eKourier Jan 2010

7 Questions... With Steve Jansen

Customer Feedback “We were very pleased with the attitude and help given to us by Christine and Peter at Vermont. They knew and understood the problems with moving/ packing/ unpacking. The tea making and toilet facilities were also an added bonus.” “ We dealt with Leanne Nassif at Artarmon2. Leanne was extremely helpful and courteous. I have rarely had customer service that comes close, so many thanks Leanne!” “John and James were very polite and professional at Wetherill Park. They took the time to show me what I needed. Not only making me feel like a customer but more like a resident of KSS. Thank you for a great experience!” “Leonie at your Maribyrnong centre was amazing. She was extremely helpful and efficient. She is an exceptional employee and a true asset to Kennards.” mean if you approach the gate - hair on end and teeth on show. We also have 2 cats - Whiskey, the old grumpy one; and Dallas the kitten, a no nonsense attack cat who will take on anyone. What do you do outside of KSS? I own 3 Trombones and play with Parramatta City Band - the leading entertainment brass band in Sydney. I also play with the Yagoona Brass, plus Bass Trombone with Leichhardt Celebrity Brass and Balmain Sinfonia Orchestra. I also hope to be joining the Blacktown Salvation Army Band before Christmas. Brass banding is a big/widespread community and we often find ourselves helping one another on jobs and in competitions if we can. I adore Thai and Chinese food, or pork chops on the bbq. It is well known I do like my red wine! Do you have any pets? Banjo the 5 year old Labrador- cross-Border Collie who looks pretty

It is encouraging to see TSM’s grow and take on management roles in centres. The catch up and re-rostering that follows is usually quite stressful, but I will always encourage staff to apply for positions they want in their KSS life, and beyond. I enjoy a great deal of support from the Ops Managers who assist me with rostering challenges. I also appreciate those TSM’s who often travel a little further to a centre in need, as well as some centres who have been kind in adjusting their plans when we are really stuck. This certainly is a team effort on a grand scale. What did you do before KSS? My working life started with Big W, Tamworth at age 15. I left home at the age of 22 and moved to Sydney. I was recruited as part of the new store setup department manager crew, travelling all over Sydney. Upon reflection, I think it was because we worked nearly 24 hours a day with no overtime and having only beer and pizza, I finally became a Store Manager. Eventually I ran several stores over many years. I left Big W in 1997 and joined Peter Sheppard Footwear, managing their main store in Centrepoint. PSF had the largest range of ladies footwear in Australia, with thousands of very pricey shoes. My store had 20 full time ladies. Sometimes I was required to travel to Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth stores. Year 2000, I realised shoes weren’t for me long term and that’s when I found Self Storage. Tell us about your family I have been married for 21 years. I met my wife Suellen when I was opening Big W Blacktown. When news got out we were an item the store manager transferred her to Woolworths, so that my “career path wouldn’t be distracted.” Suellen now works at William Clarke College in the uniform store. We have two beautiful daughters, Alexis (19) who plays a mean electric guitar and is very creative with her drawing; and Natasha (15) who also plays electric guitar, as well as piano and drums. She is also a fabulous dancer.

Tell us about your time with Kennards and Millers. I joined Millers Storage in Dec 2000, starting as a Centre Manager for Bankstown. In 2002, I wanted to open a new centre and went to Rozelle. It was exciting being involved in the planning and setup for a brand new centre. There were a lot of decisions to be made about the layout and setup of what was essentially a dusty, empty shell when I started. In 2004, the news came that Millers was up for sale and thankfully I got to stay on, proudly wearing the new KSS uniform now. Since then I have moved twice more, transferring to Gladesville in October 2005 and then Rydalmere in March 09. During 2006, I was invited to take on the role as Team Support Co-ordinator, as well as managing my centre. The TSM Coordinator is responsible for programming coverage through the team support roster to handle leave and roster gaps arising from resignations, sickness etc . Originally there were only 3 TSMs and now we boast 8. What are some of the challenges you face in this role? I can’t deny that this role is extremely challenging. I guess the most difficult part is time management. Balancing the unpredictable nature of storage enquiries, the running of my centre and then addressing all leave applications and enquiries. Tell us about your roll as TSM co-ordinator

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Kennards Kourier January 2010