AUTO LOCKSMITHS
Looking back at the ‘ locky ’ ones …
By Ravi Kotecha
It was only six months ago I wrote an article in The Locksmith Journal assessing the “ beginning ” of the pandemic , now over a year after the first lockdown we can see the light at the end of the tunnel . The pandemic has hit us in so many ways , some businesses have experienced record-breaking sales , many others have had such a bad time they have had to shut up shop and amassed a huge amount of debt . I think it is fair to say , whichever side of the fence you are on it has been a learning curve .
It seems like only yesterday when the UK entered its first lockdown , all the worry and panic , no toilet rolls , pasta or baked beans ; the whole world was grinding to a halt . But fast forward eight months and it seems our industry has only gotten stronger . As I look back at the mixture of feelings we experienced , the uncertainty , how long will it last , how many people are going to die , what does the future hold , it was quite frightening ; put simply , it was chaos .
» AS A DISTRIBUTOR , OUR SUCCESS depends on our customers , if our customers are busy then we see sales , if they are not , we are sat twiddling our thumbs . We have seen so many industries in turmoil during this era ; hospitality , tourism , aviation , beauty and many more .
However , one set of people who have remained in business are auto locksmiths . There are going to be a few exceptions due to local lockdowns , but I speak to customers every day , both locksmiths and our resellers and they are still busy enough to earn a handsome living . Ultimately people still need keys and our industry has remained strong throughout this pandemic . The question is , will it continue ? I am most certainly sure it will .
So many factors which we are hearing daily are creating a bigger need for auto locksmiths , many people no longer have company cars , so they are buying used cars with only one key . Used car sales
10
Industry News
We should count ourselves ‘ locky ’
Ravi Kotecha - Autowave
NOV / DEC 2020
locksmithjournal . co . uk have been at a record high for the past six months and that usually indicates more keys are needed .
There are also so many people avoiding public transport which in turn leads to more car use , and as a result they either lose keys or need more keys . The list of reasons goes on , and we are set to benefit hugely . With that in mind and money still coming in , we have been offered super cheap borrowing in the form of bounce back loans ( thanks Rishi ) so not only are locksmiths busy , they can invest in more equipment and by the time you need to actually start repaying the loan the equipment would have more than likely paid for itself . It ’ s a win / win situation for auto locksmiths . I think we should take advantage of the surge in business and the options on the table as we are very lucky to be in this position .
So , what ’ s the downside ? As usual , there is at least one . The industry is so attractive that we ’ re seeing a lot of new start-ups . We also see more of the weekend part timers and one-tool wonders popping up on Facebook , as it seems like easy money . It is an ongoing learning process being an auto locksmith and it looks a lot easier ( and cheaper ) than it actually is from the outside . The internet and social media offer so much knowledge and information about key programming , tools are getting cheaper and more powerful so we can only expect the market to become more populated . I think it ’ s a consequence of being in a lucrative industry , we can ’ t fight it , we just have to get on with it . As with any business , offer good service at a good price and success will prevail .
So , as I sign off , I have to be grateful that as a distributor our customers have been busy and given us the best year on record . We don ’ t know what the future holds in terms of the pandemic , but what we can be sure of , is there will be a need for our highly skilled services .
Oh , and check out our new website www . AutoWave . co . uk
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» AUTOWAVE , AS A COMPANY HAS had a major restructure and a big change in personnel , in the initial stages it was damage limitation and precautionary , but as 2020 progressed it became strategic . From my numerous conversations with fellow peers in the locksmith industry I get the same vibe and other industries are the same . The pandemic isn ’ t the only factor that has affected us in the last 12 months , the B word that I used to hear most was “ benched ” but now that has changed to “ Brexit ” which seemed to have been lost amongst all the covid chitty chatty . So where do we go from here ?
As most of you would have gathered by now , I am quite a positive person and always have good things to say about the auto locksmith industry . So , in that vein I am going to point out a few factors that I feel are going to effect us , starting with the good bits ….
Post lockdown there are going to be a lot of vehicles being used that have been parked up for a while , obviously leading to a necessity for keys .
Car dealers are allowed to open , so more cars being bought and sold needing a new key .
Non-essential shops are going to be open this month , so more lost key scenarios are going to arise .
Most main dealers are fully booked due to the pandemic , pushing more business to the aftermarket .
Due to Brexit dealer prices for keys have increased making the aftermarket even more competitive .
The last 12 months have seen some major advances in the capability of aftermarket tools , so more jobs are “ doable ”.
The price of aftermarket keys has come down dramatically in the last 12 months so more profit to be made .
The list goes on . However , there are three very important groups that seem to be coming up all too often , and are starting to affect the auto locksmith industry ; start-ups , mechanics and idiots .
The auto locksmith industry is known to be very profitable and therefore attracts a lot of newcomers , this is inevitable as with any lucrative industry . There are many versions of training available , formal and informal , to varying standards ; the direct consequences to the professional auto locksmith are the type of jobs available are changing .
It would be unfair to discourage new start-ups if done properly ; with
appropriate equipment , training and insurance . It would also be unfair to condemn professional automotive technicians from exploring key programming as it goes hand in hand with the services they offer . But it is important they know their place in the market . I will go into more detail in a future article , as I think this is an important area to discuss . The nice and easy spare key jobs of run-of-themill Fords , Renaults and Vauxhalls will eventually disappear as the new fish will be advertising this type of work for a very cheap price .
Where the professional auto locksmith is going to win is the lock outs , the EEPROM work , the all keys lost jobs that require knowledge and experience . The price of these jobs has gone up , and will continue to command a good price point . The Autel monkeys / one tool wonders are becoming more common ( next time you get your IM out , remember you are feeding the company that wants garages to wipe out locksmiths ), but this just separates the rookies and the veterans ; so , move with the times and make sure the price fits the job .
That way , the auto locksmith can continue to taste the sugar in the pie .
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MAR / APR 2021
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