Some locksmiths in New York are in for increased competition from a not so normal place. 7-11 has entered a partnership with the KeyMe Kiosk company which aims to pick up clients who would normally make a call to a locksmith. These kiosks, which are testing in multiple locations in New York, are able to save a virtual copy of your house or apartment key so that if you are locked out you can go to the machine and purchase a new one for only $20. Of course this can only be done if you have the foresight to have your key up loaded into the machine before you have locked yourself out. There is also the issue that the kiosk must be close enough to your home or apartment that you can easily access it when you are without your normal set of keys.
Even for its drawbacks this kiosk system could catch on, especially in a densely populated area such as New York. Philadelphia locksmiths should be on notice that these kiosks can be an even cheaper alternative to calling your local locksmith. As for now the kiosks are only located in a limited number of 7-11s in New York. Some individuals may be wary of having their house key uploaded into a database such as this but KeyMe offers finger print scanning at their kiosks to prevent any other users from printing your house or apartment key.
While this is a great idea that could be very convenient for some individuals it is not likely to effect the business of mobile locksmith companies, other than unlicensed ones who tend to be less experienced. Since many locksmith services do much more than just unlock house and apartment doors it is unlikely that the few individuals who this machine would be convenient for would effect the viability of their business. In addition to this there are many keys which the Kiosk would be unable to cut including most automotive car keys which still leaves a large amount of work for local mobile locksmiths. Even if a person may have had their key uploaded to the kiosk’s database, if the kiosk is not operating, they would still have to call a locksmith.
Businesses will continue to try and offer the most convenient ways for home owners to get back in during a lock out but the truth is local locksmiths will continue to operate as long as they offer a diverse range of services to their customers. A machine kiosk may be able to handle the most simple of service but nothing can substitute for the knowledge and experience that a professional locksmith can offer you.