Introduction

In the July/August 2017 edition Keynotes I wrote an article titled Locksmithing Risk Mitigation: Preventing Callbacks. In this article, I identified the 3 sources of call backs:

1. User error
2. Technician error
3. Manufacturer error

As I noted in the article, we don’t have much control over user and manufacturer error. Yes, we can try to do a better job of teaching our customers about utilizing their hardware and, yes, we can evaluate products prior to selling them but we will never have control over user and manufacturer errors in the way that we have control over technician error, or a callback that occurred due to our work.
In the article, I stressed that technician error can be drastically reduced, if not outright eliminated, by simply doing things the right way. So what is the right way?

The Right Way

The right way is nothing more than doing things the way they’re supposed to be done. Sounds trivial, doesn’t it? It doesn’t have to be.
The right way is installing door hardware the way the manufacturer’s instructions call for. Some may think or say that 6 screws in the case/head unit of a Von Duprin 98/99 is overkill but that’s what the instructions call for. Or how often have you seen hardware that wasn’t installed correctly? Examples abound but the fact remains: install per directions. Don’t make any interpretations or go off script; they developed and tested their product, they know what’s best.
The right way is going with the correct repair or installation, not the easiest. That’s not to say they’re always going to be mutually exclusive but often times they are. Stripped mounting screws on a surface mount door closer on wood or metal door. Easiest solution? Go to the next biggest size screw size and re-install. Correct solution? Through-bolt it because surface mount screws, of any size, obviously didn’t work the first time around. Or how often have we seen broken screws that the person before left? Easiest solution is just to ignore it but the correct solution is to remove the broken screw(s) and replace them.
The right way is recommending the correct solution, not the easiest and/or most lucrative. Most of us love this job and this trade but at the end of the day we’re all here to make money. That said, don’t let laziness or greed take precedence over professionalism.
These aren’t the only qualifiers of the right way but they should hopefully begin to paint a picture of what the right way is. To simplify the right way, how would you want someone to treat you or your property when you called on them to perform a service? You’d want them to install and/or maintain your property like a professional. You’d want them to make professional recommendations and sell you professional solutions. Put plainly, you’d want to be treated the right way.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, we all have to atone for our decisions in life, both professionally and personally. I cannot for the life of me fathom why anyone would not want to at least attempt to give their best and do things the right way. Never mind a reputation or customer satisfaction or a business practice, I’m talking about self-respect and self-worth. We should all strive for our very best and our work should absolutely be a reflection of that. Don’t take short cuts, don’t half-ass things, don’t be lazy about it. Do it the right way.

Just over a week ago, July 31st to be exact, Google released the stable version of the latest Chrome browser: 68.0.3440.83 through 68.0.3440.85, depending on the operating system. “Chrome 68” will begin to differentiate between websites that have SSL certificates and those that don’t by labeling them as secure and not secure, respectively. This didn’t come as a shock to many because in February of this year Google said they would start doing this exact thing.
If you’re unfamiliar with SSL certificates, I won’t waste your time trying to put my own spin on it. Instead, I’ll refer you to GlobalSign’s explanation.
Mozilla (Firefox) and others are joining Google on their push to encrypt communication between websites and users. Depending on how you’re viewing this website and on what browser, you’ll more than likely see either a locked padlock (how appropriate) or the word “Secure” to the left of our URL in the address bar up top. That’s exactly how they’re going to tell visitors whether or not a website utilizes an SSL certificate.
So, what does this mean for you and your businesses’ website? Will it impact it’s SEO?

Impact

If you sell items on your website, you might want to get an SSL certificate if you already don’t have one. A recent study found that 84% of users would abandon a purchase if data was sent over an insecure connection.
If you’re not selling items on your website, you still might want to get an SSL certificate. Why? While I am unaware of Google, or others, penalizing the search results between websites that have SSL certificates and those who don’t, browsers may soon do just that. Some studies have found that secured websites have slightly higher rankings than unsecured websites but I’m not so sure if it’s the sole reason behind that. No matter the case, not having an SSL certificate will eventually impact your ranking. When and how remains to be seen.
SSL certificates cost between $50-70, depending on your host, annually. If you’re lucky, you might already have an SSL certificate. There are multiple websites available online to check for you; I’ve become fond of SSL’s Shopper’s SSL Checker. Simply type in your URL and check it’s SSL status.

Additional Reading

If you would like to learn more about the new push for SSL compliance across the web and it’s impact on websites, here are some additional articles:

• Google Chrome to Flag Sites Without SSL Certificates and HTTPS as Insecure by Bradley Shaw
• Chrome 68 is out, all HTTP sites will now be marked “Not Secure” by Patrick Nohe

“The capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them.”
This popular quote is often falsely attributed to a Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov; you may know him better as Lenin, the communist revolutionary of the Soviet Union. Catchy, I’ll admit, perhaps so much so that it’s also been attributed to one of Lenin’s associates, Joseph Stalin, and even Karl Marx. The phrase is still used today albeit in slightly different and less provocative manner. One version that I’ve often heard reads as follows:

“They’ll buy the rope that we will hang them with.”

This article isn’t about phrase origins, however, or political figures of the 19th and 20th century. It’s about how current business relationships in the locksmith industry could be accurately described using the above phrase.

Distribution

The relationship manufacturers, distributors, locksmiths, and customers has historically been as follows: manufacturers sell to distributors who sell to locksmiths (or other security professionals) who sell to their customers. Now it seems that some distributors are forgoing, if not outright bypassing, locksmiths/security professionals and selling directly to the customer. They are, in effect, subsidizing a change in their business model, even if only a slight one, at the expense of locksmiths all while being our competition. The parent company of one distributor has even gone so far as to actually bid complete jobs (parts and labor) using a separate business entity.
I don’t think I need to argue that this shift is not favorable to locksmiths, that much should be self-evident. So what can be done?

Solution(s)

I think the only realistic solution in this situation is for locksmiths to stop doing business with distributors that seek to usurp us. I’ve broached this topic on Clearstar but was told that, in no uncertain terms, locksmiths are “small potatoes” to distributors and they wouldn’t care. I find this hard to believe (we may not be a majority but we’re surely a sizable minority) but even if it were true, who cares? Why should we buy the rope, no matter it’s length, that they’ll eventually hang us with? Their endgame might not be storefronts where John and Jane Doe can stop by on Saturdays but anything that attempts to cut us out of the picture should be taken as no less than a personal affront. There are many distributors available to locksmiths and, near as I can tell, a good number do play by the rules. Why not give them your business?
Another possible solution would be to start buying direct. A growing number of manufacturers are offering direct buy programs with locksmith shops. There are certain requirements, such as annual or initial buy-ins, but get behind a brand you trust and try to make it work – you’d be surprised at how good their numbers can be.
If distributors want to abandon a decades old business relationship to squeeze out all of the revenue of your city or town then there’s not a lot you can do about it, but don’t be a party to it and don’t support it. Take your dollars elsewhere and urge your colleagues to do the same. Hit them where it hurts the most: their pockets.