business security

Business Security: Tips for Lock Safety

If you own a business, security should be a top priority. In addition to the threat of a break-in, you have to consider the potential risks that current or former employees could pose. Here are some tips to keep your business, merchandise, money, and data safe.

Use Locks Wisely

Locks are obviously essential to keep your business secure. You should have strong locks on every door to the building, as well as on any storage or maintenance areas or separate buildings on the property.

You should have locks at numerous other locations, including areas where merchandise and supplies are stored. If you keep cash in a safe, put it in a room behind a locked door for an added layer of security. If you have computers or paper files where you store sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, contracts, financial documents, and personnel records, keep them in a locked room. Only give keys to areas with valuable property or sensitive information to people you trust who have a legitimate need to be in those places.

Make sure you choose locks that would be difficult to pick or force open. If someone breaks into your business, your insurance company will check to make sure you had quality locks and were making a concerted effort to keep the building secure.

Rekey Locks

In any business, employees are going to quit or be fired from time to time. If those workers had been given keys to the building, they might have made copies, which creates a security risk. Sometimes employees don’t leave on good terms, and in other cases, employees act like things are fine, then come back to commit a break-in. Some workers even take a job with the intention of gaining the owner’s or manager’s trust, obtaining a key, quitting, and then coming back to commit a robbery. If a person’s employment has ended, you should immediately rekey the locks as a matter of course, regardless of your relationship with the former employee or your opinion of that person.

Consider Keyless Entry

A more modern option is installing keyless locks that can be opened with a key card, fob, or access code. This system makes it easy to control who has access to each part of the building and can provide you with a record of who entered and left an area and when. If theft or vandalism occurs, that record will make it easier to figure out who is responsible. If an employee quits or is fired, you can immediately deactivate that person’s access card or change the code, rather than pay a locksmith to rekey the locks each time someone’s employment ends.

Call a Locksmith

All American Locksmiths is a full-service company serving commercial businesses of all types and sizes. Whether you need to install, replace, or rekey a single lock or want to create a sophisticated security system for a large building, we are up to the task. Call us today.

house keys

Stop Someone from Entering Your Home without Your Permission – Change the Locks!

Your home is the place where you should feel the safest. The idea of discovering an intruder, or finding that your valuables have been stolen, is enough to worry anyone. Many people fail to realize that unauthorized access often occurs when someone uses a key to enter a home. In some circumstances, it makes sense to change the locks to stay safe.

After Moving

When you move into a new apartment, you should have the locks changed. Someone who used to live in your home could have kept a key. If the locks are unchanged, that person could walk right into your apartment and take off with your belongings. If you are renting a new apartment, ask the landlord if the locks were changed after the previous tenant moved out. In many cities and states, landlords are legally required to change the locks when a unit changes hands.

If you have bought a new house, the previous owners could still have keys. It is also possible that they gave keys to their friends, family members, or neighbors so those people could pick up mail, water plants, or take care of pets while the owners were away. You have no way of knowing if the previous owners or anyone else still has a key. Change the locks to be on the safe side.

After a Relationship Ends

If your relationship status has changed, either because of a divorce or a breakup with someone you were dating, you should change the locks. Even if you separated amicably, you never know if that person might decide to show up unannounced, either to talk or to do you harm. If your roommate moved out, or if you had a falling out with a family member or friend who has a key to your home, changing the locks can give you peace of mind.

After Losing Keys

If you or someone you live with has lost a key to your home, change the locks. If the key was lost somewhere in the neighborhood, a person could find the key and go from house to house or from apartment to apartment trying locks until finding the one where the key works. If you lost your key along with your identification that has your address, change the locks immediately.

Call a Locksmith

The locks on your doors are your first line of defense against intruders. In many cases, theft, vandalism, and violence occur because people gave keys to people they trusted and then circumstances changed, or because residents didn’t know who was given a key by someone else. If you recently moved, had a change in your living situation or relationship status, or lost your keys, play it safe and change the locks.

All American Locksmiths is available to help 24/7. If you are concerned about someone entering your house without your permission, call us today so we can change your locks and give you peace of mind.

Apartment door locked

What to Do about Lost Apartment Keys

It’s a frustrating situation: you arrive home and realize that your apartment key is missing. Don’t panic. Depending on the situation, you might have several options.

What to Do If You Are Locked out

The first thing you should do is to retrace your steps. If you drove yourself home, your apartment key might have slipped off your keyring in the car or in the driveway or parking lot.

If you can’t locate your key, you will need to find a way to get into your apartment. If there is an unlocked window that you can climb in safely, you can do that, but don’t try to force the door or a window open. You would almost certainly cause damage, and you would need to pay for repairs.

If you live with someone else, get in touch with that person. If he or she is nearby or will be home soon, you can wait to be let in.

If you live alone, or if a person you live with cannot come home and let you in anytime soon, get in touch with your landlord or management company. If there are on-site staff and you are locked out during business hours, someone should be able to let you in. Depending on your landlord’s policy, an employee might let you into your apartment after business hours. Many landlords and management companies charge fees for this service.

Unable to find someone that can let you into your apartment? You will need to call a reputable, professional locksmith.

All American Locksmiths is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help if you accidentally lock yourself out of your home. If you get stuck, give us a call!

Depending on the terms of your lease, your landlord might require you to pay to have the locks rekeyed if you lose your key. Even if the lease does not require this, it might still be a good idea, especially if your wallet was lost or stolen and your identification with your address was inside.

How to Avoid Getting Locked out

Prepare for the possibility that you might accidentally lock yourself out of your apartment. If you have a close friend or relative who lives nearby, you can give that person a copy of your apartment key for emergencies. Only give a key to someone you know well and trust.

Another option is to hide a spare key near your apartment. Avoid obvious places, such as under the doormat or inside the mailbox. Choose a place where a thief would not immediately look and where the key would not be easily seen. A hole in a tree, a stone wall, and a dense bush are good hiding places.

Be Prepared

Getting locked out is a major inconvenience. Depending on your landlord’s policies, it could also cost a lot of money. You will likely lock yourself out at least once. Know what to do so you can get back into your home as quickly as possible.