KSS JulyeKourier 2020

Kennards Kourier er EDITION: JULY 2020

ABOVE THE LINE

TRUGANINA WELCOMES KENNARDS STORAGE

NZ LOCKDOWN

WHAT'S THE KILLER QUESTION?

LIFE LONG LEARNING

Kennards Self Storage Truganina VIC

1 Kennards Kourier July 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

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

3

4

5/6

Truganina Welcomes Kennards...

7 8 9

The Impacts of Covid-19

NZ Lockdown Above The Line

10

What's The Killer Question?

11 12

Google Reviews

Firm And Confident...

13/14

Our Website(s) Re-imagined 15 Can You Hold Your Breath... 16 Spotlight On... 17 Property Plans Set In Concrete 18 Life Long Learning 19 One Voice... 20 A Small Space Goes A Long Way 21 Nevs Notes 22 Kennards Community 23

NEXT ISSUE

Deadline: Sept 11, 2020 Editor: Sharon Munro Email: sharon@kss.com.au Distribution: Oct 16, 2020

Kennards Self Storage Warrawong NSW

2 Kennards Kourier July 2020

Sam Kennard with Centre Manager Kemal Sermen, outside Kennards Self Storage Ultimo in Sydney.

MESSAGE FROM SAM L ike every family and business at this time we are adjusting to a different and uncertain future. been many people who now need us as they shift their business model or living arrangements.

capital, which will enable us to better pursue opportunities when they emerge in the future. Any new project that had not already commenced is being deferred. We are reviewing the status of these invest- ments every month. It is likely that we will see softer or erratic demand while battling existing and new competitors. None the less, our focus will be heavily on revenue and optimising growth from our existing assets. This also means we ensure we do the basics better than anyone else. Treasure every new enquiry. Check-in and follow up past enquiries. Improve our housekeeping. Get even better at pricing and become a leaner business. The list goes on. Finally, as things are changing so quickly, opportunities will also emerge. The nimble businesses should capitalise on them. We should seek to create new opportunities and look out for any that come to us.

One significant thing we have decided to do is to take a much more cautious approach to growth and large scale capital investment for the business. There are many views and opinions about the future economic growth we may expect in Australia and New Zealand. The economies in both countries has been shielded by large scale, but unsustainable, govern- ment hand-outs. It is obvious that the immediate future is very unclear, so we are deferring projects that are ready to build. The immediate economic disruption seems to have driven a significant amount of customer activity, which has been quite interesting to watch. The life events and business events that trigger the need for storage have been running hot. These changed circum- stances have caused some customers to leave us, while also there have

None the less, it is obvious the Covid-19 era has a long way to go. There will be lockdowns imposed and lifted, regula- tion changes, tax changes, government actions, business adaptations, and on it goes. We should expect a lot of volatility and uncertainty, with the media, as always, highlighting the most negativi- ties and problems they can find. In addition, the last few years before Covid-19 has seen significant amounts of new storage supply enter a number of our markets in our sector. Many new storage developments have opened, which now means there are some very competitive markets. This has already put pressure on our income and will take some time to settle down, particu- larly in the current climate. So in light of all this and like many other organisations, we believe it is time for capital preservation. We will save our

Sam Kennard Chief Executive Officer

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WHO’S WHO

10 QUESTIONS... With Craig Henery - Project Manager THQ

Do you follow any sport or hobby? If it’s on the water or on the snow, I’ll enjoy it. Where’s your favourite place in Australia? Over the years I’ve had the opportu- nity to travel around Australia a couple of times. Each State has it’s unique places so we now spend time to return to those places. We drive or fly depends on how much time we have. I have too many favourite places to name. The kids love W.A., I love the Top End but it’s also great to just go to the local beach and see our mates. What’s your favourite food? You can’t beat a wood BBQ or a camp oven roast cooked in the fire pit, but I’m quite partial to anything cooked by someone else where I don’t have to clean up! To sum up Kennards in one word would be? Memorable. I chose memorable because when you build something it stays there as a mark of time that you were there. It’s memorable to be part of the team who built something that becomes part of everyday life. At KSS Waterloo parts of that site are 100 years old and it’s still there and being used today, so when I’m involved in building something I ponder will it be there in another 100 years and who will be using it.

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. Above: Craig and his wife Carol down south in snow country at Jindabyne in 2018 and below at Tuross Heads, South Coast NSW.

How long ago did you join the Kennards Team and where are you based? I joined KSS in July 2015 and I’ve always been at THQ. What did you do before joining the KSS team? For 30 years I’ve worked in the construc- tion industry, mainly in design and Project Management roles. My last role was part of the Construction and Mainte- nance Team at a large retirement village in Sydney. Over the years I’ve worked for myself and also in company roles, I’ve had great opportunities from working in the mines in W.A. to the rainforests of F.N.Q. These days however I’m firmly settled in Sydney and travelling around to the KSS sites. Tell us about your role at THQ? I work with Sam and Michael to develop and build your new centres. We also work on the refurbishment and additions of some of the older centres. I work across all the KSS property portfolio. We develop the sketch ideas and final design with the Architects, submit the project to Council and then follow up with the tender process, engage the builder, supervise the work and finally hand the new building over to operations.

What has inspired you the most about Kennards over the past five years and what major changes have you seen? I enjoy the design discussions I have with Sam and Michael, there’s so many ways to design the building and that’s without Council getting in the way. The biggest change I have seen is the vertical challenge. Our new centres are getting bigger and taller which brings about a raft of new design features that are critical to a buildings design, then we have to build it. Tell us about your family. My wife and I have been together for 30 years. We have four children, five budgies and one dog. All the children are still at home, two are working and two still at school. Dinner time is often like feeding time at the zoo, first in best dressed. What do you like to do in your down time? Now three of the four children drive themselves around I have more time, working around the house and garden takes a lot of my time but it’s all good. Whether it’s the beach or the bush I’ll do anything as long as it’s outside. Life pre-Covid we spent a lot of time travel- ling around Australia, we will have to see what happens post-Covid.

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WHO’S WHO

TEAM MEMBER PROFILES - ARTARMON

Above: Krista O'Connell, Manita Lamichhane, Nazakit Ali and Paul Santiago.

Krista O'Connell Assistant Manager, Artarmon Pacific Hwy NSW

Manita Lamichhane Assistant Manager, Artarmon Pacific Hwy NSW

Career background: I started my career in Hotel Management as a Hotel Operator trainee with Radisson Hotel. In my 15 years I have worked in Customer Service, Team Management and Client Support within various companies. Marital status? Married. Any children? Yes a baby boy, just one month old! His name is Samuel Thapa. Hobbies/interests: I enjoy meeting new people, travelling to new places and learning about their culture. I also enjoy cooking and I love my time with my son. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? I am interested in most sports though I do not actively participate. Favourite book: Pride and Prejudice. Favourite movie: The Gods Must Be Crazy. Favourite restaurant/food: Thai food. Any pets? No pets. Where did you grow up? I grew up in the city of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. I have good memories of my childhood. I grew up amongst a large family with my parents, uncles and cousins. I also have three sisters who I am very close to. Favourite holiday destinations: That would be Singapore.

Career background: Before KSS I worked as a Mens Wear Department Manager at Zara, Pitt Street for four years. Marital status? Married. Any children? I have one child and her name is Maia. She does acrobatics and has some amazing moves! Hobbies/interests: Family movie night with take away, simply the best! Also love going to the beach, favourite is Balmoral. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? No not really. Favourite book: Lord of the Rings. Favourite movie: Titanic. Favourite restaurant/food: Spanish, love Tapas. Where did you grow up? I grew up in a small town called Parroo, which is located in southern Finland. My childhood was fun, lots of outdoor time, even in winter. Any pets? No pets. Favourite holiday destinations: My favourite holiday destination would be Crete Island, which is part of Greece. When I lived back home in Finland, we visited there often and I just love the crystal clear water and relaxed atmosphere.

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WHO’S WHO

Nazakit Ali Centre Manager, Artarmon Pacific Hwy NSW

Paul Santiago Assistant Manager, Artarmon Pacific Hwy NSW Career background: I started my career in Pakistan as an Assistant Accountant and later was promoted to Account Manager. Before joining KSS I worked as a fleet Manager for a transport company. Hobbies/interests: I love travelling to new places; beaches and parks. Watching movies, TV and cricket. Also I like to go camping and to restuarants and events. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? Love playing cricket and cooking. Favourite book: Don't really have one. Favourite movie: Any thriller movie with suspense. Favourite restaurant/food: Lebanese, Turkish, Pakistani/Indian cuisine. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Pakistan, loved school/college and university. Life was good with my family and friends. Any pets? No pets. Favourite holiday destinations: Dubai, Canada and Switzerland. Marital status? Married. Any children? No kids. Career background: I looked after live events, corporate shows and government activities for 12 years, as a professional Events Director and Project Head. I was also a Marketing and Sales Manager. Hobbies/interests: Well I do theatre, so that says it all! Aside from performing I love the beach, reading extraordinary books and cooking. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? Mostly the same answers as above but give me a bunch off odd ingredients and I can come up with a dish that wont disappoint! Favourite book/s: Two Words by Isabel Allende and Dune by Umberto Eco. Favourite movie: Amercian Hussle, The Hours and Dangerous Liaisons. Favourite restaurant/food: Italian and Asian Cuisine. Any pets? Yes, Bastie, a Jack Russell Terrior. Where did you grow up? I grew up in the Philippines. Then I worked in Asian countries like Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong I had years also working and living in California U.S.A. Favourite holiday destinations: If there's a chance, I want to go back to Europe. Marital status? Defacto. Any children? No kids.

“Jonathan Claybourn Is a top rate employee at Onekawa, made my experience with the company unforgettable. Took me through options that suited my needs making sure that I was getting my money‘s worth. I will never go anywhere else, and I will most definitely be recommending Jonathan to anyone I come across that requires storage units." "So good! We've had two units at Preston over the past year and everything was so easy. There are always free trolleys, it's always clean and well-lit and I feel safe going there at night. Special shout out to staff member Rachel for always being so helpful. Thank you!" "Excellent proactive and very helpful staff at Brookvale. They were very flexible in meeting our changing timelines and provide great flexibility with no lock-in contracts. We also managed to pick up one of their "Hot Deals" so we also got a great price as well as complementary enclosed trailer and all equipment for a self-move. Very happy and would strongly recommend the team at Brookvale KSS. We initially dealt with Martin who was amazing but having now dealt with some of the other from the team, it's a solid bench!" "Kennards Self Storage is definitely your go to If you are looking for a secure, well maintained, high customer service storage solutions. Leanne and Rhys are amazing! They really go out of their way to assist you and ensure that you are receiving a quality service. Would definitely recommend Kennards Chullora!!!" "I've been storing at Kennards in Thomastown for roughly five months now. The centre is fantastic, clean but most of all the staff are amazing. I needed a bigger space, Sandra was so friendly and made me feel so safe as she was up front and honest. Thanks Kalliam and Samantha also, you are assets to your company." "I highly recommend Kennards Storage in Mt Eden. We have used their services for almost two years, changed/ downsized lockers - the lot all with ease every time. No contracts or end times. Always professional and very helpful. I cannot speak highly enough of this business."

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FEATURE

Melbourne seems to be in a constant state of change. There are hordes of people flocking in to call one of the most liveable cities in the world home, increasing the population dramati- cally year on year. It is projected Melbourne’s population will surpass Sydney by 2026, to become the largest City in Australia. Higher growth is being driven by rising birth rates, strong international migration and people moving from interstate and regional hubs, pushing Melbourne's and Sydney's populations to about 6 million by mid-2026. TRUGANINA WELCOMES KENNARDS STORAGE

past few years.

In the middle of this rapidly expanding western suburbs residential and industrial revolution is our new Truganina facility. The site is a purpose built facility with buildings comprising of driveway, ground floor and first floor storage spaces. Potentially the site has a component in planning to double the size of the storage area with adjoining vacant open land having also been purchased by Kennards Self Storage. Built by Regis Constructions, the newest of Kennards Storage projects will initially comprise of two separate buildings of two levels each with approximately 7,200 square metres and 496 storage spaces. In the end, the final develop- ment will have over 13,000 square metres of rentable area, and 760 storage units. There is no immediate intention to develop niche storage markets at Truganina given the site is predominately central to industry and housing only.

I n 2005, the Victorian Government recognised that Melbourne has plenty of land that can be rezoned for residential housing on its urban fringe, and consequently planning commenced to rezone and develop 12 new suburbs across greater Melbourne's west, north, northwest and southeast areas. These new areas will incorporate new estates at Craigie- burn in the north, Cranbourne in the South, and Werribee (Truganina) in the west with projections of 50,000 new homes over the ensuing four years. It’s no coincidence that Kennards has purchased vacant land for storage purposes in these specific growth corridors with our Truganina site just

commencing business this month.

The western suburbs of Melbourne has seen a rapid growth in development already with over 15,000 residences being planned or currently being built. Given the availability of open land, the western corridor has also been zoned for major commercial develop- ment, an expansion that is very evident driving along the newly constructed and major thoroughfare of Leakes Road – the location of our Truganina site. Melbourne’s west is still significantly cheaper to purchase land (residential & industrial) than Melbourne’s south-east industrial precinct, and as a result has been expanding rapidly already for the

Wayne Birch Vic Operations Manger

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FINANCE

What a year it has been – drought, fire, floods and a Pandemic to cap off an incredible period. THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19

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of the Covid incentives as a result of lost business. This is a credit to the industry, the quality of our storage sites and the service we offer every day. With so many people losing their jobs we should be extremely grateful to be working at Kennards Self Storage. Let’s all repay this going forward as we look to stabilise occupancy and revenue streams and look to grow wherever we can. Every sales lead, box sale or opportunity to reduce a cost should be grabbed with both hands. Thanks everyone for your great efforts and support during a very turbulent time. ‘ BE WORKING AT KENNARDS SELF STORAGE. WITH SO MANY PEOPLE LOSING THEIR JOBS WE SHOULD BE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO

T he economy in Quarter 1 ending 31 March has contracted slightly at 0.3% and this is before the Quarter with a full Covid-19 impact!

recover costs wherever possible.

• Rental Income – Rental relief has been offered to customers with billboards or restaurants. • Expenses have become a key focus area as we look to recover the loss of income. Ongoing reviews of advertising, supplier contracts and reducing repairs and maintenance wherever possible. The impact is also state or country dependant: • New Zealand - was in total lock down for four weeks so remained stable from a rental income point of view during this period. With the economy moving rapidly forward things should stabilise quite quickly. • NSW - coming out of Covid better than other states with June showing a lift in occupancy and July starting well. • QLD - has delayed opening their boarders until 10th July which has seen a flood of tourists and should positively impact the economy and storage. • VIC - has seen a second lockdown which is an unknown at this stage. Hopefully after six weeks things start opening up again. • SA - also showing positive signs as a result of the easing out of Covid. As a business, Kennards has not had to use Jobkeeper and could not claim any

So how has Kennards been impacted:

• Occupancy has been impacted negatively in March and April but steadied in May to be slightly down on April. June started OK with some positive signs. • Discounts are higher as we have offered rent relief to customers. The number of rent relief being offered has reduced but not quite stopped. • Bad Debts have been managed very well by Teams. This is a huge risk area and one to continuously review. • Merchandise sales have been very varied with an outstanding March and then very soft April and a slight improve- ment in May. • Late Fees - we have stopped charging but have seen this normalise from June. • Insurance has remained steady as customers look to retain the comfort of having insurance. • Other Income – has seen some signifi- cant reductions and varying across months. The key is for all sites to

Anthony Rous Chief Financial Officer

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FEATURE

LOCKDOWN IN NZ

“Thank you so much to the staff at Kennard's Croydon Park. I moved from interstate and organised to store my things before I left with the assistance of the professional "can do attitude" staff at this branch. Nothing is ever too much trouble. The customer service and follow through is top notch. They reduce the stress of moving and storing my items immeasurably. Yes excellent customer service really does exist, here. The facility set up, 24 hour 7 day a week access and security is brilliant. Thanks again!" Diana "I have used Kennards Napier several times now and they have consistently shown exemplary customer service from each Team Member, especially Josh with his talent for remembering your name. I certainly felt like a valued customer. Very helpful, great price, very clean and tidy. Always worked for me and with me. Well managed. I highly recommend Kennards Napier for anyone who is looking to store their belongings and walk away with peace of mind. Cheers." Tom "My employer used Kennards Flemington as a storage solution for a little over a year whilst progressing towards a larger office. The service provided during that time was nothing short of excellent. We had 24 hour access, prompt notifications for deliveries and secure storage thereof. The facili- ties were always immaculately maintained/serviced and the staff were friendly and helpful. These guys will look after you." Sam

B y the time you read this, New Zealand should well be on the way to recovery from Covid-19. In New Zealand, the phase “We went hard and early” sums up the sudden journey on Thursday 26th March when the entire country was shut down completely on a 'no if’s no “but’s' scenario under alert level 4 conditions. Essentially, unless you needed the necessities of life, all New Zealanders were required to stay at their residential address and avoid all possible contact with anyone else. To say these were extraordinary circumstances would be an understatement. Fortunately, Self Storage was deemed to be an Essential Service after some serious lobbying by our industry and co-ordination from the SSA, of which Sam was one of the main driving forces. This enabled all the New Zealand Team Members to remain fully employed when the majority of the country was on forced leave. The main context was self storage was an essential service, playing a critical role in the storage, supply and logistics chain to many other essential businesses. At our KSS sites, the Team Members were open to meet the needs of essential businesses. Despite the lockdown conditions, there were some emergency situations when some of the public needed storage and we were glad to be available and assist. While the site activity was almost completely reduced from normal, our

presence onsite provided a security that many of our existing customers appreci- ated. It also enabled time for Teams to get up to date with some of those cleaning and maintenance items that had been put off. I have to say under these trying circumstances, all the New Zealand Team Members who worked during this time should be commended for their positive, caring attitude. The business appreciated this. One of the positives of the lockdown, was the successful implementation of the contactless move-in procedure, promoting digital sign up and allowing a move in without the physical interaction of a Team Member. This ensured the social distancing etiquette was maintained, however, the personal contact was always available by the centre phone number. This also ensured the safety of our Team Members and was particularly commended by New Zealand Worksafe who verified us during the lockdown. While New Zealand has beaten the medical implications of Covid-19, our attention has now moved to economic repair as the implications of the shut down on the wider community become more apparent. The challenge of performing the basics of the business is now more paramount than ever. I am confident that when the next Kourier is published, we can report on the success at that time. Until then, take care and be safe!

Andrew Kirkham NZ Operations Manager

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FEATURE

ABOVE THE LINE

Our long-term employees may remember the Names Mara and Stephen Klemich. Mara Klemich PhD is a consulting Psychologist with degrees in Clinical Psychology and Neuropsy- chology. Stephen Klemich is a long-time Leadership Consultant.

‘

‘ growth and Love, refers to growing others, these are what they refer to as above the line behaviours. Pride (ego driven) which is about self-promoting, and Fear is about self-protection, are below the line behaviours. There premise is that we are all an “and” therefore we can all behave above or below the line depending on the situation and our thinking. Which leads me to Mara’s famous equation that I learnt back in 2003 and remains with me to this day. S + T = B . Situation plus Thinking equals Behaviour… To learn more, I would recommend reading the book. According to Stephen and Mara, culture drives your success. Your people drive your culture. So knowing what drives your people is imperative. According to Stephen and Mara, culture drives your success. Your people drive your culture. So knowing what drives your people is imperative. The Heartstyles Indicator gives you the power to turn the behaviours that define your business into something you can measure, manage and optimise. Stephen and Mara’s book 'Above the Line', is available to borrow from the KSS Library for people interested in learning more. Darren Marshall Chief Operating Officer Why do we invest so much into our culture?

S tephen and Mara Klemich (pictures above) are the co-founders of Heartstyles and creators of the Heartstyles Indicator tool, which measures effective and ineffective thinking and behaviour. They have been working in the corporate world for over 30 years, focusing on individual, team and organisational behaviour and cultural transforma- tion. They both believe that the style of one’s life, character and leadership come from an attitude of the heart and have placed this at the core of people development. They have recently released a book titled 'Above the line' – living and leading with heart. Stephen and Mara introduced the concept of culture to KSS back in 1998. Back then Mara and Stephen were using the OCI and LSI tools from Human Synergistics, the same tools we use to this day to measure our own culture. Stephen and Mara were the driving force behind our own cultural transformation 22 years ago, significantly shaping the culture we all currently work in today. Why am I telling you this?

and Mara in 2003, like many of us who were around back then we all took part in their workshop. The workshop that would change my life. Similar programs run today like our PEP program.

With their deep and extensive knowledge and experience delivering 1,000’s of programs, they decided to develop their own diagnostic tool to measure behaviour and understand why we do the things we do. The Heartstyles Indicator measures 16 behaviours based around four guiding principles. Humility, refers to personal

I had the pleasure of meeting Stephen

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FEATURE

WHAT IS THE KILLER QUESTION???

If you are focussed on assisting customers and have a genuine passion to understand your customers needs, the Killer Question is what you should have in your arsenal to understand.

T here is no doubt KSS has rolled out many sales courses to equip our teams with the skills to go about our sales process. A component of our pitch includes offering the features and benefits of our centres and the storage solution. There are no restrictions to when the Killer Question can be asked. Not all of us are natural salespeople, knowing the Killer Question you actually don’t need to be a sales superstar, it’s about showing our customers we understand and care about their situation. Before the Killer Question is revealed, a bit more into how building strong trusted relationships with our customers increases our chances of converting that customer to a loyal Kennards customer. Building relationships is all about engagement, empathy and listening. The fact is, most people, most of the time, are just interested in themselves, their pleasures or their problems. So, the key is to ask the Killer Question to get the customer talking about those three things. How many times have you tried to work out what your customer was thinking? Customers don’t care about how much you know, until they know how much you care and can assist them. So, don't tell them all about the features

and benefits until you know what the customer really wants, and when you understand this, you can talk about it. It will always be about what the product/experience can do for that customer and its value to them, rather than just the price, as well as managing expectations. How many times have you tried to work out what your customer was thinking? Now for the big reveal, the Killer Question applies to any scenario where you would like to question to understand. The Killer Question will open up a world of opportunities in how we interact and build relationships with our customers. It goes “What is the most important thing to you about…….” It's as simple as that. This open-ended question means the customer will hand over to you their concerns, needs etc in their response. Example: You can adjust this to any situation. “What is the most important thing to you about storing with us.” Customers response “I really need to have 24/7 ‘ ‘

access to my unit and it needs to be secure.” This is the time you can hone in on the features and benefits around access and security, resulting in an immediate engagement with the customer and their attention. Another example for delinquents when goods are ready for sale. We could ask “What is the most important thing to you about your account” typically the customers response would be “I don’t want the goods to be sold." This opens the door for us to assist in an ethical way “That is the last thing we want to do Mr Kennard, we are here to help, I propose a few options etc……” When we listen and understand our customers story, regardless if it’s a storage enquiry, box sale or delinquent call, they will lower their guard, become more responsive and form a connection. The Killer Question can be used in all situations in our work or personal environments. The key is to question to understand and apply the relevant information to the answer, building a trusting relationship. Try it out even at home… I asked my wife “What's the most important thing to you about what I do in our household” ...actually I won't give you the answer, maybe I should have kept my mouth shut #openupacanofworms.

Tony Vuong General Manager Operations

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REVIEWS

OOGLE REVIEWS

AUBURN NSW I want to say big thanks to Kaz, who always helps me when my business needs storage, I have been storing with Kennards for a long time but this guy is a company man. I have seen him deal with lots of customers with a big smile and deserves recognition. Auburn is a good clean centre with lots of trolleys. Thanks again I will be back and will Our experience with Kennards Abbots- ford has been first rate over a number of years. We started using Kennards Abbotsford in August 2016 and Denis was a pleasure to deal with. Jakir and Kieren have been very professional and fantastic to deal with also, they were a great help when we moved out recently. I would not hesitate to recommend Kennards Abbotsford to anyone. BURLEIGH HEADS QLD We have been truly blessed to have found KSS at Burleigh Heads They are amazingly competent, kind, understanding and clean. Everything is done in an unstressed, covered and secure environment. The staff are exceptional, and we commend everyone we have had dealings with both in the facility and on the after hours line. We have been sadly let down by other storage facilities but Kennards at Burleigh are the A Team in this game!!! Jamie is the friendliest most profes- sional guy you will meet, he's the kind of guy that you could have a beer with at the end of the day and laugh around a camp fire. He has all the knowledge of the storage facility and always a friendly face and waves as I drive the truck out. He also showed me the kitchen where you can have a complimentary coffee or hot chocolate to get you through the day when you've been working hard, or a coffee for those early morning starts. Being in business I highly recommend Mile End, it's a central location I can leave my trucks, thanks again Jamie. bring my friend too! ABBOTSFORD VIC MILE END SA

HASTINGS NZ I have had furniture in storage at this excellent facility for 10 months and have been 110% happy with the outstanding service I have received from both Kelly and Nell. Nothing has ever been a problem and they have made what could have been a difficult move for me effortless. Thank you ladies! ARTARMON NSW I was just about to sign the lease on a new office when Covid-19 hit, with everyone working from home I decided to delay a new office lease and instead put all our files and furniture in storage for a few weeks until the Covid-19 impacts were known. The staff at the Artarmon centre were extremely helpful, held a unit until I was ready, and provided all the gear to assist in the move very seamlessly. The rates are quite affordable and I highly recommend anybody needing storage to talk to the Team at Artarmon. MURARRIE QLD These guys were awesome!!! The storage building itself was up to the highest standards, cleanliness wise and security wise! If we ever do need a storage unit again we will definitely go with them. Grace and the Team at Kennards Storage Fortitude Valley were awesome and great to deal with. They helped me out in a pinch. Would definitely recommend using this location for any storage needs. WOLLONGONG NSW Excellent facility. Friendly, profes- sional staff who were very helpful. Belinda and Matt made our experi- ence of self storage easy. Great venue for safe access at any time, clean and tidy, amenities (toilet, vending machine and conference area) were clean and conveniently located. FORTITUDE VALLEY QLD

SANDGATE NSW A beautiful user experience from end to end. Easy online booking, super friendly and helpful staff, great facilities. Highly recommend storing with these guys!! Thanks for all your help Sandgate! accessible toilets. Cole is exceptionally helpful, friendly and customer-focused. KSS also sell a great range of boxes and packing materials. They can also recommend good local tradies. Wouldn't go anywhere else for storage in Sydney. THREE KINGS NZ I have had to store my 'stuff' several times in my nomadic life, and I have used a few different storage facilities, and I cannot recommend highly enough the Kennards Three Kings storage facility and the Team that work there. They are always so helpful, friendly and efficient and there are always trolleys available and I have never had a problem with the lifts in my frequent visits, it is so much better than other facilities I've used. FLEMINGTON VIC Hi Sam, I was very impressed with the Kennards Team, they responded to my needs promptly and efficiently and were very helpful and answered all my questions. On the morning of my removal (Friday 19th June) I was very tired and not functioning well. The Team at the front desk at West End took their time with me and answered my questions and explained everything in an easy to understand way. I will certainly be recommending Kennards to others, thanks for providing such an excellent service. THORNLEIGH NSW Just booked a storage unit at Kennards, - second time using KSS Thornleigh and once again the whole process was easy, straightforward and friendly. Great facilities; clean, good choice of units, well-priced. Undercover unloading area with plenty of trolleys. There's even a small meeting room should you need this facility! Clean wheelchair

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FEATURE

It’s been an unusual few months to say the least. The onset of the pandemic forcing people to work from home, schools to close, students to learn online from home and many businesses to close, as well as the closing of state borders and absolutely no international travel. FIRM AND CONFIDENT IN POST-PANDEMIC TIMES

W e are now slowly getting on the other side of the health crisis and by world standards Australia and New Zealand have fared very well. As life returns to some kind of normal, we are now facing the economic crisis from the decision to close, or as they say pause the economy. The Australian Government has already conceded that we are in a recession with a retraction in GDP of 0.3% on the March quarter results, and the prediction is a significant drop in the current quarter. Predictions on unemployment are a little uncertain as we start to see businesses once again opening their doors, but there is a strong sentiment that’s it’s going to be much higher. How long and how deep this recession goes is something I’ll leave to the economists to debate. We have all felt the impact of the pandemic one way or another, and it has definitely led to a change in consumer behaviour. While social distancing is the new norm, online has accelerated, the buying process delayed, and we may have more price- conscious customers. But we should not lose confidence in our industry, our company, our product and the way we do business.

Aussies and Kiwis are looking for local and independent brands and business. According to the GWI’s (Global Web Index) Coronavirus research, 35% of Aussies said they will buy from a local brand after the outbreak is over and 42% of Kiwi’s also agree that being local and independent will influence their buying decisions, which is good news for a family-owned Brand like us. According to Google’s internal tool based on search data, Covid-19 hasn’t impacted the industry. In fact, demand has increased by over 10% YoY. Therefore, our industry and our jobs are certainly in a much better position than many other areas.

We saw similar trends in the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. While many industries and companies struggled, our company not only didn’t suffer but, on the contrary, our business grew ~12%. Although we’ve recently had a couple of flat weeks, in many locations, reservations and move-ins are already exceeding last year figures. At the same time, search volumes and web traffic are recovering at a steady pace. We are also seeing new revenue streams as a result of consolidations, cost reductions and downsizes. It may be true that tenants have become more price-sensitive due to the

economic uncertainty, but it is also true that the need for self storage will remain healthy; downsizes, changes in relation- ship status, wine connoisseurs, car collectors, business inventories, tradies, renovations, births and inheritances will keep occurring. Life will keep occurring. Storage rent will continue to be only a small portion of household’s incomes (less than 3%) but an essential part of it. But of course, we are conscious of the stress many of our customers are going through. Therefore, we have paused

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FEATURE

IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, THE INDUSTRY WILL KEEP GAINING M O M E N T U M , SO WE MUST C O N T I N U E LEVERAGING OUR C O M P E T I T I V E ADVANTAGES existing customer rent increases and developed a contactless moving plan, promoting it through our ad copies and website. We have also created a rent relief process to help some facing difficulties, going through this tough period. We know our customers, and we have the ability to anticipate their needs and quickly react to uncertain scenarios. We also acknowledge how vigorous the current competitive landscape is, so we are closely monitoring what other players in the market are offering. In the next few months the industry will keep gaining momentum, so we must continue leveraging our competi- tive advantages, remain supportive of our storers, understand their needs and react timely and accordingly. This will allow us not only to maintain our existing customers but also gain additional Market Share to continue supporting our growing capacity. We are the experts at delivering value and we should constantly remind ourselves of our premium product and that we are priced for quality, service and value.

“I was researching storage for cheap prices and also somewhere locally and Kennards Self Storage Belmont came up in the recommended suggestions. I did my own research, read the reviews and thought it was excellent, so I quickly booked a unit online through the web site.

The whole process of paying and reserving the unit was actually so easy and well explained, it was easy to do on my Smartphone.

As soon as I reserved my storage unit for $148 a month, I received a phone call from the Kennards Team explaining the sizing of my unit and also explaining detailed important information of the location of the unit, keeping you at ease that they have everything under control. I went in to show my identification on Thursday 09/07/2020 and I was greeted by the lovely Team Members, who were very helpful in showing me my unit/location and telling me all the necessary important information.

Layout of the shop was very clean, staff were very friendly and bubbly, both Team Members working well together to suit your needs.

Personally I would recommend these guys, I have only been with them for a short time but I am going to be storing more often with them in the future because of their excellent communication skills and friendliness.

So go to Kennards Belmont to experience the wonderful service I did."

Alicia

Darren Marshall (COO), Sonal Saharan(Digital Marketing Coordinator) and Javier Perez (Revenue Manager)

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OUR WEBSITE(S) RE-IMAGINED

B ack in 2010 we went live with what was then, and still is in large parts, a cutting edge, ecommerce equipped website. Over the years we have added countless enhancements and functional capabili- ties with the customer experience in mind. In many ways a lot of those enhancements were based on our own interpretations and understanding of what makes good modern design experience. In that time, we have learned a lot about consumer behaviour, Digital Marketing, and have become pretty good in the complex area of Systems Integration. Of course, the world turns quickly, technologies change and retail behaviours evolve as quickly as technologies allow. As a business its important that we can respond and change quickly. Performance online is critical and a point of difference and a competitive advantage we chase aggressively. Of course, a key part of having that capability is all in the underlying platform. With that in mind, and leveraging lessons learned during our CBA usability engagement (a controlled environment like a mystery shop but

partnership really appealed to us, and they just seemed to ‘get it’. Clients First Digital have successfully delivered similar digital transformation projects for Dymocks, Officeworks and NRMA, to name a few. That decision was made in December last year. Between then and now a considerable amount of progress (not without debate and banter) has been made. The new website(s) are contem- porary, responsive and crisp with a fresh but familiar booking experience more akin to accommodation. Underpinning the new website(s) is a modern technology platform (Kentico for those interested). It delivers everything and with scale, it enables experi- ments, promotions, tracking and many other possibilities all at a very granular level meaning speed to market and less overhead tied up in development. Here’s a sneak peak pictured above, at KSS Online re imagined. Watch this space, Go live planned Aug-Sep 2020 (sooner if we can help it of course!).

moulded for a digital experience ) at the end of 2018, 2019 would see us re-imagine and conceptualise a modern- day website, bringing it all together in an RFP with the intention of going to market. Armed with the goal of selecting a digital partner that understood us, valued our Brand, market position and has a proven track record in developing and delivering next generation online platforms, we set about formulating key evaluation criteria. This involved looking at many aspects of online performance across the hospitality industry, peers overseas and bricks and clicks retailers. From there we rated each of them, found out who designed and developed their websites and invited them to pitch. Two agencies in particular stood out. Fast forward the RFP process and we arrived at a stalemate. We couldn’t split them. A head to head comparison and client interviews later we were still deadlocked until one of them helped us make the decision (another story). First Digital were successful. They started off as a Digital Marketing Agency, a foundation that resonated with us. Demonstrated success across digital marketing, customer experi- ence and technology through a single

Jeff Xanthos Chief Information Officer

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CAN YOU HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR ONE MINUTE? W hat happens when you hold your breath: inebriated (common among deep-sea divers or D - DISC profiled storage customers). • Decompression sickness which occurs Most people can hold their breath for somewhere between 30 seconds and up to 2 minutes…. but is it safe to do so?

be answered. I experience this frustration constantly when endeavouring to contact my telecommunications supplier. Most people (our storage customers) are normal healthy people (and yes I know this can be debatable at times) who may be able to hold their breath for one minute. However, when the ‘hold Your breath for one minute’ time frame expires, especially in a business environment, just simply waiting on the telephone to be answered or an email to be responded to will make the most calm person feel a little unwanted, anxious, annoyed, frustrated or even depressive. The list of words to describe how we feel when not responded to in a quick and efficient manner can be exhaustive. Why the conundrum ‘could you hold your breath for one minute’? One of our ‘Blue’ cultural experiences is the ability to form relationships with your specific centre customers. Capturing calls at centre level is a known fact that customers want to speak with people associated to a specific centre, not be transferred to another department or person not generally associated with/to a particular KSS Centre. It is interesting to note that in the vast majority of cases (over the past three months) most KSS centres have recorded an upward trend in capturing calls at centre level rather than mobile call diversions to CCC. Yes, Covid-19 has had an effect with a reduction in enquiry numbers enabling us the opportunity to answer a call or respond to an email earlier, but it is quite evident we are all making an effort to capture these important calls and emails more efficiently and effectively at centre level. Remember, one minute is a long time to hold your breath! Wayne Birch VIC Operations Manager

0:00 to 0:30 sec: You might feel relaxed as you close your eyes and tune out to the world around you. 0:30 to 1:00 min: You’ll start to feel uncomfortable and experience pain in your lungs. The most common miscon- ception about holding your breath is that you are running out of air — you’re actually not, however no-one has helped you breath so you start to feel annoyed or even panicked. When holding your breath for long periods of time, the consequences can be dangerous because carbon dioxide (CO2) is building up in your blood from not exhaling. You start feeling anxious – “I wish someone would just help me with my breathing”. This feeling can be very similar to waiting on a phone call or a reply to an email. Have you ever had to wait on-line whilst a missed call was being redirected? I recently time measured a centre call and it was 58 seconds (one minute) from the initial call made to a KSS centre until CCC at THQ responded (and I was answered very promptly by CCC). Until the telephone is answered by a real person or your email is responded to, it’s just like holding your breath. The side effects of holding your breath when the telephone is not answered can have disastrous effects not just on individuals but also on our business. Asking customers (new or potential) to 'hold their breath' for too long can have some side effects including: • Low heart rate from a lack of oxygen (causing anxiousness). • CO2 build up in your blood (symptoms of stress). • The feeling of being disoriented or

when nitrogen in your blood forms bubbles in your bloodstream instead of clearing out your blood when water pressure decreases (called “the bends” among divers and in the storage industry we know it as “the ORDS” – Outrageous Requests for Discounted Storage). • A Loss of consciousness may lead to your customers not listening to a KSS Team Member once the telephone or email is eventually answered. • Complete loss of blood flow to the heart, which can cause a person’s heart to stop pumping (Cardiac Arrest). Any holding your breath time can result in a storage customer exploding on the phone. • Build up of dangerous reactive oxygen species (ROS), which happens due to long periods of low oxygen then breathing oxygen back in at high levels, which can damage DNA, and in the case of Kennards damage to our company Brand. • Brain damage from a protein called S100B that breaks out from your bloodstream into your brain through the blood-brain barrier when your cells are damaged. This brain damage can result in ES - elephant syndrome. A customer will never forget that one time they had to wait (or hold their breath) for a call to ON-LINE WHILST A MISSED CALL WAS BEING REDIRECTED? HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO WAIT ‘

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