The Locksmith Journal May/Jun 2019 - Issue 62 | Page 76

76 • AUTOLOCKSMITHS PROUD SPONSORS OF THIS PAGE All the Gear and No Idea Having been in the industry quite a while now as an actual locksmith and distributor I have seen how equipment has evolved, once upon a time my favourite machine was a SBB as it covered 70% of my jobs and earned me lots of money. Whereas these days, with the variety of modern immobiliser systems, we have to have at least three or four pieces of hardware to confidently cover the majority of vehicles. » » AS TIME GOES ON, I AM hearing more locksmiths constantly investing large amounts of money in new equipment that promise to make the job easier, is that a good thing? My answer is most certainly ‘no’. There is an ever-increasing range of auto locksmith ability; some of my customers do 90% eeprom work and won’t bat an eyelid if they need to remove a BCM from a 2014 Porsche Panamera and solder onto the board to read the flash file (if you have done this job you’ll know how careful you need to be); whereas some will turn away a BMW EWS spare key because they need to remove a module and would rather wait for the customer who needs a spare Megane key card so they can plug in True Code. But, the latter will still spend thousands of pounds on equipment every year and we all know there are many OBD machines that cost a few grand. There also the ones in the middle who will do a bit of everything, but ‘rather than buying a new machine to make your existing work easier, why not open the door to more (and sometimes better paying) work?’ if they are unsure will walk away (or over quote to save face). What is the solution to this? Training and Support. There are a few companies that offer training courses; Hickleys being the biggest. Autowave offers tailor-made courses and I believe KAP will train on AVDI and maybe that is where money should be spent. Over the years we buy into so many different pieces of equipment and surely training is going to bring you the biggest return on your investment, and after your training ongoing support (those who have dealt with us in the past know how seriously we take support). There are many courses on offer and lots of valuable skills and techniques so rather than buying another new machine to make your existing work easier, why not open the door to more (and sometimes better paying) work? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nottingham-born Ravi Kotecha started his career installing car radios and working with auto electrics. After a seven-year spell in London working as a self- proclaimed ‘man in a van’, he’s returned to the East Midlands and set up shop as an auto- locksmith equipment distributor, ECU-specialist, and key cutter/ programmer across two sites in Long Eaton, plus has a car accessory shop and used-car dealership in nearby Sandiacre. Find out more at autowave.co.uk or call 0115 837 7972 LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | MAY/JUN 2019 Sponsored by Mul-T-Lock