Kennards Storage October eKourier Edition

Kennards Kouriere

EDITION: OCT 2020

THE SUNSHINE COAST HAS A NEW ADDITION

WHAT'S YOUR BRAND?

STAY FOCUSED, THINK POSITIVE...

SKILLBUILDER GOES VIRTUAL

HOW WAS YOUR MEAL?

GROWTH FOR HAWKES BAY

Kennards Self Storage Baringa QLD

1 Kennards Kourier Oct 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

Message From Sam 10 Questions with... 4 Team Member Profiles 5 Sunshine Coast Has a New Addition 6 Workspaces By Kennards Storage 7 Superannuation In Wild Times 8 What's your Brand? 9 NZ Lockdown 2.0 10 Stay Focused, Think Positive... 11 Google Reviews 12 Google My Business Posts 13 How Was Your Meal? 14 Why Good Passwords Still Matter... 15 Growth For Hawkes Bay 16 Spotlight On... 17 Property Download 18 Skillbuilder Goes Virtual 19 New Look, New Feel... 20 Making a World Of Difference 21 Nevs Notes 22 Kennards Community 23 3

NEXT ISSUE

Deadline: December 4, 2020 Editor: Sharon Munro Email: sharon@kss.com.au Distribution: January 15, 2021

Kennards Self Storage Coorparoo QLD

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Sam on site - Baringa QLD

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

MESSAGE FROM SAM I t has always interested me to see how our storage spaces get used by people and enterprise. The range of life circumstances, personal change and business innovation that we play a role in, is quite amazing. and so on. Often needing new space. Peaking in August, our Australian business (excluding lockdown Victoria) enjoyed a 23% higher level of move-ins over August 2019. Remarkably, NSW (which imposed the lightest touch with

It is reasonable to assume that we should anticipate more volatility and for this reason our growth plans remain cautious and conservative. In the meanwhile, we are making progress on our new web site which will reset us in the sector. The user experience will be market leading and unique to our consumer base. We hope the experience will really differentiate us and lead us to win more business. It introduces a range of innovations that have significant operational changes. These include the new insurance offer and the new storage agreement, with its easier and more flexible execution obligations. The new agreement and its sign-once philosophy breaks new ground in the self storage industry. It departs from legacy paper-based rules and becomes more appropriate in our modern digital environment. And, importantly, the web site will hero a new headline, 'Space For Change' which could not be more appropriate and timely.

lockdown stringency) stood out with a 29% increase. In August, we also enjoyed very strong bounce in New Zealand where move-ins were up 17%. SPACE FOR CHANGE After a surge of move-outs in April and May, there was a significant and surprising rebound. As global pandemics are a new thing for all of us, we had no idea that this new demand would emerge. Everything has been moving very quickly, many changes to our lives, extraordinary new restraints and imposts on people, with many political leaders seeming to enjoy their powers, despite the inconsistency and unpredictability they demonstrate. ‘

The more people change their life or work, then it seems the more business we get. The Covid-19 pandemic and the government responses have been a supercharger for change too and we have seen a significant increase in demand (with the exceptions of lockdown areas) from July to September. As we all emerged from the imposed lockdowns in March-April, people went into overdrive to change their housing, their work, their business and so on. People have moved home; moved back to mum and dad; set up their home office; accelerated their sea-change or tree-change plans; taken business online; set up home gyms; bought cars and reclaimed their garage; re-organised their work places

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Sam Kennard Chief Executive Officer

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WHO’S WHO

10 QUESTIONS... With Kim Simpson - Assistant Manager Penrith

What do you like to do in your down time? In my down time I like to stay at home and renovate and decorate. I’m pretty good on the tools (the boy toys), and I also love to spend time with my family and my friends. I like to keep myself fit and active. The centre at Penrith is large and spread out which helps me do this. What's your favourite holiday destination? Queensland, as I like the warm weather and the beach. Do you have a Favourite Food? I love Italian food. Do you have a favourite motto in life? Start everyday new. Put a smile on your face and make life worth living and enjoy every day. To sum up Kennards in one word would be? Extraordinary.

Above: Kim enjoying her cruise to Moreton Island on the P&O Explorer. Above top right: With eldest son Ritchie and below Mia and Luna.

in the past eight months, they have a lot of patience for me and I drive them crazy sometimes. I love meeting new customers and hearing their stories. I enjoy keeping in an upbeat mood and I am enjoying my new home in Penrith, I am learning so much. What has inspired you the most about Kennards and what major changes have you seen during your time here? There have been lots of changes with new technologies with Atlas and digital signups – you can definitely teach this girl new tricks! Tell us about your family? I am happily divorced. I have two adult sons. Ritchie is 29 and Gavin is 27. I have four fur babies. Seth and Diesel (Staffies) and Mia and Luna (Dashies).

How long ago did you join the Kennards Team, and have you always worked at Penrith? I joined KSS almost four years ago at St Marys and was there for the first three years. I have now relocated to my new home in Penrith which I love, and I am working with Neil and Andrew. I have been at Penrith for the past eight months. What did you do before joining the Kennards Team? Before KSS I worked for Masters as a Customer Service Associate for three years before they closed down, Before that as a Canteen Manager for ten years. Tell us what you enjoy about working at Kennards Self Storage? Firstly, the Team I work with. I have learnt so much from Neil and Andrew

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WHO’S WHO

TEAM MEMBER PROFILES - Three Kings

Simeon Worn Assistant Manager, Three Kings NZ

Katie Jones Centre Manager, Three Kings NZ

Career background: Two years as an Assistant Cost Control Manager and one year as a Goods Receiving Supervisor at The Langham Hotel London U.K, then two years as a Senior Purchasing Receiver at Cordis/Langham Hotel Auckland NZ.

Career background: My career background is in hospitality. Prior to working at Kennards I worked in a Cake Shop which specialised in custom cakes for Birthdays and events.

Marital status? I live with my partner Shane.

Marital status? Single and ready to mingle!

Any children? No.

Any children? Not yet, but one day.

Hobbies/interests: I enjoy live music, hiking and exploring New Zealand. Next week I am off on a two week road trip around the South Island. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? I am not a big sports fan, but I recently got a bike and started cycling.

Hobbies/interests: I love playing Cricket, Golf, Tennis. Also driving through the great locations of New Zealand, the road trips have great scenery.

Do you play any sport or have any special talents? Cricket, Snooker and the odd game of Chess.

Favourite book: Robinson Crusoe.

Favourite book: Persuasion by Jane Austen.

Favourite movie: Lord Of The Rings Trilogy.

Favourite movie: I have a soft spot for cheesy action films.

Favourite restaurant/food: A nice steak and fries with a good salad on the side. I enjoy multiple restaurants and love Japanese. Where did you grow up? I grew up in South Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand, great place to travel local, with beaches nearby and also urban areas to enjoy, I had great times with friends while growing up.

Favourite restaurant/food: Any Seafood.

Where did you grow up? I am originally from the U.K and grew up in a small town in South Lincolnshire. The whole area is completely flat and famous for its fields of tulips and beautiful sunsets. Favourite holiday destinations: I really enjoy visiting the U.K to catch up with friends and family. I would love to do more traveling in Europe.

Favourite holiday destinations: I loved my sailing trip in Croatia, perfect blue water and cliffs.

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FEATURE

THE SUNSHINE COAST HAS A NEW ADDITION

T he Sunshine Coast is growing and so is Kennards Self Storage. On the 8th of September we opened the doors of our 16th Queens- land centre, now making the grand total of 95 for the company portfolio. This exciting new centre is a another Joint Venture with the Stevens Bros and Family. Designed for future growth in the area, starting with rentable space of 4,500 square metres across two buildings and utilising future space allocation as open spaces for caravans and boats. This sensational new development is positioned at the gateway to the Sunshine Coast, adjacent to the Bells Creek Arterial Road, with easy connec- tions to the Bruce Highway, in the heart of the largest investment zone in the region. The Stockland’s Aura Business Park will accommodate a range of uses including the light industry and manufacturing, showrooms, commer- cial office space, indoor sports and recreation and Kennards Self Storage. Stockland’s have labelled their develop- ment 'Aura The City of Colour' and we have really taken that to a new level. Our Brand orange and blue is a standout for all to see approaching the

tea and coffee facilities. We are all geared up for the Queensland weather with undercover unloading and loading areas to protect you and your goods from the elements. I would like to take this time to thank the Centre Team Karen Bell, Amy Ferguson and Sharon McIntyre. Also the TSM Support Crew who assisted with set up; Wayne and David Boyle, Josh Smith and Jayne Ryeland. The centre looks amazing and you kept smiling through all the builders on site for several weeks. Thanks you did a great job! A big thank you also goes out to Michael Macheledt our Construction Manager, who was forced into a remote contact role due to Covid-19, but was always available on the phone to nut out any concerns on site. I learnt a lot, and no Michael I do not want your job. It's all yours mate! Finally Robert Stevens who is conveni- ently located on the Sunshine Coast and able to drop in to check on progress and share feedback. Thank you Rob for your eye for detail and support. Nicky Goodwin QLD Operations Manager

development along Bells Creek Road.

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At Kennards Baringa we have included all the little things that make the differ - ence when it comes to storing with Kennards; 24hr access, the latest in security monitoring, meeting room, delivery concierge service to handle inbound and outbound deliveries and ‘ space allocation as open spaces for caravans and boats. Designed for future growth in the area, starting with a rentable space of 4,500 square metres across two buildings and utilising future

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FEATURE

WORKSPACES BY KENNARDS STORAGE

The Kennards story is about creating space for change. Recently we launched the latest iteration to our range; Workspaces By Kennards.

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W orkspaces by Kennards Storage are innovative, private office rooms for rent under the same, straightforward monthly payment that our customers use to rent a storage space. Our launch centre, The Bakery at Parramatta is, as they say, “Where good ideas are mixed and baked to rise…” Just like our self storage spaces, We’ve kept things simple: - No Lease/No Bond/No Legals. - 24 hours/7 days a week access with PIN code controlled main door and the customer lock on their own room. Just like self storage, they have complete control of who can access their room. - Kitchenette and toilet facilities are provided and maintained by our Team Members. - Electricity, air conditioning, rates and taxes are all included in the fixed monthly rent. - Limited parking is available at competitive rates. - Goods delivery and dispatch concierge service is available. - On-demand printing services. - Conference room available. - Rooms furnished or decorated by the customer to their liking. - Savings are available for periods of

six months or more.

Gambrill & McKay Bakery on our BLOG. Teams are welcome to read the full article there. We are asking Teams to talk with Matt and Deb at Parramatta for more information around the Workspaces, or simply drop in and take a look around. Customers can also contact the Team directly on parramatta@kss.com.au. ‘ of the rooms after different types of bread. We took great pride digging around to explore the history of the bakery and had some fun giving a ‘nod’ to the heritage of the site by naming each

With one monthly payment, customers can simply move in and start work! There is a great deal of history around the heritage cottage and the local branch of the Gambrill & McKay Bakery that is now the site of our storage centre at 105 Wigram Street, Harris Park. Many older Parramatta locals will remember the bakery being on the site. We took great pride digging around to explore the history of the bakery and had some fun giving a ‘nod’ to the heritage of the site by naming each of the rooms after different types of bread.

To share and hold on to the history of the area, we took the liberty of share some of that history by reproducing a November 1916 article about the

Darryl Hodgson NSW & SA Operations Manager

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FINANCE

SUPERANNUATION IN WILD TIMES

T he ASX reached a high on Friday, 21st February and a low on Monday, 23rd March which was a drop of 36%. By the 10th of June the ASX was only 14% down. Lately there have been a few jitters and things have dropped a little, so hovering around 14% down on the February high. Should you be retiring in the next few months, this would not be ideal. If you still have 10, 20 or 30 years to work, there is nothing to be concerned about as things will return and investments will settle down and grow again. we have all thought about this as we work our way through Covid-19. It is far more alarming if we are approaching retirement to have a significant event like Covid-19 or a Global Financial Crisis. IF YOU STILL HAVE 10, 20 OR 30 YEARS TO WORK, THERE IS NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT AS THINGS WILL RETURN AND INVESTMENTS WILL SETTLE DOWN AND GROW AGAIN. World Economic markets have been on a wild ride over this year as a result of Covid-19. What is happening to my Super? I am sure

“Great Attentive service from kind people! The lady helped me to carry my boxes to my Uber and one of the male staff there helped me calculate the most cost efficient selection of storage for my needs. I would definitely recommend this branch. I would also like to commend the company on its sustainable policies regarding barely used and unused boxes. Thanks guys!" Lien "Fantastic staff, greeted me when I arrived, knew already from how I turned up what I was storing, let me in immediately and helped me to reverse into the spot. Friendly and efficient, great customer service at Macquarie Park." Robert "Can not recommend Maria and the team at Kennards Petersham more. They were extremely helpful in a stressful time and couldn’t have been more supportive. They were never pushy, and even encouraged me to book a smaller unit! I am glad I chose them to store my mothers things and will be using them, if I need a storage solution in the future. Thanks team." Madeleine "I was able to organise a storage unit very quickly at Rydalmere after our garage at home got completely flooded and had to be cleared for clean up. Very friendly and helpful staff. Great facilities and easy access in and out of the complex. The large trailer you can hire when needed is a great bonus and you get a compli- mentary day after you first register for a unit." Alex

time to return to normal. • Some businesses will boom, some will never get back to where they were, and some will fail. • There will be ups and downs and hiccups along the way. • The world will move on from Covid-19 but depending on a vaccine, things could take some time. What should you do: • Keep across communication from your Super Fund. • Be aware of what investment choices you have selected. As we get older our investment options should be more conservative so that a significant event does not see a large portion of the balance lost. • Seek financial advice as to how best to manage your financial affairs to achieve the best outcome for a successful and happy retirement. • Compare your funds returns vs other funds over the last 5,10, 15 years. • Compare fees to other funds. • Be aware of legislation changes and how you can maximise your contri- butions, returns and changes to your Super plan. • Contact your Super Fund to receive feedback and input. Our Super is a long-term investment and we should not panic.

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What will happen going forward, if only we knew:

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Anthony Rous Chief Financial Officer

• The impact of Covid-19 will take a long

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FEATURE

WHAT'S YOUR BRAND

B rand is the name adopted by a business to identify who they are and what they sell, and marketing promotes what, how and why that business exists. WHERE DOES THE WORD BRAND ORIGINATE? Brand is about ownership. Brand derives from the Old Norse word “brnadr” or to burn, associated with the most obvious practice of branding livestock cattle. Using a hot iron, a farmer would brand their cattle with their name or insignia (aka logo) to designate ownership of that livestock. Branding has evolved over the years with businesses using branding to identify and claim ownership of their products or services. These days extending further to include people, assets, a company’s values, and the stories they create. THE STRENGTH OF YOUR BRAND IS DETERMINED BY WHAT PEOPLE THINK WHEN YOUR BRAND IS MENTIONED. FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN I MENTION 'APPLE' OR 'VIRGIN'? Big companies in the 1950’s moved from simple branding of their goods to a concept known as Brand Management, what is now referred to as marketing. Marketing in the early days was someone demonstrating how to use a product or service. Marketing today is now more about telling a story.

The strength of your Brand is determined by what people think when your Brand is mentioned. For example, what do you think when I mention 'Apple' or 'Virgin'? How people think about your Brand has been referred to as Brand Equity, this is the value a company gains from having a highly recognisable and admired name. Valuers will put a premium on a business that has a strong brand. The value is determined by consumer perception, and or customers who experienced the product or service. The advent of technology and Social Media has transformed traditional marketing of products to story telling, where companies build trust and loyalty through actions and stories that are interesting and engaging. Technology has placed a higher price on Brand Equity. Consumers can and do have access to real time reviews of your business. There is nowhere for a business to hide. Traditionally we were taught if you create a bad customer experience that customer will tell ten other people about that experience. I think it is now safe to say that number is now infinite. Every interaction we have with a customer regardless of how small is open to comment and sharing across social channels. Positive or negative can potentially influence your Brand Equity, which may influence consumer decision to do business with you. Our dream is to become a Famous Household Name, a company that people will talk fondly about when mentioned. Every interaction with a customer regard- less of how small or insignificant is subject to review. The endeavour is to make every moment an opportunity to show we care. Darren Marshall Chief Operating Officer

“Great facilities and very friendly and efficient staff. Maria in particular is an absolute star. Nothing was too small and she is very thorough in insuring that my needs were met completely. Highly recommend Kennards Storage Mt Eden to all!" Lloyd "Hard to fault really. Nothing was too much trouble. Excellent customer service, competitive pricing. Great range of storage options and boxes. Each Team Member I spoke to at different times was highly trained and knew their product and communicated with each other. Thank you for making this part of the move a breeze." Andrew "Such great customer service from John At Castle Hill, the relief manager today. Really helpful in providing me advice about the best unit to suit my storage needs. Patient and knowledgeable! Nice partly new facility too." Janice "Exceptionally helpful and respon- sive at Chatswood. Always follow- ing through. By far the best storage facility management I have encountered in the last 20 years in Sydney." Pam "I had to get into storage after Covid hit and all the campgrounds closed. It was an extremely stressful situation and Kennards went above and beyond to help me. I mostly dealt with Jamie and he made me feel like apart of the family. I highly recommend KSS Mile End for all your storage needs." Smash

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FEATURE

NZ LOCKDOWN 2.0

Unfortunately, at the time of writing, Covid-19 was successfully re-emerging in NZ, with community transmission occurring in Auckland, our largest city, and where KSS has two large asset sites at Three Kings and Mt Eden. It seems our Prime Ministers previous ‘radical level 4 lock it all down’ attempt under the slogan of “Go Hard, Go Early” was not enough, mind you when the government do not have the border sufficiently secured, it was only a matter of time before it reappeared, however the time for politics is for another day…..

T he effect of the Covid-19 restric - tions this time around has seen the storage market remain healthy with good growth across the NZ portfolio. The re-direction of spending from travel going towards investment in property renovations or acquisitions being one of the main factors driving recent occupancy growth. Along with the growing evolution of ‘working from home’ seeing customers wanting to create room at home to work, resulting in items needing to be stored. This growth has been helpful in replacing the other end of the market where SME business storage has seen significantly less demand, especially in the city sites where the business rep customers tend to operate from, but are no longer at the scale they once were pre-Covid-19.

North Shore of Auckland. Its profile will start to cement Kennards Self Storage becoming a Famous Household Name in the Auckland market. I commented in the last edition that when I next write, my words would be on the successful road to recovery from the Covid-19 Lockdown, so I will not jinx it this time by saying something similar. However, I am optimistic about a new formality of normality in the near future, will see continued growth in our business and we can return to our more traditional way of life, rather then being constantly reminded to wash our hands. Andrew Kirkham NZ Operations Manager

portfolio continue to be expanded with the Wairau Road site construction now well underway and with an anticipated opening date in February 2021. Along with the growing evolution of ‘working from home’ seeing customers wanting to create room at home to work, resulting in items needing to be stored. This site is already creating a lot of interest with its prime position adjacent to one of the main motorway exits on the ‘

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It is pleasing to see the New Zealand

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FEATURE

This phrase has been repeated many times, but the question is, where and how can we apply this in the workplace? STAY FOCUSED, THINK POSITIVE, BE CONFIDENT AND TAKE ACTION

I t is simple to apply this in the public, workplace, or at home. Train your thoughts to think positive and be confident with yourself to converse with your customers in an engaging manner. This will create a positive atmosphere within your centre that will ensure that your customers will enjoy the high quality service that is expected from any business. E V E R Y CUSTOMER YOU GREET IS A NEW OPPORTUN I TY FOR POTENTIAL BUSINESS. AS WE CONVERSE WITH THEM,WECREATE A P R O F E S - SIONAL AND H A R M O N I O U S RELATIONSHIP TO ASSIST THEIR STORAGE NEEDS. At the centre service level there are countless opportunities for us as Team Members to stay focussed, think positively, be confident and act on it. A simple example could be a customer walking into your centre to purchase a marking pen. This is a great opportunity for you to think; how am I going to give this customer a positive impression and a lifelong memorable experience? To ensure that your customer receives the best service from Kennards, you

could approach them with a greeting such as "Good morning, welcome to Kennards!" Smile and politely ask your customer how you can assist them today. Your smiles, greetings and welcoming attitude will instantly create a positive impression about you and the centre. This will encourage your customer to open up to you in regard to their storage needs. It is important to listen to your customer before suggesting a suitable solution to assist them and eventually create an opportu- nity to seal a business deal. Every customer you greet is a new opportunity for potential business. As we converse with them we create a professional and harmonious relation- ship to assist their storage needs. Exchanging greetings with a simple, “Good morning, How are you and your family? How is your business going? How are your kitchen renovations?" This will allow your customers to open with an anecdote of their day. Take mental notes about their context and situation as it provides a great source for potential business opportu- nity. For example, you could conclude that Ben requires more storage space, or a new storage unit to account for his influx of pallet deliveries. Take the opportunity to direct Ben to a suitable storage unit and give him the option to rent it on the spot. Constantly reassure your customers that you are there to assist them with their storage needs showing that you care for their well-being. In summary, stay focussed, think positively, be confident and take the initiative to attend to your customer’s needs. It is always worth the initial effort.

“I have never used paid storage before and relied on family, but this has obvious problems and the reason I turned to Kennards. From the initial phone call the staff treated us like valued customers, never being sold to or asked for commitment. Once we signed up at Southport and dropped off the first load I realised the value of these multi storey single building facili- ties. Everything is easy to get to, from loading to unloading a vehicle, while all the equipment needed to move furniture, boxes, mattresses is available, even a large enclosed trailer. I couldn’t recommend this amazing new facility enough." Rob "The heart and soul of Kennards, Pymble, lives in the phenomenal Varsha! When we first came to look at possible storage we were greeted by her exceptional profes- sionalism and her beautiful person- ality. Varsha was able to cater to our exact needs and we knew straight away that this is where we needed to be. The best customer service and the best coffee!" Matt and Em "Can't talk highly enough about this place, especially Jay and Michelle. They constantly go above and beyond expectations, and are always a pleasure to deal with. Thanks so much Chatswood!" Antonella "Tom and Steve couldn’t be more helpful with our endless questions. Great job guys, thanks so much for your continuing service." Raelene

Gladesville Team Anton Robertson and Anthony Heng

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REVIEWS

OOGLE REVIEWS

CHERMSIDE QLD We had a very positive experience at Kennards in Chermside. Glen and the Team couldn't have been more helpful and we always felt welcomed when we arrived. We had goods stored for over a year during a difficult time and found that Glen and his Team even remembered our names which was wonderful. Thanks Glen. Appreciate everything and would highly recommend your service to anyone thinking of storing their goods. ADELAIDE AIRPORT SA Thank you to my local Kennards self storage Adelaide Airport, they have all been helpful and pleasant in assisting my family with our storage needs. The facility is maintained at an exceptional level of cleanliness with ample and easily accessible trolleys and movers to make the task so much more manageable. Nice friendly service and expert advice. Samantha was very helpful. Recommended. Nice and clean and all questions answered without showing any rush. AUBURN NSW Very friendly staff and helpful. I've been using the storage since September 2018 and never had any trouble that the staff couldn't fix and they didn't take their time to get it done. Highly recommend using them! CASTLE HILL NSW Such a great Team, professional, helpful and friendly service. Secure 24hr accessible Storage to suit all needs with equipment to use as you move about. Kennards self storage also give discounts to return customers which makes working with Kennards an awesome experience. THOMASTOWN VIC

WENTWORTHVILLE NSW The moment we opened the office door, we knew we were in good hands. Thank you so much Mina for everything you have assisted us in. Being first time storage users, Mina explained all to us, making our move so easy. Very reason- able price for the boxes and can be returned and refunded if you need to do so. Thank you once again Mina for the wonderful service you have given to us, We would thoroughly recommend you to all. All the best. WETHERILL PARK NSW Simple, and great service! We had to get stuff done so quick with the sale of our house and a two week settlement. Kennards was easy to deal with, friendly and assisted us with our storage and boxes! Great work and thank you. COORPAROO QLD Huge storage spaces that are clean and offer no lease so my business can stay flexible, great conference room and free parcel service helps me run my business at low cost. I have been very happy with this Company. We found them very helpful, plenty of trolley's available, always kept clean and tidy. No issues whatsoever. Easy to use your code to get in and out with no hassle. MT EDEN NZ The customer service at this place was amazing. Pleasant experience from start to end. Will use again next time I need storage in Auckland. CHULLORA NSW The staff at this place are amazing. Massive thanks to Phillip (and Matt I think that was his name). Their customer service is fantastic, could not recommend them high enough. BELMONT NSW

THREE KINGS NZ Very welcoming and helpful Team when I moved my storage into a unit. It was easy to start my rental during lockdown and I was impressed with the security. I definitely have peace of mind that I have my things stored at a good place. The process of hiring a storage shed couldn’t have been any easier or any more pleasant. Everything was explained perfectly and nothing was too much trouble. I would highly recommend. CARINGBAH NSW Excellent Service here. I needed to downsize my storage unit as all of our furniture had been removed and I only had smaller household items to store now. Another unit was found on the same floor making the move very easy and convenient. It is always a pleasant experience at Caringbah. FYSHWICK ACT I wanted to give both Darryl and Colin a quick plug as they were extremely professional, helpful and great to have a chat with! I can easily recommend Kennards Storage Fyshwick. PARRAMATTA NSW Wasn't a storage customer but received some excellent service from Mina the Assistant Manager when we came late (after closing time) to pick up a Parcel- Point parcel. He kindly let us in and was very friendly, gave us our delivery without fuss. Even bothered him when he was about to leave in his car as we'd accidentally left our bag but of course he came out to let us in anyway! Also gave us his business card and said if we were running late for a parcel in future we can just call him :) Thank you very much Mina!. GLADESVILLE NSW

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FEATURE

GOOGLE MY BUSINESS POSTS

We’ve all experienced it from time to time, that one unit that’s hard to shift. It might be a mini warehouse, an odd-shaped space or just a unit type that needs a little boost online. Well it's time we talked GMB.

SEO by providing customers with easy access to business information, offers, products and updates. Since GMB is tied to search and Google Maps, we can rank better for local keywords. - And posting on GMB is free. Yes, you heard it right they are free! (We are not sure until when so let's make hay while the sun shines).

WHERE CAN WE VIEW THESE POSTS?

M any of you may be familiar few years, we’ve been making sure each centre has an up to date Google My Business listing to help customers find us on Google. It’s the informa - tion which pops up on the side of your Google page when you search for a business. It is where you get to snoop on customer’s Google Reviews, get directions, see their opening hours and contact information. Our GMB listings play a critical role in the marketing of our online footprint and especially local Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). The above Image highlights what is known as a Google My Business listing aka GMB. To compliment our GMB listings we now have the functionality to add a post on these listings - Google My Business Post. Over the past few months, we have been widely using GMB Posts to promote mini warehouses, special units, and office spaces specific to centres needs. GMB Posts are a specific advert with pictures and details of a unit or unit type that are published on the centre’s page to gain extra visibility. A standard GMB post on Google includes images, a description of the space and most importantly a call to action that has a time frame. These posts can be used to provide updates, with your Google My Business (GMB) listing. Over the last

Post can be viewed on Google Maps under the update’s tab/section or overview tab as seen below.

promote an event, make an announce- ment, or launch a special offer. An important component of Google posts is how they are displayed on a desktop compared to a mobile device. It could be argued that there is more of an emphasis on the posts seen on a mobile. The 'call to action' like click to call buttons, redeem offer are also more prevalent on mobile when comparing them to the desktop. HOW GOOGLE MY BUSINESS POSTS HELP OUR BOTTOM LINE Google Posts are a crucial tool for local businesses like ours: - They allow us to directly communi- cate with local customers regarding updates, offers and products which also help in building Brand Awareness and affinity. - Help us in reaching a wider audience since it is visible on Google Search and Google Maps. - Control more Google real estate on the search results page. - Helps us engage with our target audience through photos and videos. - The call to actions means customers can directly call from the post or can visit the linked web page which also supports customer experience.

If we are on a desktop or Google Chrome, then we can see it on the bottom of GMB’s knowledge panel. They also show in a carousel right next to the reviews.

The idea behind them is that we want

- Posts on Google strengthens local

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FEATURE

HOW WAS YOUR MEAL?

F or many businesses sadly the after-sale service, for a consumer can be an unpleasant experience. You may have faced this with your Telco provider or your energy provider when trying to get an issue resolved. Or you have eaten at a restaurant and the waiter asks, “how was your meal?” . How they ask leaves you with a sense of how much they care. For anyone in customer service these words are important. They want to know how the customer feels about the service they are paying for and does our product or service contribute to a sense of customer delight. Competition is growing in the self storage space, a positive consequence of that is better quality storage facilities and better quality service for people wishing to use self storage. To remain an industry leader and a successful business our own properties and practices need to evolve and improve to meet and exceed the expectations of customers today. Customer service should not end with a transaction. Hence the introduction of the 'Care Call'. The Care Call is not about selling it's about building a relationship. The primary purpose of the Care Call is to check in with the customer, asking them how their move was, any problems and is there anything else I can help you with. Like “ How was your meal?”. customer service stops at the sale. What is often referred to as It is this conversation that will demonstrate how importantly we value our customers and that we truly care about their experience and making their stay with us a positive, memorable experience. Yes, it is also an opportunity to remind customers their complimentary insurance is about to end and would they like to continue. The Care Call is an investment in the customer experience, it provides an

opportunity to recover any unpleasant experience that may have occurred during the move-in process. At the very least it reinforces our commitment to make the customers stay with us an enjoyable one. THE CARE CALL IS NOT ABOUT SELLING ITS ABOUT BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP. THE PRIMARY WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE CARE CALL? Not all move in experiences go well, learning this allows us to be proactive and turn a negative experience into a positive one. I imagine if the irritation is small many customers will not speak up because its not serious enough. It may still impact how the customer thinks or speaks about us. Offer insights from a customer’s perspective that may allow us as a business to change and improve what we do and how we do it. People do business with people they like and trust, they feel valued and appreci- ated and that the business is operating in the best interest of the customer. Our Care Call is another opportunity to build that connection, strengthen that relationship and demonstrate that we do sincerely care about the customer. Darren Marshall Chief Operating Officer PURPOSE OF THE CARE CALL IS TO CHECK IN WITH THE CUSTOMER... ‘

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people to look at them because they provide value and not just glaze over them. Google also provides built-in insights that shed light on how many impressions and clicks the post received. July and August we had 96 GMB’s go live out of which approximately 38% were rented. Some of the centres are smashing it by not leaving their posts section empty at any point in time. Ideally, it would be great to have two posts per centre at any given point in time since it is absolutely free. So, if you have something in mind please do not wait, go to Houston now and create that GMB Support Request. Sonal Saharan Digital Marketing Coordinator

14 Kennards Kourier Oct 2020

FEATURE

WHY GOOD PASSWORDS STILL MATTER... FOR NOW T here is growing consensus that passwords alone, as a means to identify yourself is becoming a

• CONTAIN PII (Personally Identifiable Information) – The name of your pets, children and the date of your anniversary are way too easily discoverable. • Use COMMON SUBSTITUTIONS - Don’t use common substitutions like 1 for l and 0 for O. Hackers do this program- matically now and it doesn’t slow them down at all.

hack into systems by bombarding them with as many password combinations as possible, in a process called brute force attacks. Should you be worried? Yes, you should. You would think with so many password breaches occurring daily, we would have improved our password selection practices. Unfortunately, over the last five years, little has changed:

bit old school. Pairing a password with another means of identification, plainly speaking, offers a far more robust defence against bad intentions. Multi factor authentication as it is known, is best described as something you know, something you have or something you are. Examples of these are: codes generated by smartphone apps, tokens, fingerprints, codes sent to an email address and facial recognition to name some. A lot of you are probably already using these in addition to a password in your everyday lives. It won’t be long before this is the norm and the only reason it isn’t already is because a lot of technologies are behind the eight ball, big players like Apple, Google and Microsoft notwith- standing. The other complication is, at least in corporate environments, interoperability across multiple systems – a challenge we face too, but one we are already unravelling, and ultimately where we are heading. For now though, good passwords still matter. Passwords have been used for many years as a means of identifying ourselves to others and in more recent times, to computers. It's a simple concept – a shared piece of informa- tion, kept secret between individuals and used to 'prove' identity. They're now used for everything from the PIN we enter at an ATM, to logging in to our computers and various web sites. Until relatively recently, a good password might have been a word or phrase of as little as six to eight charac- ters. But we now have minimum length guidelines. This is because of 'entropy'. When talking about passwords, entropy is the measure of predictability. The maths behind this isn't complex, the point here is passwords are ridicu- lously easy to guess using computing techniques. A computer can guess more than 100,000,000,000 passwords per second. By leveraging this computing power, cyber criminals can

• INCREMENT the number for a password change. Don’t just change the 1 to a 2! Examples of good passwords (Don’t use these – make up your own!): • 2BorNot2B_ThatIsThe? (To be or not to be, that is the question - from Shakespeare) • 2HeadsR>than1 (Two heads are better than one) • 4Score&7yrsAgo (Four score and seven years ago - from the Gettysburg Address) • 14A&A41dumaS (one for all and all for 1 - from The Three Musketeers, by Dumas) • Dressed2the999s:) (Dressed to the nines ) “Amateurs hack systems, professionals hack people.” - Bruce Schneier

SO, WHAT MAKES A GOOD PASSWORD? A good password is:

• LONG. Every extra character in a password makes it exponentially more difficult to crack. We encourage the use of 'passphrases' rather than passwords. • MEMORABLE. If you have to record it somewhere, you’re already creating a security exposure. Recorded passwords are easily discovered if they’re not kept somewhere secure like a Password Manager. • UNIQUE. Never re-use passwords on multiple systems. You don’t want a hacker that cracks your iTunes password to immediately have access to your PayPal account, do you? • HIGH ENTROPY. This means that it uses more than just alpha charac- ters. Add numbers (and not just 1). Add symbols (and not just the exclamation mark!). Add smiley faces 8) :S :P :D. A good password does not:

Sean Bradley ICT Manager

15 Kennards Kourier Oct 2020

FEATURE

GROWTH FOR HAWKES BAY

I n an exciting development in New Zealand, we have recently acquired a gateway location to the Hawkes Bay town of Hastings. The 5,834 square metre property is located at 820 Omahu Road, and will nicely compliment our existing Hastings centre, which consistently enjoys strong occupancy in excess of 90%. W e have been operating with Kennards for many years now across a number of locations but you have to go a long way to find a better and more helpful Team that really cares about the people who operate out of this facility. Nothing is too much trouble for Mark, Kylie, Greg and the rest of the Team, they go that extra yard for us day in day out and we have complete trust and confidence that our business is in the best of hands. Nothing falls through the cracks that is for sure. It's like having a natural extension to our Operations Team, having the Kennards Team here at Newcastle West, it's so reassuring as we are a small and agile business that needs someone we can partner and trust in. GOOGLE REVIEW This will be our fourth location in the

We intend to develop a 5,500 - 6,000 square metre double storey building and will be submitting plans for the Resource Consent in early 2021, and will commence construction as soon as we gain Consent. The fourth location in Hawkes Bay will strengthen our leadership in this robust market. Sam Kennard Chief Executive Officer

Hawkes Bay district, and our 10th New Zealand location. Hawkes Bay is a beautiful and highly desirable area. Population growth in this area has been strong as Auckland affordability and congestion drive people to live in provincial areas. The new property is near the intersec- tion of the Hawkes Bay Expressway.

We have been here nearly three years and would not consider going anywhere else as this is a great location for our business.

Kennards is very fortunate to have such a great Team of caring professionals as part of your business.

16 Kennards Kourier Oct 2020

PROPERTY

SPOTLIGHT ON PALMERSTON NORTH

Shona Kitchen, Centre Manager and Paul Buckby, Assistant Manager

Palmerston North has always been a storage facility, built in 1995 it was initially a Fort Knox Self Storage centre then Kennards acquired it as a Going Concern in December 2007. Built to purpose including owner’s apartment, with kitchen/living space adjoining the office and bedrooms upstairs. The apartment is currently rented with a long term tenant.

O ur layout is single story, ranch style with six blocks, comprising of drive up exterior garage units and internal units. We have 554 units, 5,293 square metres, 14 outdoor car parks and 30 units with power and lights. We have approximately 25 businesses storing, utilising the parcel pick up area and shelf rental. Several have offices inside their units so are here daily, the rest are sales reps who come and go. Known as the windiest centre in NZ, our metal banner spikes get snapped off at ground level often, we must have the highest turnover of fence and bowhead flag banners in the company! We are highly visible from Road Bridge which is one of the main roads coming into Palmerston North (Palmy). We are centrally located in the closest industrial area to town. A busy street with a diverse range of businesses including a Biker Bar, Prestige Homes opposite us (who mass build and truck out homes weekly. Amazing trucks lift the houses up above cars parked on each

side of our narrow congested street), Gilmores Wholesale Food and Beverage Supermarket and a Car Wreckers to name a few. We are one of, if not the first storage facility in Palmy, so with the years of combined handing down of knowledge we offer a genuine, caring, efficient fun customer service experience. Currently we have a cultural mix of customers; an Entertainer, a Maori Carver and an Opera Singer, who has asked if he can practise singing in his storage unit. At one stage we had customers from three different Gangs (wearing their patches while on site) and the Police all storing at once. 2016/2017 the average occupancy for this period at the centre was 92.36%, with only two competitors in Palmy. We were definitely the best in town. Since then we have welcomed three new main competitors and several smaller facilities. Also our two existing competi- tors expanded. With the Team gaining

confidence and embracing the challenge, insurance results improved and Mystery Shop results and Google reviews gained momentum, all this reassuring us we must still be the best in town. Current occupancy is 86.87%. The Team at Palmy consists of Shona of 4.5 years and Paul 3.5 years, with the recent addition of our TSM Toni Metz, based with us two days a week. A couple of problems we continually try to manage is the lack of larger house units, in the past we have converted by taking walls down. We must also have the smallest Box Shop in the company and the property perimeter has a fully electri- fied fence, which can be challenging with the wind blowing rubbish into it and then of course triggering the alarm. Despite our challenges we enjoy our jobs. We have a lot of positive Google Reviews, returning customers and referred customers. No day is ever the same. Shona Kitchen & Paul Buckby Palmerston North

17 Kennards Kourier Oct 2020

PROPERTY

PROPERTY DOWNLOAD

WAIRAU VALLEY NZ

to go as deep as 40 metres. So we dug deeper than we are building higher. Another significant challenge has been the Covid-19 restrictions which has prevented me travelling to NZ since February. Local Operations Manager Andrew Kirkham has proven to be an outstanding Project Manager on the ground along with attending multiple video conferences.

We are the first to develop to this new planning code and as such will stand as a Big Orange Beacon of Freedom, with fantastic exposure to the tens of thousands of Aucklanders driving past each day. The construction type is one of our growing range of high rise storage centres with KSS Wairau Valley rising up to six levels. The project has its challenges starting with soft ground conditions that required some piers

KSS first dabbled in NZ back in 2007, we purchased eight operating self storage centres with our then partners VALAD. Wairau Valley is our first Purpose Built centre for KSS in NZ. The property sits next to the major motorway that provides access to the affluent Northern suburbs of Auckland. Our land is within an evolving precinct that has been historically car related industries. Council identified our strip for future development up to six levels high.

When complete in February 2021 we expect to have over 840 units.

GUILDFORD NSW

KSS Guildford is on Woodville Road in Western Sydney and is an easy 10 minute drive south of Parramatta. The site has been in the Kennard portfolio since the mid 80’s and originally had Kennards Hire fronting the main entrance. Subsequent expansion of both companies saw Kennards Self Storage take control of the entire 16,300 square metres site in the early 90’s.

sively expanded with sprawling single storey self storage units. With long standing good occupancy the timing was right to give the site a new fully optioned three storey building, with a gross floor area of 4,820 square metres, 413 units, new office, meeting room and car parking areas. This is the first building of three approved for development on the site and on completion this first building will be an imposing orange and blue

landmark to the street vista.

The building will incorporate the new generation of LED sensor lights throughout (no timer switches) and high bay under cover internal loading dock with access to the twin lifts. With a completion date just before Christmas, it will be a great asset for the Team.

Since then the site has been progres-

Michael Macheledt & Craig Henery Development & Construction Team

18 Kennards Kourier Oct 2020