June 19, 2005 -- As an added quandary, many dealers choose not to label their keys in order to deter potential large-scale theft.
“ This lets you select from an array of different settings, controlling top speed and turning like you never could before ”
Now imagine operating a Segway rental and sales business, such as the Segway of Oakland showroom at 212 International Blvd. in Oakland (www.segwayofoakland.com), and having to ship rental units all the way across the country and back.
“Unfortunately, we sometimes have Segway units returned without keys after a multiple-day rental,” said Segway of Oakland partner, Steve Steinberg. “The people forget to put them in the box, or maybe they take one of our tours around Lake Merritt and end up walking off with the keys still in their pockets. It’s easy to do.”
Steinberg explained the problem lost keys continually poses for his business.
“If somebody forgets to turn in the keys on a Friday afternoon, it’s too late to contact Segway in New Hampshire and get new ones sent out for the weekend,” he said. “The soonest you could possibly get them would be Tuesday after Segway overnights them to you on Monday – and that would be at the very earliest. That means you could realistically be down for as many as four to five days.”
“This down time is unacceptable for dealerships like ours, which rely on a specific number of Segways rolling at any given time in order to maintain business,” added Segway of Oakland partner, Darren Romar.
This problem is now solved quickly and economically with the unique Segway of Oakland Key Duplicator and Programmer or the more expensive and advanced Key Coder and Modifier.
The Key Duplicator and Programmer and the Key Coder and Modifier are two separate after-market specialty items developed by Bay Area-based TJS Industries and sold exclusively through Segway of Oakland.
The handheld Key Duplicator and Programmer includes several internal, pre-set codes for duplicating keys, allowing you to expand on the three pre-set keys that comes standard with Segway HTs.
“This lets you select from an array of different settings, controlling top speed and turning like you never could before,” Steinberg said.
The Key Duplicator and Programmer package retails for $379 and includes six key blanks/tabs for user convenience. It allows dealers to maintain copies of all their keys in case a user loses a set.
Additionally, dealers and those with large rental fleets may wish to purchase the Key Coder and Modifier, an upgraded device that not only duplicates existing keys, but also creates entirely new ones, with up to 16 key codes stored in its memory. This machine retails for $3,250 and includes 10 free blanks and tabs.
“You must be a verified Segway rental or sales dealership to purchase one of these machines, for security reasons,” Romar said.
“We can use this to keep track of all our key codes,” Steinberg added. “We mark the sales receipt with the key code. If a customer doesn’t have the original set of keys and he or she is the verified owner, we can look up the key code or contact Segway for it and produce the keys from scratch in our shop, with no waiting or down time.
“With a memory storage capacity of 16 key codes, dealers can catalog an entire fleet of units to easily produce more keys on the spot,” he added. “The LED display lets you read the key code and the keypad lets you change the code with the potential of making the Segway go faster, slower or altering the turning speed. You can produce all this without the original key. This is a very convenient option for dealers.”
Contact Segway of Oakland today to order the Key Duplicator and Programmer or the Key Coder and Modifier: (800) 659-8731, www.segwayofoakland.com.
