eKourier April 2010

Kourier Kennards

April 2010

Achievement Dinner Returns in 2010 T he Achievement Dinner has been strongly supported for return this year. After having a rest in 2009

In this issue Achievement Dinner Returns in 2010 Team Member Profiles How did you find us? How did you contact us? Daily Security Checks and Audits Should Prevent These Costly Mistakes Spotlight on... OrangeAds gets its first Billboard 6 Questions... Alliance with United Cellars to add Value to our Wine Storers Nev’s Notes Global Credit Card Fraud Compliance Program to Impact KSS First Wine Tasting a Great Success Next issue Deadline: 2nd July, 2010 Please send contributions to the editor Editor: Sharon Dux Email: sharon@kss.com.au Ph: 02 9764 9801 Distribution: 16th July, 2010 Upcoming events 25/4 - ANZAC Day - KSS Closed 26/4 - ANZAC Day Public Holiday - (NSW, VIC, ���� ���� ����� � �� ����� QLD, ACT, SA - PH Hours 28-29/4 - Skillbuilder - QLD 3/5 - Labour Day - (QLD - �� ����� PH Hours 3-4/5 - Skillbuilder - SA 10-14/5 - Skillbuilder - NZ 7/6 - Queens Birthday - (NZ KSS Closed 14/6 - Queens Birthday - (NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT, SA - �� ����� PH Hours Charity - Boystown Customer Feedback KSS Out & About

amidst the uncertainty of the Global Financial Crisis, it is pleasing to once again be able to publicly recognise the milestones and achievements of our team.

The Achievement Dinner is primarily a gesture of appreciation to everyone in the company, and a great chance to meet up and have some fun. The dinner is an attempt to bring everyone together despite the wide distances of our team. It enables a mixing of our team that is difficult to create. The cultural value of creating the context to get together has been repeatedly mentioned and appreciated. Everyone’s attendance is encouraged, no matter how far away you are. Save the date: Saturday August 14th.

What happens at the dinner? Our Achievement Dinner gives the opportunity to make presentations for milestones and achievements. These include: - 5 years of service - 10 years of service (concrete handprints) - 15 plus 20 years of service

- Adding Value Awards

- Scoty Gold Presentations – all teams attaining gold level in our valuable quality feedback system.

- Phone Sales Excellence

We look forward to seeing everyone together again.

Sam Kennard

1

Kennards Kourier April 2010

Team Member Profiles

Adam Snowdon Assistant Manager Miranda NSW Career background: My background is in the hospitality and electrical retail industry. Marital status: Married. Any children? No kids, yet.

Joanne Woodhouse Office Administrator THQ

Career background: Worked extensively in the Credit Union industry before joining Kennards in March 2005. Marital status: Married Any children? Melinda - 17 years old, passionate about human rights and social justice. Terry - 14 years old, aspiring soccer player and drummer. Hobbies/interests: Spending time with my family and friends, going out to cheer on my footy team the Wests Tigers, weekends away and going to rock concerts. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? Many hidden talents! Favourite book: Paullina Simons novels. Favourite movie: Lots of chick flicks - Officer and a Gentleman, Pretty Woman, Ghost and Notebook. Favourite restaurant/food: BBQ with family and friends. Where did you grow up? Toongabbie. Great roller skating rink!!! Any pets? 2 Mini Fox Terriers. Favourite holiday destination: Snapper Rocks at Rainbow Bay, its a great place to unwind...

Hobbies/interests: I enjoy cooking, eating and eating out with friends. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? Social tennis and golf. Favourite book: I am not much of a reader. Favourite movie: 2001 a Space Odyssey, The Matrix, there’s too many!!! Favourite restaurant/food: Sean’s Panaroma, North Bondi, closely followed by Mojo’s on Wilderness at the Hunter Valley. Where did you grow up? Lugarno, Sydney. Great place to grow up as a kid. Plenty of bush to roam and discover and we didn’t have to be home till the street lights came on! Any pets? No Favourite holiday: USA... Next stop Europe!

How did you find us? How did you contact us? A new customer recently brought to our attention the importance of understanding how our customers find us. Its important for us to know where to spend our marketing dollars. With the new website now being built and the changes to customers using Yellow Pages this has never been more important.

out about us - remember the “D/B” stands for “Drive By”. As happy as we are for the strength of our branding - it has nothing to do with dogs! Darryl Hodgson

We pick up the story from Mark at Caringbah whilst completing the last details of the “Plan to Close” card; Mark - “And finally, Jim, can I ask how you found out about Kennards Self Storage?” Jim - “Mate, your sites - they stand out like ‘Dogs Balls!’“ Jim then observed Marks circle on the plan to close card in the marketing section “D/B” and quickly replied: - “Mate, a lot of people must say what I said eh?!” From time to time we have sent out reminders to sites to be aware of the importance of recording this information.

When we converted to StorMan V8 there was an increase to the number of blank enquiries.

We would encourage everyone to choose a marketing category when processing an enquiry through StorMan so that we can obtain accurate marketing information. This will allow us to spend our marketing dollars more wisely. And next time you ask a customer where they found

Kennards Kourier April 2010

2

Daily Security Checks and Audits Should Prevent These Costly Mistakes M ajor U.S.A. storage operator, Public Storage, has recently lost a case caused by the incorrect occupancy of a space by a customer.

The brief summary from the Self Storage Legal Review explains how simple error can get expensive. It provides further weight on the importance of undertaking our regular Space Audits and Security Checks. “The Wrong Space” A jury returning a large verdict against a self storage operator is not common and always gets our attention. A verdict of $750,000 ($750,000 punitive damages and $5,000 in contract damages by a Cook County, Illinois jury is something to get the attention of every self storage operator. The trial judge, who presided over Vartika v Public Storage, Inc. , Case No. 03-L-014696, reduced the verdict to $462,429 ($69,145 property damage, $207,435 punitive damage and $185,849 attorney’s fees , but even the reduced amount seems extreme for a storage operator who may have made an unfortunate mistake but had no intent to harm its customer. The dispute arose when Ms Vartika rented a space at a Public Storage facility. The plaintiff alleged that she was taken to the space by the site manager, who demonstrated how the lock operated and placed her property in the storage space.

damages award is one issue for which they are seeking appellate review. This verdict indicated the risk that self storage operators face every time they sell a customer’s stored property. While few lien sales result in litigation, when they do the stakes are often very high. This is because lien sales offer plaintiffs the opportunity to recover punitive damages and attorney’s fees. While the Vartika case is not a typical lien sale case, the property loss incurred by the plaintiff was less than 15% of the total award. It is noteworthy that the attorneys who brought the suit recovered almost three times the award to the plaintiff. When a self storage operator conducts a lien sale, the risks are far greater than the value of the goods sold. The Self Storage Legal Review The Self Storage Association Foundation. Nov/Dec 2009 Sam Kennard

found that she could not open the lock. She asked the manager about the property and he told her she had not paid the rent. She said this was impossible as she had set up an automatic payment account. It turned out that her property was not in the space that Public Storage records indicated she had rented and the contents of her space had been sold. “It turned out that her property was not in the space that Public Storage records indicated she had rented and the contents of her space had been sold.” The primary issue in the case was whose mistake it was that the plaintiff was occupying the wrong space. Both the jury and the judge concluded that it was Public Storage’s fault that the tenant’s property was put in the wrong space and the company was liable for her lose. However, it is clear that Ms Vartika’s property was disposed of as a result of an unfortunate mistake. Public Storage is appealing this verdict. The propriety of the punitive

She paid her account by automatic credit card payment. She checked on her

property regularly and on one visit

3

Kennards Kourier April 2010

Spotlight on Wanganui...

students returning to their home towns, as well real estate sales leaving the home owner between houses, their stays tend to be shorter. In the middle of last year a valued occupier who had a total of 9 units lost their working contract, a setback that we have overcome. From 159 occupied units in June 2009 to a total of 185 units March 2010. Our delinquents are becoming non existent. As At March 2010 we had no delinquents or money owing over 30 days. The Team Karina Gardiner joined KSS in March 2009 as the manager with Veronica Laws having joined the company in March 2008 as the relieving manager. We both take pride in keeping the site clean and tidy, and enjoy welcoming new arrivals to our town, when often we are the first port of call. Particularly as Wanganui is well worth the journey! Team Wanganui Karina Gardiner & Veronica Laws

of dairy, cattle and sheep, with processing plants and product producing factories and industries associated. Site Features The Wanganui Centre was originally constructed as a single story building consisting of 114 units on an old timber yard. Some time later a two storey building of another 220 units was added to the complex, bringing the total to 334 units, 3442 square metres including 20 car parking spaces. Situated near the town centre alongside tennis and squash courts and a large school and sports field across the road, it allows the storers to pop in when they are passing and they seem to enjoy the security and the cleanliness of the site and the friendly staff. We definitely offer more to the storer, than other sites around the town. Our long term storers tend to be trades persons; plumbers, commercial cleaners, TV aerials installers, shop retailer holding additional stock and travelling sales persons. During our Summer, end of year, our occupancy does go up, demand by

History Wanganui is situated on the

Wanganui River, West coast of the North Island in the South Taranaki Bite, approximately half way between New Plymouth and Wellington where we are 10 minutes from anywhere and 15 minutes to the rest of the world. Population of the Wanganui district is about 42,000. We have the fifth most equable climate in the world, so the meteorologists tell us. For a town of its size, our sporting facilities are the envy of many with the International Masters Games being held here biannually and our mountains only an hour and half away for skiing and tramping. The area is supporting a farming community

OrangeAds gets its first Billboard! K ennards Self Storage and Circus Group Media have recently joined forces to create a new business niche called OrangeAds, solely for the purpose of producing billboard signage on various Kennards Self Storage buildings to be sold to the general public. Kennards Self Storage and Circus split the revenue earned in the billboards. With most of our buildings on main roads, boasting large wall space, it is a great opportunity. This new initiative has seen its first Billboard erected and signage displayed at Kennards Self Storage Rydalmere. This is the first of many installs to come by OrangeAds. Mona Vale is under way and Queensland is next on the agenda.

4

Kennards Kourier April 2010

6 Questions... With Ben Brown

Support Manager in June 2008. One of the things I like about being a TSM is that I get to meet and work with different staff members. Going from one centre to another I get to learn something new each day. I enjoy the variety of cleaning one minute then doing admin, painting and then serving a customer. I have found that most of the centres that I go to treat me as part of their team/family which makes me feel really relaxed and at ease. I get to pick up different handy hints of running a centre which will help me in the future when I’m ready to take on a centre of my own. We hear you enjoy to travel, tell us about this. Yes I really enjoy travelling. I have been to LA [Disneyland] a couple of times and look forward to making arrangements to go to New Orleans, Nashville, Memphis, Las Vegas and of course back to Disneyland. I have seen some parts of Australia and really enjoyed my most recent holiday at Lindeman Island, flying to the Great Barrier Reef via helicopter and then snorkelling there was an experience I’ll never forget. I would like to visit Darwin, Tasmania, ‘This alliance is about two leading companies leveraging their special skills to provide both existing and new clients a wonderful array of new experiences and services. Wine is at its best when it is shared with others and the United Cellars experience is about bringing wines to life among a community of like-minded people,’ says Anthony Ghattas, Managing Director of United Cellars. Kennards agrees that there is a clear alignment in values, entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to innovation within the two companies. United are innovative and emerging and offer their clients great customer intimacy and personal service that will

Adelaide and some parts of Western Australia. Tell us about your family. I am a family man, I have a wife [Megan] and we just celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary in March. My son Mitchell is 16 years old and has his own temporary tattoo business and we have 2 dalmation puppies [Razmus and Dotty]. Razmus is on the most recent RSPCA ad. Favourite music? I enjoy most music, ranging from Jazz, Soul, Country, Rock and Heavy Metal [NOT Screamo]. What do you do outside of Kennards with your spare time? When I’m not at work I like to watch the football when possible. I do enjoy a game of golf, which I am not really good at. I love firing up the BBQ and having a few friends over for a couple of drinks and a swim. I sometimes like taking off camping for a few days or head up to Newcastle to see an old school friend. Once our puppies are old enough and have had all their needles I’ll enjoy taking them on walks and trips as well.

Tell us about your work history before Kennards? My career background has mostly been in retail management. Before Kennards I was a furniture Showroom Manager for one of Sydney’s largest privately owned furniture companies for 4 1/2 years. Looking for a career change BUT still within the customer service industry, I came along an employment ad for Kennards. What do you enjoy most about being a TSM? I joined the Kennards team as a Team K ennards Wine Storage have recently joined together with United Cellars in a new concept developed named The United Cellar Angel. The alliance gives clients of Kennards Wine Storage access to United Cellars extensive network of wineries, distributors and importers, and the opportunity to connect with the personalised service, knowledge and enthusiasm of United Cellars staff. United Cellars’ clients will benefit from the storage advice and expertise of Australia’s largest self-storage company.

Alliance with United Cellars to Add Value to our Wine Storers

benefit Kennards current and future clients. In turn, Kennards believe that the United customers will appreciate the savings and value they can gain from storing their wine with them. The partnership with United Cellars signals the beginning of a new alliance between the United Lifestyle Group, parent company of United Cellars, and Kennards

Wine Storage, two fiercely independent and pioneering Australian companies.

5

Kennards Kourier April 2010

Spotlight on Preston...

Site Features Preston’s facility is comfortably nestled between domestic housing and a light industrial area. At about 10 km from the CBD; we have the main road of Bell Street to our front, with domestic housing beside and behind us. Being on Bell Street, we have a good mixture of people commuting between work and home. Also being a major transport link, it exposes us to commercial, domestic & student traffic, to which we enjoy a good mix storing with us. Preston sits well in its environment, a happy and convenient position for people needing storage. We have steady growth, with new customer inquiries each day. In our bright orange livery, and the Telstra towers on the roof, we can’t be missed. Other than a few “peaks & troughs,” our growth is perhaps more steady than dramatic.

The Team With Sandra Mazzitelli (Manager and Nigel Spragg (assistant Manager both having extensive customer service backgrounds, Sandra from Hospitality, Nigel from Retail, we manage to deal with most situations and challenges. We also have our competitors, but with our 24/7 advantage, meticulously maintained premises, (very house proud complete attention to detail of our customers needs, we have a good edge over our competitors. Not just perceived either, our customers tell us after they have experienced the difference! If you are ever in the area, pop in for a look around and one of Sandra’s magic coffees, they are so good; customers actually come in asking for them! Team Preston

History A couple of the older local residents around here have told us that the site was once upon a time a Market Garden, (which the area of Preston was apparently known for in the early 1800’s , then a Tannery for a number of years, then for a short while it was a Wood/Coal Yard; (Leaving me wondering about the actual location of the picture we see here? Before Millers developed the site as a purpose built storage facility around 2000, there was a sheltered workshop on the site. Not so different from its current occupants some might argue. Millers had the building for about two years before the Kennards acquisition in December 2004.

NEV’S NOTES...

“Mistakes - Are we making enough” I n our Australian and New Zealand culture it is often seen as wrong, as inept, to make mistakes. At school we try not to be wrong; we try to be right and get approval, to stay out of trouble. So often we don’t try out new things or experiment. But we don’t lean much from always being right. It is from our mistakes that we learn most. “ How can you learn from the mistakes you’ve never made ” is a saying I learned at a course at the Pecos River Learning Centre in New Mexico several years ago.

Make high-class mistakes : that is mistakes from trying something that will yield some new knowledge. Think it out as best you can, get some advice or input perhaps to help to optimise your attempt, and your learning, weigh up the costs and consequences, ask if anyone else has anything to contribute to your idea, and then give it a go. And make mistakes quickly ! Don’t procrastinate. Think it through and give it a go, learn, and move on. What have you learned ? Is it worth another go ? Did it fail but yield some valuable information that offers some new opportunity for another go, or to go in a different direction ? Have a go, learn, move on. “ The person who never made a mistake never made anything ” was the comment from a carpenter who built some kitchen cupboards for me once. He had made a blue and this was his rationalising apology. It was OK, I had to agree. At Kennards Self Storage we encourage initiative; we want to innovate and try new things, we want to be a learning company and culture. Sure it’s better not to make silly, sloppy errors, but mistakes from trying something new are not really mistakes, they are essential to learning and progress. So go forth and make some good mistakes. Nev Kennard

6

Kennards Kourier April 2010

Global Credit Card Fraud Compliance Programme to Impact KSS

What is PCI Compliance? PCI (Payment Card Industry compliance is a complex and ever evolving requirement affecting millions of businesses worldwide. The Compliance programme is enforced through the major banks and has to do with the secure protection of credit card information. Frustrated by log ins and passwords? Brace yourselves for change! KSS is not exempt and obligated under the programme to demonstrate compliance. Commercially we are accountable for the protection of credit card information which passes through any of our systems or even across the counter. “A lot of the work that will make KSS compliant will be back end and hardly noticed day to day.” PCI compliance has actually been around for some years now, the problem was merchants never quite understood the requirements and resisted ‘change’ and the cost in becoming compliant. Today however PCI Compliance is a reality, Merchants that cannot demonstrate compliance are being Why now? Times have changed.

issued with fines in excess of $100,000 quarterly, and up to ten times that amount where systems have been compromised facilitating fraud. The Good News? A lot of the work that will make KSS compliant will be back end and hardly noticed day to day. The process in

becoming compliant is a progressive one, meaning we do not have to tick all the boxes all at once allowing us to allocate resources and apply change over a period of time. Examples of changes which will affect you: Over the coming months you can expect changes in many shapes and sizes, some of those are below: - Inability to view any credit card information whatsoever once it has been entered in StorMan - Re configuration of EFTPOS terminals to see most transaction’s handled directly through StorMan/Advam - Refunds for unused rent will be processed via Bank Transfer and Advam only - Regular changing of password’s in KOSMO and StorMan

- Keeping records holding credit card information under lock and key - Not accepting credit card information via email - Implementation of Integrated EFTPOS and online reporting - Cash refunds on buybacks will be made redundant entirely We appreciate your patience and support: PCI Compliance is a learning process for most businesses, some of it will naturally frustrate us and change the way we have done things for years, the reality however is it is now a necessity and should be perceived as just another type of ‘progress’ in bettering our business, protecting customer information whilst reducing our vulnerability commercially. Jeff Xanthos

First Wine Tasting a Great Success!

Kennards and United Cellars first wine tasting took place at KSS Artarmon. Using the centres venue to set up wine tastings in the form of a treasure hunt! The night was a great success. vacant storage units as a good

7

Kennards Kourier April 2010

Helping Boystown Kennards Self Storage Milton have been assisting Boystown (a national charity which proudly provides safety, compassion, education, understanding and - perhaps most

KSS Out and About!!

important of all - hope for the future to young Australians with a free unit, boxes, and trailer since the start of October to aid them in the storing of and

Kevin Mouatt & Lisa Auld - KSS Milton

transporting of gifts collected for Parmenie (a family violence refuge to help women and their children who have experienced the trauma of domestic violence.

Neville Arkinstall - KSS Milton

Customer Feedback G’day David, Please forward

Customer Feedback “Artarmon provided exceptional service. Leanne has excellent customer service skills. The storage is immaculately clean. The quality at Artarmon is 6 star! Thanks for the storage! ” “I found the service and help from the whole team at Kennards Guildford outstanding. I will always use Kennards and recommend you to my friends. Keep up the great standard!” “Camperdown kept the premises clean and well lit. Easy access to storage units. Excellent help from staff - always eager to answer questions and I even received a credit for unused time - very rare these days. I will be more than happy to use you again.” “David and Glen at Chermside were more than helpful. Glen organised my unit and the smallest things such as carrying my bought boxes to my car. Good old fashioned courtesy. My whole 6 month experience was easy and hassle free. Very professional service all round.” “Sandra and Nigel at Preston were very helpful and pleasant. Also the facilities were clean and secure.”

to the big bosses of Kennards and in particular the biggest boss. My wife and I together with our 4 children, would like to encourage that when it is time for you to use a storage facility, use Superman BOB at Warriewood kennards. The bloke is unassuming and when I first meet him I didn’t see a customer service dude in him, but, when we needed him the most, he flew into action like superman of the customer service world and all totally unsupervised. BOB, mate you are a legend, based on your recent performance they should pay you more and from me and my family we THANK YOU and sincerely appreciate ALL your help. To the KING of Kennards ( you can use this cliche’ , I hope you get this email and you need more people like Superman BOB, so does Sydney. BOB, you have made our move interstate to WA even better, cheers champion. Sincere regards, Natalie & Dean.

Kennards Self Storage Thebarton back up the local Razorback Gridiron team in South Australia. And then also decided to join in the spirit !!!

Robert Todd and Michael Mckenzie - KSS Thebarton

“When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live.” - Greg Anderson

8

Kennards Kourier April 2010