The biggest benefits of locking and unlocking (keyholding) services

Unless your business operates 24 hours a day, the chances are that you’ll need to appoint a trusted employee to handle the locking and unlocking of your premises. Though distributing keys to your staff and setting a lock and unlock rota is relatively straightforward, you can run into challenges. Not only will you need to maintain a key list and log lockings and unlockings, but you’ll need to consider emergencies, such as when keyholding staffers are absent or emergency services need immediate access to your premises to attend to a fire or burglary. 

And let’s face it: the last thing your receptionist or groundsman wants to do in the middle of the night is attend your premises to unlock. It’s not only bad for morale, but you put both your organisation and your employees at potential risk. By working with a dedicated keyholding company or FM provider like Precision Facilities Management, you can eliminate such risks.

Below, we’ve rounded up a few more reasons why you should invest in a keyholding service.

Less chance of a late opening

If your office manager typically opens up your premises every morning but is delayed one day due to a traffic jam, the rest of your team will have to sit it out in the car park until they arrive. Although you can mitigate against such risks by having more than one keyholder in your organisation, it’s easy to overlook absenteeism, holidays, and other events. 

You can be sure that a keyholding organisation will be there every morning so teams can get to their desks and workspaces – no stress, no delayed openings, no loss of earnings.

Security checks as standard

Another benefit to working with a security company such as Precision Facilities Management is that your premises will be carefully inspected every day. As well as physically opening and locking up, your keyholder will check for unsecured windows, doors, and fire exits, and even recommend increased security measures in some cases. Keyholders can also keep an eye out for things such as leaks and hazards, ensuring your premises are safe for your staff.

Accommodates cleaners and late workers

Whether you’re employing a cleaner to maintain your premises or a member of the team is staying on to finish off a task, having a dedicated keyholder means you don’t need to wait around until the last person switches off the lights. You can contact your keyholder if you’re planning on spending time in the office or retail space, and they can attend at a later time. That way, you can get home at 5 PM rather than waiting around until your office is empty.

Deterrent for potential intruders – and staff

Finally, hiring a dedicated security company to lock and unlock your premises can serve as a physical deterrent to intruders. If a member of the public is monitoring your organisation and sees that a vulnerable member of staff locks up on an evening, they’re more likely to try their luck than if they see a professional security guard. Likewise, members of staff won’t have direct access to keys. Last year, there were almost 10,000 employee thefts reported to the UK police and thousands more that potentially went unreported. Removing access to your premises reduces the chances of after-hours theft – your keys are always held with a pro.

When you work with a keyholding company, a pre-arranged time will be agreed upon, and security personnel will visit the premises each morning and evening to perform an opening and a lockdown. The entire premises will be inspected to ensure that no member of staff is locked in, lights and monitors are turned off where not essential, and water taps have been turned off. The firm will attend alarm activations where necessary, and additional protection like mobile patrols can also be offered if you’re concerned about your premises’ security. 

At Precision FM, we offer a first-class keyholding service, alongside a wide range of security services for SMEs including CCTV remote monitoring, mobile security patrols, and more. Call us on 0843 289 9085 to find out more, or click here to arrange a free consultation.