aloa.org December 2025 Keynotes 47 only one depth. While this meant that the old key would not work, it also meant that if somebody had a bad copy of the old key, it might work on the locks that I had just rekeyed. Additionally, from experience, I know that those import locks are machined with very loose tol- erances, and sometimes keys work even if the cut is one depth higher or lower. There was no doubt in my mind as to exactly what I had to do next. What would you do? Think about your moral compass. Here are a few questions to think about. Questions to Ask Yourself 1 Would you feel it is a good choice to leave the locks rekeyed the way they are? 2 What course of action should you take to best serve the client’s interests? 3 Do you feel that leaving the locks the way they are would be dishonest? 4 Does leaving the locks unchanged potentially affect the safety or security of the client? 5 What would an ethical professional locksmith do? Multiple Choice Question What would you do? Choose the best answer(s). a The old key does not work; it’s rekeyed, and I would not give it a second thought. b Technically, the keys are different, and the old key does not work. Fair enough, I rekeyed the locks. It’s time to bill out and roll out. c No one will know that the keys are almost identical, so just move on. d As far as you are concerned, it’s not your problem — no harm, no foul. e Spray the locks really well with Hou- dini. The citrus smell will win your client over, and she will give you a great five-star review. f You know you should rekey all of the locks, but no way! It’s too hot and muggy in the back of that service vehicle, and you decide you’re just not going to do it. g The moral compass you had already set tells you, without question, that you must rekey all of the locks. You had already set your moral compass and will not waver; it’s also a matter of ethics and adherence to professional standards within the locksmith and security industry. I hope you would choose “g,” as I did. I did not even give it a second thought. I knew that I had to rekey all of the locks again. Was I happy? Heck no! But it had to be done. Take Two In show business, “take two” is often used in filmmaking and television pro- duction to indicate that the previous shot will be repeated. Often, a new attempt is needed because the first was not done to the director’s satisfaction. Well, this was my “take two” because my first act was not done to my satisfaction. Knowing that I had to have a “take two” was certainly a bummer. However, knowing that I was doing the right thing gave me motivation to get the job done. This time, I carefully looked through my container of factory-original keys and found a set of two keys with a com- pletely different code than my client’s old key. Using the new code, I once again punched out four additional keys so my client would have a total of six. I went back into the house and into that wonderful air conditioning (the silver lining in the otherwise dark cloud) to pull the cylinders and the locks from the doors. I brought them back to my sauna (er, service vehicle) where I once again rekeyed all of the locks. With everything rekeyed, I went back into the house and installed the locks and lock cylinders. The locks were working fine with the new key. With confidence and a good feeling about myself, I knew I had done the right thing and handed my client the old key and the new keys. I had her test the old key, and of course, it did not work. I then handed her the new keys and had her test them in the newly rekeyed locks. They worked like a champ. Conclusion Sometimes doing the right thing is not easy. It may not be the fastest, and nobody may ever know but you. This is known as integrity and is a core aspect of personal and professional character. This is one thing that separates the unethical, unscrupulous and conscienceless from the true professionals in our field. Hope- fully, your moral compass is appropri- ately calibrated and will be your constant guide in your work. Rick Karas, RL, CFDI, AFDI, started in the lock- smith industry in 1983. A licensed locksmith, he has experience with many physical security disciplines, including access control systems, intrusion detection systems and video monitoring systems. He works in both commercial and institutional settings. Rick owns Phil-Rich Lock, which serves the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. He was named Keynotes Author of the Year in 2023. If a client believes that you broke their lock, then you will most likely end up buying it.
