Where to start with prioritizing safety for car dealership employees in 2024

What are dealership key machines? 

Dealership key machines are the superheroes of the security world.

Let’s start with a couple of questions. Firstly, how many headaches have you suffered due to lost or stolen keys? And how much money have you spent on replacing them, as well as damaged, abandoned or stolen vehicles?

We humans are prone to error, as often happens with traditional key management systems like hooks and logbooks, or a receptionist manually handing out keys. These tools are simple to use, but are also easy targets for thieves. Luckily, electronic key cabinets can save the day.

These smart machines hide your keys away from prying eyes, automatically review access permissions and create detailed reports every time an asset is removed or returned. It gives you greater visibility over how salesmen are using vehicles in your dealership.

Let’s show you exactly how these products can help improve security in the automotive industry:

5 ways dealership key machines can improve security in the automotive industry

• Increase accountability
  Encourage salespeople to take better care of keys by holding them accountable for any losses or thefts while an asset is in their care. You can easily do this with the detailed reports created by KEYper’s dealership key management system. When car salesmen book vehicles for test drives using our key cabinets and software, they will receive an alert when they need to return the asset to the dealership. This encourages them to bring vehicles back on time, reducing the time they hold on to keys unnecessarily.
• Control access
  Key machines are very effective at warding off criminals by only allowing authorized staff to access keys and vehicles. Old-fashioned cabinets and key hooks are all too easy to penetrate while salesmen are on test drives. This is where KEYper’s system shines, as it will only give access to verified users, via pin code, swipe card or biometrics.
• Make access control automatic
  It’s important to eliminate the possibility of human error as much as possible, and intelligent key cabinets can help do just that. Our key cabinets and software automate the process of allowing and revoking access permissions. This means staff members are less likely to be conned into handing out keys to thieves, potential joyriders or untrained colleagues pretending to have access permission.
• Ensure staff safety
  Businesses have a responsibility to keep their staff safe, and that is particularly important at dealerships, given their biggest assets can be weapons in the wrong hands. Anyone driving recklessly, whether it be thieves making a quick escape, thugs looking for a quick joyriding thrill or even staff members without a driving license could put someone in the hospital. Key machines can help maintain strict access control measures.
• Logging vehicle breakdowns
  It can be dangerous to drive a faulty car, and it’s important to restrict access to them until they are back in working order and deemed safe to use. Salespeople can use our key cabinets to log a vehicle breakdown, which will instantly alert you by email, so that you can recall them as soon as possible. Warning notifications can also be attached to cars, and you can deny access to them, so that workers know they are off-limits until they’ve been repaired.

How do you know if key machines are right for your dealership?

Key machines can help heal a number of pain points.

Their main role is to stop the wrong people accessing your keys, and stealing your vehicles and/or harming your employees. 

An effective car dealership key management system should prove to be a dead end for joyriders, vandals and thieves, who are prone to dangerous driving as they make their escapes. 

This not only could prove fatal to employees, themselves, other drivers or customers, but could completely write off a vehicle following a crash or result in them abandoning the asset in the middle of nowhere. Not only will you lose out on sales, but you will likely have to pay huge replacement and repair costs.

If you need more help protecting your employees and customers from the above risks, or wish to reduce your replacement and repair bills, then a key machine is right for you.

You also need to make sure cars are fixed promptly when a fault occurs to prevent any accidents, or their value being dramatically reduced. If you’re also looking for a system that can flag breakdowns immediately, then investing in a key machine is wise.

Modern key cabinets also benefit from cloud-based software and a mobile app. These allow you to manage vehicle bookings for test drives remotely, right from your smartphone. It means you no longer need to employ someone to work on-site at all hours. 

If reducing human error and labor fees is also on your system wishlist, then key machines are the right fit.

And if you want smoother sales, then look no further. Car salespeople taking vehicles out for test drives no longer need to fight over the same system, which can slow down a sale. 

Multiple employees can use a cloud-based system to book out vehicles at the same time wherever they are and pass ownership of keys over to each other in the field, with your permission, also using their mobile phones, speeding up sales.

We’re here to help 

Is picking the right security system for your business proving to be a bumpy road?

Then turn to KEYper. We can help walk you through it from the very beginning. 

Our team of dedicated experts will work alongside your entire company to help you outline your dealership’s unique auto security requirements, and assess whether key machines are right for you. We’ll not only support you in designing your perfect system but will also help install, test and optimize it.

But we’re not finished yet. We want everyone in your dealership to feel as confident as possible when using your new tools, and so we’ll carry out personalized online and/or in-person training. And for added peace of mind, we also offer customer support and maintenance contracts. Book your system demo today.