Anderson Lock Service Tech Challenge: 30 Different Locations in One Morning

A sign in our training room reads: At Anderson Lock, every reasonable request is always a Yes!

So when a chain store’s regional manager called and said that they were changing their truck delivery company and needed to have the locks changed on service doors at 30 different locations--on one morning, in February, Anderson Lock Service Manager Jim Riddle said, “Sure! Just give us the 30 addresses.”

The closest store was 45 miles away from Anderson Lock, and most locations were much farther, requiring a significant amount of travel for each of the six techs assigned to the task. Jim says, “our new computer mapping program was an integral part of our capability to perform this time-sensitive work.” He plotted the 30 locations on a map, then grouped them, and created a new map for each technician. The high security Medeco keys were cut in our service center and assigned to the techs with their maps and service tickets.

Because alarmed electric hardware had to be removed from the stores’ doors to access the cylinders, Jim scheduled at least half an hour at each location. Techs started their days early to complete their assigned routes before 1 p.m. Jim reflects, then says, “Everything worked out great. It was just a matter of logistics. We still had several techs available for our other customers.”

He notes that fuel-efficient service vans help keep costs competitive when long distances, like the ones for this customer, are involved.

It snowed that day--but bad roads just added adventure to the One Morning 30 Location Medeco Rekey Challenge.