Business Security Information

If you are one of many types of businesses that sell or service vehicles, you should look at how you are storing keys for the vehicles you are servicing or selling.  Over the years, I have seen numerous dealerships and service centers that store keys like the company noted in the pictures.  As you can see from the pictures, the keys are just stored on a board-type key holder.  While I do not usually recommend the use of such a board because keys are easily accessible to anyone in the area, I want to focus on the more pressing security issue of the proximity of the keys to the entrance to the business.

When I walked into the business, everyone, including the shop manager, was back in the shop area and did not see me standing at the counter for a number of minutes.  It would have been easy for me to reach over and take a set of keys.  The keys were tagged so it would not have been really hard in this small of a shop to figure out which vehicle the keys went to. The vehicles with keys with unlocking remotes attached to them would have been especially easy to find.

Since customers don’t always pick up their vehicle at the end of the business day, the business may not notice that the vehicle or keys are gone until the customer returns to pick up their vehicle another day.  This allows the criminal in many cases to come back after hours and either steal the vehicle or remove anything valuable from the vehicle.  In a case of a dealership, a missing vehicle on the sales lot may not be noticed for some time depending on how often the dealership does a count of lot vehicles.  Even if you are not a service garage or dealership, this issue may apply to you depending on the number of company vehicles you have and where you store those company vehicle keys when the vehicles are not in use.  It is obviously extremely important that you protect the keys for the vehicles you sell, service or own.

Key Security

There are a couple of things I would recommend this business change to improve security.  I have listed them in succession ranging from very minimal security improvements up to more secure solutions.

1. Move the key storage board away from any entrance or exit.  This makes it harder for someone to grab one or more sets of keys.
2. Move the key board to a location that is not easily accessible to the customers or the general public.  This could be behind the counter where it would force someone to step behind the counter to get a key or in the office located next to the service counter.  Basically, any area customers do not frequent and would obviously stand out would work.
3. Move the key board out of view of anyone coming into the business.  In this case, it could have been stored under the counter or in the owner’s office in a drawer or other area.
4. Store keys in a locked key storage cabinet, similar to the one in the picture.  There are a different kinds of key cabinets that can be locked with a key, a code, or electronically.  Select one that is appropriate for your business.

These are just some of the steps you can take to improve the security of your customers’ keys and vehicles as well as vehicles you own.  Remember, small security improvements like this can really make a big difference in security for your business as a whole.  It is easier to take steps before a crime happens than have to deal with the theft or damage of a vehicle in your possession.

If you have used other solutions to improve a similar security situations, please leave a comment so  other readers can learn from your experience.

Related posts:

1. Security Benefits of Key Cabinets
2. Robbery Security Measure
3. Bulletproof Enclosures