KSS eKourier October 2022

Kennards Kourier Ko EDITION: October 2022

MY ACCOUNT A MODERN SELF STORAGE EXPERIENCE

LEARNING FROM THE BIG GUYS

THE GREAT RESIGNATION

A WORK OF ART ON OUR DOORSTEP

1 Kennards Kourier Oct 2022

IN THIS ISSUE

Message From Sam

3

10 Questions With...

4

Team Member Profiles

5

Learning From The Big Guys

6 - 7

That's A Wrap

8 - 9

A Work Of Art...

10 - 11

The Great Resignation

12

My Account...

13

Reviews Confirm Our Great Service

14

Learning In The Flow

15

Rotary In Motion

15

Flat Out Building

16

Spotlight On...

17

Nev's Notes

18

Kennards Community/Huddle

19

NEXT ISSUE

Deadline: December 9, 2022 Editor: Sharon Munro Email: sharon@kss.com.au Distribution: January 20, 2023

Front Cover: L to R: Rashid Patwary (Patterson Building Group), Craig Henery (KSS THQ) and Greg Kahler (Patterson Building Group) on site at Moorebank. This new centre for South West Sydney faces on to the busy artery of Newbridge Road and will be a big orange beacon in the area. The centre will be seven storeys high with undercover parking and 1,100 self storage units, having all the features of a Kennards Self Storage building. Patterson Building Group are constructing the building and have a completion date of March 2023.

Kennards Self Storage Southport QLD

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MESSAGE FROM SAM

Left: Sam Kennard (CEO) presenting Mike Howard (Centre Manager Kirrawee) with 20 Years of Service in 2017. Right: Presenting Mark Fradd (Centre Manager Caringbah) with 20 Years of Service in 2018.

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T he recent farewell huddle for Mike Howard and Mark Fradd marked the end of an era. With nearly 50 years of KSS experience between these two people, their contribu - tion cannot be overstated. They have been instrumental in the development of scores of Team Members who have then spread throughout the wider KSS business. It is a level of loyalty and commitment that is rare to find. I am sure many, like me, are grateful to have had the pleasure of working with each of them. While many organisations and leaders work hard to cultivate this, we were fortunate to have it in spades.

The centres were always incred - ibly well-presented. Importantly, the customers had noticeable warmth toward the team and our business. People often assume our business is a franchise model. That is, our centres are operated by individual owners. This confusion actually delights me. They assume this because they notice the genuine engagement and commit- ment by the team. A degree of care that would come from an owner. If customers make this mistake we are doing things really well. It is wonderful that we enjoyed their tireless commitment and engagement which impacted so many lives. Sam Kennard Chief Executive Officer

IT IS A LEVEL OF LOYALTY AND

COMMITMENT THAT IS RARE TO FIND. I AM SURE MANY, LIKE ME, ARE GRATEFUL TO HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH EACH OF THEM

Members to take ownership of their role; their centre; and their customers. The high sense of ownership was always obvious on a visit to Mark and Mike.

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We seek to engender high engage- ment levels by empowering Team

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WHO’S WHO

10 QUESTIONS... With John Colman, Centre Manager Warana

be the time one of our water pipes burst and flooded units and the way Team Members from other centres on the Sunshine Coast as well as Brisbane were here before you knew it to help. This was early on in my days at Kennards and you don't see this happen in every business. Everyone worked long hours in difficult and sweaty conditions and sometimes on their own time. This happens all the time with Kennards and is a great testament to our culture. What do you like to do you outside of KSS? I like kayaking, walking somewhat rugged tracks, building stuff and renovating. I am a history nerd and love reading history books. I am currently reading one on Custer’s Last Stand and the next one will be on The Napoleonic Wars. Also like the occasional thriller. Your most valuable lesson so far on your KSS journey? Kennards Self Storage allows you to try things and if you make a mistake, it can be fixed. There is understanding and you get pointed in the right direction. Once again not every company allows these parameters. What is the best part of your life? I am very lucky to have been married to my beautiful wife Dawn for 27 years and have three great children Jessica, Jack, and Michael, as well as one grand child Poppy (pictured left). As the Sunny Boys said in their 1981 hit, “I’m a Happy Man". Plans for the future? Stay with Kennards as long as they will have me and then motor home around Australia with my wife. We have already picked out the vehicle. To sum up KSS in one word would be? Flexible.

John and his wife Dawn at the Glass House Mountains in QLD.

Assistant Manager in Amy Ferguson who I have worked with since day one.

What year did you start with KSS? I started working at KSS in April 2019.

What centres have you worked at? My whole time with Kennards I have been Manager at Warana, but I trained with Glen at North Lakes and with Chantal at Maroochydore and have worked at Maroochydore and Kunda Park, but 99.9% of the time I have been at Warana. I really like my centre due to the layout. Four blocks and no units too far away from the hoist. When working at Kunda Park and venturing out from the hoist I need to leave a trail of bread crumbs to find my way back! No offense to your centre Geoff. Tell us about your role as Centre Manager at Warana? I really enjoy my role as Centre Manager due to the variety of my day. I can spend a couple of hours doing computer work, then get my saw out and trim a tree, then clean the toilet, spend an hour chasing delinquents, spend a couple of hours cleaning doors and sweeping and then have morning tea. I am also lucky to have a very good

What did you do before KSS? I've had a variety of occupations. I was a professional Tennis Coach for 20 years then drove a Mobile Shredder in Canberra and destroyed all the govern - ments dirty secrets. I managed Motels for 11 years and also worked in pest control. I must be older than I think! Tell us about your most memorable experience with KSS? My most memorable experience would

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WHO’S WHO

TEAM MEMBER PROFILES

Sam Grant Centre Manager - Preston Victoria

Darren Mckeon Commercial Leasing Manager - THQ

Tell us about your career background: I studied a Bachelor of Applied Science (Land Economics) at UTS, graduated in 1994 and went straight into the Real Estate industry in Parramatta as an Industrial Sales and Leasing Agent. After about two years I realised it wasn't for me and moved into Commercial Property Management. I began working at an agency in Chatswood in 1999, became a partner, and stayed there until moving over to KSS in July. What do you enjoy doing when not at KSS? (Hobbies/ Interests)? I attempt to play the guitar. I don’t do it well but I enjoy it. I have a collection of very nice electric and acoustic guitars. I coach my daughter’s Cricket Team during Summer and watch my son play Rugby League in Winter. What are you reading now? Dave Grohl – The Storyteller. Change your thinking by Sarah Edelman. What are you watching now? Wheeler Dealers and Car Masters: Rust to Riches. What favourite foods or restaurant would you recommend? I’m very simple. Most of the restaurants I go to give you food in a bag that you unwrap. Pilu at Freshwater has really nice bread. Where did you grow up and what was it like? I grew up in the Hills District and went to school in Parramatta. Favourite hangout people when not at work? My wife Kylie and my kids Connor and Olivia and my five mates that I have had since I was five years old. Favourite holiday destination or interesting place you’ve been to? I love Hamilton Island and Port Macquarie.

Tell us about your career background: All my life I’ve been in Customer Service roles, working retail jobs in my younger days and moving into Hospitality over the better part of the last 14 years, where I’ve managed a range of QSR Restaurants and Entertainment venues. What do you enjoy doing when not at KSS? (Hobbies/ Interests)? I’m a sports nut, mostly the footy codes, but I’m into just about every sport. What are you reading now? Mainly cookbooks – I can’t cook, but I can dream! What are you watching now? Apart from sport, I’m streaming drama, action or sci-fi series. What favourite foods or restaurant would you recommend? Anything with a bit of spice in it! Also a big fan of BBQ’d food. Where did you grow up and what was it like? I grew up in the inner suburbs of Melbourne where we had a really diverse demographic, so I got to learn about a lot of my friends cultures and backgrounds growing up, just by spending time at their houses, not to mention trying some of the most delicious food! Favourite hangout people when not at work? Old school/work mates, or anyone willing to have a few bevs watching the footy and having a chat. Favourite holiday destination or interesting place you’ve been to? Japan was a pretty awesome place to visit, so would like to go again.

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FEATURE

LEARNING FROM THE BIG GUYS

L to R: Javier Perez (Revenue Manager), Darren Marshall (COO), Sam Kennard (CEO) and Jeff Xanthos (CIO)

T his year, our US learning trip

The US is attractive for the purpose of the trip because it is a large and very competitive market. There are 5 REIT’s of-scale and many private companies with hundreds of storage centres. They are innovative and sophisticated. It is incredible how much diversity in strategy and execution the industry has too.

The openness and generosity of our hosts is always incredible. We get hours of dialogue and time with key people exploring shared opportunities, challenges and strategies. We get to see storage centres and look behind- the-scenes at the systems in operation and how managers get things done. The areas of interest when we visit include Operations, Sales, Service, Training, Digital Marketing, Revenue Management and others. Our first week away is dedicated to the SSA convention and trade show. This is valuable on its own as companies showcase their innovations and it brings all the major operators together. Following this, we headed to New York City where we visited several Manhattan Mini Storage centres and toured the centres with the local leadership of this impressive portfolio. From Manhattan we went to CubeSmart HQ in Malvern, Pennsyl - vania. CubeSmart are a REIT with 1,300 locations and a market capitalisation of almost $10 billion.

resumed after the enforced three-

year gap.

These trips have been an annual event which revolve around the US Self Storage Association Autumn conven- tion each September in Las Vegas. The 2022 Convention was the biggest they have ever held; with 3,400 attendees and over 200 product and service exhibitors in the trade show. The US self storage sector is white hot at the moment. Occupancies have been very high and operators are enjoying exceptionally strong income growth. New investment and new supply is also now coming back to the market at a rapid rate. Indeed some seasoned operators are cautious about what 2023 holds.

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THE TRIP EXPOSES US TO STUFF AND AFFIRMS OUR STRATEGY AND PRACTICES IN MANY WAYS WHILE CHALLENGING US IN OTHERS

My first US convention was in 1988 with my dad, and over the years of my US trips I have made many great storage friends from the US and other parts of the world. This has allowed me to reach out to storage operators and ask to come and visit. ‘

This year, four of us went on the tour; Darren, Jeff, Javier and me.

The purpose of the trip is to learn from large operators in the US and explore product and service innovations. We get to do this at the convention and through a series of company visits.

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FEATURE

Manhattan Mini Storage is a unique business with 18 centres operating exclusively in NYC. The centres are enormous with 2,000 to 4,500 spaces each. These typically operate at 93-95% occupancy. ABOUT MANHATTAN MINI STORAGE The business was established in 1978 and cleverly focussed all its growth and operations to Manhattan. This resulted in a market dominance that is unrivalled around the world, with in excess of 60% of the supply to the Manhattan market. Manhattan Mini Storage is an institu- tion to the people of NYC, and even made an appearance on Sex And The City. In 2021 Manhattan Mini Storage was put to market by the family owners and sold for $3.3 billion USD. It was acquired by our friends at StorageMart. The Brand has a reputation for using its billboards for some very sassy messages.

The CubeSmart team generously gave us a whole day of presentation and Q&A on all the meaty stuff we want to learn about. We were able to learn from the heads of range of their business units and gained many valuable insights. After CubeSmart, we travelled to Columbia Missouri to spend a day with the Burnam’s of StorageMart at their HQ. They have 285 locations across the US, Canada and the UK, and are the largest privately-owned storage company in the world. We were treated to a deep dive into the business information tools, marketing practices, pricing and operating systems. Cris and Mike Burnam also generously fed us - twice - including a home cooked meal. Finally we were able to visit our friends at StorQuest in Santa Monica, California. This is another impressive storage operator with 280 locations and growing rapidly. The StorQuest team walked us through their approach to pricing, marketing, market research and operations. It was a hugely helpful and valuable session. LEARNING FROM THE BIG GUYS

"Karen was extremely helpful with our storage needs. Kennards at Baringa are new, clean and have 24 hour security access. They were very reasonably priced and always helpful with any queries we had. Highly recommended." "I’m still in disbelief as to how good the service is here at Rosebud. I phoned up other local storage places who answered the phone like I was bothering them. In contrast when I phoned this place I was welcomed with nothing but professionalism, proactive- ness and a big welcome. Helpful, clean, efficient, free trailer hire, easy access, can’t go wrong." "Always friendly and efficient service. Bob in particular has looked after us for the last three years. We would happily recommend Kennards at French’s Forest to anyone needing storage." "I just want to say Andrew you're a beautiful soul and I thank you so much for helping me out today, you're a gentleman and there’s not many left out there like you, you went out of your way to help me out today at Auburn and I thank you so much for that. God bless you brother." "We have been using Kennards Vermont since 2013 and will continue to do it for our business. Nice, clean and 24 hrs accessible premises with great variety of units. Michael and Kat are both very helpful and friendly. Also both are extremely professional and always happy to go out of their way to make our experience as smooth as possible. Thank you very much. 5 stars from Sarahtex Australia."

The trip exposes us to stuff and affirms our strategy and practices in many ways while challenging us in others. KSS is clearly practices are sound. We have added a lot of ideas and concepts to our memory library for future reference, as well as refining some existing strategies and we will ultimately also be activating or accelerating several others. a high performing business and our

Sam Kennard Chief Executive Officer

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FEATURE

SCOTY GOLD RECIPIENTS Gladesville Thornleigh Kirrawee

THAT'S A WRAP

Parramatta Fyshwick Seaford Meadows Mount Eden Virginia Mona Vale 1

Coorparoo Homebush Wollongong Artarmon 2 Hornsby Prospect St Marys Milton Hoxton Park Marrickville Sandgate Warriewood Warrawong

Ultimo 1 Belmont

Petersham Mittagong Chatswood Caringbah Murarrie

Maroochydore Macquarie Park Castle Hill Adelaide Airport Mayfield Parramatta Palmerston North

Warana Pymble Panorama Penrith Miranda

L to R: Jared Mobbs (NSW Ops Manager), Varsha Samji (Assistant Manager Pymble) and Steve Jansen (Centre Manager Pymble)

Our annual Achievement Dinner was an extra special one this year, given we have not been able to all come together for the past two years. It was a great night to celebrate our achievements and welcome new Team Members to KSS in person. The shorter format this year meant we only presented a limited amount of Awards, giving us plenty of time at the end of the night to chat and reconnect with everyone from across Australia and also New Zealand.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Centre Presentation Financial Performance Administration Quality Phone Sales Performance

Internal Operations

Most Improved centres went to Panorama SA and Mt Eden in NZ.

Overall Commitment to Operational Excellence was awarded to Glades - ville, while Commitment to Sustain - able Income Growth was accepted by Croydon Park in SA. Commitment to Occupancy Growth went to Springvale Vic, and Commit - ment to Sustainable Business Perfor - mance to Maroochydore QLD. Congratulations to all Gold, Silver and Bronze recipients. Tony Vuong General Manager Operations

The SCOTY Awards were recently presented to teams.

The Gold SCOTY's recognise centres that have performed at a high level of standard across all the five key areas of operations:

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FEATURE

THAT'S A WRAP

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FEATURE

A WORK OF ART ON OUR DOORSTEP

Paul Beadle - Mural sculpture – ‘Farmer, brewer, drayman, publican’, British Breweries, Petersham

If you have driven to or past KSS Petersham you may have noticed something special. When we mention KSS Petersham most of us talk about the view from the roof. Did you know that there is a famous work of art on the front of the building?

KSS Petersham started out life as a brewery. It has been used as a self storage facility since 1984. It features a 1954 frieze by sculptor Paul Beadle: ‘Farmer, Brewer, Drayman, Publican’, celebrating the process of beer production. The four concrete pre-cast sculptures were fabricated by the renowned New Zealand modernist sculptor and medallist Paul Beadle. Paul Beadle (1917-1992), sculptor, was born in England and studied at the Cambridge Art School and the Central School of Arts and Crafts during the 1930s. He arrived in Australia in 1944 and became known for his ‘bronzetti’ satirising history, literature and politics. He taught at the NAS for four years before becoming

head of the Newcastle Art School in 1952; later he was principal of the South Australian School of Art for two years. Beadle made the 11-metre high eagle and sphere surmounting the Australian-American Memorial at Canberra’s Russell Offices, which was completed at a cost of 100,000 pounds (much of it raised by public subscription) in early 1954. In 1961 he moved to Auckland to take up the position of Chair of Fine Arts at the University’s Elam school. In 1969 he exhibited at the Bonython Galleries in Sydney as well as in Adelaide and Auckland; up to the mid-seventies he showed at Australian Galleries in Melbourne. The sculptures themselves were constructed in 1953 at the Newcastle Technical College and were installed

on the building which was, at the time, occupied by British Breweries Limited. This is why the subject matter of the sculptures reflects the four trades central to the brewing and distribu - tion of beer, the Farmer, the Brewer, the Drayman and the Publican. The sculptures are particularly fine works with a high level of detail which is not often achieved in cast concrete. It was also an innovative use of the early high-strength cement Celerite which had only previously been used in industry. This innovation in materials and artistic and aesthetic quality earned Beadle finalist status in the Sulman prize for mural projects in 1953.

Weather and time have not treated the four sculptures kindly and they had

deteriorated to the point that they may have been

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FEATURE

A WORK OF ART ON OUR DOORSTEP lost to us. Rather than letting them waste away, Kennards Self Storage took on the project of saving this piece of history. Kennards contacted Interna- tional Conservation Services (ICS) and along with building contractor, Andersal and Demlakian Consulting Engineers, took on the careful restoration work.

The sculptures are in a stable condition and the strength provided to the cement surfaces by the consolidation treatment will improve the retention of fine surface detail and promote good preservation outcomes in the future. The condition of the sculptures has been improved by the removal of surface soiling and the repointing of cracks and joins that were allowing increased water ingress. The areas at highest risk of failure are the newly instated polyurethane mastic seams between the sculptures and the wall, which will serve as points where moisture gathers. Given the internal wall surface is not sealed, it is hoped that excess moisture from the environ- ment will evaporate through the back of the wall and cause minimal harm to the sculptures. Regular annual inspec - tions by specialist conservators are recommended to assess the condition of the sculptures and wall system moving forward. A close-range condition assessment of the Paul Beadle sculpture was undertaken on 6th December 2021 by Nicola Ashurst (Head of Conservation, Objects and Outdoor Heritage). Conservation works commenced in December 2021 and were completed in March 2022 by Alis Jitarescu (Objects Conservator), Kristina Taylor (Graduate Conservator & Technician), Claire Rowson (Conservation Manager) and Nicola Ashurst. Kennards Self Storage, along with ICS and Anderal are very proud to have been part of a project where a part of Sydney’s past was saved and preserved for the future. Kennards Self Storage has many examples of giving buildings from the past a second life and prevented them from being torn down. If you're ever are in need for some Space for Change then we are for you!

Commencing in December 2021, ICS worked in conjunction with building contractor, Andersal and Demlakian Consulting Engineers who were tasked with removing and replacing the failing render wall around the artworks.

The surfaces were dusty with atmospheric pollutants settling

and cracks. This was completed by packing areas with a compatible mortar mixture, colour matched to the original Celerite. Paul Beadle preparing the model of the farmer, from which the moulds would have been made in preparation for casting. Source: NSW State Library.

particularly on the horizontal surfaces and throughout the surfaces were granulated and powdery due to the degradation of the binder materials in the cementitious blend. Other breakages and losses were minimal as can be expected by their high and therefore protected position on the Kennards building façade.

ICS and Andersal then worked closely to integrate the fresh render of the wall with the aesthetic appearance of the sculptures and to ensure that the total system of the building façade and sculptural works presented in a harmonious and integrated way as the sculptures begin their next chapter as a wonderful public artwork.

The first step to conserve the artworks was to gently clean by brushing and vacuuming away the accumu- lated dirt. Any staining of the cement was carefully removed with chemical solvents and mechanical methods. Specialist Stone Masons from Brookvale Stone were engaged to undertake some mortar repairs to joins

Antone Boustani NSW Operations Manager

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FEATURE

THE GREAT RESIGNATION

"The Great Resignation", a phrase apparently coined by Organisational Psychologist Anthony Klotz during an interview with Bloomberg back in May 2021. Klotz suggested that the current trend of people leaving their place of work was in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. There maybe an argument to say it’s a response to how Governments have responded to the pandemic. Klotz also described the phenomenon as “The Great Reimagination”, “The Great Reset” and “The Great Realisation. Ultimately “Resignation” was chosen to dominate the headlines.

the question 'am I living by best life?'. So if pursuing your dreams and your passions means changing jobs this is a beautiful and positive reason. We as a business fully support anyone following a passion or moving on to something better and more appropriate for them. perfectly natural. There is no more room for that person to grow and develop and improve their financial position due to the size of the organi- sation. Long term employees feel they would like to test their skills elsewhere and avoid what I call the “curse of longevity” where people do something for so long, they forget to be grateful for what they have and take it for granted. The Great Resignation is the great opportunity for everyone, individuals and businesses alike. Everyone wins, individuals get the conditions they are looking for to live their best life and businesses employee new skills, new thinking and as in both situations a return to the honeymoon period, when everything is wonderful and rosy. Aside from the competition for talent there is a shortage of people. This is challenging for businesses in many industries and more difficult to resolve. Out of adversity is opportunity, the entrepreneurial spirit within business owners will prevail and the outcome will be innovation. It will be interesting to watch this develop over time. Yes, it might be because the individual is not quite happy in their current role,

I s it true? Speaking with other profes- sionals this is the single biggest challenge facing their businesses today. We as an organisation have also felt the effects of this phenom - enon. Team Members from all parts of the organisation, including the Chief Financial Officer have left our business. There is no doubt most of the world is experiencing a labour shortage, some countries worse than others. As a nation built on immigration, Australia has, I believe, been impacted particularly hard. Like other similar countries the pandemic saw an exit home for migrant workers prefer- ring to be home when borders were closed. Closed borders stopped incoming workers reducing the overall available workforce. In our own backyard there has been a shift to people moving away from major cities where the greatest employment is needed. People close to the end of their careers are deciding to leave the workforce early rather than deal with the complexities the pandemic created in workplaces.

Competition is high with job vacancies vastly outnumbering available candidates. McDonalds Chatswood recently advertised a $1,000 sign on bonus to attract workers. I believe there are other businesses doing similar incentives.

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THE GREAT RESIGNATION IS THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE, INDIVIDUALS, AND BUSINESSES ALIKE

Back to the Great Resignation, what is happening is positive in many ways. People are able to confidently move between organisations, even different roles that require skills outside of their current skill set for what they believe are better conditions more appropriate for where they are in their working lives. This in many ways is positive. Iis it happening because businesses are bad? I would challenge that statement as media negative bias. I do believe that people are taking stock of their lives and asking themselves ‘

Darren Marshall Chief Operating Officer

Businesses are in a tussle for talent.

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FEATURE

MY ACCOUNT - A MODERN SELF STORAGE EXPERIENCE

• Where are the friction points during a typical customer journey when a customer will reach out for help? • What questions do customer service representatives find themselves answering over and over again?

• What information are customers looking to find in the customer portal?

• How do we design a familiar look and feel for both customers and teams?

My Account will feature a modern-day login using email, recognise customers storing at multiple locations and will handle all the universal self-service centric capabilities you would expect plus those specific to self storage. New customers will see the customer portal integrated directly into the rental flow, whilst existing customers will be transitioned in. Customers will be able to perform standard self-service functions, but they will also be able to rent additional space, buy boxes and view invoices and agreements to name some features. My Account will also be used as a vehicle to drive business preferences and initia- tives like being aware of insurance or recurring payment status and promoting those options when appropriate by baking in dynamic logic. The other aspect My Account offers, is a true understanding around our customers behaviour and choices leading to further personalisation capability and insights which is becoming increasingly more difficult to achieve for non-logged in website visits. Like other major product development, the Customer Portal will similarly be released as an MVP (strong enough to go to market without necessarily having everything) then updated as we learn and leverage feedback and insights.

In 2019, we set a goal to reimagine our website(s) and develop an enterprise grade platform that would modernise our product offer, brand, and ecommerce capability. We decided to invest in the underlying technology platform and a respon- sive shiny design which better presents our value proposition.

Productising self-service as “My Account” is a major step in innovating the service experience in the business, and another point of difference to our competitors.

20 months in, we are seeing uplift across the board through performance in Google search, and ecommerce conversion. In the background we are leveraging rich insights delivered with the platform to make informed decisions around customer behaviour to optimise conversions and customer experience all the time. It was always our vision to compliment the experience with a Customer Portal as the next major enhancement for our valued customers. Consumers are moving towards a fully connected world enabled by technology. They demand immediacy, connectivity and simplicity in every interaction on their buying journey and then self-service. 81% of customers across industries attempt to take care of matters themselves before reaching out to a live representative - Harvard Business Review.

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81% OF CUSTOMERS ACROSS INDUSTRIES ATTEMPT TO TAKE CARE OF MATTERS THEMSELVES BEFORE REACHING OUT TO A LIVE REPRESENTATIVE - HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW

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To do this successfully, we needed to understand the current customer journeys. Finding answers to the below questions provided a guideline to work with.

• How many customers pay online?

Jeff Xanthos Chief Information Office

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FEATURE

GOOGLE REVIEWS CONFIRM OUR GREAT SERVICE DELIVERY

"Exactly what we needed. We required some short term storage for our luggage. The staff at Palmerston North were very helpful and we were refunded the time we paid for but didn’t use. Very helpful, friendly and easy to use with 24 hours a day access. Would definitely use again." "I am extremely satisfied with storing my personal household belongings at Kennards at Burleigh Junction. The team, Geoff, Jazz and Malcolm have been awesome with their flexibility and advice, nothing seems too difficult for them to sort out. We were able to use the courtesy covered box trailer to move the furniture, which made the move so much easier as well. The sheds are clean, tidy and easy to access, and we made a shed change, which was instantly organised. The team make the transition seemless. I would highly recommend Kennards for storage. They have everything required to do the move as well. I'm super happy I've got my belongings stored with Kennards Burleigh Junction! Thanks again." "We rented a unit at Wollongong for about a year while we gradually moved to a larger house. The facilities were great - clean, dry and secure. Access is easy and the location was very convenient. Would recommend." "Todorka and Maria at Warrawong went above and beyond to help with what was a very difficult time. I cannot recommend them enough. They are the heart of this business, without them it would not be the same. Such kind souls."

O ne of my favourite daily tasks is reading and replying to some of the Google Reviews we receive from our customers. Without feedback, we really do not know how well we are doing. For some time, I have been reading really exceptional consistently positive feedback that all Team Members can be proud of. More importantly, it is those reviews where the customer goes on to mention the Team Members name and some great individual customer service that deserves recognition. NEVER UNDERESTI- MATE HOW GOOD SERVICE FOR TODAY’S CUSTOMERS BECOMES OUR MARKETING MESSAGE ‘

(happy to be wrong though). So it is great to read many reviews where the Team Member is recognised by name as the service delivery has exceeded the customer satisfaction level, something we should all be proud of. We have a competitive edge in business when instead of just doing what is expected by a customer, we strive to deliver the best experience possible, which comes from our mantra “Store with People who Care” . Another great trend I read is customer reviews stating, “We recommend“ , this is gold! We have a great Brand and distinction with our people and caring service, however never underestimate how good this service delivery impacts upon our customers of today, as they in turn become our marketing message tomorrow when they recommend us. Customer referrals are the best and most cost-effective marketing and message for our business that we can ever have. create or leave a customer with a great experience where they want to write about it in a Google Review. Not only do our teams get to read some recognition of their efforts, but so does everyone else, including potential customers who are thinking about storing with us. So the next time you interact with a customer, think about how you can

TOMORROW WHEN THEY RECOMMEND US A CUSTOMER REFERRAL

There is a saying – “We judge ourselves on our intent, while others judge us on our behaviour“ . Time and time again, I read our Team Members are excelling with the CARE factor when dealing with customers across all aspects of the business, the WOW factor is really being felt and experienced. Now perhaps I might be a bit cynical, however I find generally a customer is more likely to complain than praise ‘

Andrew Kirkham NZ Operations Manager

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TRAINING/CHARITY

LEARNING IN THE FLOW

ROTARY IN MOTION "We continue to be pledged bountiful quantities of new items from the Qantas Group. We recently picking up a sizeable pallet of stock for further gifting to organisations dealing directly with the needy and disadvantaged, to people sleeping rough on the streets within the Western Sydney precinct of the Liverpool CBD.

For learning to really happen, it must fit around and align itself to working days and working lives. Through engaging design and integrated technology, we can build solutions and experiences that make learning almost invisible in our jobs. So, what might you as an individual with an appetite for learning do to learn in the flow of work? Here are some practical measures you could implement today: COMPASS In a modern geo-dispersed business, a centralised online learning manage - ment system is vital. Compass serves a critical role ensuring everyone receives and has access to the same quality of information. It allows teams to manage the pace of their own learning and consume content at their own convenience. We want to encourage our people to develop themselves, to read, learn, do courses, both for personal and professional development. We also understand that sometimes we need a little encouragement to get out and learn. To support teams in this, KSS offer to pay up to $299 towards a chosen learning and development course. (Design and Produce Excel Spreadsheets, Solo Sky Diving qualifi - cation etc). KSS LIBRARY The KSS Library is a resource in place for all Team Members to use as part of their ongoing development. The Library has a wide variety of books and videos for teams to borrow. The catalogue has been updated and now includes a larger number of new resources. Examples of topics include business, communication, self help, motivational, management plus much more. SELF-IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (SIP)

A s automation, AI, and new job models reconfigure the business world, ongoing learning and develop - ment has become accepted as an economic imperative. Eighty percent of CEO's now believe the need for new skills is their biggest business challenge. For employees, research now shows that opportunities for development have become the second most important factor in workplace happiness (after the nature of the work itself). FOR LEARNING TO REALLY HAPPEN, IT MUST FIT AROUND AND ALIGN ITSELF TO WORKING DAYS AND WORKING LIVES It makes sense that at work we are constantly looking for ways to do things better, indeed, the growth- mindset movement is based on this human need. And where something like recruitment has binary outcomes (company A gets the star, company B does not), learning is a rising tide that lifts all boats. Yet the urgency of work inevitably trumps the luxury of learning. A recent LinkedIn study found that many employees waste one third of their day on emails that have little or nothing to do with their jobs. While this stat may not hold true for life at KSS, invariably there are many day-to-day duties and responsibilities that limit our time for ongoing learning and development. ‘ ‘

These donations were further augmented with the addition of Q-Duvets and Blankets. Again, thanks to the generosity of the folks at Kennards Self Storage for their ongoing donations of storage boxes and storage space, and to the South Pacific Construction Co. for providing our logistical requirement by driving/picking- up and delivering of the Stock. Once additional stock is collected, this will be directed to few Women's Crisis Centres and Shelters in Greater Sydney and any surplus stored for future use and requirement. To Sharon Munro from Kennards Self Storage and Jo Cope Head of Qantas Loyalty, our gratitude and thanks for your generosity and bounteousness donations."

Vinod Reddy Rotary Club of Rockdale

Wayne Brown Learning & Development Manager

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PROPERTY

FLAT OUT BUILDING!

Camperdown NSW After even more rain and working in a lot of mud the basement slab is being formed up ready for the concrete pour. Finish April 2023. Baringa QLD building 3 is complete and being rented. Building 4 fit out is continuing. Finish October 2022. Box Hill NSW Earthworks and services location continue on site. Expected completion March 2023. Waterloo South Wing Ground Floor NSW The work is almost complete with some final commissioning of lights and alarms being completed. Moss Vale NSW Apex Building has been awarded the contract to build a new 7,900 sqm development on vacant land at Moss Vale NSW. Work starts on site end of October 2022. Goulburn NSW Apex Building has been awarded the contract to build a new 9,000 sqm development on vacant land at Goulburn NSW. Work starts on site end of October 2022. Seaford Meadows SA Buildtec from Adelaide have been awarded the contract for Stage 2, adding another 4,000 sqm to the existing centre. Work starts on site end of October 2022. Roxburgh Park VIC Design documentation is underway with Hutchinson Building Group. Completion July 2023. Michael Macheledt, Craig Henery & Brittany Ahern Property Development Team Pymble NSW PBG has the steel portal frame underway and the utility services are being extended up to level 5. Finish in January 2023.

Top: Moorebank NSW, bottom left: Cranbourne Vic, bottom right: Craigieburn Vic

Craigieburn VIC Hoists installed to building E and F and external driveways are being poured. Finish April 2023 Cranbourne VIC Building A, Vitracore to continue external cladding and external rollers doors to be complete. Building B, fit out for level 1 continues and vitracore to continue on external of building. building C roofing works are complete. Expected completion November 2022. Adelaide CBD SA Removal of redundant plant and machinery continues. Escalators are out and new electrical works and fire services have commenced. Internal painting continues and fit out has commenced. Completion mid-2023. Moorebank NSW Level 2 deck has been poured. Level 3 columns, lift shafts and stair wells continue. Completion in March 2023.

Box Hill NSW

Goulburn NSW

Moss Vale NSW

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PROPERTY

SPOTLIGHT ON BARINGA

L to R: Sharon McIntyre, Centre Manager and Nicole Grant, Assistant Manager

W elcome to Baringa! The new and expanding location set to be the largest Kennards Self Storage facility on the Sunshine Coast! KSS Baringa is located within Aura - City of Colour. Aura is a 35 year project which is being developed by Stockland, Australia’s largest land developer. Aura will span 90 hectares and is described to be the size of Gladstone. Aura will house over 20,000 new homes to the Sunshine Coast. We are currently the only storage facility within Aura, with our nearest competitors situated in Caloundra. KSS Baringa opened its doors in September 2020 with an amazing achievement of 90% occupancy in just 17 months. We opened with 442 units over 2 buildings and had 29 outdoor storage spaces which filled quickly with caravans, boats, cars and containers. Once the centre began to reach occupancy goals, the plan to start our expansion was put into play. The additional buildings take the place of our outdoor spaces.

Once complete, Baringa will have a total of 866 units over 8,297sqm of rentable space. We will then be able to look at any spaces of opportunity to add a few outdoor storage spaces. Our storage spaces range from 1.5x1.5m units, up to 3x9m units, with options of driveway, ground floor and lift access. Storage lockers will also be an option for our customers once expansion is complete. Our expansion is well underway, with building 3 just released. This has given us another 255 units and will add another 2,432sqm to give us 6,916 rentable sqm. Our 4th and final building is due to open late October which will bring a further 169 units and 1,381sqm. Baringa is 10 minutes drive from our Warana centre and 30 minutes from our Maroochydore centre, with the closest Brisbane site being North Lakes, only one hour South of the coast.

Karen Bell who relocated from KSS Chullora, NSW. Karen managed the centre until she retired in April 2022. Our Baringa Team Members are Sharon McIntyre - Manager (formally Assistant Manager at Maroochydore) who loves top quality customer service, and Nicole Grant – Assistant Manager who has been with us since December 2020 and has had the privilege to see us grow. We also get the pleasure of having the knowledgeable Darryl Lewisson (Kunda Park – Assistant Manager) as part of our team one day a week. We really pride ourselves on our outstanding customer service and go above and beyond to ensure our customers have a memorable experience. Our challenges ahead are to fill our new spaces and make KSS Baringa a Famous Household Name within our community that continues to grow every day and will continue to for many years to come.

The centre was opened by the lovely

Sharon McIntyre & Nicole Grant KSS Baringa

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NEV’S NOTES

NEV'S NOTES

Neville Kennard (1937 - 2012) Founder of Kennards Self Storage, enjoyed and was very passionate about expressing his ideas. These little gems have been appreciated by many in KSS. We will continue to publish his ideas that we have in stock. Enjoy!

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE TO WHOM YOU PAID YOUR TAX

Imagine for a moment that by some strange quirk of realism or madness the government allowed us to pay our taxes to whatever qualified recipients we chose.

S uch “qualified recipients” could include the sort of organisa - tions that now receive tax-deductible donations, such as the Salvation Army, Red Cross, Universities, Schools, Smith Family, even The Centre for Independent Studies … there are thousands of them, organisations that are “non-profit” and are deemed, by the government, to be worthy recipients of donations and philanthropy. So just imagine that we could choose whether we paid out our tax to the government, or to one or several of our preferred non-profits and charities. The amount of “tax” in this hypothetical exercise would be the same and must be paid, but the recipients could be of our choosing. And we could send it, or some of it, to the government if we so chose. How much would the government get of peoples’ “taxes” if they could choose to direct it elsewhere? Would people think well enough of the government

I suspect, would think that they can direct it in better directions to organisa- tions who will make better use of it than the government seems to. Charities and “non-profits” are more accountable than are our governments, even though we “elect” them and like to think they work for us. I would feel good giving my tax money to my favourite educational institutions. Others would like it to go to help the poor, or to private non-profit foreign aid organisations. The Nature Conserv- ancy would be on some people’s list and others would direct it to medical research. Churches who do good work would receive some, no doubt, as would sporting and community groups. The point of this little exercise in imaginary thinking — because it is not going to happen — is to make us think how much we trust our government and how much we like what they do with our money. June 24, 2011

and the way they spend our taxes to continue to send the money to them? Or might they send it to some other favoured cause and charity? IMAGINE THAT WE COULD CHOOSE WHETHER WE PAID OUT OUR TAX TO THE GOVERNMENT, OR TO ONE OR SEVERAL OF OUR PREFERRED NON-PROFITS AND CHARITIES If you, for example, had a $10,000 tax bill, how much, if any, would you send to Canberra for them to use and disperse? Some people may send something to Canberra just to keep the show on the road, but I suspect few would send it all to the Tax Consump - tion Capital of Australia. Most people, ‘ ‘

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PEOPLE

MIRANDA HUDDLE What a night in the Shire! Firstly I would like to thank Adam Snowdon, Cameron Rickie and Pratika Dewan for organising one of the most important Huddles this year. This Huddle was delivered with so much care, love and enthusiasm. I would also like to say thank you to all the Team Members that turned up. Some of you had to travel from far distances, and by this you have made the night even more special.

This wasn't just any ordinary Huddle it was our farewell to two absolute legends at KSS; Mike Howard and Mark Fradd. Mike and Mark you will be greatly missed. This night has reminded me of the exceptional culture we embrace in the company. What an absolutely amazing Team we have.

Jelena Stricevic NSW Operations Manager

KENNARDS COMMUNITY Congratulations to Lorena Yepes Rojas from Artarmon2 and

husband Sanka Magedara on the birth of their baby girl Luna, born September 13, weighing 2.83kg.

Congratulations to Salik Ala from KSS Wentworthville and his wife Isbah, welcoming into the world their beautiful baby girl Muntaha. Weighing 2.73kg and being 50cm long.

Contributions for the back page of the Kourier are always welcome! Maybe you are a newlywed or there’s been an addition to the family, or you have been travelling. Or maybe you have some great photos of you out and about in Kennards Gear! Email: sharon@kss.com.au.

"Imagine with all your mind, believe with all your heart, achieve with all your might." Brian Tracy

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