With Covid-19 restrictions slowly but surely easing, a certain amount of normality seems to be on the horizon. However, one aspect of the pandemic has been predicted to outlast any other, and that’s working from home. On top of extra living – or in this case, working – space that has seen home improvement companies’ order books bulge with conservatory and garden room plans, there is another side to this sector that cannot be ignored; especially for locksmiths and installers. Here, Lee Caley from DeRaat discusses the need for commercial-style safe security in domestic dwellings, the rise of the fire chest, plus key cabinets and vehicle safeguarding…
“In modern offices and administration buildings, not only is it common practice to keep mobile phones, tablets and laptops tagged and securely stored away at night, sensitive documents under lock and key, and any other expensive equipment catalogued and accounted to prevent damage and deter theft, sophisticated access control and CCTV is often used for the building, certain floors and even individual rooms. We expect these measures as the absolute minimum when it comes to our working environment, yet when it comes to working from home, the same is not replicated nearly enough.
“Home security in general is regarded at a different level to professional environments. Many ‘ordinary people’ will only consider using a safe on holiday, yet will have a number of high value, portable products in the home – totaling in thousands of pounds – plus personal documents such as passports, birth certificates, etc. Add the current element of also now keeping work-related equipment and potentially private and sensitive paperwork at home, and home safes not only become a requirement for the consumer but a potentially high source of revenue for locksmiths and installers.
“DeRaat aims to be the first choice brand for our customers and their customers. Our robust business values and strong partnership relationships explicate into the manufacture and supply of physical security products. Our experience in the commercial and industry sector including retail premises, business buildings and hospitals, to name a few, means that the standard of our safes is perfect for a domestic setting too. And, whether the homeowner requires protection of their personal or professional belongings, or in some cases – both, by understanding our portfolio of products and the correct installation of them, where appropriate, locksmiths can add a very profitable ‘string to their bow’.
“As installers and retailers will know, there is no such thing as a ‘one safe fits all’ and that’s why we offer as much information and support as we can to locksmiths when it comes to the DeRaat range. For many the first port of call will of course bet he website, but we also have dedicated documentation on all our safes, key cabinets, cash storage, paper safes etc. Typically, homeowners would usually be interested in jewellery and cash safes – of which we have models that safely store up to £35,000 cash or up to £350,000 belongings. Recently, however we have seen new demands emerge in safes inline with the design and development of leisure and lifestyle belongings.
“Key safes for car fobs are particularly popular at the moment and a relatively inexpensive method for car owners to keep their vehicles safe at home. With car thieves targeting key less cars through transmitter interceptors; getting into the habit of locking your keys up at night is more than just peace of mind. Likewise, it isn’t just theft that property needs protection from, and we have seen an influx of fire chest sales in recent years.
“There are so many vast and varied reasons that a homeowner may need a safe. And, while consumers can buy safes directly from manufacturers, the upselling potential for locksmiths is one that should not be ignored. Considering all the above, a ‘normal’ three-bedroom two-adult household could have at least three different types of safe for personal belongings, professional equipment, and keys and fobs. As a locksmith selling and professionally installing these, taking the time to familiarise themselves with the DeRaat range could pay dividends over the coming months and years. The work-from-home new normal we are currently experiencing could really work out for locksmiths too.
Find out more at: www.deraat.co.uk