Local Business Q&A: Key Holder Services Inc.

In today’s Q&A with a local business during this holiday season, we hear from Ron Bentley. The 1994 New Canaan High School graduate and career New Canaan Police Department officer co-owns Key Holder Services Inc. with his wife, Kelly.

Here’s our exchange.

New Canaanite: Ron, the description of Key Holder Services Inc. on your business’s Facebook page is that you provide “alarm response and vacation house check services” for local residents. Talk to us about the demand for your services here in New Canaan, especially given the rise in recent months of residential burglaries.

Ron Bentley: There has been an increase with new customers signing up for our service and to have that additional layer of protection. While we cannot prevent a burglary from happening, we can help oversee the property. Bring in packages, turn on and off lights, make sure alarms are set and all doors and windows are locked. We give our clients peace of mind knowing that we are always there for them.

It’s been more than three years since you and your wife, Kelly, took over Key Holder Services from your uncle. How’s it going?

In 2018, we started off strong and everything was going well.  Then the pandemic hit and the travel ban went into effect. This was a very challenging time for our small business and our family, but we made it through. We are fortunate to have such a loyal client base, especially here in New Canaan. Now, 2021 has been a busy year and we are very thankful for that.

What sort of services do you offer people on a short-term basis—for example, those heading out of town for Christmas vacation?

We act on behalf of the homeowner while they are away. We can do daily house checks, make sure packages and mail are brought inside. Make sure that furnaces are working properly and respond to alarms at the home.

We have a lot of new residents who have moved into New Canaan since the pandemic started here 20 months ago. Many of our newest New Canaanites are coming up from New York City, and may have an idea of suburban living that includes less worries about home security, maybe even unlocked doors. What would you say to a new homeowner here about the need for security?

Kelly being a native of Staten Island, N.Y. sometimes moving to a suburban area like New Canaan you can let your guard down. So set your alarms and lock your doors to both your house and your cars.  Install cameras and hire Key Holder Services as your on-call key holder for your home.

What else would like to tell our readers about Key Holder Services Inc.?

As a small family business we take great pride in the many services we provide to our clients. We look forward to building even stronger relationships with our existing clients and look forward to growing with our new clients.

[Past installments of our Q&A series with local businesses this holiday season can be found here.]