The Key to Disappearing Locksmiths

It has been a trying time for the locksmith industry ever since the onset of the Great Resignation. As one of the oldest professions in existence, it is not surprising that many locksmiths have either retired or chosen to seek out other opportunities due to the uncertainty and disruption caused by COVID-19.

This scarcity of reliable locksmiths has retail loss prevention leaders across America worried about their physical security. Who will be there when a broken lock needs fixing? What happens when keys go missing? Who can they rely on to keep their stores and employees safe from crime? These are all questions that are looming in the minds of loss prevention and security leaders as they search for solutions to this growing problem.

Despite it being a viable career path with plenty of demand, the industry faces a concerning lack of interest in becoming a locksmith as well as considerable uncertainty surrounding future generations taking up the mantle as America’s next-generation locksmiths Unfortunately, experts anticipate that as many as 4,000 current locksmiths will retire by 2026 without being adequately replaced – with just 900 new professionals entering the industry.

Organizational safety and security take top priority for loss prevention and security practitioners, but the locksmith crisis is not just a physical security problem – it is also an economics problem. Significant inflation has become an unintended consequence of this crisis, due to the effects of supply and demand. With an ever-growing backlog of services needed and fewer technicians to provide them, loss prevention and security leaders are dealing with both rising costs and very limited availability. Scarcity of experienced locksmiths has resulted in services going to the highest bidder. This means those requiring the services of a locksmith are often paying significantly more than they would have just a few years ago. This situation is further exacerbated by skilled technicians focusing their business on higher-end tech solutions that generate higher profits, rather than addressing the traditional security needs of commercial customers such as retailers and restaurants.

Loss prevention leaders need a solution now, as the outlook isn’t likely to improve anytime soon. But, what if the answer to this physical security predicament lies not in the availability of locksmiths, but instead, reducing or eliminating the need for locksmith services?

It’s time to put an end to the locksmith crisis with a solution that has a proven track-record. More and more loss prevention and security leaders are taking matters into their own hands…literally. With the help of an innovative lock & key solution, such as Instakey, organizations can avoid the hassle of aging work orders and over-priced services. Here’s how:

Rekeyable lock systems, such as InstaKey provide a powerful solution for businesses seeking total control over their security. With this system, loss prevention and security leaders can easily say goodbye to expensive locksmith visits – instead of calling someone out every time they need to change or update the keys in use, all that’s needed is an easy step-change process involving just one specially designed key. Put simply: with master key rekeying technology you’ll have complete assurance and peace of mind – no hassle required!

Rekeying is an important safeguard for any commercial organization. Unfortunately, it can also come with a certain cost as hardware and labor may be required to ensure security and access control. If untended, misplaced keys or other security breaches occur that necessitate rekeying – obtaining service from professional locksmiths, ordering replacement parts or withdrawing pre-stored components all require investments both financially and in terms of time management for businesses.

By investing in an Instakey system, you can save yourself from paying costly locksmith fees that include trip charges, mileage, and hourly rates. This cost-effective option lets you prepare ahead of time and quickly change your locks without having to worry about expensive services.

Gain the power to protect your business with an effective access control structure that provides restricted areas for certain key holders and maintains security everywhere else within your business. When you require change, simply follow our steps and equip key personnel with updated keys – it’s as easy as that!

An effective key control system is essential for protecting the physical security of your organization and employees. Strengthening components like restricted keys, tracked access, hardware arrangements, people protocols and policies all contribute to a robust operational framework which minimizes risk factors from external influences or inside breaches. When it comes to protecting your business, why settle for traditional locks when InstaKey offers enhanced security without the wait? Rekeying is a fast and affordable solution that can be done in seconds. With this type of lock system, you’re always one step ahead!

InstaKey offers a proactive key control program that saves time, money, and enhances security.  User-rekeyable locks eliminate locksmith fees. A special key is used to rekey, immediately. Cylinders can be rekeyed several times before a new rekeyable core is needed, saving around 80% on rekeying costs. Their keys are restricted (can’t be copied). Reissue them between transitioning employees, without the need to rekey – saving more money. Restricted keys enhance security because only issued keys will be in circulation. They’re also uniquely serialized, making it easy to track keys to key holders remotely, in their cloud-based key control software. Learn more HERE.