With much fanfare, a local Chicago television station announced recently that a special program would be broadcast on problems with locksmiths. When the program was finally aired it described a member of the public who had locked himself out and called a locksmith for assistance. Aftermath pictures showed how the locksmith had gouged out a large area of the door apparently to forcibly remove the mortise cylinder.
Another locksmith was interviewed for this TV special. I recognized this locksmith as Mike Bronzell who has established himself as an authority on so-called locksmith scammers. Mr. Bronzell explained the scammer issue in detail. A map showed locations of foreign locksmith phone bank locations.
Mr. Bronzell missed a golden opportunity to tell the real locksmith story. Consider for a moment the evolution of drug stores. Drug departments in modern drug stores are located far in the back of each store. Customers must pass rows and rows of non-drug products on sale. Drug stores no longer only sell drugs but also offer many other goods and services.
Another example is STRATTEC Security. It is no secret that cars now use less key-operated locks per vehicle. STRATTEC has met the challenge by offering new allied items. During a recent factory tour we saw gigantic punch presses spitting out stamped parts like popcorn. An automated plating system hundreds of feet long has been installed. While many keys and locks are still being produced, products such as door, trunk and hood latches comprise a new source of STRATTEC business.
Viewers of this TV special were once again left with the impression that locksmiths do lockouts, period. Lockout events cannot be planned. Lockouts rarely build lasting future business relationships.
Participation in a sensational TV lockout expose is one step backwards. Our job should be to alert customers to the wide variety of new products and services a qualified locksmith can offer.
