Dear NCLA Family,

I hope you are doing well. I want to thank everyone who made it out to our February meeting. It was good to see everyone and to get the year started on a good note. I’m looking forward to seeing you all again soon. With that in mind I would like to give you a couple of updates.

We will be meeting back in Clemmons for our May meeting. We are searching high and low for another location toward the eastern side of the state that fit our needs. We will find a place soon and get it locked in for future meetings. We are getting some extra help from some of the members to find the perfect location. Our meeting for August has been locked down and will be housed in Sanford, NC. We are currently talking will Ilco about meeting in Rocky Mount for November. We will certainly keep you up to date.

We are currently working on the tradeshow event. We are still in talks with the folks in Charlotte to lock in a location and a time. We are not trying to rush this as we want this to be a great event. I will keep you posted and will hopefully have more details for you at the May meeting.

I want to take a moment and talk about derby car racing. I have seen it but have never been involved in one. Daegan (my son) and I have had the opportunity to get involved in a local race through Trail Life. I had no idea how much detail went into making a derby car and the rules that you had to follow. I started doing research and some people really get into this stuff! There is a lot of science and physics that go into making a winning car. You need to build the car, so it has minimal resistance and a balanced center of gravity. So, after Deagan and I watched a few videos together we decided to build our car. We both agreed that the car didn't need to look fancy, we just wanted a car that could win. Simplicity is best, especially in a world of confusion. As of the writing of this letter we not yet raced our car. So, for those of you who are wondering, come to the meeting in May and we will show you the car and how we did!

This brings me to my final point, and it is one that deals with pride. As “trained” professionals, it is our duty to know our limits when it comes to our abilities. Many times, I hear stories from locksmiths who get started and don't want to turn down a job or look like they don't know what they are doing, so they will do what they can and do a halfway job. Many times, what ends up happening, the customer gets frustrated, and the locksmith can't fulfill the obligation. The customer is left with either a halfway completed job and/or frustration that results of looking for another locksmith with the skills needed to do a great job. If you don’t have the necessary tools or skills to get the job done professionally, then you should state that and assisting in finding another locksmith that can. In the meantime, you can continue to learn and develop the skills needed to do a “professional” job. Nothing can tarnish a reputation more than acting like you know what you are doing and not, verses suggesting another locksmith that could better satisfy a customer’s needs. We recommend other locksmiths often who specialize in things we don't. Get to know other locksmiths in the association for two reasons, learn from them and recommend them when you can't perform a particular skill yet. If you can't install that lock yet, don't do it. If you can't program a certain key to a car yet, don't do it. If you can’t open that safe yet, don't do it. I hope you get the point. If you have not gained the skill set yet, don’t do it! But continue to learn and perfect your craft so that you can provide an excellent customer experience.

May the Lord bless you and keep you,

Waldo

Waldo Smith, III
CEO of Waldo Smith Locksmith, LLC.
NCLA President

Reidsville Office 336-613-5307
VA Services 434-473-7314