eKourier Oct 2015

FEATURES

Walkin The Mile

T he full morning walk around our storage centre seems to be a dying art, with less emphasis placed on its importance in comparison to other responsibilities that demand our time. Our centres continue to grow in size and our technology has improved over the years. Our computer systems and CCTV can now alert us to issues happening in our storage centre so does this mean the walk around is becoming redundant? I think not. Technology can only tell us part of the story going on in your centre. To understand the full story the morning walk around is an invaluable part of our daily routine. An age old practice that remains very relevant to this day and is so beneficial for the day to day running of our storage centres. KSS was the first and continues to be one of few operators that use the security stickers on customer’s locks. This allowed us to quickly and easily visualise each and every lock to ensure its integrity is in check. Physically checking every lock, every day on every unit ensures that we are across what happens in our centres. This is a point of difference to our competi- tors; often a decision clincher for a customer on who to store with and provides peace of mind that locks and storage units are checked every single day.

A lot can happen in storage centres overnight, in particular for our 24 hour centres where customers can come and go as they please. Checking every lock on every unit, every day means that we can identify customers who have moved out overnight.

It also allows us to look at the overall presentation of our centres. Our properties are on display every day for our customers, and they notice. Completing the full walk around in the morning means we can enhance and improve our sites first thing in the morning. I know some Managers do their morning walk around with a dust pan and broom. The ritual of conducting a full morning walk around the site is important for the physical well-being of our centres. Knowing what’s happening in your centre means you can act first. Acting appropriately, confidently and professionally with the right informa- tion. This instils confidence and trust in our customers in our ability to operate a self storage centre. In addition to our full morning walk around to check every lock, every day, cursory checks are encouraged throughout the day. Your visual presence around the centre also promotes a positive image for customers on site. It provides a perfect opportunity to speak with them and discuss how their storage experience is going. Don't be deterred, make the full morning walk around one of your strongest habits for maintaining and operating your storage centre. Walk the Mile! Darren Marshall General Manager

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A lot can happen in storage centres

‘ The full walk around acts as a security feature and alerts us to any undesirable activity such as a break in or damage to a customer unit or the property. Team Members have the ability to respond quickly and professionally with the customer and the authorities if necessary. The Lock Check is one of the most visible reinforcements we can provide to our customers that we take the security of their goods seriously. overnight, in particular for our 24 hour centres where customers can come and go as they please

13 Kennards Kourier October 2015