in the Australian Firearms Act 1996 and revised in some States in 2008, there are now specific govern- ment legislative storage requirements for the safekeeping of firearms and cartridge ammunition in gun compart-

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FEATURE

AUSTRALIA

monitoring for the Gun Room area only – an important security feature of any of the Gun Storage locations. The Gun Lockers are housed in a custom built cement block wall, floor and ceiling room separate to the rest of the general storage area. Legislative regulations govern that Gun Room walls must be solid enough to be a substantial physical barrier to entry points and that door locks fitted must reduce the possibility of a door being sprung from the jamb. Customer access is 24/7 via a designated PIN which allows for gun storers only to access the area. Each individual custom built Gun Locker is constructed of a 12mm x 300mm PFC steel frame fixed by internal locker Dyna bolts to the concrete floor and walls. A 6mm checker plate base is then secured onto the floor within the frame itself. To avoid any tampering or security issues, MUX boxes are now located internally within the Gun Storage room, lights are operated by sensors to any specific time limit, internal and external individually alarmed entrance doors being monitored by camera security, and any power sockets and cabling are also housed internally. Confusing! Hopefully, the same goes for any illegal activity that may occur on-site. With these added improvements in the Gun Storage structure and security features, it will now see any future Gun Storage expansions compliant with the Gun Self Storage Industry. DID YOU KNOW? IFA GUN LOCKER ISUSED FOR STORING FIREARMS AND WEIGHS LESS THAN 150KG , IT MUST BE SECURELY FIXED TO THE FRAME OR FLOOR OF A PERMANENT BUILDING .

items to your local Police Station, is deemed illegal. As a consequence, it is clear that during any delinquency period when a customer’s padlock needs to be removed (after 43 days) for inventory purposes, you must first contact your local Firearms Officer or Police Station Officer to be on-site during such procedures. Another concern is the safety of our Teams as any firearm would need to be cleared before removal to ensure that the firearm is not loaded. We have a duty of care for our Team Members, therefore having an officer on site during this process complies with safety standards. If you do cut a delinquents lock the Police Officer on site will take immediate possession of the firearm. It is quite intriguing that legislation in Queensland requires Gun Storage Operators to have a Gun Dealers or Weapon Dealers Licence where more than 10 Gun Lockers are located in a designated Gun storage room. It also requires storage operators to communi- cate to Police directly when a firearm is taken or returned at a storage centre. GUN LOCKER ROOM AND LOCKER SPECIFICATIONS The Kennards Gun Cabinets are heavy gauged steel Firearm Lockers constructed and made specifically to comply with the Australian Firearms Act. With designated Kennards Gun Storage Centre’s in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Newcastle, local State Divisional Firearm Officers (DFO) have passed, in accordance with the Act, each of the Kennards Gun Storage facilities and storage designs. This is an important process in having a Gun Storage facility on site. Recent improvements to construc- tion have seen a greater emphasis on access security with the installa- tion of new steel enforced entrance door designs. Each Gun Room has sensor activity monitoring, all carpeted to specific design standards, and controlled with back-to-base security

In all Australian States Gun Legislation is quite specific: - Any individual Gun Locker must be kept locked at all times other than for the time to remove/replace firearms. - Firearms must be unloaded and the bolt be removed or action broken when stored in a storage centre. The bolt is a major component and is subject to the same storage requirements as the firearm. It can be stored with the firearm. - Ammunition must be stored in a secure separate locker or compartment to the firearm. - A Gun Locker must have a sturdy combination lock, keyed lock or keyed padlock attachment. The Kennards Gun Cabinets are heavy gauged steel firearm lockers constructed and made specifi- cally to comply with the Australian Firearms Act. Due to the nature of the items in question (firearms) there are certain legal ramifications concerning firearm possession under the Firearms Act. The fact is we cannot take posses- sion (after cutting a lock) of a firearm under any circumstances without the presence of your local Firearms Officer or a local Police Officer. Under the Act, it is deemed to be a criminal offence to handle/take possession of any firearm without an independent or individual Gun Licence (which in the majority of cases self storage Teams do not have). The seizure and handling of firearms whilst on-site or during transit of such ‘

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Wayne Birch VIC & SA Operations Manager

11 Kennards Kourier April 2019

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PEP 2019

90% OCCUPAN Part of our key goals from Momentu of the March KPI report records 13 closing in with occupancy between S o, while we are making great progress towards our goal, now is a good time to review ‘what it takes’ to maintain that occupancy. Here is what I have observed from the Teams who have been operating at a 90%+ level of occupancy consistently now for over a year.

MANAGE YOUR PIPELINE EFFECTIVELY The Vacant Unit Report sits next to the Vacate List – ensures that upcoming units can be wait listed to incoming reservations. Regardless of how occupied you centre is, we can always find a unit solution for every customer. It may be a timing issue however, most people can cooperate with move in dates if there is a plan and it is delivered confidently. This will also create better decision making with dynamic pricing as you can see what inventory is becoming available and what is in more demand and enables your pricing decisions to be more responsive MAKE THE SOLUTION BETTER THAN THE NEED Through our skills, experiences and learning from previous storers, we know that a storage unit is more than just a space. Listen carefully to what the storer is enquiring about and think about what services or unit size is best for the customer. An easy one is the shelving options for efficient use of space and accessing items. Another is where the unit is located – need frequent accessibility then go for our premium option on the drive way or make a cost saving with our economy rated unit upstairs. It shows that you care and understand their needs. A good one that a customer does not expect is the use of the Parcel Drop Service for deliveries and the compli- mentary Conference Room/Wi-Fi

L to R: Amy Mather (Brookvale), David Summers (Waterloo), Juliette Issa (Artarmon2), Paul Buckby (Palmerston North), Fawaz Sari (Camperdown), Dee Hill (Croydon Park), Sean Bradley (THQ), Shri Adigopula (Sandgate), Kellie Robley (Browns Plains), Cameron Rickie (Miranda), Tay Tay Yuan (THQ) Wayne Brown (THQ), Kesson Reilly (Newstead), Anthony Donald (Kingsgrove).

O nce again hosted at the picturesque Hunter Valley Resort (NSW) February saw the return of the Kennards PEP initiative. Team Members from NSW, QLD, and New Zealand attended the long standing three day event. PEP provides Team Members with a wonderful opportunity to gain insight into their underlying thoughts and examine how they guide individual behaviour. As ever the true value of the course is attendees can use what they learn to drive positive changes in how they think and act - changes that can increase personal and professional effectiveness. The three days also includes a Segway Seglympics, (there may have been a tumble or two, me included!) and also some rest and relaxation. Plus, the bonus of interacting with Team Members you wouldn’t usually meet. The bulk of the course is spent learning about the Lifestyle Inventory (LSI) report. LSI is designed to help you answer the important question of “Who am I and what causes me to act the way I do?” Based on a combination of respected psychological and proven

theories, it measures the thoughts and attitudes which motivate our behaviour, how we relate to others as well as how we solve problems and make decisions. LSI provides attendees with the opportu- nity to take a close look at themselves. In a sense, it acts as a mirror, reflecting the image we have of ourselves. Sometimes this image is flattering and reassuring, sometimes surprising, and other times difficult to accept. There is no doubt that LSI promotes lasting performance change and improvement by increasing personal understanding of our thinking and behaviour. Personally, over the course of my time in learning and development PEP has been the most profoundly insightful and informa- tive course I have attended. If you haven’t yet attended PEP I would strongly encourage you to submit your expression of interest when the opportu- nity next arises! It’s a fantastic course that will give back as much as you put in. Wayne Brown Learning and Development Manager

12 Kennards Kourier April 2019

FEATURE

NCY - WHAT IT TAKES

um 2016 was to grow our occupancy to 90% by 2020. A check centres achieving occupancy over 90% and a further 40 centres n 85.2% - 89.8%.

Hotspot. Where ever you can, try to make the use of a storage unit more of a destination rather than just one use. Apart from shelving, all the other services just mentioned are free to the customer and will make the storage solution become more attractive to the customer. It goes a long way towards distinguishing and communicating the Kennards value advantage. ‘ Knowing your competi- tors’ price is no longer enough. We need to be familiar with what they have to offer and look for a point of difference to distinguish ourselves from them rather than just price match. KNOW YOUR CPA AND USE YOUR INVENTORY STRENGTHS Knowing your competitors’ price is no longer enough. We need to be familiar with what they have to offer and look for a point of difference to distinguish ourselves from them rather than just price match. Customer objections or suggestions to use another competitor is really an opportunity to promote what we can do better however, knowledge is power and when you present with confidence, you are more inclined to gain the trust of the customer and secure the move in.

occupied unit sizes and then use the site visit to upsell to more premium units. Think to yourself how many times you may have seen a sales promotion and thought I will go and buy that and then end up buying something else. It is no different with storage, use the interest from your web enquiries to encourage a site visit and when they do it is more than likely you will get the business without even asking for it! Know your customers and keep in contact with them when they are on-site. It can just be a friendly hello and seeing how things are. Or you can follow up on anything mentioned in the past such as that unit size or location you mentioned previously has become available, or I see you have boxes stacked up everywhere – have you considered using the shelving option? It is the genuine show of interest or advice that does not go unnoticed and promotes the greater potential for a customer to come to you with a need or want rather than assuming nothing can be done and looking elsewhere and then moving out. PRESENT THE CENTRE THE BEST IT CAN BE It is often the little things that matter and are remembered. The basics like a clean rubbish free driveway, always having the office floor clean, ensuring the finger marks on the entrance doors are regularly removed and a clean bathroom are all signs of a well run centre. Vigilant attention to maintaining these areas will create lasting impressions and contribute to the theme that our storage centres are a nice destination rather than some tired generic looking commercial building that is not appealing. ASK FOR A GOOGLE REVIEW It is amazing how many times I hear storers who come to the end of storing PERSONALISE THE SERVICE

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with us and compliment the Team on how good their experience was. These are the gold moments when we should encourage them to complete a Google Review and hand them a Google Review ‘prompt card’. However, just like with a sales enquiry, we should be doing a follow up on a move out customer a couple of days later and check everything went well and then confidently follow up for a review. Even better, it is not just at move out stage that you can ask for one, I would think that all sites would have existing storers right now that you could go to and confidently ask them to complete a Google Review and it would be a great one! I am sure most of these points are not new to anyone however, I would challenge everyone to think how well we perform these tasks? The centres I have observed that maintain over 90% do them not just well but consistently well!

USE THE WEB PRICING STRATEGICALLY

Web pricing is now crucial to success, where you can, offer ‘a strategic hot deal’ to entice the customer in with less

Andrew Kirkham NZ Operations Manager

13 Kennards Kourier April 2019

PROPERTY

SPOTLIGHT ON Adelaide Airport

K ennards Self Storage Adelaide Airport is situated on Federal land outside the boundary of the Adelaide Airport itself and next to other commercial businesses which are part of the Burbridge Business Park, which is starting to ‘take off’ now! We finished construction of this new centre in October 2018, four months ahead of schedule. One of our main challenges, but also a positive in some ways, was dealing with the Airport as opposed to a traditional council and also dealing with being in a Federal high security area. Adelaide Airport is a purpose built facility comprising of three buildings which all have driveway, ground and upper level storage options. Our centre is the first site on leased land, as you can’t purchase Federal land, which is unique for a Kennards centre. Being in Federal land has its challenges, such as no Australia Post Service, but some of the advantages are being monitored by the AFP who are extremely helpful and always ready to assist and regularly come in to check on us or just to say hi. We mainly have smaller independent competitors within a short distance from us however, as Adelaide is quite compact, we’re still within a very short distance to most Western Suburbs competitors as well. We are visible

The Team at Adelaide Airport comprises of Daniella Hopkins, Centre Manager and Kristy White, Assistant Manager. Adelaide Airport is going well so far. We’ve been open just over six months now and where over 31% occupied being around 1,900 square metes, with all but one of our warehouses rented. Our actual yields are already pushing $16 per square metre and our merchandise is going better than we anticipated for a new facility. Our main business has come from walk ins which is great to see, indicating we’ve really picked a great location. Our biggest challenges so far have been construction related. Adelaide Airport, being an Airport, is extremely windy and no one anticipated that. This resulted in a case of extreme weather with 115km an hour winds where the roof blew off one of our buildings and started to lift off the 2nd and 3rd, which is quite problem- atic in government airspace. It resulted in Fire Trucks, Cranes and Airport Security paying a visit. Keeping our facility to a high standard of cleanliness is a never ending battle due to the high winds, especially during wet or windy weather periods. We are installing some new exterior doors to make our lives a bit easier, which will be great.

from the main road and we get great exposure from Aldi who are 100 metres down the road across an undevel- oped plot of land. Residentially we’re a great option for most Western Suburbs residents and a centralised spot for most commercial clients in Adelaide. We have a fantastic conference room space with our 70 inch LCD TV which customers can hook their computers up to and present. We recently had all of the Senior Paramedics in SA have a meeting here because of the well set up facilities. We are happy to organise catering for conferences and give business the full package. We have a variety of interesting customers, one of our favourites has to be Bentley the French Bulldog. He’s a regular visitor.

Daniella And Kristy Kennards Self Storage Adelaide Airport

14 Kennards Kourier April 2019