There’s no such thing as a 0% employee turnover rate.
For certain, large-scale organizations with multiple locations — such as grocery store chains, restaurant chains and retail chains — the highest turnover rates are just a fact of life.
If you’re a facilities manager at one of these locations, we’re not telling you anything you don’t already know. Nor are you unacquainted with all of the headaches that come with so many employees coming and going — and all of the important keys in their possession.
Even if you do everything right, keys are bound to be misplaced. Whether stolen by someone with ill intent or simply lost by accident, a missing key is a missing key.
And a missing key is a problem.
It’s a problem of security, and the dangers that crop up when that security is made vulnerable. The longer your organization’s assets sit exposed without their usual protection, the greater those dangers become.
Clearly, new locks and new keys are in order. The best time for the door lock change was the instant the key(s) went missing. The second-best time is now.
If it’s just a lock or two, it’s probably something a locksmith can handle without much trouble. But as many facilities and loss prevention managers are aware, it’s almost never just a lock or two. Changing or rekeying on a mass level is usually what’s required.
So, what’s the best way to handle the door lock changes? How can you take care of this essential task in a way that’s efficient, effective and inexpensive? Let’s break down two popular options: getting a locksmith to do the job versus relying on user-rekeyable technology.
Call a Locksmith
When you think of executing a door lock change, a professional locksmith probably comes to mind. After all, these are the professionals, the people who’ve devoted their careers to locks, keys and everything in between.
While yes, that is correct, there are other factors to consider.
Remember, time is of the essence. The danger of being left exposed grows with each passing moment.
Hopefully, you find a locksmith quickly and get in touch on the first try. Hopefully, the locksmith doesn’t have many prior appointments and can come quickly, if not immediately. Hopefully, the locksmith doesn’t have far to travel, so you don’t have long to wait. Hopefully, it's not after hours, a weekend, or on a holiday — that callout is going to be expensive.
It goes without saying, but that’s a lot to hope for.
In reality, you’ll likely have to make an appointment and wait — sometimes for days. That’s precious time that you simply don’t have. Are you OK with staying at work overnight to keep an eye on assets? Is it safe for you to do so?
Even when the locksmith does arrive, with enough door lock changes he or she may not be able to get to every one of them in a single day. If not, that’s potentially another night shift for you. Another night spent waiting and worrying, another night of increased risk.
Right off the bat, the locksmith option’s grade in the “efficient” category is highly questionable. How about the “effective” category?
While a simple door lock change should be among the routine functions of any qualified locksmith, it may not be as effective as you think.
Consider the key blanks used by the locksmith for a second. They’re out there on the open market, easily accessible and quickly copied.
Sure, they might say DO NOT DUPLICATE on them, but it’s impossible to know if that request is always being followed. Just as it’s impossible to know how many duplicate keys in circulation there might be.
Unless the locksmith is a close friend, how much trust can you really have?
With concerns like these, it’s possible that what you end up with is not actual security, but merely the illusion of security. Are you willing to take that chance?
Let’s move on to cost. Just how expensive do locksmith services generally run?
Between labor and the hardware itself, a single locksmith callout can start at around $200. And that’s for each location. Multiply that by 20, 50, or 100 locations. That’s a lot of cash your organization is paying out. We know for certain that a better way exists.
User-Rekeyable Technology
What if you could perform a door lock change yourself — only with better, cheaper results?
Let’s see how user-rekeyable technology compares in those same three categories: speed, quality and cost.
Remember the waiting that comes with locksmith services? This option renders it completely unnecessary. The moment you realize that a lock is vulnerable and in need of rekeying, you can address it yourself.
The genius design of user-rekeyable locks puts the power to do this in your hands. A simple turn of a Step Change Key and the job is done. The old keys are now obsolete. The new keys are ready to be distributed.
Speaking of the keys themselves, there are some user-rekeyable lock systems that utilize restricted keys. These key blanks are not available on the open market. Each one is unique and cannot be duplicated. This cuts down on the security risk automatically.
Some restricted keys are even stamped with unique serial numbers. This can make it easier to keep track of keys and the employees who possess them. If an employee departs without returning the key, you’ll know every door that key unlocks. And you can start the process of rekeying right away.
Now, if user-rekeyable locks win on efficiency and effectiveness, you might assume that they’re exorbitantly expensive. But, you would be wrong. In reality, this option is significantly cheaper than a locksmith, saving your organization money over time and delivering a better final result.
After InstaKey is initially installed, rekey costs fall dramatically to just $35 per location, assuming an average of five keys per location. This cost compared to a locksmith callout, which can start at $200 per location, is a savings of $165 — or 80% — from a single rekey.
Again, imagine 20, 50, 100 locations needing door lock changes or rekeys. The savings are enhanced exponentially — along with your reputation in the eyes of corporate leadership.
How InstaKey Can Help
Looking at each category, it’s a win-win-win for user-rekeyable locks — something that InstaKey specializes in.
With InstaKey in place, you don’t have to wait for a locksmith; you can begin the process of rekeying immediately. Thanks to InstaKey’s restricted key blanks, you know the new lock system will be more secure than it otherwise would be. These benefits are not more expensive — they’re actually cheaper.
When keys go missing and locks need changing, the best course of action is clear. There’s no better option than InstaKey.
