Branch of the Month: Belconnen

Our last Branch of the Month was our team in Moorabbin, who won the 2017 Branch of the Year award.  This month we're heading up to the ACT, to highlight the 2016 Branch of the Year winners Belconnen.  Branch manager Mick gave us the inside scoop on what it's like to work in his team!

 

How many are on the team and who has what responsibilities in the branch?

There are three full timers and one casual. I'm the branch manager, and there's Andrew Whitfield 2IC. Ben and Matt are Service Person Drivers.

Does everyone have a nickname?

For the past 13 years between all Belconnen staff that have started here and who are still in Kennards, even who are in other branches now we all still call each other Cletus (from the Simpsons). It is not one persons nickname but just a word we still say to each other.

How long has everyone been working at the branch?

I've been around for 13.5 years, Andrew and Matt for 1 year, and Ben started working with us 5 months ago.

Describe the team in three words.

High Standards, dedicated, hard working (5 words)

What’s a typical day like at the branch?

Everyone, no matter what role we are in does everything, no matter the job we always get it done together, being in a small branch everyone has to  know how to do everyone's role and all operations. The Manager and 2IC have to service a lot and all SPD have to be really good at customer service and on the phones.

What does your team like most about working at Kennards Hire?

We love having fun, safely, and working in a very clean and organized branch. This makes our job and the customer's job easy.

Tell a funny story of something that happened in the branch.

We always try and get each other wet when testing wet pump out vacs and pumps when testing operations. We will ask for help from someone and hope they stand in the right spot when the unit turns on and starts to pump water. This isn't successful much but very funny when attempting to get someone.  

Do you all hang out outside of work?  What do you all do together?

We try to hang out as much as we can, we can go to the pub for a beer after work or go out on the town with a few people from other brancehs for someone's birthday or farewell. The Belconnen team has been known to always turn up together at the family day and that wont change this year.

What’s the most interesting project a customer had that our equipment helped make their job easy?

A customer came in wanting our medium stump grinder that he has used before and he wanted it for a couple of days as he had 15 little stumps to do, we showed him our new large tracked stump grinder and he said he will give it ago. He came back three hours later and we thought something had gone wrong as he was back very fast, he said he was finished and that this machine is a beast. When we asked him about it he said he ended up doing 30 little stumps all over his property. Great outcome.

Anyone have interesting hobbies outside of work?

I jetski and do a lot of coast to coast off shore ocean rides. We all love camping, fishing, dirt bike riding but agree we don't do it enough.

What makes your team the best team to work with?

Belconnen is in the sunniest spot in Canberra (pun intended)!

From the front of the shop and the yard we have a great view of Telstra tower. We also have a fantastic coffee shop next door that we buy coffees from daily and they are called Neutral Grounds and we have always bought from a café just up the road  for the past 13 years called Little Chef.

What makes your team the best team to work with? 

We are always focused on great customer service, safety and to provide the best condition gear to our customers. We all work efficiently to get the job done to minimize waste and rework.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to work for Kennards Hire? 

Get in now and start to learn your foundations with the equipment and our values and start to grow your career with us. A lot of the Kennards greats have started as a service person driver and many of them are now running this great company. Kennards Hire is literally my second family and I am so proud to be apart of its growth. Come and join our journey!

Give an example of how the team exemplifies the Kennards Hire core values (One Family, Every Customer a Raving Fan, Taking Hire Higher and Fair Dinkum).

At Belconnen the values are the standard and the foundations of the team.

Ask the entire team for their answer – if you were on a deserted island, what three KH tools would you want with you and why?

Mick: A roasting oven for a pit to cook food and or to collect water. An axe so I can steal Andrew's stuff. An animal trap for food.
Andrew: A tarp for water. A shovel to dig and put a hole for the tarp. A marque for shelter.
Ben: Animal trap for food. Gas heater for warmth. A large platform ladder to scope out Andrew's stuff.