eKourier July 2020

FEATURE

LOCKDOWN IN NZ

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

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

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

Andrew Kirkham NZ Operations Manager

9 Kennards Kourier July 202