Salute To Techies

Dec. 3, 2012
With the increase in complexity, and with little chance of visual self-diagnosis of the problem, a call to a technician has become a regular part of doing business.

During simpler times most products could be repaired without much trouble. A glance inside the housing usually was all that was needed to determine the problem. Replace a worn part or broken spring and the mechanical marvel was back in working order. This system not only worked for most locks, but for almost every other device invented by mankind. Instruction manuals were seldom needed. The only thing required was a little mechanical aptitude   

More and more products on the market today have wires attached. Electronic parts are often potted together with no chance of individual part replacement. Circuit boards have taken the place of spring-operated mechanical parts. From electronic safe locks to access control to automotive transponders, you are likely to encounter some electronically operated security device almost every day.  

Warrantees for electrically operated security products tend to be for a shorter time period than for standard mechanical lock products. Heat generated as electricity passes through the electronic components can take its toll. A customer on the Pawn Stars TV show recently had a working mechanical calculator made in 1914. How old is your laptop computer? Probably not more than two or three years old.

All of these advancements have spawned a new job description called technicians. Today you can contact almost any lock manufacturer, lock distributor, or even Locksmith Ledger, and get a techie knowledgeable enough to either answer your question or point you in the right direction.  With the increase in complexity, and with little chance of visual self-diagnosis of the problem, a call to a technician has become a regular part of doing business.  Technicians are viewed by most manufacturers not as a cost but as a necessity.

Each of you probably have several phone numbers for various techies programmed into your cell phone so you can readily source needed technical information while in the field.  In the spirit of the Thanksgiving season, a Canadian locksmith called in to suggest that we all remember how important techies can be. The next time you call a techie, take an extra moment to thank him or her for the information. Make their day.