An interview with a Nuki Pro Partner: “Safety is a matter of trust” – Schlüsseldienst Nistelberger

Some time ago, we introduced the Nuki Pro partner programme and offered exclusive insights into this distribution channel. We explained how experts – small and medium-sized companies that, for example, have a brick-and-mortar security or electrical technology business – support us as distribution partners. You can read up on background information, interesting facts, and benefits that come with this partnership in the last Nuki Pro blog entry.

In the meantime, we have already gained over 700 Nuki Pro partners, primarily in Europe. We will now introduce some of our distribution partners, so that you can see the real people behind the partner programme. We will start our Nuki Pro series with a classic locksmith company from Austria.

Mr Nistelberger, please describe your company to us:
We are a traditional, family-operated locksmith company with a history dating back to 1993. As a specialist business, offering its business and private customers affordable and custom security solutions, we invest in innovation and further development – because safety is a matter of trust.

What is your company’s core business?
Our core business comprises both mechanical and electronic locking systems. Our range of safes and alarm systems is rounded off by our door-opening services. We trust in our long-standing partnerships with electricians when it comes to electrical installations, for example of alarm and intercom systems.

Safety is a matter of trust
When we supply and install locks, locking systems, alarm systems, and safes, we rely on a great deal of experience – as well as the trust of our customers.

What does your typical target customer group look like?
Our customer base is diverse and consists of small and medium-sized companies as well as many private customers – particularly situated in the Weiz district in the state of Styria. We also have several larger companies as our customers and benefit from the industrial character of the city of Weiz. Moreover, we service a few surrounding municipalities and cooperate closely with property managers, being responsible for the installation and servicing of larger locking systems.

Many end customers, particularly individuals living alone, have placed their trust in us: the elderly in particular require support in the installation of door locks and quick assistance if the door latch is buggy. We recently saw a strong increase in the sales of Nuki products – not only to private customers, but for room rentals, for example. One customer uses Nuki for his holiday homes in Croatia, controlling the Smart Lock from Austria.

How did you hear about Nuki?
We rely on first-class products, that’s why Nuki simply suits our range perfectly. It’s especially important with private applications that our customers can use and install our products without great effort – Nuki meets and exceeds these demands.

At the beginning, when we just started selling Nuki products, we drove to customers ourselves and took care of the installation for them. However, we were immediately convinced of just how easy the installation is. These days, we simply explain briefly to our customers how the Smart Lock is mounted and 90% of them take care of it themselves.

Why have you added Nuki products to your range?
Technological advancements are not just important to companies these days, they are also making their way into our private lives. In our case, customers explicitly asked whether it was possible to have the option of locking and unlocking their building or apartment without a key. We first always check whether Nuki fits the lock – to make sure the customer is satisfied. Up to now, we have received very positive feedback from our customers, who above all rave about the Nuki Keypad.

What is the great added value of Nuki, in your opinion?
The greatest benefit lies in how easy the retrofitting is. The quality of the door is not compromised in any way, and if our customer has a cylinder that can be locked from both sides, they don’t need to buy a new cylinder lock. Nuki also offers a clear advantage when it comes to making spare keys. If you lose a physical key, you have to replace everything. With the Smart Lock, you can simply retract access permission.

Simple retrofitting
We have experienced that customers often do not want to buy products that would require converting the lock or buying a new cylinder. Nuki comes with the benefit that the old cylinder, as long as it can be locked from both sides, can stay in the door.

As a traditional locksmith, what is your opinion about Smart Homes?
We notice that many of our customers are still sceptical about Smart Homes. They fear that people could “hack” their lock. That’s why many customers prefer to continue using physical safety solutions. Generally speaking, the sale of Smart Home products really boils down to the customer. The younger generation is often more excited about the new technology, whereas the older, 50+ generations aren’t as open to and enthusiastic about it.

Besides Nuki, our range of products also includes products from competitors. We already pay attention when installing new cylinders that they meet the compatibility requirements (incl. emergency function, lockable from both sides) so that customers can retrofit a Nuki solution later on.

Mr Nistelberger, we’ll finish with a brief look to the future:
We believe that demand for Smart Home products will continue to increase in the near future. On the one hand, customers must be able to enter their homes quickly and without any hassle. On the other hand, safety is paramount; no strangers should be able to enter one’s own home. We are pleased that we have found an Austrian manufacturer in Nuki, offering reliable and innovative products. This allows us, as locksmiths, to continue expanding our product range as well, meeting customer demands in a targeted manner – in line with the saying “old ways won’t open new doors”.

You can find out more at http://www.schluesseldienst-nistelberger.at/ (available in German).