eKourier Oct 2012

Kennards Kourier

October 2012

Momentum 2012 “It’s “what we do”, “how we do it”, “all the time, every time”. That will get us closer to achieving the dream.”

M omentum is the name given to our strategic conference held every two to three years. Its purpose is to re-focus on our values to establish new goals to determine the direction of the people in KSS into the future.

Day One of the Conference : This involved an 18km trek along the South Coast from Kiama to Gerringong and back, for those who were keen and able. This activity helped everyone to relax, get to know each other and removed distracting thoughts from our daily routines, in preparation for the conference. Day Two : Was time to get down to business. This was a full day dedicated to capturing, sharing and discussing ideas for business improvement. Gary started the session by asking the group “What’s your dream”. Sam at this point articulated

south of Sydney. The attending group consisted of a mix of 22 Team Members from THQ and centres. The Managers involved from centres were selected by application in response to an invitation that was open to all KSS Team Members. There were only limited places available which meant unfortunately some keen and competent Team Members missed out on attending this year. The conference was held over three days and was facilitated by Gary Bertwistle. Gary is highly regarded as an industry expert in unlocking the creative potential inside any business and he didn’t disappoint this year.

Momentum was held in August this year at beautiful Kiama, two hours

Con’t pg 3...

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Kennards Kourier Oct 2012

Team Member Profiles

In this issue Momentum 2012

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Christina Gregoriou Customer Care Officer

Team Member Profiles

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Momentum 2012

3 - 5

Career background: I worked at Myer for 2 years before KSS, taking customer orders and making sales. Marital status: Long-term relationship Any children? No Hobbies/interests: Travelling, dancing, movies and good food. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? I have been dancing for 15 years. Favourite movie: The Davinci Code

KSS Achievement Dinner

6 - 9

Kennards Grows to Five Centres

10

Skillbuilder Highlights

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Nevs Notes

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WebWord - Website Launch

13 14

Loads of Socks at KSS

Coffee Break with Fizz

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Customer Feedback

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New Zealand Enjoys Solid Results

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KSS Library Book Review 15 Winestate Magazine Hold Tasting... 16 Wollongong Complete... 17 Spotlight on Penrith 18 7 Questions... 19 Congratulations 20 Kennards Out and About 20 Next issue Deadline: December 24, 2012 Please send contributions to the editor Editor: Sharon Dux Email: sharon@kss.com.au Ph: 02 9764 9801 Distribution: January 25, 2013 Upcoming events 22/10 - Labour Day (NZ) Closed 6/11 - Melbourne Cup (VIC) PH Hours

Favourite restaurant/food: Hurricanes, Ribs & Rumps and Kens Sushi. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Kingsgrove, with 2 older brothers. I had a pretty fun filled childhood. Any pets? 3 cats all named ‘Schmippies’. Favourite holiday destination: Miami, Ibiza, Cancun and Mykonos. I love sunsets, beaches and great music!

Gordon Iyere Assistant Manager - Fortitude Valley

Career background: I have a background in electronics. Have worked in car sales, managed supermarkets and taught English in China. Marital status: Single Any children? No Hobbies/interests: Preaching the goodness of the cross of Jesus Christ. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? Soccer. My special talent is playing the Bongos, congas and Dgembe (African drum). Favourite book: The Bible Favourite movie: The Passion of Christ

16/11 - Christmas Party (QLD) 22/11 - Christmas Party (SA) 23/11 - Christmas Party (VIC)

7/12 - Christmas Party (Sydney/ACT) 25/12 - Christmas Day (KSS Closed)

26/12 - Boxing Day (KSS Closed) 1/1 - New Years Day (KSS Closed) 2/1 - New Years Day (NZ Closed) 21/1 - Wellington Anniversary Day (Palmerston North/Wanganui) Closed 28/1 - Auckland Anniversary Day (Mt Eden/ Three Kings/Tauranga) Closed 28/1 - Australia Day (NSW/VIC/QLD/ACT/SA) PH Hours

Favourite restaurant/food: Chinese food Where did you grow up? Lagos, Nigeria. Lagos is the heart of commercial activity in Nigeria. Population of 13 million. Any pets? None Favourite holiday destination: The Great Wall of China.

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Momentum12 his vision for Kennards Self Storage to become a “ Famous Household Name , a company well liked, that people will speak fondly of”, and who could argue with that kind of vision. From that initial dream and idea, Gary set us on a path of discovery to determine how that dream can become a reality. As the day progressed, many ideas were raised, presented and hotly debated by the group. By the end of the day, the group agreed on four key strategies that would move Kennards closer to becoming a “ Famous Household Name ”.

strive to achieve and can return the greatest value to the company. It’s “what we do”, “how we do it”, “all the time, every time”. That will get us closer to achieving the dream. Each of the strategies has been assigned a champion who will

50/50. Each side delivered their reasons as to why their preferred idea should triumph. In the end a silent ballot was held and the results were announced ‘Survivor style’- and a vote off was enacted by Bill to reveal the preferred idea. It was an emotional choice as FREEDOM was chosen as the acronym for our values. F – FUN

develop an Action Plan to give life to each area within the organisation. In addition to the four strategies a numerical value for the business was established as a measure of our success. It was to achieve 40,000 units rented by June 30, 2013. On Day Three , there was a change in direction. Gary challenged the group to recite the values of the business. Although we came close with a lot of great value statements, no one really hit the mark. We were set to task on developing an idea that would cement our values and make them memorable and meaningful for everyone. To achieve the end result was a monumental task. There were a lot of fantastic ideas put forward, but in the end it came down to two strong ideas. It became a stand-off on which concept would prevail, as the group was divided

Four Point Strategy:

1. Exceptional Customer Experience – every time, in every way

2. Best People – engaged and professional

R – RESPECT E – ETHICAL E – EMPOWER D – DELIGHT O – OPENNESS M – MEMORABLE

3. Continuous Innovation

4. Grow and strengthen brand profile

We broke into teams and each team was assigned a concept to workshop and develop additional ideas that were then presented back to the group. The team presenting “Exceptional Customer Experience” came up with two very powerful words that resonated with everyone. “Surprise and Delight”- two words that set the tone of the kind of customer service that we should all

After finally reaching a decision on our values, Gary then gave a talk on “Who Stole My Mojo” and how to get your “Mojo” back. He suggested that by removing ‘ceilings’ and not listening to the voice in your head…you can achieve anything. Gary called the voice in your head “Fat Bastard”- the character who stole Austin Powers’ Mojo. An example of this mind-set was a statement made by the great tennis player Roger Federer who said in an interview “When you stop questioning yourself you just get into the zone”. The conference was a great success, with valuable contributions from everyone. I look forward to the positive impact these ideas will have on the business and its people. Thank you to all who were involved.

Darren Marshall General Manager

Con’t pg 4...

L to R- Mark Montgomery, Bill McClean, Sam Kennard and Adam Snowdon

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Kennards Kourier Oct 2012

Momentum12 - Why KSS Loves ‘FREEDOM’ to Anchor Our Values

N eville Kennard (1937–2012) was the entrepreneurial, adventurous spirit that founded Kennards Self Storage in 1973. We owe our origins to his insight and initia- tive to pursue such a courageous and pioneering idea. He was a man that saw no boundaries and believed that ideas are more important than rules. He genuinely believed that any problem was an opportunity for an entrepreneur. He was a stern friend of Freedom and Liberty of the individual; that each of us should be the only ones who choose what we do with our lives. Governments and law makers only corrode individual Freedom. He lived with openness, integrity and humility. He was an inquisitive, provocative and entrepreneurial thinker who saw things outside the box. His legacy is threaded throughout the company. FREEDOM elegantly captures his ideas and the values that are embedded in KSS – we believe in Freedom for the individual to grow, prosper and achieve. Sam Kennard Managing Manager “ W hen I first submitted my interest in attending Momentum 2012, as an Assistant Manager I thought that my chances of being selected were quite slim. That being said it was a pleasant surprise when I received my invitation in the mail a short time later. The event was well organised and I thoroughly enjoyed participating. The location was fantastic, staying right on Kendalls beach offered some of the best views imaginable. It was truly inspiring to see so many people from various roles buy in, showing a great deal of passion and enthusiasm for their ideas (especially when choosing the values statement), and to really get involved and have a part in helping the company to grow. This was also a great opportunity to have the chance to meet and better get to know the teams from THQ and other states\ NZ.” Mark Burgess Con’t pg 5...

“He was a stern friend of Freedom and Liberty of the individual; that each of us should be the only ones who choose what we do with our lives.”

“ M omentum 2012 was held to plan the cultural direction and goals of KSS for the future. Valuable contribu- tions were made by everyone as we discussed our dream to become “a famous, iconic brand that people are fond of”. Facilitator Gary Bertwistle guided the sessions as we consid- ered our purpose and created strate- gies to realise the dream. One of the highlights was the “epic“ debate to search for an acronym which distils our values, however “FREEDOM” prevailed in the end. We also examined the importance of public perception in marketing and brand growth by comparing other iconic brands such as Apple, IBM, Woolworths and Coles.

for the opportunity to participate and look forward to seeing the results rolled out over the coming months.” David Bauze

“ F irstly I would like to thank Wayne Birch for giving me the opportunity to be involved with Momentum 12. It was great to be involved with heads of departments and other fellow workers. I feel that everybody there was looking for the same thing, to have input and be proud of what we do, who we work for and why we do it (The Dream of becoming an Iconic Household Brand). I found the enthusiasm and inspiration as individuals working together was incred- ible.” Mark Montgomery

I would like to thank Sam and Darren

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“ M omentum was a great opportunity to look at KSS from a more holistic point of view. We had an insight into the vision and direction for the future and it was great to be able to make contribution to the future needs of our business. What was apparent was the energy and enthusiasm of all those that attended. Delivering the best product with the best people, I believe encapsulates the whole KSS experience.” Adam Snowdon Momentum12

“ W e started Momentum 2012 with a three and a half hour, 18.25km cliff top hike along the beautiful Kiama coastline. The gale force head wind really did get rid of any Achievement Dinner cobwebs! The next morning our facilitator, Gary Bertwistle, set an agenda that saw us recognise development opportunities for our business. Having established these, we spent the next couple of days formulating action plans to tackle these areas moving forward. We also looked at options to promote our business Brand and discussed the practical aspects of implementing these options. I look forward to seeing how these ideas develop over time and look forward to seeing their positive impact on our business.

This was the second time I had been fortunate enough to attend a Momentum conference. My first time was in 2008. That confer- ence opened my eyes to the fact our business really does value the input of all Team Members. The chance to attend Momentum 2012 once again solidified to me that KSS has a strong, proactive culture, that will see our business continue to grow and prosper. I would recommend that all team members apply to attend any future conferences. It is a fantastic opportunity to not only have input into developing our business, but also to develop as an individual.” Robert Todd.

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Kennards Self Storage 2012 Achiev

“ I enjoy attending the Achievement Dinners. It is one of those few times in the year where you get to see many of the Teams that you would not necessarily be able to meet otherwise. I was proud to see seven of the NZ team make the journey over. My Yammer page was used as the example for holding a social media conversation, and once we (Or I) remembered how to use just the one conversation, it set up a rolling time line of how the night went – the use of Yammer enabled those who could not make it, to still be involved in the night and enjoy the events. Wayne and I played a part with the first ever Kennards Archive Box Challenge. We chose six Team Members from those attending on the night to come up and make as many Archive Boxes in a two minute period, with a different handicap for each participant – i.e. one person had one hand tied up with another team member, one team member had to hold a glass of water and not spill it, another person had to do it blindfolded and one team member even had to attempt making there archive boxes standing backwards – go figure that one!

Anyway, congratulations to all the participants who made at least 1 box, of course a Kiwi won – well done Shane Pearce, alas with some help from me (I had made three boxes before hand)! Well done to all the Team Members and the sites who received awards. It is nice to be acknowledged and be rewarded for good performance. Of particular note was Karina Gardiner from Wanganui receiving an Adding Value Award. Overall, a good night to remember and I urge any Team Member who could not make it to look in the diary for next years event and make the effort to attend – it will be rewarding and well worth it. See you next year!” Andrew Kirkham

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vement Dinner, a Night to Celebrate!

Challenging Our Boxes - “ T he KSS Box Challenge motto: ‘be your best, do your best and you will be the best’. Well not quite. Even though the challenge wasn’t a surprise for some of the participants it was a surprise given their task to be completed. Team Members were tied down in completing the challenge quickly, others gulped on water and spilled-up, some were blinded by the task at hand, whilst others were slung around. The Kiwi sheepishly backed-up what we all knew – they’ll try anything to get to the ‘end’ result. What was meant to be a quick and fun challenge ending up being quite a handful for some of the box participants but all performed their box challenge with great skill to the task given and enjoyed their role. I would like to personally thank all Team Members involved in the Kennards Box Challenge during the Achievement Awards Night who added to the

“ A nother great night, a little different this

year with the introduction of the Archive Box Challenge, and Yammer on the big screen for live comments. Congratulations to all the Award Recipients. Thank you to everyone who attended and for making the night a wonderful experience”. Darren Marshall

“ A nother fabulous event again this year. It’s a good chance to meet team members from NZ and other States. My favourite part of the evening was the Archive Challenge!!” Lynda Walsh “ T his being my first Kennards Achievement Dinner, I had been looking forward to the night and it sure did live up to it. Having worked for several companies, I had yet

enjoyable night had by all.” Wayne Birch “ A s one of the co-Mc’s on the night with Darryl Hodgson, I thoroughly enjoyed

to see a company that exercises so much time, effort and recognition for their Team Members as Kennards does. I really enjoyed the night seeing all the Kennards staff mingling and talking to each other and having a good time. The Awards really highlighted the passion and strength of all the

the night and it was great to see both new and familiar faces attending from NZ and the states. With a packed night of presentations and a slight change in format, providing something new, fresh and interesting. The night was a gesture of appreciation to everyone, and whilst there were good numbers at this years event it would be great to see even more attending in 2013.” Glen Bayley Con’t pg 8...

team at Kennards. Looking forward to more milestones and achievements at the next Awards Night. P.S. Not sure about that K-TV roving reporter guy.” Tony Vuong

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Achievement Dinne ADDING VALUE AWARDS Kylie Rangi

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE Port Melbourne Campbelltown Guildford West End Castle Hill Fyshwick Newcastle West Three Kings Palmerston North Brookvale

SPECIAL DISTINCTION AWARDS MOST IMPROVED Campbelltown 1 Sarf Khan Maree Knight

Yeerongpilly Burleigh Junction Kirrawee Fortitude Valley Browns Plains Maribyrnong Chermside Penrith Ivanhoe Preston Virginia Newstead Flemington Campbelltown 1 Miranda Erina Hoxton Park Thebarton Thornleigh Chatswood

Springvale North Melbourne Milton Mount Eden Abbotsford Rozelle Wanganui Hastings Petersham Panorama Caringbah Hornsby Rydalmere Artarmon 2 Vermont Huntingdale Kingsgrove Mona Vale 1 Belmont Marrickville Wetherill Park Abbotsford 1

For Adding Value with her great attitude towards customers and work. Kylie managed Browns Plains with unwavering commitment and enthusiasm in difficult circumstances and limited teammate support.

Thornleigh Stephan Wandl Scott Degenhardt

Karen Bell For Adding Value with her

Parramatta Bankstown Camperdown

Hoxton Park Samantha Heneghan James Burns

leadership and attitude in the testing circumstances at Ultimo in 2011. Then as only an Assistant Manager and without prompting Karen stepped up as the leader with humility, honesty and confidence. An example to her fellow teammates. Emily Fiala For Adding value through her flexible, supportive and helpful approach to support centres and teammates in Sydney. In addition, she displays outstanding sales and customers service skills. Karina Gardiner For Adding Value with her sound Income and Occupancy Growth at Wanganui. By displaying a great pride in presentation of the centre and her warm caring approach to each one of her valued customers. ADDING VALUE CERTIFICATES Therese To For adding value with her engagement to improve KSS in any way possible, Providing information to the Team to enable sound decision making and a positive impact to the business. Amy Roberts For Adding Value through her background efforts to improve the KSS internet profile, lifting the search rankings of the centres in our group. She also displays a willingness and appetite for taking on new projects and assisting where she can. providing valuable insights into initiatives, ideas and problems.

Prospect Artarmon Sandgate Auburn

CONSISTENT SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE Kirrawee Michael Howard David Courtney

Homebush Warriewood Wentworthville Gladesville Tauranga Moore Park

SUSTAINED INCOME GROWTH Hastings Alan Bevin

Waterloo Ultimo 1 Napier Onekawa

Wanganui Karina Gardiner Kevin Forward

COMMITMENT TO OCCUPANCY GROWTH Mt Eden

Feroz Brouwer Shane Pearce

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er Award Recipients PHONE SALES EXCELLENCE 2012

Neil Gangi Ivanhoe Sarah Scanlan TSM/NSW/ACT Leanne Nassif Artarmon 2 Lenci Taylor Belmont Sarf Khan Campbelltown 1 Maria Katselas Camperdown Anne Newman CCC Clint Thompson Erina Kevin Mouatt David Courtney Kirrawee Michael Howard Kirrawee Fabiana Assuncao Milton Sue Solly Palmerston North Rebecca Steinert Panorama Matthew O’Brien Parramatta Robert Todd Thebarton Stephan Wandl Thornleigh Rachel Prudden Mt Eden Richard Smith Three Kings Glen D’Souza Chermside Geoffrey Turner Wentworthville Fortitude Valley

15 YEARS OF SERVICE

Keith Thomas - Artarmon (Lift Driver) Michael Howard - Kirrawee Jenny Smith - Erina Richard Robinson - Sandgate Wayne Birch - VIC Operations Manager 10 YEARS OF SERVICE

Christine Cutler - Abbotsford1

5 YEARS OF SERVICE

Adam Snowdon - Moore park Therese To - THQ Mark Rankin - Caringbah Laurie Jones - Miranda Rachel Prudden - Three Kings David Chapman - Brookvale Jim Kennard - THQ David Courtney - Kirrawee Ron Gaunt - Parramatta Leanne Nassif - Artarmon2 Sathish Gopinath - THQ Marinus Blom - Kingsgrove Sandra Mazzitelli - Preston Bruce Newburn - TSM Newcastle Helen Tancred - Ultimo Gordon Guthrie - TSM VIC Troy Ellington - Homebush Barry Annesley - Caringbah Geoffrey Turner - Wentworthville Trent Randel - Browns Plains Patrick Rossow - Newstead

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Kennards Grows to Five Centres in Newcastle

With five locations in Newcastle, our Brand leadership is further strengthened, and our marketing opportunities are also widened. The Cardiff location will also offer some strong appeal to a number of our National Accounts. In Newcastle, KSS now has 30,542 square metres of space available; 2812 storage units available and $4.3 million per annum income. An expansion of Cardiff with an additional 144 spaces will commence promptly. We are excited to make all our Newcastle locations more compatible and more complimentary with each other, and less competitive. There are good opportunities to harmonise prices and unit mix.

A nother exciting step in our growth is the We were approached by the owners to be the managers and look after day-to-day management of the two centres in Mayfield and Cardiff. The owners (The Baudinets) agreed to management take-over of two competing centres in the Newcastle area.

Both locations will also get office conversions to bring our strong retail attributes to the properties. Sam Kennard Managing Director

undertake substantial upgrades so that Kennards Brand could be adopted. After previously dealing with Dylan and Bruce Baudinet when we acquired Belmont from them, we found they are very like-minded, which is important to us when working with 3rd Party Investors. Many opportunities in Cardiff and Mayfield are obvious, with some easy improvement gains to be made. It is pleasing to see Lynda and the entire Newcastle Team embrace the challenge. Existing Team Members also eagerly volunteered to stand-in and work in the centres to effect the ‘ Kennardisation ’.

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Skillbuilder Highlights

L to R- Mark Rankin, Mark Fradd, Mazen Trabolsi, Antone Boustani, Debbie Jones, Cory Blake, Katerina Lousi, Matthew O’Brien, Emily Fiala, James Suh, Nicholas Bachtis S killbuilder kicked off in Adelaide this year with the first session

at the Panorama Centre followed by Thebarton. We then proceeded to Sydney for the sessions at THQ. The feedback and the participation of all Team Members has been of very high standard.

Back: L to R- David An, Darryl Lewisson, Laurie Jones, Amy Roberts, Johny Vaman, Mark Burgess, Front: L to R- Gary Longmire, Carl Spense, Ian Gatt, Wawan Suryadi

Back: L to R- Gary Stephenson, James Burns, Barry Annesley, Marinus Blom, Patrick Norrish, Stephan Wandl, Troy Ellington, Front: L to R- Helen Tancred, Sarah Scanlan, Neil Pardoe, Trish Brown

The sessions Include Demand Driven Asking Rates, understanding the theory behind the process and how using the correct language can work for Team Members. We review the New Website and the responsibilities and expectations of the Team. The KPI Report and Bonus Request Form and the Walk in Mystery Shopper round off the day. It’s great to see the teams enjoying the opportu- nity to catch up, there is certainly a buzz around THQ during training.

More highlights in the next edition of the Kourier.

L to R- Rudy Van Kalker, Tony Roberts, Wayne Birch, Robert Todd, Michael McKenzie

Bill McClean Training and Development Manager

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Nevs Notes... Good Customer Service Doesn’t Just Happen... G ood customer service doesn’t just happen because you want it to; it happens because you work at it, all the time, every day. Following are the “Five W’s” of effective service. They will help you measure your ongoing efforts and retain customers over time: Nev enjoyed expressing his ideas in this section of the Kourier. These little gems have been appreciated by many in KSS. We will continue to publish his ideas that we have in stock. Enjoy!

Sweat the Little Things

effectiveness of this team will ultimately determine the profitability of the business, so make sure employees are qualified to handle critical day-to-day responsibilities. You need assertive, experienced staff to make the grade. If you’re lucky, you’ll find candidates with self storage experience, ones who possess all the tools and skills to satisfy existing customers, attract new ones and retain them all. But hiring is a tricky process and, in most cases, staff will need to be trained in some areas. Fortunately, there is an abundance of assistance for operators who don’t feel up to the task. Professional consultants and management companies can find and train employees from the beginning, setting up the policies and procedures necessary to run a smooth operation. They can also monitor Remember, customer service starts and ends with employees who understand the customer and his or her needs. So among other skills, they must have the ability to listen. Customers often contact a facility during unsettling times, such as death in the family, divorce or long-distance move. Empathy is important at times like these. After all, you’re building a rapport and attempting to gain a prospects trust. Those who connect with you or a member of your team will probably rent a unit, stay longer and refer you to others. While a personal touch is vital, don’t underestimate the role of facility maintenance in keeping customers happy. An attractive, well-landscaped, clean facility helps retain existing tenants and attract new ones. All positive customer service contributes to a facility’s bottom line. A talented management team and well-maintained site mean good business, and good business means profitability. the team’s success on an ongoing basis.

In self storage, the little things can mean a great deal to the customer: When a customer enters the office, acknowledge them with a smile and let them know they can expect assistance as soon as possible, even if you’re with another customer. Whenever there are tenants on site, peruse the facility grounds on foot or in the golf cart and offer assistance. For example, provide a cold bottle of water on a hot day. Nev Kennard Customer Feedback “Great service, very friendly. I was very impressed with David Chapman at Brookvale, he was always willing to help and move boxes for me while I was pregnant. Well done on providing a great service!” “I was shown a variety of storage units before making a decision at Springvale. I was impressed that the gentleman helping us wasn’t trying to upsell but actually wanted us to have the right fit unit. This is the best customer service you can get. I will recommend Kennards to friends and family.” ‘Absolutely everything was great! Your service and level of care was fabulous! Duncan and the Team were just great and showed a large amount of understanding, care and support for my situation, while going through a separation. I would recommend anyone to use the Tauranga facility.” “Thank you for your excellent service, your staff at Panorama are great. Special thanks to Rebecca and Rudy. Rebecca was always happy and smiling. Rudy helped my mum when she was with me at Kennards. Mum had a stroke whilst waiting to meet me in her car outside of Kennards, the day before Mothers Day this year. Your storage facility really helped me at a difficult time in my life. I will highly recommend you. Once again thank you.”

1. Who are your customers? 2. Where do they come from? 3. What do they think they need?

4. When do they need it? 5. Why do they need it?

“Remember, customer service starts and ends with employees who understand the customer and his or her needs. So among other skills, they must have the ability to listen.”

By asking these questions – also known as the “service needs assessment” – you find out what needs to be done to satisfy customers’ requirements. The answers should reveal the gap between where you are and where you need to be. Some types of information will be easier to obtain than others. How do you find out who your customers are and where they come from? A professional market analysis of the area within a 5-mile radius of your facility will easily reveal demographic details such as age, income, the ratio of commercial businesses to residences, etc. How do you find out what your customers need and why? Ask them when they call or visit the site. In the end, every transaction you complete fills a need of some sort.

The Manager is the Key

The key to understanding and satisfying your customer base is your facility Management Team, who is responsible for building personal relationships with tenants and discovering their needs. The

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Kennards Kourier Oct 2012

WebWord - Website Launch, Point to the Right Page

A lot of you have been working hard to increase your centres online presence. With the changes Google made this past year a lot has happened in the world of search results.

How will this impact us? On a minor note some strange things will happen. If you search regularly for a particular item but then don't click on it - Google will assume you aren't interested and stop serving up that listing. Imagine what this leaves us thinking when we

aiming to cement our authority as the Self Storage experts through relevant online presence. What do I mean? Currently other websites only see links on our homepage - www.kss.com. au. The new website however has a page per centre, meaning we instantly become ‘locality’ relevant. For example the Google Places homepage for KSS Bankstown will now have a link pointing directly to KSS Bankstown on our website. This page contains additional map references and suburb names showing Google how relevant you are for the surrounding suburbs. Suddenly searching customers and Google will be served with logical links and related content. Darryl Hodgson NSW Operations Manager

“Currently other websites only see links on our homepage - www.kss.com.au. The new website however has a page per centre, meaning we instantly become ‘locality’ relevant.”

Google’s update were aimed at making search results more accurate and relevant. They were also intended to reduce the chances of unscrupulous operators from tricking Google and getting higher, unfair rankings. They put more emphasis on social media and feedback about sites - "who's talking about us and what are they saying?" We'll see a greater emphasis on Google+ and the eventual blending of map results into search results when customers are searching for us.

search for our own ads and they are not there?

More importantly, the new website with our developers 4Mation, we will now have the opportunity to point your listings (and Google) to your own pages - not just the home page. This will be infinitely more logical for a searching customer and consequently Google. At the same time Google will have a vastly greatly number of pages to look through and learn about us -

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Kennards Kourier Oct 2012

Coffee Break with Fizz

Last financial year the National account portfolio saw and impressive income growth of 23 percent. Occupying 9190 square meters we are on target to reach 10,000 square meters by July next year! The programme has become well known in corporate circles with customers even finding us through our blog articles! Current projects include finalising the Packcentre storage model (relocating all their third party storage over to KSS) obtaining our first National Account in NZ and working with Club Assist to join the programme. Fiona Harding Business Development Manager Customer Feedback “Just a brief note to say thank you to Kennards Self Storage’s donation of 10 boxes. I am filling them up with donated goods for Father Chris Riley’s “Youth Off the Streets”. Father, myself and a handful of adults are taking six of Father Riley’s year 11 students to an orphanage in East Timor which his organisation funds and supports. The idea is for the Aussie kids to give and help people less advantaged than themselves. In return the Timorese orphans look up to the Aussie kids as heroes - the first time in many of their lives that anyone has given the Aussies self-esteem and confidence. So it’s a win-win for both the Aussie kids and the East Timorese orphans. Officeworks, Random House and Toys‘R’Us have donated so much stationery, books, soccer/footballs, that I am using your boxes to transport the goods to Dilli, and then the seven hour drive to the orphanage. So thank you again Kennards for your help and support.

Loads of Socks at KSS! K ennards Self Storage partnered with Clothesline Incorporated, a Not for Profit Charity which provides good To help make this initiative a successful one, KSS along with Clothesline asked people to head to their nearest Kennards Self Storage centre anywhere in Australia on Friday the 29th June to make their

quality clothing and other essential items, free of charge, to the homeless and disadvantaged, to launch a new initiative this year - Donate Your Socks Day. Figures produced by the Bureau of Statistics, suggest there are approxi- mately 100,000 homeless people in Australia.

donation. With information on Clothesline and KSS websites along with blogs and a TV Morning Show interview on Channel 7, the word was spread. The day was a success with loads of socks being donated for the homeless.

All thanks goes to the

participa- tion of the KSS Team Members for making the day run as smoothly as possible.

To learn more about Clothes- line and the positive work

Taking place in June, this one day event asks for the donation of socks that will then be distributed to the homeless during winter. Kennards Self Storage were the drop off point for people to donate socks throughout Australia.

they do for the homeless visit http:// www.clothesline.org.au/

Sharon Dux EA to the MD

Kind regards, Mike Munro, Channel Seven.”

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Kennards Kourier Oct 2012

New Zealand Enjoys Solid Results

W hen I take the time to Teams for another improved year of financial results, as we move out of the shadow of the GFC. Overall, sites were able to improve on income growth and increase occupancy – great to see both Palmerston North and the Hastings sites move into High Performance status and then achieve 90% + occupancy levels. Team member wise, Joanne Sambrook joined the Hawkes Bay team, as a Part Time Assistant Manager working between our Napier and Hastings sites, while Rachel Prudden from Mt Eden left us for a change in direction. This led to the promotion of Feroz Brouwer to Manager at the Mt Eden site. At time of writing we are recruiting for a replacement assistant at Mt Eden to assist Feroz. Bev Brooking our Relief Manager has stepped into reflect on the New Zealand sites, I am pleased to be able to praise the NZ

the temporary role as Hub Training Manager. Looking at sites, there are currently no new expansions but we have plans for some covered boat storage at Tauranga. While at Wanganui we recently finished an office make over by installing a feature wall, CCTV display and putting in a new desk. We have also started to complete some unit conversions to create some large size units to market the Enterprise Spaces concept to SME business’s – especially in our regional sites like Napier/ Onekawa and Palmerston North. We started the Enterprise Space idea at Palmerston North and this has seen the commercial mix of customers nearly exceed 50% of occupancy, so well done Sue Solly. We expect in time for the same to happen at Napier’s satellite site Onekawa. Looking to the future, we continue to seek out opportunities for new sites to grow the portfolio – to date we have a few irons in the fire that have great potential, but like our great Kiwi Model Rachel Hunter says – “It won’t happen over night, but it will happen...” Andrew Kirkham NZ Operations Manager

KSS Library Book Review Everyone Can Win – By Helena Cornelius, Shoshana Faire, and Estella Cornelius. This book talks about conflict in relationships and how to manage them, using emotional intelligence effectively, whether it be a personal or a workplace situation. Working through easy step by step exercises to assist in problem solving, when relationships are stretched to their limits. It Is an easy read and very practical and relevant for all who lead, manage and relate to people. If you would like to borrow this book or any others in our library please contact Amy in Customer Care. Amy Roberts Customer Care Officer “ Responding to conflict constructively ”

Kennards Kourier Oct 2012

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Winestate Magazine Hold Tasting and Judging of Queensland Wines at KSS Milton

E veryone gathered together at KSS Milton to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and a shared love of all things wine related. Winestate conducted its annual tasting and judging of the Wines of Queensland onsite at KSS Milton on Friday the 21st of September. 102 people attended the joint Kennards Wine Storage and Winestate Magazine event held in and around the newly constructed

subscribers along with members of the public and press were invited to the exclusive tasting where they were able to enjoy a great range of wines and take part in guided tours of our modern wine storage facility.

seeks to add to the wine enthusiast experience and stimulate discussion on the subject through interesting wine related blog articles on the website and by hosting a Wine Cellaring Enthusiasts group on business networking site LinkedIn along with a dedicated Kennards Wine Storage page on Facebook. This is the second wine tasting event held by Kennards Self Storage in Brisbane and one of the many wine enthusiast experiences that Kennards have held in Australia and New Zealand. This was a great event and the feedback without exception was that it was thoroughly enjoyed by those who attend. No doubt there will be more to come. Glen Bayley QLD Operations Manager

In addition to the wine judged “Queensland Wine of the Year” customers were also able to try all

other 2012 contenders and Winestate Magazine also presented a selection of the winning wines from their 2011 Wine of the Year Awards.

“This is the second wine tasting event held by Kennards Self Storage in Brisbane and one of the many wine enthusiast experiences that Kennards have held in Australia and New Zealand.”

Kennards provided not only a unique venue and friendly Team to take care of the guests on the night it also provided a sumptuous range of cheese platters to accompany those wines. With a philosophy that seeks to provide more than just wine storage Kennards

mini warehouses on the ground floor and although the spaces were built with small business in mind rather than wine tastings they proved to be a unique venue in which to hold such an event.

Wine Storers, Winestate Magazine

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Kennards Kourier Oct 2012

Wollongong Completed and News on Other Projects

Flemington

Wollongong

Belmont Tenders have been received for the expansion works and work is expected to commence in October. In the meantime we are replacing one of the older roofs in preparation for the expansion and upgrade. Flemington Demolition is now complete with the propping of the existing walls underway and structural steel to be installed over the coming weeks. Frenchs Forest The DA has been approved and we have started on the strip out of the old office partitions and should be ready for the real construction to start during October. Klemzig After a sluggish start the Builder has picked up the pace. We now have part of the storage framing installed and have started on the excavation for the future building. Macquarie Park A DA has been lodged for a new Centre and a new home for THQ. Wollongong Now complete and open for business with 5,400 square metres of rentable space available. Chullora After lengthy negotiations with Sydney Water we have changed the design of the storm water channel which allows us more footprint to build on. Still need to get this through the local council and we should be ready to build in 2013.

Klemzig

Fyshwick - Roof Replacement The replacement of the old asbestos roof went off without a hitch. Congratulations to RO Steel Roofing who did a fantastic job in replacing the roof over one weekend under difficult windy conditions. For regular updates please follow me on Yammer or Twitter. Michael Macheledt Development & Construction

Frenchs Forest - L to R: Tony Vuong and Darren Marshall

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Kennards Kourier Oct 2012

Spotlight On Penrith...

History Our facility is located on the outskirts of the Penrith CBD which consists of a mixture of commercial, industrial and residential business. Our facility was built in 2010 and we opened our doors on 20th December 2010, with our first customer moving in just 2 days later. Before Kennards Self Storage purchased the land it belonged to the Defence Department. Site Features The site is located on a main arterial road which offers great exposure to passing traffic. Our presence can be seen from a distance due to great signage and our bright corporate colours. Our neighbours consist of Bunnings, Heartland Holden, McDonalds and the local watering hole, The Peachtree Pub. All great neighbours for our growing business.

The Team Our Penrith team consist of Nick Bachtis as the Manager and Lee Porcelli as the Assistant Manager. Nick and Lee both moved here from Parramatta when Penrith opened its doors to the public. Team Penrith

Our facility is made up of two state of the art two storey buildings. The entire facility has individually alarmed units and 11 CCTV cameras. Our customers also benefit from 24 hour access. We currently have 447 units totalling 4,861 square metres which is made of open space parking, driveway units, ground level units and upstairs units. Our occupancy has had consistent growth since opening and we are currently sitting on 82% with solid enquiries and reservations. We were the first storage facility in Penrith to offer dedicated parking spaces. They have been a big hit with the local residents and businesses, with 100% of 34 spaces being rented. We are currently in the process of expanding with a further 2 buildings and more open parking. Included in the expansion will be the first Kennards purpose built Enterprise Spaces, made up of 2 buildings with spaces ranging from 36 square metres to 135 square metres. This expansion will also include a café.

L to R: Assistant Manager Lee Porcelli, Centre Manager, Nicholas Bachtis

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Kennards Kourier Oct 2012

7 Question...

with Alan Bevan - Manager of Hastings KSS New Zealand

of years; supplying foreign affairs, trade defence and economic data. Being accredited media status with the OECD in Paris, I’m privy to embargoed pre release reports, allowing me to add my comments and point out appropriate areas of interest, before passing it on to the appropriate client. I continue to operate this business after a fulfilling day at KSS.

The past year has shown me how little I need to enjoy life. I’ve spent the time whilst waiting for the new house, renovating an old timber storage shed in my backyard. It’s now insulated, floored, lined and comfortable. It even has a cat door. What ‘man cave’ wouldn’t? I’m currently in the process of purchasing replacement ‘everything’s’, and should be in the new house by mid October. And your thoughts on KSS Culture in comparison to other companies worked for? Some companies have a practice that doesn’t match their Mission Statements, KSS demonstrates a positive goal of continual improvement, resulting in a satisfying and productive workplace, raising the customer experience accordingly. Customer Feedback “Everything was great at Belmont, one of the nicest businesses I have ever dealt with. From start to finish you could not have been more helpful. Absolute pleasure to deal with.” “I was given full information about storage. The gentleman at the Prospect office was very kind and helpful. I will definitely recommend Kennards to my friends. Thanks and good luck!” Jim from Bankstown was wonderful. His team was friendly and he made everything so easy. After spending 10 minutes with him, he is someone I can trust. I am sure he would be employee of the month!” “ Everything from book-in to leaving was just the best experience at Burleigh Junction. Being in business myself I am aware of professionalism, you buggers have it in bucket loads! Well done.” “The total overall service we received from your Port Melbourne Manager Mark was first class. It was evident he has a passion for his job and this speaks volumes for Kennards.”

What hobbies/Interests do you have outside of KSS? I’m a keen gardener and grow most of my fruit and vegetable needs.

I enjoy a large variety of music, write poetry, sing and play the harmonica. I also make home brew, a handy tool when the throat is dry from too much singing. I’m a prolific reader of history and a follower of international affairs. My political leanings are conservative and favour small unobtrusive government and low taxation. I've been a Church Deacon for 30 years and work at encouraging folk toward achieving positive outcomes. I keep in regular touch with my 2 brothers and their families. We are close friends as well as family and enjoy many outings together. I have a large fish pond and two cats, Sophie and Suzy. You know the saying ‘teach a man to fish….’ Sophie and Suzy have been taught not to! What current personal targets are you working on? In July of 2011, a spectacular house fire took care of most of my possessions and nearly me. I escaped by diving through a doorway as the house exploded into flames. What about family and pets?

Tell us about working at KSS Hastings NZ and your role there? I started managing the Hastings site in 2006, under previous ownership and was fortunate to be purchased by Kennards, along with the Hastings site in late 2007. All the NZ sites then had the pleasure of Wayne and Lynda to ease us toward the new horizon. When Andrew was engaged by the company, he took charge of our emersion in ‘orange and blue’ and the office revamps. The Hastings site sits on a main thorough- fare, which assists in box sales and walk in enquiries. The past 12 months has seen occupancy ranging between 85 and 93%. After Uni lecture halls was service in the Air Force, followed by a variety of roles with ICI and BP. Next up was a home decorating business, then orcharding. In 2001, I set up an information supply business called Global Geopolitical Intelli- gence Services, networking with interna- tional contacts built up over a number What is your work history?

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Kennards Kourier Oct 2012

Mike Takes KSS Away

Congratulations Congratulations to Dee Nandani Team Support Manager for Sydney/ACT on her Marriage to Ronald Singh in Fiji on the 22nd April.

Mike Howard from Kirrawee has just returned from a trip to USA/Canada taking in Hawaii, Vancouver, Toronto, Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans and Las Vegas.

Darren Marshall, General Manager of KSS completed the TOUGH MUDDER course on 23rd September. Managing to get through every pain staking obstacle, including being zapped twice on 2 obstacles wired to give electric shocks; climbing high walls covered in oil and not to mention mud pits galore. Lucky he remembered the Kennards shirt! Well done Dazz!

“Success is getting up one more time than you fall down” Julie Bowden

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Kennards Kourier Oct 2012