Photo above: Kylie Bray (second on the right) and part of the Western Rock Service team.
Who says career pivots aren’t rewarded? From beauty salons to locksmith vans, Kylie Bray’s hands-on approach remains the same. Only now, she unleashes the growth of her father’s business by blending personal services and digital smarts with Western Lock Services.
For Kylie Bray, director of Western Lock Services, Locksmithing is more than just a business, it’s a game that continues the family legacy.
Founded in 1997 by Kylie’s father, the company evolved from a one-man business to a growing locksmith service with a dedicated team, a well-established storefront and four vans serving Auckland.
Kylie initially had no plans to take over the business and was doing a beauty therapist course, but when her father was diagnosed with a terminal illness, plans changed and priorities shifted to family business.
Certainly not enjoying beauty therapy, Kylie says she is happy that she made the right choice when she was looking for something more practical.
“I would have made a terrible beauty therapist,” she laughs.
“On my days off, I was on my way with my dad. He taught me something to teach me about all the things, like keys and locks.”
From a small workshop at home to opening a store in Royal Heights in 2001, the business grew steadily.
Eventually, Kylie’s two brothers joined as apprentices, making it a true family event.
Today, Western Lock Services offers a comprehensive range of residential, commercial, transportation and electronic key locksmith services.
“We have all kinds of people, including bikes, scooters, bikes, doors, cabinets, etc. We even have towing trucks that carry our cars.
“We don’t know yet how we achieved what we have, but we can see that it wasn’t easy.”
Find a challenging 2024 opportunity
Like many small businesses, Western Lock Services felt the stab of the economic challenges of the 2024, and the team felt a lot of uncertainty.
But rather than retreating, Kylie explored new ways to double customer relationships and attract business.
One major change was the use of a chatbot with AI-powered on the website in a video of Kylie smiling and waving.
Since last November, the team has noticed that it has made it easier to communicate with clients and that they can book services immediately on calls.
“The intention behind it is that when people jump on a website, you want to get their attention within the first few seconds they’re there,” explains Kylie.
With a chatbot, customers can also ask questions in real time, do book services, and jump to video calls with Kylie.
“Not people looking for your number, they can call and ask questions directly to small chatbots, rings, or videos.”
Another important focus for 2024 was improving the company’s customer relationship management (CRM).
“One of the big things that came out was using the database of customers we have.
And she worked with experts to help develop the CRM system.
“This helps us track what we did during our visit when we were on the property and allow us to stay in touch with our existing clients.”
Rainy Days and Rescue Calls
For a locksmith, rainy days aren’t just rainy. They are a sign of a busy shift ahead. “It’s always rainy. You know people are in a hurry and call more than usual.”
Car lockout is one of those calls.
“There may be situations where the vehicle locks itself when you close the door.
As for response times, Kylie says the team is doing their best to get to customers quickly. “If you can get there right away, you can get to the site within 30 minutes and open the doors and vehicles.”
Keep up with the times
However, not all jobs are emergency. Some people need a touch of patience, skill and history.
Kylie shares memorable projects, including rocks from an antique church that dates back more than 100 years.
“A gentleman was transporting the old villa to Helensville and trying to maintain all the original components. He brought this lock, which was monster and heavy. You can’t get that kind of important blank.
Compare it to today’s well-knitted landscape, where keyless locks are the norm. “We get daily inquiries about people who want to go to electronic locks or keyless locks, and that’s all related to convenience,” says Kylie.
But despite the rise of digital access, she doesn’t believe that traditional keys will disappear. “We always recommend an electronic lock with a key override. If an electronic device breaks down or the battery dies, there is a physical key.”
Looking ahead, Kylie says she doesn’t aim for rapid expansion, but she’s aiming to connect with her existing clients. “We don’t want to grow, we just want to get better,” says Kylie.
The company’s focus is on schools, real estate agencies and commercial clients who require ongoing maintenance and security upgrades. “We’ve had great relationships with the school. Whether it’s maintenance, real estate work or entering new major systems, I think this is probably a big focus this year.”
One notable school project involved the installation of wireless electronic locks.
“Every door has an electronic lock and connects the lock to the office software because it connects to the hub within the building,” explains Kylie. Staff can control access remotely, eliminating the need for keys. “There’s always something that requires attention so it was great to be able to keep it.”
For Kylie, there’s no doubt that she made the right choice to leave beauty therapy behind. “Ah, no,” she laughs. “I must have been a terrible hairdresser.”
Instead, she found a career that was practical, constantly changing, deeply rooted in her family and community.
