eKourier July 2015

Kennards Kourier Food For Thought...

July 2015

Don't wait for your ship to come in - swim out and meet the bloody thing!! Quote by Barry Sheene

T his is a metaphor with many As everyone knows, feedback is the breakfast of champions and best served hot - another great quote. Feedback provides valuable insight into how we act and behave and how our behaviour is perceived and impacts on others. Let's face it, we all think we are perfect in our own minds. Feedback in its simplest form provides a person with the ability to improve themselves. Embracing this concept is very powerful for any individual who wishes to be the best they can be and succeed at whatever they do. meanings. I use it on this occasion to talk about the value of feedback. But why is feedback so important?

As Team Members in a company, sports people who play as part of a Team, actors who star in a show or simply being part of a family or a circle of friends, feedback is important amongst all of these circles. But often we wait for feedback to happen, rather than actively seeking it out. In business it could be in the form of a performance appraisal, in sports it could be the coach after the game or during training, or the director at the end of a show. Amongst family or friends feedback can come too late, normally after we have upset someone, or even worse you may never receive that feedback and it remains a wedge in the relationship.

prepare ourselves for what we may hear and truly embrace what we hear as true from someone else's perspective. If you use feedback received as an opportunity to twist and rationalise in your own mind as wrong or meaning something different, then the magic is lost and you will succeed only in being the same person you are right now. Anyone prepared to give honest feedback is very courageous. They are trying to give you a gift that only comes when you listen and accept. If you want to be a better person and enjoy better relationships both professionally and personally, then open your mind and go out and seek feedback from your Manager, your colleague, your partner or your friend. Don't wait for it to come to you. Ask for it often, accept it and do something about it and I guarantee it will have an impact that will allow you to achieve and do more! The PEP (Personal Effectiveness Program) run each year for Team members provides compelling insights into how we perceive ourselves, and how our thoughts and behaviours can be limiting or enhance our effectiveness as individuals. I would encourage each Team member who has taken the step to improve themselves by participating in PEP to share your results with as many people as you can; your Team, your Manager, your family and your friends. Explain what you would like to achieve, invite their comments and their on-going support, to give you that feedback each time you succeed and each time you revert back to habits you are trying to change. The change you are looking to happen can sometimes only happen over time with the support of others. Darren Marshall General Manager

As individuals we want to grow, improve and foster healthy and loving relationships.

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SELF AWARENESS IS HAVING A CLEAR PERCEPTION OF YOUR PERSONALITY, INCLUDING STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, THOUGHTS, BELIEFS, MOTIVATION AND EMOTIONS.

Now you all want feedback!!

So why do we wait for feedback to come to us? Why don't we go out and actively source feedback for ourselves so that we may grow and improve as individuals quicker, on our terms, rather than waiting. Easy right? No. We don't do it because we are frightened of what we might hear, and shatter that perfect image we have of ourselves. But this is where the magic is. The stuff that hurts is the stuff that will make us stronger, better and more resilient. ‘

One of the greatest attributes of a leader is 'Self Awareness'. The better we know ourselves, the better we can understand how we behave and identify with others. Self Awareness is having a clear percep- tion of your personality, including strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motiva- tion, and emotions. Self Awareness allows you to understand other people, how they perceive you, your attitude and your responses to them in the moment.

For the magic to happen we must first

1 Kennards Kourier July 2015

WHO’S WHO

Team Member Profiles

In this issue Food For Thought

Shannon Smith IT Support & Operations - THQ

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Team Member Profiles

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9 Questions with...

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Career background: Customer Service Industry, IT Support, Service Delivery and Vendor Management. Working for Nestle, Coca Cola Amatil and George Weston Foods. Marital Status: Single Any children? No Hobbies/interests: Reading, Gaming, Singing, Cooking, Travel, Ancient History and Astronomy. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? Martial Arts and Snowboarding. As far as special talents go, I’m known for the ability to mimic accents and famous voices!

Brisbane To Get a New Big Box

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Blue Trumps Red And Green Again

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Customer Feedback

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Momentum 12

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Good To Great 7 Everybody Needs a Little Sparkle 7 Team Retreat 8 Whassup 9 Celebrating Team Achievements 9 Whistleblowers Should Be celebrated 10 The Young and The Cluttered 11 May The Shelf Be With You! 12 Seglympics Team Conquer 13 Seglympics Team Conquer, Con’t. 14 A Litttle Bit of History 15 Spotlight on... 16 Full Steam Ahead 17 A Kennards Box Goes a Long Way 18 Nevs Notes 19 Kennards Community 20 Next issue Deadline: September 18, 2015 Please send contributions to the editor Editor: Sharon Dux Upcoming events 10/8 - Royal QLD Show (Browns Plains and North Lakes only - QLD) PH Hours 12/8 - Royal QLD Show (Brisbane City Centres only - QLD) PH Hours 28/8 - Gold Coast Show Day - (Burleigh Junction only QLD) - PH hours Email: sharon@kss.com.au Distribution: October 16, 2015

Favourite book: 1984 by George Orwell Favourite movie: The Fifth Element

Favourite restaurant/food: Japanese cuisine closely followed by Indian. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Sydney in a suburb called Boronia Park. Any pets? No Favourite holiday destinations: I spent seven months travelling around the world solo in 2008, visiting Canada, the USA, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Japan.

Diana Moore Assistant Manager - Cardiff NSW

Career background: Assistant Manager/Manager at KFC for 6 years, Red Lea Chicken Manager for 2 years, Admin for 3 years and co-ordinator for 18 months. Marital Status: Single Any children? Jeremy, Nicholas and Jason Hobbies/interests: My family, Gardening, Cooking, Walking and Exploring, Fishing, Astronomy, Oldwares Stores,The Family Tree and Computers. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? I played Netball

29/8 - Achievement Dinner 8-18/9 - Skillbuilder NSW 14-16/9 - Skillbuilder VIC 15-16/9 - Skillbuilder QLD 17-18/9 - Skillbuilder SA

Favourite movie: Shawshank Redemption Favourite restaurant/ food: Italian - Seafood Where did you grow up? I grew up in a country town, with lots of adventures! Any pets? No Favourite holiday destinations: Melbourne, but would also like to tour Europe.

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WHO’S WHO

9 Questions... With Melinda Snowden - Kennards Board Member

Of course the move to the new HQ was a big physical change from Homebush! FREEDOM being the acronym describing the values of KSS, which of these values have been a stand out within the KSS Team for you? I have been constantly impressed by the value to achieve an exceptional customer experience. This business succeeds as it puts what is best for the customers at the heart of what it strives for. Tell us a bit about yourself and your family? I have two boys and a girl aged 15, 12 and 9 respectively. We are a pretty boring bunch generally during school term but the kids spend time with their friends on weekends. We live in Kirribilli which is great as it has lots of parks, is near the harbour and has access to ferries for public transport. A minor downside is the tourists and the constant fireworks! The last few years we have holidayed in January at and around Agnes Water in Queensland which is north of Bundaberg and South of Gladstone which is great for Sea Turtle watching. How do you like to spend your spare time? Like most people these days, between working and bringing up three kids there seems to be very little “spare” time. However, I keep fit by running five days a week and I relax by working on my garden when I can. I love that you can transform a backyard whether big or small by creating an ever changing outdoor room full of plants. I have a secret desire to create a charity that renovates gardens for people who are unable for whatever reason to do it themselves. Of course, I love spending time with my family and occasionally travelling when I get the chance. And finally, to sum up Kennards in one word would be? Fun. I really enjoy working with the Team. I am privileged to be able to work with such a great group of people and am always very proud to say I am on the board of Kennards.

How long have you been part of the Kennards Team and what is your role within the company? I joined Kennards in 2010 to be an independent Director on the Kennards Self Storage Board. I work with the other Directors, Sam, HK and Dave to govern the organisation. What inspired you to join the Kennards Self Storage Board of Directors? Sam and I met in 2008 when we studied the Company Directors Course. I had recently taken on my first Directorship of a public company. Sam got in touch again in 2010 and we talked about the storage business. I was excited to have the chance to join an iconic Australian family business and be part of the Team. We meet about 10 or more times a year to review how the business is performing in financial and operational terms. We act as a sounding board for decisions that Sam and Management make about the business. Several times a year we discuss the firm’s strategy and what does the business what to achieve. Once a year we generally chose a number of sites to visit as a group to meet the Team and see the sites in person. We also What does a director on the KSS Board do?

regularly consider decisions about new property that might be acquired and developed as new storage centres.

Tell us about your career background?

When I left university I practised as a Corporate Lawyer for several years and then changed into Investment Banking for over 15 years. I left my executive career in 2010 and became a full time Company Director. For many years I was on the board of MLC, the wealth division of NAB. Currently I am also on the Board of a Mental Heath Charity called SANE and the governing Board of Newington College in Stanmore. Over your years on the KSS Board what positive changes/growth have you seen take place within the company? The business has grown from strength to strength in every aspect. For example, there are more centres, better systems and website and the Team Members have developed their skills.

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FEATURES

Brisbane To Get a New Big Box

Customer Feedback

I n another exciting step we have secured a 3,530 square metre parcel of land on Lytton Road, Murarrie to develop a new storage centre. It will be Kennards 14th in South East Queensland. The scheme will be a ‘Big Box’ development project - a five level purpose built building with over 10,000 square metres of Gross Floor Area. When fully developed the centre will have 800-900 spaces. The property enjoys strong exposure to Lytton Road and our 18 metre tall five level building will have a commanding presence. Lytton Road is an arterial that serves the Pacific Motorway and Gateway Bridge. One of the key market catchments will be the gentrifying

riverside suburbs of Morningside, Balmoral, Cannon Hill, Seven Hills and Bulimba.

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“If you just need storage space or in between houses/flats etc then this Company is the answer. The staff are super friendly and helpful, they’ll make sure you only get what you need and literally go out of their way to make you relax especially when you are shifting and storing a house etc which in itself is stressful enough. Initially got a large storage unit, now down sized to a smaller one since off-loading a lot of stuff to friends and family and the change over couldn’t have been simpler. Thoroughly recommend the Wellington Team to everyone.” I have used their moving truck.... Brilliant and value for money.

We have just lodged our application to develop the property with Brisbane City Council, and hope for a speedy and painless assessment. The Murarrie centre will boast all the usual features and build on the innova- tions of our latest developments. WHEN FULLY DEVELOPED THE CENTRE WILL HAVE 800-900 SPACES.

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Sam Kennard Manager Director

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FEATURES

Blue Trumps Red and Green Again

“Thanks for your kind message. Your company has done a very good job for us for about the past 25 years. I can’t remember when we began storing with you but it was soon after I came to Castle Hill from Armidale in 1983 to take charge of both the NSW and National Country Press Industry Associations. The NSW Country Press Association is the oldest media organisation in Australia, now in its 115th year, so we have some valuable “stuff” to hang on to. I am retiring after a lifetime in the newspaper publishing industry and am going through our valuable records to retain only the most significant documents, destined for a university, library or archive. Anyway, I just want to thank you for the excellent service your company provides. I have had a happy associ- ation with your Castle Hill Team for a generation, with the depot’s successive array of very pleasant, courteous, helpful and efficient people who do an exemplary job. You are to be commended on your Team selection process and management. I am now engaged in my garage sorting though the residue of the Australian and NSW Country Press records. The Country Press Headquarters will decide their ultimate destination as I fade into the sunset. I just want you to know that your company, and particularly its people within my sphere of activity, are to be commended on all counts, and I am confident Kennards future success will be assured with a continuation of its organisational structure and service through an excellent Team. With many thanks, particularly to your Castle Hill Team and best wishes for your company’s future.” Customer Feedback

O ur commitment and investment into measuring culture continues with the results of our 2015 Culture Survey now in. This years results show we remain a predominately constructive organisation. Meaning an organisation that values the contribution and efforts of its Team Members. Encourages and supports its Team Members to grow, develop and make decisions. Where mistakes are celebrated and people are more important than things. Why do we continue to measure culture? A strong constructive culture can guide and inspire its Team Members, creating a fun and happy work environment that attracts and retains great talent, which in

return creates success.

Our results this year have only shown minor changes over last year. Both results are pleasing with the Blue Constructive Styles dominating the Red and Green Defensive Styles. In addition to measuring the culture of the entire organisation as one group we also measure Sub Groups. Sub Groups refer to the separate business units or regions that make up the whole organi- sation. Some of the Sub Group results have changed, providing valuable information where cultural change efforts can be focused for improvement. More detailed information about the results will be circulated in the coming weeks. Darren Marshall General Manager

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FEATURES Momentum 12 Exceptional Customer Service W e have come to the end of the Financial Year for 2014/ 2015 and its now three years since we laid out the plans for Momentum 12. at each step in their journey. It’s resulted in us rewriting messages or communication and taking steps to smooth out their storage experience.

“Competent and friendly staff at Gladesville, storage space of variable sizes, trolley available to move my furniture and automatic interest payment option all made it very easy to venture into this new experience of moving out of my comfort zone! Thank you” “I’d like to make a special comment in relation to Amy’s service at Kennards Warana. I called Amy through the week and she was helpful on the phone. She sent a quote immediately and conducted a friendly follow up to see if I had any questions. She called around and scored the Maroochydore trailer for us to hire and move our stuff in. When we arrived she was so helpful and professional and took so much time to explain everything in detail to us. I usually hate attention to detail and am not interested yet I found it so helpful. It’s people like Amy that add so much to a business that is simply a storage area that could have no customer service to it. I can assure you she adds a great deal to your business and should be rewarded accordingly. I never leave feedback and prior to receiving this survey already decided I would write to Kennards to provide feedback on her service. Value her as an employee it is so rare to find people who provide such great customer service.” “I was impressed with the service from the initial enquiry and tour your staff gave me, through to the friendly reply when I asked about the move out process. The Camperdown facility I used was exceptional and I think the Manager of this site has got the model right from every angle. I especially liked the extra space for moving things in and out with a trailer - this was one of the major selling points over your competitors when I was looking around (along with price). I had never used storage before but this facility would be my first point of call if required again in the same area and would certainly be the standard I would compare against if I had to go elsewhere.” Customer Feedback

‘ With all this we start to see occupancy climbing to record levels. - Tasks and habits that use to be “nice to have” are now more embedded into the regular Kennards experience. Even after all of this there are always new things to do develop or improve upon. - We’ve upgraded surveys in order to gather more quality feedback on how we can improve. The latest roll out of StorMan now gives us the opportunity to finish the online sign up process. You Tube will also play a greater role in sales, marketing and customer experi- ence for the future. Bringing Team Members career training together and taking the never say no, we care experience to the next level will also be key. Evidence for these changes is all around. Returning customers continue to be a large part of the business. Brand awareness is growing, this is reflected in survey feedback and the dominance of “Kennards” in Google search results. Follow up practices continue to improve and are reflected in each month’s improving Mystery Shopping scores. With all of this we start to see occupancy climbing to record levels. Darryl Hodgson NSW Operations Manager Greater emphasis will continue to be given to the web experience.

Many of you have read Jim Collins book; “Good to Great”. One of the important lessons for me in that story was how subtle, little changes go together to grow the whole experi- ence. There’s no silver bullet. With that in mind it’s a good time to sit back and review where we are at. A wide range of little things are now happening through your efforts. All contributing to make the customer experience better. It’s not until you sit back and look at what’s changed do you realise how far we’ve come. These changes have come through NET, New Employee Manager training, Skill-builder and include; - More effective follow up practices and measurement. - Using the Plan To Close techniques more widely for walk-in and web customers. - Significantly increased recognition and communication of your raving fan customers through better publishing of reviews and feedback. - Constantly challenging existing systems and processes – do they fit our FREEDOM values? Do they demonstrate a “Store With People Who Care“ experience? - We’ve made a concerted effort to maintain the properties to an even higher standard – investing in new retail spaces and higher quality maintenance of the buildings with insurance claims and complaints continuing to decline. - Behind the scenes there has been a steady review of the Customer Life Cycle. Looking at how we interact with the customer in person or on the web

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FEATURES

Children’s Ambassador Fairy Sparkle, for the last 25 years has been bringing happiness to sick kids all over Australia. Visiting their bedside in hospital and giving of her time to make their lives a little brighter. Along her journey Fairy also established ‘Fairy Gardens’ in several hospitals. Creating a sanctuary outside the ward, where patients and their families can go to relax, seek inspiration and interact as a ‘’normal’’ family. In 2014 Fairy received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for bringing sparkle to the lives of so many sick children. Recently Fairy visited KSSTeam Headquarters to thank Sam and the Team for their continued support with donated storage space at Camperdown. Fairy continues to build more ‘Fairy Gardens’ throughout Australia with no retirement in sight, as Fairy says this is a life long commitment and there is still much more to do... “I am a very real Fairy, waving my wand over everyone I meet, improving the Hospital experience for patients. Everything I do stems from simply wanting to visit the sickest patients, especially children. I bring smiles to sad faces, lift spirits that are sagging, inspire those that need it and sit with those in the depths of despair. If just my very presence brings a smile and warms a heart then I am indeed the very happiest Fairy.” Fairy Sparkle. Everybody Needs a Little Sparkle!

the ones I took away from the session:

1. Leadership – Leaders need to take the company forward and lead by example. 2. Right People – he uses the example of having the right people on the bus and in the right seats, without this the bus will not drive efficiently. 3. Hedgehog Concept – focusing on what you do best, cannot be the best at everything so focus on your core skills. 4. 20 Mile March – each day come to work and put in a full days effort. Don’t have easy days and hard days, a solid effort every day WILL deliver results. 5. Fire Bullets then Cannonballs – blend creativity and discipline. Don’t go in and try ideas without them being tested at some level. 6. Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) – have a large ambitious goal that everyone is working towards achieving, some vision for the future. 7. Return on Luck – make the most of good luck and in some cases bad luck. 8. Stop Doing List – what should we have on our stop doing list, stop doing the things that don’t generate value or achieve much. Looking at this list, they apply to work and ones everyday life. If we lead and have the right people around us, followed by focussing on what we do best, work hard every day, take some calculated risks all in line with a large vision and then stop doing what is not adding value – we will be GREAT!!! Anthony Rous Chief Financial Officer

I recently had the good fortune of attending a presentation by Jim Collins, Author of Good to Great and other best seller business books. The presentation was simple yet incredibly inspiring. I have noticed that in so many of these sessions, to achieve greatness is often quite “simple.” Jim has done years of research on many companies and his findings support his theories. Jim Collins – “Greatness is not a function of circumstances. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline”. Charles Darwin – “One does not survive by being the strongest or most intelligent, it is the one that is most responsive to change”. I HAVE NOTICED THAT IN SO MANY OF THESE SESSIONS, TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS IS OFTEN QUITE SIMPLE. • Superior Results – great return on capital and results as well as efficiency at delivering great results. • Distinctive Impact – if your business were not to exist, would it leave a hole in the community. • Lasting Endurance – a business should last a long period of time. Longer than an idea or a fad. Jim then has 12 Questions or ideals to make a company great. I am going to list ‘ ‘ Two great quotes I took away: Jim defines “great” with the following tests:

Above: One of Fairys many ‘Fairy Gardens’ Left: Sam Kennard with Fairy Sparkle at Kennards Self Storage Team Headquarters

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FEATURES Team Retreat to Melbourne a Great Success

store and can help earn the trust of the customer that is crucial in getting the sale.

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‘ The retreat was full of great content and catered for everyone Lisa Donkin also mentioned how well Kennards is regarded amongst the rest of the industry with our training and culture. This is great to hear as we always strive to maintain leadership in the industry with our Best Practice and innovative ideas. Thank you to all of those Team Members who applied to attend, we could not send everyone but were delighted to be able to send six Team Members. I am sure when the SSA hold another similar event, will be able to send more Team Members to benefit from the Retreat. Andrew Kirkham NZ Operations Manager

A t the end of April, the Self-Storage Association (SSA) held the first ‘Staff in Storage Training and Development Retreat’ in Melbourne. Traditionally, the SSA holds an annual event that owners and Senior Managers attend with the latest industry trends and ideas, so this year was a first where only Team Members could attend this training and develop- ment retreat along side their peers in the industry. Glen D’Souza – North Lakes Adam Morrissey – Homebush Lisa Donkin – Mayfield Karen Bell - Ulitimo Trudy Iacobucci – Flemington Duncan Newington – Tauranga (NZ) The Retreat was full of great content and catered for everyone. The two days were divided into many sessions including Performance Sales,Tips for Software such as Storman and Sitelink, KSS was represented by six Team Members across the company:

Legal Training, Online Presence/ Marketing and Operations – putting yourself in the shoes of the customer. The feedback from our KSS attendees was very positive. Glen D’Souza made particular mention about the session by Doris Zagdanski - empathy with the customer. It highlights the point of being genuine and listening to the customer, everyone has a particular reason to

Above: Adam Morissey - Homebush and Glen D’souza - North lakes Below: Trudy Iacobucci - Flemington and Karen Bell - Ultimo

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FEATURES

Whassup!! W e can credit everyone’s efforts with enquiry handling for the excellent growth this past year. In particular follow ups and getting improved engagement with the customers’ story. We can’t win them all of course. So what is happening with the missing enquiries?

experience. We’ve had many say; “I decided I didn’t need storage but your Team were excellent. I’ll definitely use you guys when I do need storage”. Think about the impact you’ve made on somebody for them to say that? You have created a memorable experience, one of our FREEDOM values.

Celebrating Team Achievements This year’s Achievement Dinner takes place Saturday August 29th. It’s a chance to catch up with Teammates relax and have some fun, while we celebrate and recognise the achieve- ments of the Team. This year we have 14 Team Members celebrating 10 Years’ Service, along with one 15 and 20 Years’ Service.

What is the long term impact on the future of your centre and the brand?

How many will now just Google “Kennards”?

What do I mean? Think about it this way;

Some have said it was “price” and there are some we lacked any useful informa- tion to contact them at all. Think about the ‘reverse example” I gave above. Is it really price? How many start by asking price before ultimately deciding on value, convenience or security? Is there trust and understanding, if the only information we have is a phone number? The interesting part is reading between the lines and understanding what they’re not saying. In the modern, marketing hyped world the old adage “people buy from people” has never been more true. People buy from a person they trust. Part of the measure of trust is how genuinely interested or engaged we are with their story . As the surveys information builds no doubt there will be even more valuable insights to help us understand. For now, when you’re inspecting the “missing 20” or that guy walks out without leaving any details; Ask Yourself Whassup???!!!

• You have 50 enquiries. • 30 of them move in. • 50 – 30 = 20.

What have we done for the “missing 20” that didn’t move in? What do we know about them? Revisiting these enquiries can be a fruitful exercise. Often we find that these particular enquiries are lacking in detail. Containing only a phone number or email address. Quite often missing the “customers story” in the notes. We can recover some of these. We can take what little we do know and make another follow up call. Teams that do this find a few more enquiries will start to open up and eventually move in. Another way to consider what we face when an enquiry is “missing” informa- tion, is to look at the reverse example. An enquiry that gets to “move in”, the customer will often open up about their situation, sharing many aspects of their move and their story, which is captured in notes. Well that’s one reason why we are now surveying those “missing” enquiries, These are the ones that got away. The CCC are contacting them with a “Whassup” survey to find out why. We’re starting to get some useful results out of these calls. Customers are telling us why they didn’t store and what they ended up doing with the goods. So what’s different in this situation?

We had great response to the Adding Value Nominations and look forward to acknowledging these Team Members that have made a significant differ- ence to KSS.

Was I really interested in his story?

Did he trust that I was genuinely trying to help him?

What could I have done differently?

Stand Up Comedian Tommy Dean will be our MC for the evening.

And lastly a brief thank you to the Team in the CCC, in particular Amy Roberts for co-ordinating everything. Darryl Hodgson NSW Operations Manager

We look forward to a great night, see you there!

In many cases they’ve had an excellent

9 Kennards Kourier July 2015

FEATURES Whistleblowers Should Be Celebrated

Customer Feedback “A great big thank you, bought some boxes and made some enquiries today about storage. Adam was so friendly and helpful at Homebush, customer service was great, we haven’t found that kind of service in a long time. To everyone out there rest assured Adam will help. Hopefully the boss will see this and give him a raise!! ” “A very well operated facility with obliging staff. I honestly haven’t met an unhelpful person working at Three Kings. They will drop everything to serve you or sort any problems. We’ve stored a camper van, had two units and also have a work unit and been 100% satisfied.” “I’ve been quite stressed out trying to find the right kind of storage unit but after reading the warm reviews of the staff for this location I thought I’d give them a go and I’m not sorry that I did. Trudy, Azam and Wayne were such a welcoming and friendly group and exceedingly helpful, both over the phone and on site. I felt really comfortable with the services provided and the units look to be very clean and well secured. The additional services of the meeting room and use of the ute/trailer just make this an exceptional place to use for storage.” “Thank you so much for taking care of my exit from the storage locker. It was crazy moving during semester. I meant to drop you an email or call but it kept getting pushed back by students’ needs But now I have finished my last lecture for the week… and am writing to thank you for all your wonderful help in arranging for me to have such a great locker. I will be sure to sing the praises of Kennards, especially at Virginia, to my friends and colleagues. 1,000 thanks and all best wishes.” “Awesome customer service, the best I have received for a long time. Seriously, Leigh at Maroochydore couldn’t do enough to help us. Great attitude. Thanks.”

Examples like… …The nurse that sees a doctor taking drugs; or …The person double dipping the welfare system; or, …The employee consistently leaving work early. Being a whistleblower takes enormous courage. Doing what is “right” verses what is “safe” is incredibly brave. For an organisation that places tremendous trust in their people we are at risk of the burden of this behaviour. When the issue is in the sunlight, the right steps appear easily. However, it is often less simpler at the time. Being a whistleblower takes enormous courage. Doing what is “right” verses what is “safe” is incredibly brave. That person is choosing to be true to themselves and “Self Actualised”. These people should receive tributes and praise. Their honesty and courage is a beacon for others and should be celebrated and encouraged. Kennards Self Storage is committed to recognising and rewarding Whistle- blowers. Team Members who possess the integrity and strength to stand up and expose dishonest behaviour to help us maintain a work environment based on trust. Anybody who sees something that contradicts our values and expectations should raise it with their Operations Manager. ‘

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A ussies and Kiwis struggle conflict of knowing about some cheating or dishonesty versus being accepted by our peers, being labelled a dobber, or even worse being threatened by them. We hope that someone else will notice the wrong or dishonesty and deal with it, “such as a higher authority”. What is the best thing to do versus what is the right thing to do? when confronted with being in knowledge of something that is blatantly wrong. We suffer the If we see someone cheating others in some way it can feel “safer” to say nothing. But, the impact of the behaviour can extend deeper affecting many others in a negative way. It can encourage others to mimic the behaviour, because it’s unfair, creating a culture of “if you can’t beat them, then join them” if left unchecked.

Sam Kennard Manager Director

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FEATURES

and so are the days of... “The Young and The Cluttered”....

As we near to the end of another radio campaign starring our Soap Opera characters Blaine and Amber, we take a look back at the last editions of The Young and The Cluttered to see what Blaine and Amber have been up to.

Blaine’s Panes Blaine’s entrepreneurial skills are taken to a new level when he starts his own new business, Blaines’ Panes.

Dancing Fool Alright Blaine reminisces on his dancing days, realising he is not as agile as he once used to be…

Your Own Special Place Amber is caught by surprise as Blaine unveils a storage space just for her – filled with pictures of him!

Tarzan Blaine takes a trip down memory lane and recalls his days as an actor.

His Is Bigger Than Yours Much to Blaine’s disgust he finds out that he doesn’t have the biggest space after all.

11 Kennards Kourier July 2015

FEATURES May The Shelf Be

Customer Feedback “I have just completed the online feedback after using your facility in Camperdown, Sydney for a while. My experience was very positive and I would strongly recommend it to others.” “The reason for this email is to recommend some level of recognition to your staff at this facility. They were exceptionally professional and friendly at ever contact. If I were running a business of this nature, they would be the standard I would be trying to replicate / set as benchmark. From the outside looking in, it is a very well managed facility.” “The boys at Kennards on Sugar Road Maroochydore have been great to us, Nothing was ever a problem for them. We would gladly recommend Kennards to anyone looking for storage.” “Used Camperdown service for about six months when moving and everything went smoothly. Facilities nice and clean, efficient and well run - good customers service.” “Really like that when I cleared out the space and no longer needed it they refunded me the unused days, that was with just the one day notice - nice to see this in a company these days.” “I’m not one to write reviews but this time I need to make an exception and here’s why: The customer service I received from Janenne was second to none, she showed me around and helped me choose an appropriate sized space in which to store my stuff. The place itself is easy to access for both cars and trucks. It is also clean and secure. I also found the monthly cost quite reasonable. You can also take out insurance should you want to and I believe each storage space is also alarmed. I’d highly recommend Kennards in North Melbourne to anyone wanting to store things either short or long-term.” “Great, clean, very secure and afford- able storage. The new location at Macquarie Park is five star, and the staff are extremely helpful, polite and friendly. I highly recommend Kennards if you’re looking for a storage solution.”

With You! S torage is more than a place to store it’s a warehouse, an office, a toy shop, a garage; It’s a space people invest in because they value our offer. Having ‘shelf awareness’ is another way we can give our customers a ‘Store with People Who Care’ experience; It’s an untapped market! Howards Storage World are a company dedicated to quirky storage solutions that people buy because they are attracted to the nirvana of organisation. Pricey yes, but they still shop there. Ikea produced one of the world’s most popular shelving units the Expedit. I see it all the time in residential, commercial and retail shop fronts. It was well marketed, value for money and of course helps people feel organised. Shelving in no different. We’re assisting the customer to achieve order, organisa- tion and efficiency in their lives. It’s not about a metal frame keeping boxes off the floor. It helps customers see their stock levels, protects their personal goods and makes for a better Work, Health and Safety environment. This year our shelving supplier Econstore ceased trading. We had worked with Graham and his Team for more than 20 years.

‘ Having ‘shelf awareness’ is another way we can give our customers a ‘Store With People Who Care’ experience Lower prices, faster delivery, and marketing material are a start but it’s also how we promote and manage our shelving that will be the real game changer. The more we promote the easier it becomes. It’s definitely time we shelf it up a little! I am pleased to welcome Stormor as our new supplier. They are passionate about their product and high level of service, they are energised and want to help centres with sizing, ordering and even shelving layouts. It’s not a one size fits all arrange- ment, there are different sizes and prices. It’s about working out what’s practical and affordable for customers. Perhaps your customer needs one bay or maybe five. If the customer isn’t sure it’s better to recommend one bay and let them see the benefits. Just like Ikea and Howards, customers save money by building the shelves themselves, the only difference with our shelving is there are no screws or tools required, genius! Shelving rental also starts as low as $11.90 per month. Over the coming weeks we will have more information and updated pricing for centres as part of our new shelving campaign. This is a great opportunity for us and our customers to work smarter with shelving. And in the words of our Huntingdale Team ‘May the shelf be with you!’ Fiona Harding Business Development Manager The change gave us a chance to step back and review what we were doing and see new opportunities. ‘

Dianne White - Customer Care Team

12 Kennards Kourier July 2015

TRAINING

Seglympics Team Conquer The Hunter

“A massive Thank you for this opportu- nity. I was a bit hesitant at first but I am so glad that I made the decision to go. It definitely makes you see things in a new light and has already helped me since coming home to step out of my comfort zone further and start trying new things and taking on new challenges. Tim was absolutely amazing. Thank you Bill and everyone else who was part of my PEP Experience.” “Well its easy to say what I thought I would get out of PEP training but really hard to describe what I came away with. Who thought that having to put your trust in a machine with no steering wheel would allow you to trust in a group of strangers. How does a single letter open one's eyes to what they might have been missing all their lives. How does one describe the massive impact a bunch of coloured rope can have. Who thought pipe cleaners and plastic kids toys would change the way you look at things. I think for me I arrived at a 'Personal Effectiveness Program' and departed having gone through a 'Profound Experi- ence Program'. Thanks Bill and KSS for the opportunity and this is something I would love to do again.” Emma Lucht - Camperdown

L to R: Chantal Bastiaans - Warana, Emma Lucht - Camperdown, Shreya Dhawan - Hornsby, Craig Kemp - Thebarton, Leigh Chaney - Maroochydore, Colin Haden - Fyshwick, Gordan Iyere - TSM QLD, Tim Ferris - Facilitator, Amy Ferguson - Warana, Darryl Hodgson - THQ, Brianna Burns - TSM NSW, Bill McClean - THQ, Ashley Naidu - Moore Park, Owen Grasby - Thebarton, Emma Grills - Hoxton Park

M ay saw us conduct another Personal Effectiveness Program and the Team were lucky enough to be able to return to the Hunter Valley. Team Members arrived from Queensland, South Australia, Canberra and Sydney regions for lunch at THQ before making their way to the Resort. Upon arrival at the Resort Adam and Paul from East Coast Experiences organised the participants into teams to take part in a Seglympics. From the pictures you can see everyone had a great time. Some Team Members overcame their fears to ride the Segways, the first of many achievements to come for the three days. While the Red Team collected the medals, all Team Members were winners as it certainly set up a tremendous atmosphere for the rest of the program. As part of PEP each Team Member completes a Life Style Inventory (LSI 1) which is designed to promote construc- tive, transformational change. Feedback is then given to help individuals more clearly understand what is currently supporting and hindering their personal effectiveness, with guidance to developing more constructive styles of thinking and behaving. Bill McClean Training and Development Manager

“The PEP training was intense and emotional, it has allowed me to reflect on myself in both my professional and private life. The openness of everyone that attended was absolutely amazing. I am a person who does not show my emotions freely but during PEP my mind was going a million miles an hour. During PEP I have learnt that I have to work on my confidence and decision making skills by making my own small action plan and work on it day in day out to slowly but surely better myself.”

Owen Grasby - Thebarton

Colin Haden - Fyshwick

Con’t page 14...

13 Kennards Kourier July 2015

TRAINING

Seglympics Team Conquer The Hunter

“When we look at the OCI each year a key element to improving the results is actually quite simple; educate everyone on what the OCI measures and how it comes to be; while doing that highlight expected behaviours and values at KSS that underpin it. By taking that simple step we see an improvement in the results. What better way to take that to the next level than spend three days in the Hunter Valley with your Teammates whilst completing the LSI1 on your own behaviour and thinking. I was able to attend with a bunch of Team Members this past May. We left our roles behind and each of us was able to begin to understand what has in some cases influenced us all our lives. It was great to see the genuine way each Team Member approached the experi- ence and the honesty they displayed in looking at themselves, their work and their lives. There were many smiles as Team Members recognised things within themselves and stunned expressions as a lifetime of behaviour dawned on some. When we all piled into the cars to begin the journey home I couldn’t help but begin to wonder where these three days will take some of us.”

“For me personally I took away an insight into myself that I had never thought about nor was aware. It has opened my eyes to the fact that I have a tendency to be cautious, whether it be in my personal or professional life. Risks are there to be taken, mistakes are allowed to be made and there is everything to be gained. I look forward to seeing what future achievements I will be able to accomplish with the tools I have taken away with me over the last few days.” “The course was quite an emotional journey with heart-warming and enlight- ening moments that will definitely stay with me and refocus my direction to look at where I can do better. It showed me the tools to make effective small changes and focus on improving myself as a person and a Team Member. I would personally like to thank Kennards Management Team for caring about their employees enough to undertake this course which encourages personal development in such a positive way.” Craig Kemp - Thebarton

“First of all it was such an amazing trip to the Hunter Valley with great Teammates. It was a wonderful insight to myself, uncovering things that I was initially aware of and needed to change but didn’t know how. It was the guidance from both Bill, Tim and my Teammates that got me to start the first steps in repairing and overcoming the challenges. The bravery from each and every one of us was inspirational. I am very excited for what the future will hold.” “What a great mixed group of people work for Kennards. How a simple exercise be it mind/visual/expressive can unlock a different thought process is amazing. PEP gave me the awareness and insight to look at myself and has given me keys and strategies to make a difference.” Amy Ferguson - Warana

Darryl Hodgson - NSW Operations Manager

Leigh Chaney - Maroochydore

Chantal Bastiaans - Warana

14 Kennards Kourier July 2015

PROPERTY

A Little Bit of History Joins KSS

M ay 2015 signalled another KSS milestone with the opening of centre #83 at Mittagong. Mark Mallinson has returned to KSS and has been joined by local talent Col Fuller to make up the enthusiastic Mittagong Team.

on the block had local heritage value. The decision was made to restore it and incorporate the cottage into the grand plan.

Now restored with a brand new roof it

‘

Fully developed the site will boast 400 to 500 storage units over 5,500 square metres.

provides the venue for our Wi-Fi equipped meeting room, coffee and tea kitchenette and bathroom facilities. All the original windows, tessellated tile doorstep and fretwork have been retained. Our land size at Mittagong is over 20,000 square metres, this includes a substantial creek system and nature band that we are not able to develop into storage. Stage one consists of 213 storage units over 3,600 square metres. This includes 14 Enterprise Spaces ranging from 36 to 108 square metres. These oversize spaces have already proven popular with over half rented in the first two weeks. ‘

It’s quite interesting how the Mittagong storage centre came about. Nev Kennard originally purchased the property at 245 Old Hume Highway. Before developing the land for the storage centre it was rented to a good friend for some years. He was a fanatical car collector – in particular French cars. Many locals will remember the land at that time covered with cherished Citroen’s. At its peak the land had up to 100 Citroen’s in various states of restoration and repair. This amazing collection was subsequently relocated to a new location nearby. When Sam and Nev approached Council with their plans to start building it was discovered that the beautiful old cottage

Fully developed the site will boast 400 to 500 storage units over 5,500 square metres.

The locals have embraced their new storage centre with occupancy racing to just under 40%, this has exceeded our expectations, suggesting a very bright future ahead for KSS Mittagong and the Team. Darryl Hodgson NSW Operations Manager

15 Kennards Kourier July 2015

PROPERTY Spotlight on... Moore Park Fantastically,

M oore Park was originally a glass manufacturing operation which began in 1890 and continued for more than 100 years. The AGM building was erected in 1938 specialising in large volume items such as jam jars and bottles, and would have reached almost every household in Australia. The building is heritage listed due to its dramatic curved façade and structural use of glass blocks and minimal detailing, along with the distinctive Art Deco tower, an innovative example of 1930’s architectural design. AGM subsequently left the Glass manufacturing site in 1990, which was purchased by Meriton and later purchased by Millers Self Storage. Millers Self Storage retrofitted the interior of the building with storage units. The exterior of the building was maintained to appear the same as when it was first built in 1938. In 2004 Kennards Self Storage purchased Millers Self Storage. The building fronts South Dowling St, a main arterial to the city and is seen daily by thousands of motorists, more so whenever sporting events are held at Allianz Stadium (SFS) and Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) both located within walking distance. The building itself is a landmark in the local area, the majority of which is densely populated by high rise apartments. One of the unique features of the centre is an adaptation of an existing vault on the premises, to create a secure vault room for 204 individual deposit boxes. Directly across from the centre is the Moore Park Super Centre, with over 50 specialty stores. Also closely situated is the new complex named East Village, with a further 48 specialty stores. A vast number of customers at KSS Moore Park are residential, whether moving house, renovating or travelling. We do have a number of businesses that operate from the centre as well.

our biggest competitor in the area is Kennards at Waterloo. Outside of the company we have a medium sized two level Rent a Space, Global Storage, Grace Storage and a number of other operators. We are the most obvious

operator for the Eastern Suburbs.

We are lucky at Moore Park to have had

the chance to trial what we call our three wheel transport bike - ‘Benny the Bike’, a new concept for the storage centres. It’s a fantastic way for customers to move small goods or transport their boxes home after shopping in the box shop. ‘Benny the Bike’ is easy and economical to use, convenient to get around town on, easy to park, no need for a licence, and creates a lot of attention and best of all is free for customers to use. On top of this, our customers have access to our free trailer move in service, and to our EMU (Easy Moving Unit). Our EMU is highly sought after in an area where a lot of residents do not have vehicles. The centre has a total rentable space of 9,904 square metres. Rented area saw a drop in 2010 to the early 7000’s, ever since experiencing a steady increase in occupancy, driving back up to an average of 8,319 square metres this financial year.

to hit 86% occupancy in May and have achieved a record month on four occasions. Having a larger sized centre brings with it many challenges; keeping on top of all the customers, drawing in potential customers, and cleanliness of the centre to name a few. These challenges are met by utilising dynamic roles within the Team, where everyone is upskilled to handle every task, big or small. This not only gives improved service to our customers, but keeps the Team engagement high and creates an incredibly diverse ‘day in the life’ as we rarely do the same thing two days in a row. The Team at the centre consists of Cory Blake (Manager), Kieren Munn (Assistant Manager), Ashley Naidu (Assistant Manager) and Geoff Surtees (Assistant Manager). Team Moore Park

We have maintained 85% occupancy over several months, we were able

16 Kennards Kourier July 2015