Kennards adapts to coronavirus

Australia-based rental company Kennards Hire is currently keeping all of its Australian depots open, while a number of its New Zealand branches have been temporarily closed, in accordance with government requirements.

Those that remain open in New Zealand are dedicated to supporting essential services.

Stuart Dean, the company’s Chief Operations Officer, said, “The situation will no doubt evolve and, as new advice arises, we too will reassess.”

He added that Kennards’ top priority is the health and safety of its staff, customers, suppliers and wider community.

“We’ve ramped up already detailed cleaning activities in our branches, including upping the frequency of cleaning of high-touch areas such as counter tops and mobility payment devices.” Dean said.

“Our equipment is getting an extra clean during our Ready for Hire process. Our team members are incorporating social distancing in their customer interactions and we’ve introduced a new ‘contactless service’ approach both in branch and with our delivery service, which will help limit the physical contact between our teams and customers.”

Not only does Kennards intend to keep its transport delivery and logistics system working as normal, but with the introduction of its contactless service, the company is expecting to become more agile in its service delivery.

“Across all areas of our business, we have enacted local, state and nation-wide business continuity plans,” Dean said.

Kennards continues to monitor government announcements and is planning ahead to mitigate potential risks and challenges that could cause disruption.

Dean said, “As a family business, we believe in the power of a supportive community and will continue to support our people, our customers and the industry through any changes as they develop.”