eKourier April 2020

Kennards Kourieri r EDITION: APRIL 2020

WHO IS SCOTY?

NEW LIFE FOR THE ADELAIDE MAIL CENTRE

A NEW ERA FOR CCC WORKING REMOTELY DURING COVID-19

SATISFACTION Vs LOYALTY

1 Kennards Kourier April 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

Message From Sam Team Member Profiles 10 Questions With...

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5 New Life For Adelaide Mail Centre 6 Price Is What You Pay... 7 The Sky's The Limit... 8 Welcome To Wallace McLean 9 Celebrating Achievement 10 Who Is Scoty 11 Google Reviews 12 A New Era For CCC... 13 War On Waste... 14 Satisfaction V's Loyalty 15 Vic Team Huddle 16 Spotlight On... 17 If You Build It They Will Come 18 Well Being Best Practice 19 It's Times Like These... 20 Donate Your Unused Rent 21 Nevs Notes 22 Kennards Community 23

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Deadline: June 12, 2020 Editor: Sharon Munro Email: sharon@kss.com.au Distribution: July 17, 2020

Kennards Self Storage Penrith

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MESSAGE FROM SAM A s I write this, Covid-19 is affecting us all. The govern - ments around the world are ruin being inflicted on millions of people is devastating and tragic. Unemploy- ment would have already touched all of us. We all know someone affected by this.

Covid-19 will indeed be one of history’s defining moments. Like the Depres - sion; both World Wars; other wars; the Recession of the early ‘90’s; and September 11, and this will pass but it will change the world forever. Thankfully, there is great support throughout the business to do what it takes; to adjust; to continue to operate and tackle the challenges. The engage- ment and attitude is wonderful to see and appreciated. While I am mindful of all the families that depend on the business, we can be grateful that KSS is a sound and robust business. This is thanks to the decisions and efforts of many people over many years. We are long established, with strong occupancy and resilient income at this time, we are well placed for further challenges. It is a relatively good place to be. I thank you all for the support and positive attitude as we go through this.

wrestling with the twin dilemmas of crushing the virus while not crushing the economy. These are vexing and wicked problems. We should be glad it is not us having to make these decisions. Each government is taking slightly differing pathways. There is also no shortage of advice, opinions and critics. Whether the options to bluntly close whole sectors and movement, or alternatively try to be more surgical and iterative - and which is correct, may only become apparent in the future. At the moment, while they are trying their best it is also clear the governments are making this up as they go along. The failures, bureaucratic dysfunction and overreach of government is also on full display. I am particularly struck by the masses of business closures and job losses. The government is closing business sectors without notice. The impact and

My whole career I have been mindful of not just the individuals, but also their families, that depend on KSS. Now in 2020, the lives and wellbeing of over 280 families rely on the strength and profitability of our business. Keeping our business operating and sustaining our activities, so that all of our people remain gainfully employed, is vitally important. The Leadership Team have shown strong conviction to ensure we continue our activities and operations. As governments muddle through this, we have been confronted by surprises and challenges. Movement and social restrictions and strict lockdowns have been interesting developments. The governments have been erratic, ambiguous and given a range of mixed messages. Some leaders have promoted fear over hope. The profound stupidity and selfishness of hoarding. While the media illuminate the negative. It is understandable for many of us to get worried.

Sam Kennard Chief Executive Officer

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WHO’S WHO

TEAM MEMBER PROFILES

Russell Hanley Centre Manager, Seaford Meadows SA (left)

Adam Scott Assistant Manager, Seaford Meadows SA (right) Career background: Previously employed in insurance – assessments and restorations (home, commercial and contents). Prior to insurance, I worked at Myer as an Operations Manager. Marital status? Married in November 2019 (just before starting with KSS). Any children? No yet. Hobbies/interests: I have two freshwater tropical aquariums that are aqua-scaped – can keep me busy. Otherwise I like to get out on weekends, there are some nice walking tracks in the area. Aslo going away for quick trips over weekends. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? Don’t play sports anymore. Used to do Surf Life Saving when I was younger, also competed in Surf Boats. Favourite book/s: I'm not a big reader… more of a ‘I’ll just watch the movie’. Favourite movie: Anything that’s decent. I’ve heard there’s a movie called ‘Self Storage’ which I am yet to check out... Favourite restaurant/food: Anything cooked on the Weber is usually a winner for me. Can’t get much better than a roast that’s done over charcoal. Any pets? No pets really, just the fish. Where did you grow up? Born in Sydney, grew up in Adelaides southern suburbs. Nothing too exciting. Favourite holiday destinations: The US in 2018. Visited Alaska, did some dog sledding, enjoyed a helicopter tour of Mendenhall Valley and a walk on Mendenhall Glacier, a quick visit into Canada and then spent some time in Seattle and visited Mt Rainier and Leavenworth.

Career background: Colgate Palmolive for 29 years as a Sales Representative, Sales Operations Manager and Business Development Manager for SA and WA. Marital status? Married. Any children? I have two children, Dannielle who is 29 and a Graphic Designer and Luke, who is 25 and a qualified Chef but now working in a different industry. Hobbies/interests: I like caravaning, camping, football, walking our beach at Moana and mostly anything outdoor related. Frequently visit the McLaren Vale Wine Region - Wineries, Restaurants and events. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? Road Cycling, participating in 35km treks. Favourite book: Scar Tissue - Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) Autobiography. Favourite movie: Of recent, 1917. Favourite restaurant/food: Great steak and red wine at Vasarelli’s Cellar Door and Restaurant McLaren Vale Where did you grow up? I grew up in Reynella, spent most of my time close to southern beaches where you would find me spending my time surfing. Any pets? No pets. Favourite holiday destinations: Travelled extensively overseas but would have to say Canada and Alaska was one of the highlights of our travels, based ourselves in Vancouver where our daughter lives. Took a seven day cruise through Alaska followed by the rail trip up into the amazing Rockies to magnificent Banff and Lake Louise, highly recommended!

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WHO’S WHO

10 QUESTIONS... With Mike Howard - Centre Manager Kirrawee NSW

What sport do you follow and what is your favourite team? I follow the NRL and go for the Rabbitohs. There is no other team really. Following them since 1965 when I got my first guernsey from Mick Simmons at Kurri Kurri. Red and Green until the day that I die! I like to read and to go for long walks. Park crawls with the grandkids is always a fun pass time. I especially like to tour old country towns and see the history. I can happily tour for two weeks doing some 2,000kms in the Stinger. Before moving to Sydney my mob originally came from a farm at Two Mile Creek at Nubba. (Near Young and Harden) so the bush is in my blood. I like to follow the Bush Ranger Trails. I also like going on Ghost Tours with my daughter Melissa. Is there any one Team Member you have/do work with that has inspired you over the years? There are so many out there. All have inspired me in some way. Nev Kennard was also inspirational, he taught me that no does not always mean no. To sum up Kennards in one word would be? FUN! Freedom to follow our dreams. You are only limited by your imagination. What do you like to do outside of Kennards?

Mike visiting the replica George Woolnough Saddler and Repairs in Carcoar on the road to Cowra. Carcoar was where the bank robbery took place by Ben Hall in 1863 .The actual Store resides in Tenterfield.

Everything that we do for our customers and the services we provide that sets us miles apart from our competitors. The new innovations to make our customers' stay a memorable one. When I first joined KSS there were 16 centres, now there is over 93. The great friendships that I have made. A lot of good people out there. What would be the main progres- sive changes you have seen within Kennards? The changes in our training format. As our numbers got larger this needed to adapt. Huge changes to Information Technology, making it more user friendly and more information given to help us to run our centres more efficiently. Also buying Millers Self Storage. So many others I could list... Tell us about your family and your Grandchildren! My father was a Fireman so we travelled to different places and I got to go to a lot of schools. I was schooled at Cabramatta, Maitland and Wollongong. I am married to Monica and we live in Hurstville. Prior to KSS I had 20 years Banking experience and that's where I met Monica. I have two girls Melissa and Natalie. I have two granddaughters, Lavinia Carmen, seven and Milah Lee, four and they live with us. They are a handful but they are so precious.

You joined the Kennards Team on the 7th July 1997, that’s 23 years ago! Do you have one memory over that time that stands out? Going to historic Yerranderie with Nev Kennard in his chopper as part of PEP. The first night we had to search for a missing hikers in the dark. Then the trip home was a little windy as we had to make a fast exit due to a storm coming. (The hikers were located in a cave). Have you always been based at Kirrawee KSS? Yes, by choice. My parents lived at Port Kembla so Kirrawee was only 45 minutes away. I could spend time with them and still travel easily to work. I have a great rapport with my customers here. My role is to set our new people up for success within the first two weeks with KSS. To show them our Blue culture and the FREEDOMS that we all enjoy. To visit them when they settle in at their new centre. It’s exciting as everyone is different. There has been over 80 Team Members pass through the Kirrawee HUB. It's great to be able to watch them grow. What has inspired you the most about Kennards over the last 23 years? Tell us about your role as a Hub Trainer?

Mike With his two granddaughters, Milah (left) and Lavinia.

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FEATURE

NEW LIFE FOR THE ADELAIDE MAIL

S hortly after we opened our first Adelaide centre in Panorama in 2000, I was driving through the CBD and noticed this huge concrete and brick box. This enormous building dominates everything around it. It was built-for and used-by Australia Post as a mail sorting centre, serving the Adelaide CBD postal customers. I noticed it particularly because it was also perfectly suited to adaptive re-use for a KSS centre. Securing locations for our business in a CBD market is always very difficult. They are often too expensive as we compete with commercial, retail and residential buyers. The strong residential and commercial activity as well as high barriers entry for competitors means these CBD markets are always attractive. Opportunities are rare. Since its original design, construc- tion and use the postal business has been impacted by one the worlds greatest technological disruptions - email. The building eventually became obsolete. Australia Post mostly now ship parcels which require large single level warehouses, and large truck access. Over the following years, I would continue to drive-by and see if there were any changes in the use or signs Above: KSS Artist Impression. Right: As it stands today

the property would ever come on market. The decline of the letter postal business has been well known for some time. It did seem inevitable. THIS MASSIVE BUILDING CONSISTS OF FIVE LEVELS IN EXCESS OF 4,100 SQUARE METRES EACH, PLUS A BASEMENT So finally in late 2019, over 15 years since first seeing it, the property finally came to market. Pleasingly we were successful in the acquisition. This massive building consists of five levels in excess of 4,100 square metres each, plus a basement. In addition, most of the roof is actually concrete and holds an extensive range of air conditioning and ventilation systems to service the building. The concrete roof could eventually also be developed and would provide approximately 3,000 square metres of additional floor space, but this is not envisaged in the immediate future. The basement is a further 1,700 square metres containing a back up generator, ‘ ‘

diesel tanks and two large secure vaults.

Maybe the generator will be useful if South Australia has another black-out! All combined, the existing gross floor area for the entire building is 23,832 square metres. We plan to convert the building in to a mixed-use development. On the ground floor, we will do large storage spaces and enterprise spaces, KSS office and retail spaces on the street front. On the upper levels, we will re-use existing offices for commercial use, build enterprise spaces and typical self storage spaces. The vaults will likely find a future use for gun storage and deposit boxes. The basement will also be an ideal space for more wine storage. In the end, our mixed-use and self storage development will ultimately have over 15,000 square metres of rentable area. This is a large and exciting project which will take a number of years to build-out and fill. The conversion project will commence in late 2021 when Australia Post finally vacate and move to their new warehouse in Wingfield. Our opening is expected in 2022. Sam Kennard Chief Executive Officer

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FEATURE

Visiting centres and speaking with our Teams, I have often heard Team Members referring to their rates as the cheapest in the area when discussing performance. I sometimes interpret this as being said with a sense of pride. Is this because Teams are fearful of being priced too high and therefore losing the sale? Life is certainly easier being the cheapest. PRICE IS WHAT YOU PAY VALUE IS WHAT YOU GET

why your price is higher, does the lower price from a competitor confirm a meaningful difference in product and service quality. We are all aware that discounting and aggressive pricing are strategies adopted by the competition. Weaker competitors are quick to lower their prices or discount. Discounting destroys value, degrading the value of your product. This approach is not a solution that delivers sustainable performance, it creates long term problems, educating customers to expect lower rates for your product or service. How often do you wait for the mid-year or end of year sales to make that purchase, or you know when you walk into a particular retailer they are open to negotiation? Discounting can also attract the wrong type of customer, somebody who really can’t afford to pay for storage but has no choice but to take storage is going to look for the best deal in town and hope for the best. Discounting is not a game we wish to play, instead the reverse of this, we wish to be a “strong competitor”. The challenge is to create and sustain a brand and service level that supports a premium pricing strategy. Sometimes it can be as simple as delivering consist- ently our “Store with People Who Care” philosophy. At Kennards we are not discounters or negotiators, we are priced for quality and value. This is an ongoing process of dialling up and dialling down our prices to find the sweet spot to maximise revenue and maintain a healthy pipeline of enquiry. You can influence that sweet spot so that we dial up more and you can be proud to say you are the most expensive competitor in your market and customers will love you.

M y question is what needs to happen in order to become the most expensive competitor in your market, and still have customers lining up to do business with you. Delivering value not price is key to achieving a premium. There is a quote I have held dear for a long time that describes this beautifully “price is what you pay, value is what you get”. The premium on what you offer is a direct result of you. Automated pricing systems use science to establish a market rate based on data points. Market signals like supply and demand and competitor rates. Teams have the power to influence that rate to create a premium above market. “This is the value you place on your own customer service and ability to provide the right solution for the customer.” How to create a premium experience, understand how you compare to your competition to know your competitive edge. Be prepared with a confident, knowledgeable response that helps the customer decide to store with you.

Making a purchasing decision is 70% emotional and 30% rational. Amy Cuddy a Social Psychologist, talks about selling as the delivery of warmth and confidence. Care about the customer, know their name and their story, build rapport and provide a solution that addresses their concerns and satisfies the customers’ requirements. “Delivering value” you are not just renting a space you are helping someone out of a situation and providing peace of mind. This is the emotional side of the selling equation. Covering the rational side of selling is about storage being so much more than just a space. Convenient access, simple payment methods with no gotcha fees, and clean, professional and secure storage delivered with a smile and empathy, so that customers feel they are being looked after. Explain your value to the customer and help them understand AT KENNARDS WE ARE NOT DISCOUNTERS OR NEGOTIATORS, WE ARE PRICED FOR QUALITY AND VALUE

Darren Marshall Chief Operating Officer

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FEATURE

THE SKY'S THE LIMIT AT WAIRAU VALLEY

Apter.

W e are pleased to start the that is due for completion later this year. Situated on the major motorway off-ramp at Wairau Valley, no one will miss us with this facility standing approximately 21 metres above ground level in our corporate blue and orange colours. This new facility has been designed for the many varied users of self storage who rate “ease of use” as one of the predominate requests in their ‘ideal storage facility’. The drive-up loading dock close to the location of the lifts, easy to use trolleys and covered access ways make it easy for any user to load and unload into the centre and to their unit. Premium units on the ground floor have been created for the larger size storers as they tend to use their units almost building of our new purpose- built site in Wairau Valley

We are also providing a conference room for storers to book, seating up to six people for meetings or presenta- tions. A side room is also being created with a dedicated Wi-Fi Hotspot area for those quick laptop downloads, electronic working or just browsing. As with all of our new sites we will have an open plan office, full range of merchandise available from our Box Shop, and 24/7 operation with secure PIN code access to individually alarmed units known only to the storer. I look forward to updating you in the coming months at different construction stages as we are very excited to bring the Kennards Self Storage purpose-built facility to the North Shore in Auckland. Andrew Kirkham NZ Operations Manager

daily and appreciate the ground floor access, while value priced units are provided in all size ranges from one cubic meter lockers up to 18 square metres on the higher levels. Serviced by two commercial sized lifts that can easily fit the largest trolley and people without the feeling of being cramped into a tight space. NO ONE WILL MISS US WITH THE FACILITY STANDING APPROXIMATELY 21 METRES ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ‘

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FEATURE

WELCOME WALLACE McLEAN

“I stored some stuff with Kennards Fyshwick for a few months. They were very helpful at the time we first brought the furniture in and their security system is excellent. You can go and access the unit at any time because you have your own code which I expect is standard. It was great, because the three times we accessed it were all outside office hours. We emptied the unit two days ago, and I meant to ring them to let them know, but forgot. However, I received an email first thing this morning to inform me that I'd been refunded the money for the rest of the month - they'd already gone round and checked the units. Remember to take your lock with you when you empty the unit or they can't tell that you've done so.” Deborah "Inspected storage unit sizes in December 2019 at Cardiff and then moved in Jan 9th. Free KSS trailer was great, trolleys on-site to move boxes and furniture up to unit via Lift. All staff - Di, Michelle and Greg - were great to get along with and assisted us without hesitation. Storage unit pricing is great and very reasonable, not excessive like other competitors for what you get. Won’t go any where else for our storage needs." Mia "Fantastic service! Currently using Kennards Self Storage Mt Eden as our Auckland warehouse. The Team are fantastic! Maria is very easy to work with and extremely helpful, we look forward to many more years here. A++." Rogan

K ennards Self Storage is about to introduce a new Insurance Broker to service our New Zealand locations. This change has come about with the introduction of a new Financial Services Legislation Amendment Act that comes into effect 1 July 2020. The new act changes how financial advice is regulated in New Zealand, introducing new classifications and a new code of conduct for people who provide financial advice. Wallace McLean have been providing insurance services and advice for many years to self storage operators in New Zealand ‘

resourcing and investment required to ensure that they and their policyholders are compliant with the new legislation. This change required us to find an alternative Customer Goods Insurance provider to continue the ability to have Customer Goods Insurance available for our customers. Welcome Wallace McLean, a wholly owned New Zealand Company that was established in 2001 as an advice-based Insurance business. Based in Auckland, they offer a wide range of Risk Management and Insurance Broking Services to all types of industries including self storage. Employing a Team of highly experienced corporate Insurance Brokers and profes- sionals to deliver integrated insurance programmes and strategic approaches to client’s requirements. Wallace McLean have been providing insurance services and advice for many years to self storage operators in New Zealand. We are excited and look forward to a successful partnership with Wallace McLean.

QBE New Zealand, our current Insurance Broker, has taken the position to cease offering customer goods insurance due to the significant

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Darren Marshall Chief Operating Officer

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FEATURE

For over 20 years now the Kennards Self Storage Achieve- ment Dinner has honoured our Teams achievements. It is the night of nights for all the glitz and glamour of the Orange Carpet! Some might mistake it for the Oscars it's such a high-profile event! CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENT

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E ach year the Kennards Family come together to celebrate our Team Members achievements. Some of the Awards include: Service Awards – celebrating Team Members length of service with Kennards, welcoming our fresh faces to the Team and celebrating the key milestones of some of our longer serving Team Members. Freedom Awards - Team Members are recognised for their contributions to the business, or simply their day to day interactions with their teammates. Nominations are open now and you can nominate as many people as you like. The converted SCOTY AWARDS - The SCOTY system is a quality review and feedback tool which enables us to get a shared understanding of the standards of performance our customers desire and we at Kennards expect. This is all about your centre achievements. Most of all our Kennards Achieve- ment Dinner is about the Kennards Team coming together to celebrate our

Each year the Kennards Family come together to celebrate our Team Members achievements

OOPS!

‘ achievements, catch up with old and new workmates and of course take the time to dress up for the night. This year due to circumstances beyond our control we have had to cancel the Achievement Dinner and return to it again in 2021. But the achievements of the Teams will still be acknowledged and Awards will still be given, so don’t forget to submit your FREEDOM Nominations to make sure your fellow Teammates are acknowledged, and keep up the standards and performance of your centre to make it to Gold SCOTY in 2020!

Unfortunately last year we missed acknowledging our Newcastle TSM Greg Cullen in the Kourier Magazine. Greg was awarded a FREEDOM Certificate at our Achievement Dinner for his cheerful attitude and care towards customers, while also going out of his way to make each centre that he works at perform well. Congratulations Greg!

Nicky Goodwin QLD Operations Manager

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FEATURE

Quite simply SCOTY is an acronym for Storage Centre Of The Year. The SCOTY system is a company review which enables KSS to obtain a shared understanding of centre performance and the quality our customer’s desire and what we expect. It encourages sharing of good ideas between Teams and to obtain broad Company-wide improvement. WHO IS SCOTY?

and Development Manager with 10% of your net score calculated towards the overall SCOTY result. INTERNAL OPERATION SYSTEMS: (On-Site Systems Review)  This field considers the accuracy and quality of how we operate our software and technology taking into considera- tion financial banking, storage space hire and trailer agreement accuracy of information (especially now directed towards obtaining ID’s with your digital agreements), merchandise and buy-back information received, manual receipts issued, and lock audits. This is measured by analysing the ATLAS events and KEMO listing by your Operations Manager with 35% of your Green Flags against Amber and Red flags achieved as the calculation i.e. % Green Flags are divided by the total number of Flags (Green, Amber, Red) to obtain a percentage. The objective is to encourage positive outcomes. What is SCOTY? In summary, a SCOTY is a culmina- tion and gathering of KSS information in any particular financial year, recognising a centre, it’s Team and their perfor- mances over a range of five expecta - tions. The SCOTY Award is presented at our prestigious Annual Gala Awards Night (Achievement Dinner) which is held in Sydney every twelve months. Overall, Centre’s are awarded a Gold, Silver or Bronze Award. Given each year percentage results achieved are very close, there are no specific definition of percentages or boundaries to achieve a certain award level. It is not designed to find fault but to improve the way we operate as a business. It’s about catching our Teams doing things approximately right, not approxi- mately wrong!

T here are five specific processes involved in calculating your centre’s annual SCOTY results: CENTRE PERFORMANCE:  How we look, smell and feel when a customer (existing or potential), supplier, contractor, or courier visits our facilities. It is measured by a SCOTY Presen- tation Review conducted by your Operations Manager with 35% of your centre’s net score calculated towards the overall SCOTY result FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE:  There are nine tools incorporating income and occupancy growth, yields, Google reviews, delinquent manage- ment, merchandise sales, Insurance, other income and for some centre’s a move in feasibility. It is measured by your KPI system with responsibility held at centre level with 10% of your net score calculated towards the overall SCOTY result. ADMINISTRATIVE QUALITY:  Results are effected by EOM reporting, purchase cards, National Accounts set-up procedures, transac- tions not matching banking, KPI deadlines missed, invoices not

approved as per end of month require- ments, payroll attendance (Sick or Annual Leave not recorded), merchan- dise stock movement not entered within 48 hours, incorrect quantity and KOSMO stock numbers not entering by the 1st month, and updates to Security Registers. It is measured by our Finance Adminis- tration Department for accuracy and timeliness of how we apply our systems and reports with 10% of your net score calculated towards the overall SCOTY result. QUITE SIMPLY SCOTY IS AN ACRONYM FOR STORAGE CENTRE OF THE YEAR MYSTERY SHOPPER PROGRAM:  Results are calculated from our on-line, centre visits or web enquiry handling procedures. It is measured through our Phantom Shopping Programme by our Learning ‘

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Wayne Birch VIC Operations Manager

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REVIEWS

OOGLE REVIEWS

WELLINGTON NZ

GLADESVILLE NSW Great management. Antone and Anthony who make you feel very welcome and are always very helpful and have time to answer any questions or concerns. KSS Gladesville is always well maintained and in a very conven- ient location. Thank you for your exceptional customer service. NAPIER NZ I have been a customer for a few years now and I have found Josh and Jono awesome so helpful and friendly thank you, please don't leave anytime soon. BELMONT NSW Great fast efficient service. Staff are very friendly and helpful customer service is excellent The guy Ian went through all the paperwork online with me and took me for a ride in the buggy to my storage unit that he recommended, exactly what I was looking for. WARANA QLD We have been with KSS Warana for a few years now. Amazing staff. We have adjusted storage unit sizes a few times and there hasn’t been any dramas. Been able to get what we need where we would like it. The place is clean and secure. Easy access at all times. Mike, David and their Team have been such a delight! We love them! The storage facilities are fantastic, very clean and secure and safe to access any time. They are always on hand with a friendly smile to help with ANYTHING we need and the facilities on offer (conference room, wifi and trailer) are fantastic. I definitely recommend Kennards Self Storage Kirrawee for their high levels of friendly service (nothing is a problem) as well as high standards of cleanliness, safety and security. Thank you Kennards Self Storage Kirrawee Team. KIRRAWEE NSW

WEST END QLD The office hours and ease of location were the main reasons we chose this particular Kennards. Shaun was a life saver when we needed last minute storage. Polite, professional, efficient, and super helpful. The lock we bought was faulty and Shaun helped us out again. 10/10 would recommend. I was lucky I found the right place to store my things after searching around for quite a few options. My second trip to unload, I almost cried because of how kind and patient she had been and the difference it made was massive. Thank you again. CASTLE HILL NSW Would like to say the guys at Castle Hill are so friendly and helpful and made renting the unit a breeze. Would highly recommend using Castle Hill to anyone in the area needing storage. TAURANGA NZ The trailer was a God’s send. Size It area gave me an indication of the size of the unit and how I could fit everything in. The people are very nice. KLEMZIG SA Natalie at Kennards storage in klemzig is a top chick and has helped me heaps, in fact everyone there is very understanding, with a zero robotic factor. They listen to what you have to say and genuinely care. They are compassionate and if you ever happen to be struggling in life they go out of their way to work out the best solution and give their beautiful support. And the best thing about it is... it's genuine. Thank you Natalie for your help yesterday, you are a gem! PRESTON VIC The service by Rebecca and the Team really made a difficult day much brighter. The prices are affordable and I feel like

Such a great experience using this company. Very professional, helpful and friendly. Changed our storage unit at short notice for one closer to the loading bay. Every time we went there to buy boxes or store more stuff they were just so lovely and always remembered who we were! I was honestly so impressed with all their staff and would not hesitate to recommend them. Excellent service at reasonable prices. All staff at Artarmon are extremely caring and supportive. They listen to your needs and recommend products that are most cost effective. We had a stress free moving day when we moved all our furniture and boxes from our small apartment to Kennards Artarmon on Tuesday 20 April 2020. The staff on site were very helpful and giving well structured instructions to us and the removalists and we managed to fit everything into a relatively small storage area and completed the job on-time. Well done team! Thank you so much. ROZELLE NSW Johnny is fantastic. He goes above and beyond customer service wise and is so lovely to deal with every time I go to my unit. He has your best interests at heart and found me a smaller unit that fits everything so I didn't have to pay more each month. Highly recommend. VERMONT VIC Amazing self storage run by Kat and Michael, they go above and beyond what is required of them. The facility is immaculate and especially the toilets they are very clean every tme I am in there. Positive experiences so far. I have been with them now for the past six months and I go to the centre a few times a week. I Highly recommended this storage facility. ARTARMON NSW

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FEATURE

A NEW ERA FOR CCC, WORKING REMOTELY DURING COVID-19

Customer Care Team celebrate the launch of Mitel (left to right): Deepa Chirayath, Fiona Harding, Ophelia Keshishian, Salma Rahmani, Liezl Espiritu

W hen we began tendering for a new Contact Centre Software twelve months ago the last thing on anyone’s mind was a Global Pandemic. Our system was outdated and changes with the NBN were rapidly coming into effect at our Team Headquarters. We needed to act swiftly to ensure no disruption to our customers experience. After an extensive tender process, Mitel was awarded the successful supplier, a company committed to partnering with us to build a Contact Centre tailored to our customers expectations. Our current Avaya system had been in place since I started and like all business functions, times have changed. Fifteen years ago working in our Customer Care Team our day was largely made up of answering calls. The Team Member who opened the shift was responsible for printing off the five or so email queries, we had wired headsets (a sure way to knock over that glass or water on your desk), desktop computers and large maps on the wall with coloured drawing pins so we knew where each centre was located (I recall at this time there

customers who don’t wish to lose their place in queue and have far greater visibility over our daily interactions. But by far the greatest asset we have is the functionality for the Team to work remotely. Equipped with laptops, headsets, and softphones our Customer Care Team can now support the business anywhere in Australia or New Zealand. And what lucky timing is that! To celebrate the change we had a hot cooked breakfast launch party at THQ. Feedback from the Team: "Easy to use, better tracking of produc- tivity, being able to code calls makes life easier" - Deepa "The Dashboards allows us to measure performance numerically, in a way, it naturally helps us to work harder to improve performance and results" - Liezl "Transfer option, easy headset use, and I can now monitor how many calls I’ve handled" - Salma.

was about 56). All centre informa- tion including opening hours etc was manually updated, our daily call stats were recorded on a white board and Dymo label makers were all the rage. Today the role of a Customer Care Team Member has largely evolved. The Teams time and expertise is spread across multiple communication channels - phone, email, webchat and podium, sometimes even multitasking these at the same time managing enquiries across 93 centres. In the coming weeks as we introduce stage two, all incoming customer interactions will be handled by our new software. When an email or chat is presented, it will flash on the Team Members screen with 15 seconds to accept before it moves to the next available Team Member. For our customers, it means we can provide exceptional service levels and increased speed of reply across all our communication. We’ve improved our automatic messages to ensure a seamless connection for our overflow calls, added automatic call back features for

Fiona Harding Business Development Manager

13 Kennards Kourier April 2020

FINANCE

WAR ON WASTE 2020 - CONTROLLABLE COSTS What a time we live in; drought, fires, floods and now a world pandemic!!! Incredible times and unchartered territory for many businesses, governments and individuals. What can we do…

• Labour Costs – believe it or not but business costs reduce when we take Annual Leave. What could be better – take a few days off and the business does better – sounds too good to be true but it is in fact the case. For everyone’s own health and wellbeing we should look to take our 20 days of leave every year and help the business – a win win situation. • Water – review our bills, has the usage gone up vs the prior month, what could be impacting this? The more we are aware and manage our controllable costs the better the business will do. Over and above the controllable costs are uncontrollable costs such as Land Tax and Council. Approximately 50% of all costs incurred at a storage centre are controllable in some form or another. We cannot reduce the controllable costs to zero. Total control- lable costs are around $32 million each year so if this can be reduced by 5% through cost reduction or cost recovery, the savings will be $1.6 million per annum! Let’s all work together through the very challenging times the world is facing to manage our controllable costs wherever we can. Stay healthy and stay safe… WORK T O G E T H E R THROUGH THE VERY CHALLENGING TIMES THE WORLD IS FACING TO MANAGE OUR CONTROLLABLE COSTS WHEREVER WE CAN. LET’S ALL

• Telephone – calls we make from land lines and phones can be managed. • Electricity – turn off lights, encourage our customers to be aware of usage and recover costs wherever we can. LED sensor lights have been tested at Mona Vale with other sites being reviewed. • Couriers and Postage – Mailplus are a significant cost. Look to review the number of days banking and mail is collected. Are mail collections required or could the mail be dropped off once a week at the nearest post box. Ensure Mailplus are charging correctly. • Other Costs – cleaning materials and what we buy for the office and centre – how much needs to be ordered, the quality of the products we buy. The move to Officeworks has been great in reducing costs and service has improved. • Insurance – we may not think we impact Insurance costs however if centre gutters are clean and buildings are well looked after, there will be less damage in storm events and insurance claims will be lower which will ultimately reduce Insurance costs. • Print and Stationery – look to move to digital wherever we can for our stationery needs. This has been an ongoing process over time and will continue to improve. • Repairs and Maintenance – probably the area where we can all have the biggest impact. Is what we are spending required or is it a nice to have? Can we do the work ourselves such as painting, cleaning, repairs etc? In tough business conditions like we are facing – the question would be “will this repair increase revenue?” If not, revenue generating, could we put it off for a while? Of course if the works are required to keep the centre operating or a safety risk then they need to be done.

H itting the panic button probably won’t help and we may make irrational decisions (hope you got your toilet paper!!). All we can do is manage what we can control. Covid-19 will impact many businesses and the economic impacts will be felt across Australia and the world impacting many businesses and individuals which will have flow on effects for Kennards Self Storage. Customer service and how we treat our customers will always be our top priority. Then we can manage our costs. The costs we can manage are controllable costs. Which costs are controllable and how can we impact them – • Advertising – our banners and marketing material can be re-used. • Bank Fees – the cheapest payment option is a direct debit from a custom- er’s bank account, however we should look to set up all customers on recurring payments. The cost of any manual payment is high to the business with additional admin time. • Cleaning – manage the cost of cleaning units, cleaners coming on site and also waste collections – are the bins full, are we recovering the cost? More to follow on this in the next few weeks following a tender with Suez for Australian Waste Collection Services.

Anthony Rous Chief Financial Officer

14 Kennards Kourier April 2020

FEATURE

SATISFACTION vs LOYALTY

“Mel and Maria absolutely did everything to help us out at Wellington! They are very friendly, flexible and pro-active! I was looking for boxes for example to ship gear overseas and Maria offered me second hand boxes or free because otherwise she had to throw them away. She could also not have said anything and have sold me the boxes they sell. Also we moved from a bigger lockup to a smaller one. Without knowing for sure if we would actually use the smaller lockup, she held the smaller storage for us for a month (because the prices at that time were great). We did end up using the small storage but I confirmed that only after three weeks. I basically hardly write a review but this time I make an exception. I absolutely recommend this storage." Jen "Went to buy boxes today At Coorparoo and I was amazed, They had everything I could have needed for my move. I can return my boxes and get money back when I am finished moving. A win for me and the environment. I will be back when I need to store my house." Brian "Love Kennards storage Palmerston North! They have such friendly staff and great facilities. So easy to add/remove anything from my locker at any time. I will definitely be using them again!" Scotty

I recently had the opportunity to sit in on a presentation from Colin Chodos. Colin assists organisations with Strategy, Change Management and People Development. In this session he provoked thinking around satisfied vs loyal customers. We can sometimes get caught in the notion of completing the transaction with a customer and it ends there. Yes, they may be satisfied with the service, but does that make them loyal to our Brand or your centre. This is a great question we all can ask ourselves. What is the differ - ence between a satisfied or a loyal customer? Does satisfaction mean loyalty? We should all be working towards creating loyal customers or as we like to call them “Raving Fans”. Loyal customers are more likely to: Refer business to you. Spruik your centre in a positive manner to their family and friends. Potentially refer people to work for you. Be more understanding when you have made a mistake.

How do I convert a satisfied customer to a loyal customer, I am glad you asked. In line with “Store With People Who Care” here are some examples below: Take time to listen to your customers and understand their needs. Take ownership of an opportunity and solve it for the customer at that particular moment. WOW them with your service from as simple as “good morning” to showing a genuine interest in their story/situation, helps and builds a solid relationship. Nothing is too hard approach to assist. Think of a time you went above and beyond to help out a customer. How did that make them feel? How did it make you feel? Now that event will be shared with the customers family and friends and so on and maybe yours too. I believe we are continually building on our loyal customer base, reading through Google reviews posted, we are really fulfilling our “Store With People Who Care” ethos. Keep up the great work Team.

Tony Vuong General Manager Operations

15 Kennards Kourier April 2020

FEATURE

VICTORIAN TEAM HUDDLE TOGETHER A few weeks back the Victoria Team Members gathered together at our Flemington centre to enjoy a hearty serving of good food and great company.

This time round Azam Muhammad and Kate Russell from Flemington were in charge of the Huddle and set up a fancy spread of foods from around the world (of Costco). We had assorted Sushi Rolls, Indian Curries, some Greek Salads and for dessert a decadent Black Forest Cake, suffice to say very few of us who attended left feeling hungry. Of course it’s impossible not to have a huddle without a few extracurricular activities, we opted for a dumbed-down version of Beer Pong, leading to some hilarious match results! The VIC Huddle also provided a great opportunity for everyone to come together and discuss various issues. This time round, WRS and their recent merchandise quality and delivery to our Melbourne centres was a hot topic. Everyone shared their experiences and what they have recently encountered which was great timing as WRS was presenting to KSS at the Operations Meeting the following week in Sydney. Being able to have everyone join in the conversation together provided great information and feedback for WRS. It’s always heartening to see Team Members attending these events outside of work, as they are not mandatory. Additionally, these catch up’s are always a great excuse to chat with everyone in the VIC Kennards family, as we tend to usually stay within our own centres and only all come together during training or the Achieve- ment Dinner. We’re looking forward to doing it all again at the next Huddle, where the hosting baton has been passed on to Abbotsford (Langridge)! Kieren Munn Assistant Manager Abbotsford Langridge St & Sally Bloomfield VIC Operations Manager

16 Kennards Kourier April 2020

PROPERTY

SPOTLIGHT ON MURARRIE

The name ‘Murarrie’ means ‘sticky, muddy earth’, and is derived from the traditional owners of the land, the Yugara Aboriginal people.

K ennard’s Self Storage purchased 3,570 square metres of this sticky, muddy earth on which we are situated, in August 2015, with development of the purpose built facility commencing part way through 2016. Hutchinson Builders were engaged to complete the build, making it ready for opening in July 2017. The Murarrie centre is located in a residential and industrial suburb, 14km south west of the busy Port of Brisbane, 10km south of Brisbane Airport, 8km east of central Brisbane and just 700 metres east of the Gateway Arterial (which provides easy access between the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast). We are situated opposite the award winning Metroplex on Gateway mixed use Business Park, which includes News Corporation’s printing facility, where Brisbane’s two newspapers, The Courier-Mail and Sunday Times are published. Also, opening in July, less than 2km east of us, is ‘Rivermakers’, a huge 30 hectares of historic riverfront

The current Team managing the centre are vibrant, passionate and proud of the centre, striving to exceed the expectations of the wonderful customer base which we have. Regular positive customer service reviews help reinforce the dedication we show in our attempts to not only retain current customers, but also gain new ones through referrals. It’s a delight hearing how many visitors and storers are impressed with the presentation of the centre we consistently maintain. The main challenge faced at Murarrie, one which we relish in facing, will be when the next two levels are built, renting the spaces up swiftly to maximise return on investment. However with recent growth as a gauge, demand for unit sizes coming online, future residential and industrial growth in the wider area, Prorize algorithms working their magic in price structure and the current Team continuing to foster stronger connections with its customers, Murarrie will be back to ‘High Performance’ from ‘Expanding’ in no time!

land, which will encompass a Business Park, Homemaker and Trade Centre. This will not only benefit the wider community during business hours and beyond, but will also increase traffic flow massively along Lytton Road, on which we are situated. The Murarrie centre is five levels and currently has 426 units across three of those levels, with occupancy sitting at 90%. There are plans to fit out the remaining two top floors to timely cater for ever growing demand, set to rent at the start of the upcoming financial year. Our highly sought-after drive up units are all 100% occupied, all by commer- cial customers, with our ground floor units predominantly also being occupied by businesses too. Popularity is growing with our parcel pick up and drop off delivery concierge, as is the number of Parcel Point customers, which is a great opportunity to promote our centre for potential future storage customers, or for referring to their friends and family, who might be local.

Kevin Mouatt, Centre Manager & Kate Crisp, Assistant Manager Kennards Self Storage Murarrie

17 Kennards Kourier April 2020

PROPERTY

IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME

Truganina VIC : The storage unit fit out is almost complete, the external wall claddings continue and the pavements and landscaping are underway.

Klemzig SA : Stage three and the final stage for the Klemzig development continues to grow.

Guildford NSW : Construction has commenced with the first multi-storey building of three new buildings for this popular site.

Wollongong NSW : All the floor slabs are poured and the roof is on. External wall cladding and fit out progressing well.

Baringa QLD : The building slabs are down ready for delivery of the steel portal frames. Still on track for a July opening this year.

Michael Macheledt & Craig Henery Development & Construction Team

18 Kennards Kourier April 2020