A kick serve buys the server a lot of time to get into position and/or serve and volley. It also has lots of clearance and lots of kick up.
Returning a kick serve, if you let the ball get above your shoulder, it’s never going to be a good return. You have to attack the ball early. The longer you wait on a kick serve, the more spin it has, the more it’s going to move on you.
The bigger the kick, the higher the server arcs the ball, the further in you come. You know the ball has to land in the service box. On a kick serve, you have to come and meet the ball early, and catch it on the rise.