Ziptide June 2019

June 3, 2019

Installing Customers’ Hardware

Editor’s Note: This letter is in response to  Editor-In-Chief Gale Johnson’s April Notes from the Editor enewsletter, titled Taken For Granted. Read at www.locksmithledger.com/21070806

Always appreciate your insight, thanks. I agree. I will also install the hardware that the customer purchased. In fact, I recommend it in most cases.

First they save money; second they pick out what they want, etc. and I will up my labor rate slightly.

It's tough to stock the many finishes that the customer wants today. When I started (1985) brass was king and I have a garage full of it waiting for its comeback.

Just wanted to say thanks again for your continued support of this industry,

Robert Gervais, CRL

All-Phase Lock and Safe

Insecurity?

I hope all is going well with you.  Here are my recent thoughts on “INSECURITY.”

We’ve all heard about the recent Boeing debacle. I just heard that Samsung’s release of their new folding smartphone...$2000 to purchase! Is being delayed because it breaks in just a few days...not good...poor engineering...low standards.

The age old question:  If a tree falls in the forest and nobody us there does it make a sound?  

As far as security goes:  If it takes 30 minutes to INSTALL a “security device” but it can be CUT OFF (defeated) with a common hack saw in about a minute...does it really qualify as a security device?

Our industry needs to be applying (serious impartial testing) higher standards to what qualifies as a security device.  Just because it can be made doesn’t mean that it should be made.  We have too many “Boeing’s” and “Samsung’s” out there.

Years ago when YOU put a Segal Jimmyproof Lock on a customer’s door, they took you seriously...a locksmith was a true security professional.   You can’t say that about a guy who puts a device on (an hours worth of time and a few hundred dollars) for you that can be easily defeated in just over a minute!  Opportunist...security scam artist...false sense of security...”bad joke” seems more appropriate.

SECURITY used to mean something.  Remember when safes used to be rated on how long of an attack they could be subjected to before they were defeated.  Too bad we don’t have a system like that for locks.  They claim we have ANSI Grading - like Grade 1 and Grade 2 (now there is even a Grade 3 which is total garbage/waste of money)  This too is a joke (probably political) because BEST has a deadbolt that is rated Grade 1 but it has NO protection against the “ice pick trick (attack technique)” as its competitors do???

It’s very disappointing to see what is happening to our industry.  I’m glad I’m getting too old to care  

John Ulaszek

San Diego, CA

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