A service tech is weighed down by too many keys. Is there a better method of keeping them organized? Industry pros share their insights:
The Question:
Katt Fedor
K2 Swimming Pool Service and Repair | Fountain Hills, Ariz.
"What does everyone do for key organization? This isn't working for me."
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Answers:
Myles McMorrow
Pool Services Network | Washington D.C. Area
"You can buy a lockable key box at most office supply places and only take the keys you need for the day. If you have employees, you can make them check the keys out so that they don't get lost, and you know who lost them.
"I have a few customers that do not want me to hold onto a key. With them I use Keycafe (www.keycafe.com). They have key boxes at stores around my area where you have to enter in a PIN code and the keys have an RF tag on them. The homeowner gets a text when a key is picked up or dropped off."
Daniel Morris
Morris Pools | Mesa, Ariz.
"We have a similar system. Every key is labeled. Sometimes it gets a little crazy, but that's the nature of the beast. We actually made copies of every key and all trucks have the same set of keys. If a tech is sick, loses a key or we have an emergency at a pool, we can send the closest technician and still have access."
Heather Linton
Swim Carefree | Carrollton, Texas
"Tell clients no keys — must change to combo lock. We started having the same issues that everybody else was having, so we give the clients options. Either go and get it yourself or we charge $10 for a combo lock. Much easier to keep up with."
Luke Norris
Luke Pools | Alpharetta, Ga.
"I have a lock box at each client's pool. All with the same code so I don't forget!
"We don't have a lot of clients with locks on their gates. Most are combo locks. All of our commercials have lock boxes we put the keys in — pretty simple. It allows us to send whoever out to the pool at any time to do something without having multiple keys floating out there.
"Sometimes the property manager will call us with another contractor out there to use the pool, wanting to use our set of keys. All well and cool."
Ken Federighi
Premier Pool Service | Ocean City, Md.
"We use lock boxes at all of our commercial accounts. Even if it is only for a key card."
