Anderson Lock’s Big Red Truck
“The success of your company hinges on being seen.”
When I read that quote I thought about our big red door delivery truck. Since we have so many customers spread out on so many streets throughout the city and suburbs, our name, on that truck, and on 25 red service trucks, is constantly being seen. We are also quite visible online, and through various other media.
If Success = Being Seen, then we’re assured of success!
But we think there’s more to the equation! Being seen is important, but being remembered at the right time, the time your customer needs you, is more important. That is, Success = Being Seen Right When Your Customer Needs You or Being Remembered Even When You are Not Seen.
Anderson Lock has served the door security needs of schools, healthcare facilities and corporations, both large and small, since 1960. Our reputation for quality products and service grew as our company grew. We work hard to make sure that we are remembered the next time our customers need locksmith service, and so that we are recommended to our customers’ colleagues and friends.
The success of our company also hinges on hinges! We represent 10 different brands, 8 different types, 8 different finishes, and two different grades (standard and heavy duty.) And, hinges are only one of the categories of security door hardware, doors and frames that we distribute. We also stock hundreds of locks, door closers, exit hardware, access controls and other commercial security door hardware products.
Having a company name that begins with an A helped us to be seen, and found, in the print yellow pages in the early days of Anderson Lock…but countless locksmiths still listed their companies ahead of us with names like “AAAA Locksmith”. Company founder, Gene Anderson, knew that having our name on our trucks in large white letters helped us to be seen, and he contemplated having the company name put on the roof of the “airport lock tech’s truck” so that people looking out the windows at O’Hare Airport could see that we do service work there nearly every day. Our shiny red trucks are always kept clean, are are easily spotted.
Being seen, and being remembered, for providing excellent locksmith service work, master key systems and related locks and door hardware, has led to expansion. Our main sales and service office is in its fourth location in Des Plaines, and our Door Division, in Schaumburg, adds office space for project managers and estimators, as well as a warehouse for commercial wood and hollow metal doors and frames. Our welding / cutting / fabrication shop features state-of-the-art equipment, including a wrapping robot, which also contributes to our ongoing, steady growth.
As important as it is to be seen, we don’t hinge our company’s success simply on the color and lettering on our service trucks, or on our Google ads. We believe that Friendly, Knowledgeable, Experienced, Skilled Employees Providing Reliable Security Solutions = Satisfied Customers and that = Success!
by Kathi Frelk