IS YOUR LOCKSMITH SAFE?

No one ever accused me of not being straight forward and this blog topic is no exception.

 At Flam's Lock and Key your security is our business and the lockmith you choose is your first step in protection, but do you know if the person coming to your home or business is a REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER?  Yes, that's right, for over 12 years an established locksmith company employed just such a person and it was only after his own daughter was a victim that he found out.

How do you know if the company you trust does background checks before they hire? How do you know if they follow the law and require each employee to apply for and obtain their consumer affairs license which requires finger printing?

How many of you ask if their locksmith is licensed and simply believe their verbal answer without asking them to email or fax copies?

If you still only care about what appears to be the cheapest price, think again; this same registered sex offender now owns his own company but just operates without a license because he relies on your naivety.

I hope this blog promotes awareness and smarter consumers. At least in our industry there are required credentials you can ask to see. Shop smart, smart safe.

Protecting what you most value,
Vikki Flam

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Celebrating 60 years event

Thank You! Because of you, Flam's Lock & Key is celebrating 60 years in business. To celebrate, we want to cordially invite you to our Customer Appreciation event being held October 24 from 10 to 1.

Being in business for 60 years, we have seen security evolve in such amazing and hi-tech ways. As your local security expert, we pride ourselves on staying current with technology and regulations keeping you and your business safe and secure. To help us celebrate our past 60 and future 60 years, the ASSA ABLOY Security Professionals Showroom will be on site to show you the latest in security technology.

The ASSA ABLOY Security Professionals Showroom (SPS) is the latest addition to the ASSA ABLOY fleet of mobile innovation showrooms and displays products from 5 different group brands: Adams Rite, Arrow, HES, Medeco, and Securitron. Offering hands-on time with ASSA ABLOY's newest products, during the SPS tours you will preview the newest product innovations from ASSA ABLOY including

• Full suite of Arrow Revolution which are aesthetically pleasing Touch Screen Locks, with voice guided programming
• Arrow levers with classroom intruder function for K12 applications
• Medeco's Smart High Security Solutions with patented key control
• Fire, outdoor, and windstorm rated solutions
• Stand alone Medeco loss and liability products that retrofits existing hardware
• Smart magnalocks with integrated camera and motion detector from Securitron
• New electrification options for aluminum storefront doors by Adams Rite
• ASSA ABOY latest product Aperio which provides real-time wireless access control with audit trail

Mark you calendar and join us for a fun filled day of food, prizes, tours, and celebration

Will You Be the Next Victim of Crime? Your Odds Just Increased

CNN Justice: " Supreme Court won't delay release of California inmates"

For those readers who follow my blog you know my intent is not to promote our business, but with the impending release of 10,000 prisoner's I would be remiss to ignore passing along this information.

Thousands who have not completed their terms have already been released from L.A. county jails ( over 23,000) and county officials say some have been convicted of violent crimes. Statistics show that 99% of these felons will be back in jail with 3 years.

With that said, will your family, home or business be victim to the resulting crime that sends them back? For all of us, our odds just increased!

For heaven sake, I don't care who you call ( actually I do) but you can no longer wait to install high secruity locks or keep your head in the sand. Your Alarm is your second line of defense not your first.

It is easy to be numb to warnings of disaster but like a hurricane warning will you be the one who waits for the tree to fall on you before you act?

We may be in the Security business but we are human beings who care first!

Protecting what you most Value,
Vikki Flam

Increase in Crime and Sherman Oaks and 11 other areas

STOP AND READ ME-YOU ARE WORTH IT!
It is Vikki again and most of you know that my blog is usually not intended to promote Flam's Lock and key, however today is different and here are the reasons:
Yesterday I received a neighborhood crime alert from Public Safety First that reported a significant increase in violent and property crimes in Sherman Oaks and 11 other areas. This is for the period July 14 through July 20.

I was pleased to get the alert but when I read this I was once again concerned as as your security expert because that the article advised visiting Public Safety First for information on how to make your neighborhood safer.

I have blogged before on the importance of knowing that we are the security professionals, not the police, not big box store employees or scam locksmiths.
It is OUR job to keep abreast of over 2,000 security products, including high security locks and to know that it is the entire door that provides security, not just your lock. It is our job to protect what you most value and that your
pysical security (not our alarms) is the first line of defense.

It is your job to keep your head above the sand and to know who to call BEFORE you need a security professional and not after. Crime will only get worse when prisoners are released. It is also your job to shop integrity and not price as integrity ensures the best price, not to mention you don't want to hand your keys to a stranger.
Flam's has been blessed to be a part of Sherman Oaks and the rest of the Valley for over 60 years and 3 generations and simply and perhaps corney we just care!
Whether it is to scedule a goup security event or upgrade your home or business security just know we have an educated team to protect what you most value.

Yours in Security,
Vikki

LIE-locksmith scam advise you shouldn't ignore

So who watched the ABC program called “Lookout” this week and the segment about scam locksmiths?

Part of the information was old news but a needed reminder of the following:

1.       When you are locked out of your home or business most locksmiths rip you off by when they drill a lock that can be easily picked adding up to hundreds of dollars.They also insist on cash payments.

2.       Don’t think because you are calling a local locksmith that they are local.Many companies are based in other states and send independent contractors all over the nation. They get millions of calls a year and send out complete strangers who are handing you your keys.

3.       We personally know one valley locksmith who employed a registered sex offender for 12 years. He does not do background checks before hiring.PRETTY SCARY STUFF! Now this individual owns his own security company.

4.       Every company charged 3 to 4 times more than they quoted these vulnerable folks who asked first.

5.       Most companies show an address on google maps but when ABC went to these address’s they were all fake( not a surprise to us)

SO LISTEN UP-HERE IS FLAM’S ADVICE:

     1.LIE, YES I SAID LIE! When Flam’s is not available for lockouts we tell our customers to say something 

       Like this; “ I have locked myself out 3 times already ( I am such a ditz) to thankfully I know my lock

       Can be picked”. If they still have to drill it it means they are either inept or you have a high security

       Lock which is designed to be pick resistant(not*even Flam’s has had to drill a common lock but is

       About 1% of the time).

     2. Find a local brick and mortar 24/7 locksmith BEFORE you need them and don’t believe the internet.

     3. As a general rule most locksmiths who run 24/7 and have the largest ads are not the companies

         You would call for your more important security needs-that would of course be Flam’s. But

        Kidding aside, they do not have the required California State Contractors license and do mostly

        Lockouts.

Protecting what you most value,

Vikki Flam

The Pros and Cons of Business Review Sites

Flam's Lock and key is proud of their reviews and we are often approached to advertise on Yelp and Angie's List because of the majority of positive reviews.
I started this blog telling you this so you will agree that what I write is not biased or with an agenda to promote our company.
There are just a few things that you need to know before basing your decision to use ANY business based on its reviews but I will use Locksmith's as an example:

• Many reviews are based on services that do apply to the problems you need to solve. For example, if most of the reviews are raving about lockout services for auto and home the companies usually are not high end residential and commercial security professionals but 24/7 mobile services.They are easy to spot because that is what they advertise, There are always exceptions to the rule but you shouldn't have to look for a needle in a haystack.

• When a review says the company arrived on time and did a great job how does the customer always know? For example, was a lock replaced that could have been repaired? If the customer needed re- keys do they know the quality of pins and keys the company used? If they called a locksmith and said they need their locks changed because they just moved to a new location did the locksmith sell them new locks when the cylinders only needed repinning(I know companies that do that)? Do you know if the company replaced a lock that could have been easily picked? I know you don't and that is one of the major scams.

• Do you use Yelp? If so are you aware that many positive reviews are filtered on the bottom of the page because they have a system that 'automatically' determines if it is a ligitimate review. They often get it wrong!
• Yelp also claims that paid advertisers are treated the same as non-sponsored business's but it is interesting to note the number of reviews that are not filtered when they pay to advertise. I will continue to test what for now is a theory.

I think the take away  from this blog is that consumers should not 'entirely' rely on review sites and need to take some extra steps in researching companies. Word of mouth referrals that allow you to ask questions are still in the smart shoppers tool kit. There is a rule that still hold true...if you hear 3 good things about the same company it is usually true and the same for 3 bad things.
Protecting what you most value,
Vikki Flam

Do Your Core Values Align With the Way you Shop For Vendors?

Blog: Do Your Core Values Align With the Way You Shop for Vendors?


Posted on April 1, 2013 at 12:50 pm Email Print Comment I am guessing that most of you would not know the complete answer because you don't know what you don't know.



I got to thinking this weekend after a young consumer came to Flam's to ask what kind of lock he needed He brought in pictures, took 40 minutes of our time and then pulled out a copy of an internet price and asked if we would sell it for the same.



This happens more and more and will eventually drive us out of business, leaving him with no professional's mind to pick and higher internet prices.



So here are some questions, some related to the above, some not:



1. When you say you appreciate small business do you mean it? Are you willing to pay a bit more to keep us around?



2, Most people say they believe in a 'living wage' but would you choose a locksmith who illegally classifies employees as independent contractors so they don't have to pay social security or workers comp? It also means they can quote cheaper prices. The majority of locksmiths do this. Would it matter to you and would you take the time to find out?



3. Most people want products 'made in America' and resent manufacturers sending job overseas. However, all the locks we sell that are made in America cost more and all to many do not want to pay the higher price. Would you? By the way, most products sold at big box stores are from overseas. Do you care?



Just some stuff to chew on, see if you walk the talk and live your values in the market place.



Yours in Security,



Vikki Flam

Beware of Newest Form of False Security, it's not your locks this time

News flash-"BBB(Better Business Bureau) of the Southlandis no longer licensed to serve as a BBB." My lord, an instititution over 100 years old.

Part of a larger letter, this was sent to BBB accredited business's like Flam's Lock and Key and thousands of others last week continuing to explain it did not comply with several standards relating to accreditation, reporting on buinsesses and handling complaints.

This is yet another blow to the smart consumer that tries to check in earnest the reputation of of a company they want to hire because review sites like Yelp and Angies list also have flaws of which the consumer is not aware ( unless they own a business).

Yelp's computer system  has a filter system that hides and filters positive reviews that are often legitimate yet you will see over 200 reviews from clients that advertise with them. They claim to know what they are doing but I don't trust it, even through we have good ratings.

Angies list, also gives us and others shining reviews but the criteria upon which one consumer rates service might be different than mine or yours.Do you care that they arrived on time or smelled good or were affordable if you are not qualified to know if their work was honest and good?

So what is the take away from all of this? It is OK to have starting points but in the end getting word of mouth referrals and learning the required credentials is our responsibility. We even need to go a step further and ask them to email or fax their insurance certificates and licenses, a request any decent business would not only be proud to do but elated to know there are intelligent shoppers.

We must shop for trust and do our homework.

Yours in Security,
Vikki Flam

Beware of Newest Form of False Sense of Security, it's not your locks

Lock Picking Workshop Threatens our Security

In today's LA TIMES in the LAEXTRAsection there is an article called "Picking this idea apart" which talks about a workshop approved by Oakland's mayor on how to pick locks. Really, this is not a joke and the community outrage is discussed in the article. Others in our local community, like greenleaf@watch2.org have also referenced this article

The reaction to the workshop caused only one change,even scarier, they cannot hand out lock pick sets which they do in other workshops. It is against the law for Flam's to sell lockpick sets to anyone not licensed in our trade so we are shocked they can do this. The rationalization stated in the article by one of the instructors says "As for the risk of educating burglars, most can find guidance online without having to pay $40.00 to come to an event where you have to use your real name.',
The article also states the workshop beckons:"In many cases, opening a lock without a key is easier than you think!" Open to participants 10-101, it has sold out.

As a side note, the article begins by opening "Burglaries have plagued just about every corner of this beleaguered city of late:Last year,Oakland averaged one break-in every 42 minutes-a 44% increase over 2011.

The take away from this article, as stated in my prior blogs is twofold:

1. Invest in high security locks like Medeco, Multi-lock, Primus, etc. because they are the most pick and bump resistent. Also, if sold the most recent patent, your key cannot be duplicated. It is 'real security' not 'feel good security'.

2. Vet the hell out of the lockmith you call because scams are on the rise, most are not properly licensed and all to many quote you on expired patents. Mobile locksmiths also cannot offer you 'non-carded' keys because they don't have a shop where you can get your keys duplicated. You don't have to know what this means today lest to say make a part of your education to compare apples to apples and reputation and ingrity before price.

We, at Flams's Lock and Key, have spent our entire career protecting your life and assets , that is the "why' of our reason for being in business, and we hope you are as enraged by this workshop as are we!

Yours in Security,
Jack and Vikki Flam