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      Car Keys Express

      Engaged Employer

      Car Keys Express reviews

      3.1

      32% would recommend to a friend

      (188 total reviews)

      Mark Lanwehr

      35% approve of CEO

      32% positive business outlook

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Car Keys Express has an employee rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars, based on 188 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Car Keys Express employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.5 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      188 reviews
      3.0
      Jun 22, 2019

      Can be good / Can be Bad

      Account manager
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Company vehicle, cell phone, up to date equipment on hand to do the job. The hours are mon-fri typically 9-5, and car keys are easy to make and program. Co-workers are great to work with, even though you will probably never meet them. Some account managers make great money upwards of 70-80k a year, and job isn't physically taxing. Also full benefits kicked in right away. Advice to new hires- If you get offered a position as an account manager, do some research in your area first. Look up how many locksmiths are in the area, how many dealers are in the area, and how many auctions are in the area. Plan on stopping at all the dealers and auctions every week. You have to be motivated and patient to build your route. Dealers have many companies stop in every week to try and sell them something. This is anything from paint protect-ant, ding repair, and even other locksmiths. So you may get dismissed and you will have to keep stopping in. Your pay will suffer if your start is slow. If you are taking over for another AM in a good area you are one of the lucky ones. Keep in mind unless the AM who had a great route has died or moved, they probably wont leave the company at all, due to the great pay (because of the high volume of keys they do) and the hours.

      Cons

      Can be a slow start at first. It is up to dealers to give you keys, starting salary is okay but then starts to decline. The hope is you do more keys. Inventory on keys can be an issue (this affects your pay), if you cant get to the minimum requirements can be the most miserable job of your life. Feeling like a pest asking dealers to make keys for them, when they don't have any keys that need made. Competitors are matching, if not beating car keys express' price points. Also the market for locksmiths who can do car keys is flooded with locksmiths. Mostly a sales job for the first 1-2 years in some cases 3 years until route is built. The Truth- Dealers are under no obligation to give you keys to do. Just because they have agreed to use car keys express, does not mean they will give you keys to do every week. As an account manager you will have to go from dealership to dealership or auction making car keys on a route. Your pay as an account manager is dependent on making keys with every stop. The requirements are 12 keys a day and $1000 a day of sales (at least as of Nov 2018, they are known to change pay plans all the time, not sure what it is as of 2019). The goal of an AM is to sell the dealer on total lot coverage which is making sure there are 2 keys on every vehicle on the dealers lot. The AM's who make good money have enough dealers in their area that have bought into the program. Dealers in some areas will not buy into the program (regardless of what car keys express tells new hires in new areas, it does not matter how many times you stop, some dealers just simply wont buy into the program). Your pay as an AM is up to you I can't say that enough.

      avatar
      Car Keys Express Response
      7y
      Thank you for writing a review. We have taken your feedback seriously and are responding to provide additional insight. First, we appreciate your recognition of our Account Managers. Car Keys Express is proud of the men and women across North America and Canada who service our customers daily. On average, an Account Manager achieves the minimum expectations within nine months of starting in the role. Throughout the nine-month Apprenticeship Program, tiered training pay is based on the achievement levels, after averaging new Account Manager performance. 86% of our Account Managers earn more than the national average for Locksmiths. The Operations team, along with sales, training, and technical support, are dedicated resources to help Account Managers reach the full potential in their territories. Based on the feedback from our Account Managers, building a full route typically takes 9 to 18 months. Unlike traditional locksmiths, Car Keys Express Account Managers are equipped with the specialized equipment and keys required to service cars with the latest technology. Our Total Lot Coverage model provides the best savings for dealerships and earnings for our Account Managers. To communicate the benefits of this unique program, Account Managers are armed with training and collateral, such as brochures, postcards, and videos, to close sales. Yes, inventory on the vans is a major advantage at Car Keys Express. We continue to offer new products and services for additional revenue opportunities. At Car Keys Express, we’re looking forward to another record-breaking year, providing opportunities for the entire team - our greatest asset. Check out what we’re all about on our Careers page.
      4.0
      May 21, 2019

      Good show

      Account manager
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Company vehicle and tools, on the job training, health benefits, 401K with matching

      Cons

      Lack of needed inventory when truly needed, lack of encouragement from corporate management, lack of extra equipment when other equipment fails or breaks, the constant growing of competition with lack of new ideas to surpass them

      avatar
      Car Keys Express Response
      7y
      Hello and thanks for visiting the Car Keys Express Glassdoor page. A detailed response is coming soon, so please check back in the near future. In the meantime, be sure to read our replies to reviews as well as positive reviews. Also, to get a better understanding of the whole story, feel free to reach out to our “news” webpage, and contact our recruiters (because we’re growing, we’re always hiring) or human resources department, and they’ll tell you about all the exciting opportunities at our fast-growing company!
      1.0
      Apr 26, 2019

      Good potential, however, employees are nothing more than dispensable items

      Account manager/field technician
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Well, the training pay is good. (9 months) work by your self( if you like that sort of thing) other account managers are good people and are helpful

      Cons

      Starting out in training is totally different than the actual job, they put you with a well established person to show what expected results are. My trainer complained about having to train the entire time and he was the territory Manager. They constantly change the pay structure expect that they will have a good payplan than change it to a bad one. I’m talking like you will see a 30-50% deduction in your pay. If you don’t like it they will tell you to quit. So don’t complain even though that’s all that happens in weekly meetings. Expect to do a lot of paper work, the job it’s self is fairly easy, however they always add extra stuff like daily reports of what your doing logging stops not 1 time not 2 times but on 3 separate documents. They are dishonest they say you will only be working 8-5 however that is not the case in an ideal world it could happen but not for at least 4-5 years and in the right area. Hours are more like 7am-8 pm. They advertise for field technicians however this is a sales job. And your selling to dealerships. There has to be a need you can do some selling, however it’s need based entirely on if the dealership put 2 sets of keys on vehicles. Some do most do not. But management ( who’s never been out to the field will tell you all sorts of crazy ways that don’t work. No help from management. Managers do not return calls, or emails. Sales managers give up on areas of its not easy sales. And do little to help. Is ultimately up to the field technicians to make sales, however, the sales managers should have an understanding of areas that can help techs get a foot in the door. A lot of driving, expect to drive 1-2 hours in each direction as well as a lot from Dealership to dealership. And cutting keys and doing paper work. They have you make sales stops that will not benifits you. You have to go out of your way to areas you do not service. To sell products that will make sure you won’t get sales there. This company has potential but, as it is, I’d stay away, you may think, this guy just has a bad attitude, that is true, however, if you read most of the other reviews you will see this is they way this company is run. There is no advancement opportunities unless you are lucky. By that I mean, areas only have 1 team lead and 1 assistant so your stuck I seen many guys well qualified for better positions who had been there for 5-7 years and would not be considered for a better position. Pay is the same no raises actually you get a decrease in salary.

      avatar
      Car Keys Express Response
      7y
      We want to thank you for taking the time to write a review. We take legitimate feedback seriously and appreciate the opportunity to respond. The role of a Car Keys Express Account Manager is to support, grow, and maintain business within the assigned territory. The job description clearly states the Account Manager is responsible for developing and maintaining a weekly sales route . Throughout the interview process, we explain the expectations of the position and the opportunity to maximize earnings. Career advancement - absolutely. In fact, all Assistant Territory Managers and all Territory Managers have been promoted from the Account Manager position. The expertise across the team is instrumental to the robust training program for Account Managers. Many training videos are a result of the information surveyed from our most experienced team members, including Management, Engineering, Technical Operations, and our Account Managers across North America. Additionally, we leverage the proven successes of Fortune 500 companies to ensure the infrastructure we are building can scale to meet the growing needs of our customers. We've taken steps to improve communication within the team - no matter the time zone. For example, two full-time Operational Support Representatives (OSRs) have been added in an effort to provide the best response time to our Account Managers. OSRs are the designated first point of contact for all Account Managers. They take calls and respond, delegate, or escalate , as appropriate. We’re constantly looking for ways to improve our feedback system to allow for better communication between our team and upper management. We have an open door policy, allowing employees to share questions and concerns with management, at any time. We also offer an anonymous feedback system which has always allowed everyone to submit questions, concerns, and ideas to management. We strive to create a meaningful, impactful, and fun work environment and know that our people are our best assets. Due to the work of our great team, we've averaged amazing growth year over year during the past four years. In 2016, 2017, and 2018, Inc. Magazine honored Car Keys Express with its Inc. 5000 award, which recognizes America’s fastest-growing private companies. Car Keys Express was also named 2017 Business of the Year by Business First Magazine. In short--we believe our company’s most important asset goes home at the end of the day. We’re presently going through a period of rapid growth and continue to strive to bring on “the best and the brightest”. Check out what we’re all about on our Careers page.
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      ReviewsCar Keys Express reviews

      Glassdoor has 193 Car Keys Express reviews submitted anonymously by Car Keys Express employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Car Keys Express is right for you.