How Prisoners Built Timpson's Key Empire

[@gardenogauge]

I love how down to earth he is and how in touch he is with his business and customers! CEO steps behind the counter and serves a customer! 🙂

[@jimmysjobs]

He genuinely did that completely unprompted etc.

[@robin_marriott]

It’s very clear how good of a person James is from the language he uses. “People with prison experience”, “colleagues” and “people who live there” rather than prisoners, ex convicts and so on. He’s thought about how people will feel with how they’re described. Glad to see his appointment as Prison Minister, I can’t think for a better person for the role.

[@georgesmiley8971]

TImpsons should be a preserved national treasure.

[@jimmysjobs]

Agreed, but I also thought it was interesting that there is def an underlying ruthlessness to him.

[@latsword3513]

What a fantastic video, it was the short that snagged me. I've heard about Timpsons business model before so this filled in a lot of blanks

[@jimmysjobs]

@@latsword3513 Thank you, I am really glad you enjoyed it, I hope you subscribe and stick around :)

[@kieronparr3403]

​@@jimmysjobsyou don't make much money without ruthlessness. It's balancing that with social responsibility etc.

[@benblakey5607]

The local ones to me can’t cut keys for shit

[@ryanf6530]

Fast forward to July 2024 and now he's prisons minister in the Labour government. Will be interesting to see what he can do in that job.

[@jimmysjobs]

I certainly would not have predicted that, but think it is a great appointment, will be fascinating to see how he gets on.

[@dasy2k1]

Given that amongst the prison population there are those who are there because they want the life of a criminal and then for every one of those a handful who were forced by circumstances into that position he can hopefully make a significant difference in the latter cases but breaking the cycle of unemployment leading to crime Nothing he can do will reform the true scumbags but I would guess they are less than a quarter of the overall prison population

[@arthur1670]

But what will actually change tho

[@Simon-ui6db]

Bloody brilliant to him for doing this. Plenty of people who have made a mistake and not want to reoffend. So really hope more companies take his attitude.

[@jimmysjobs]

Thanks Simon, appreciate you watching and commenting :)

[@hannah42686]

Just came across this video and WOW this channel deserves so many more subscribers! The editing feels like a movie - did not expect to want a job at Timpson when I went on youtube about 40 mins ago - keep it up!

[@Bean-js9bc]

The guy that works at my local Timpson's is great. Really helpful.

[@jimmysjobs]

👍👍👍

[@simoit]

Great video Jimmy, really enjoyed it. Good questions and honest responses from James - he's a man all over his business, not just polished sounbites. Ending is a bit abrupt though, just on an interesting high and suddenly - music. Much more to explore there but overall really good. I like the image cut-ins and info boxes (Parkinson's Law). Will be back to watch more now. Thanks

[@jimmysjobs]

That is a fair point Simeon, I will think about how we could end it, I am hoping to go up to Timpson House later in the year and record more! Thanks for watching to the end and I hope you enjoy some of our other content. jimmy

[@simoit]

@@jimmysjobs thanks for the reply. Yes looking forward to getting stuck in. Great to find a new channel!

[@chriskraszewski1776]

Great in-site to how Timpsons operates. James certainly knows the business. Love it ware he constantly uses the word colleagues. Ever thought of expanding to Turkey 🇹🇷 could really do with this service.

[@jimmysjobs]

Thank you - funnily enough I was going to ask him about international expansion but we just ran out of time - hopefully will be speaking to him at Timpson House later this year.

[@chriskraszewski1776]

Great book too. Thanks for the interview. Really helpful

[@rentisme]

*insight

[@roberthodgson3574]

Timpsons are doing everything right. "How to run a great business" right here.

[@peterjones6322]

Their key prices are a total rip off. I recently went in for a very simple key to be cut. It is off a boat. I almost fell over when he said it would cost £30. I put the number of the key into Google and immediately found the identical key for sale for £1.50. It works perfectly !!

[@jimmysjobs]

Is this the Peter Jones off Dragon's Den?! We could see how you made so much money!

[@Derek_Garnham]

yeah, I feel the same about timber, some guy wanted £30 for a 2m oak plank. £30!! , when an acorn costs virtually nothing!

[@lurekayaklrf]

You may find the brand of the key for the boat charges alot for blanks and Timpsons only buy the branded ones, whereas there may be bootlegs on the internet.

[@Happydale-ds5yp]

This is so strange, my store has 7 employees and I'm only months from expanding to new stores. My business isn't the same as this, my products are in a totally different field but this is gold 👌 well done bro

[@jimmysjobs]

What is your business? Amd why is it strange?

[@Happydale-ds5yp]

@@jimmysjobs I own Head Happy a retail store in the ancillary Cannabis market in Scotland, started March 2017 with £300 now close on £300k/year turnover. The 'strange' I am referring to is the similarity in thought as well as who my customer base are and our potential for joining in on the 'ex-convict employment market'. I already walk a very narrow line between legal and illegal so this is fascinating to me. Thanks for sharing, just ordered the book a second ago.

[@dave_724]

I love Timpsons you can always trust them to do a job properly

[@glenni249]

2:50 is that one of the employees with prison experience sneaking about in the background?

[@damianleon9837]

This is fascinating, a great way to run a business

[@jimmysjobs]

Thank you, I appreciate that, hope you subscribe and stick around for a few more interesting episodes :)

[@thenoodlebuddy]

Isn't it ironic that you trust convicted criminals with your keys to your house

[@EthanThomson]

give people a chance and they can do wonderful things

[@jimmuo9286]

Not really. Most likely their crimes had nothing to do with B&E and were crimes of the convenience rather than career.

[@failedrockstar]

Really interesting interview : )

[@jimmysjobs]

Thank you, I really appreciate it, hope you subscribe and stick around.

[@RobertSIMM-f5m]

What a top bloke. I wish I was this nice.

[@mainy1984]

He's now known as "The Gate key per"

[@jakstrike1]

Fyi I got here from a short and have enjoyed the whole thing.

[@murphychris9811]

i was in hmp altcourse from 2005 to 2007 i made windows and learnt how to make them and take them apart which i thought as nuts

[@jimmuo9286]

Wow! It actually works. Imagine if you will that GE had been managed this way rather than the once revered Jack Welch method!? Or Ford UK, Holden, or our beloved banks! Yet people will say they’re an anomaly when in reality this is the norm for longevity and profitability. Go figure…

[@jimmysjobs]

To be fair Henry Ford was the first person to bring in the five day week, because he believed it would make workers more productive than the existing six day a week - that was though a century ago

[@pauljermyn5909]

I dont support or vote for labour, but i think he will do a good job as prison minister

[@jimmysjobs]

Likewise, he is a very good appointment.

[@lewdgamerguy2071]

Dude should be in charge off the Country, No questions asked, Would put the right people in charge of the right things

[@epoh3334]

He's running the prisons ministry now

[@5ynthesizerpatel]

Are you the keymaster?

[@jimmysjobs]

Good line!

[@dirtychinchilla]

That was fascinating. I can’t wait to read the book. Thanks very much!

[@cameronallan5624]

he could name himself - Big Boss

[@SkyOctopus1]

I can't imagine being in the office full time anymore. It looks like a nice environment, but I don't see a reason to drag people in if everything they're doing can be done remotely.

[@starwarsnerd95]

I used to work for an independent shoe repair/key cutter which was run by a former timsons area manager. Moat of the business was fixing timsons mistakes and doing the work that timsons overcharged for or couldn't do quickly enough.

[@Hascienda27]

I'd give anything to work for him

[@jimmysjobs]

Plenty of open roles available ... www.careers-page.com/timpson-ltd

[@philipwatts9033]

Cost a fortune in there to get a key cut £22 Never again

[@Liberty_Freedom_Brotherhood]

£4.50 here

[@philipwatts9033]

@@Liberty_Freedom_Brotherhood where ?

[@nigelholland24]

45 pounds to change a zip in a boot. Boots only cost 40 pounds

[@BHALT0S]

have a presence on every single high street across the UK eh? Not in Ullapool, Not in Stornoway, Not in Tarbert, Not in Alness Not in Tain, Not in Golspie, Not in Brora, Not in Helmsdale, Not in Gairloch, Not in Broadford, Not in kyle of Lochalsh, Not in Evanton, Not in Invergordon Not in Bonar Bridge, Not in Dornoch, Not in Kingussie, Not in Forres, I think someone is telling porkies here, so who know how inaccurate the rest of your information is.

[@arthur1670]

Not a good start getting things factually wrong in the 1:30 ...... 1918 was a pandemic as well

[@JamesMacdonald-xg7ce]

I’m not entirely sure Timpson was “built by prisoners” as the video implies, considering that 1 in 10 have been recruited from prison, I’m sure the other 9 had the majority input. Great interview though

[@jimmysjobs]

Thanks James, and take your point, but them making up 10% of the workforce probably makes them more prominent than any other employer in the UK.

[@stephenholmes1036]

The shops needs toilets and running water.

[@berneysharp3940]

Please find someone who can hold a camera steady

[@Hannah-ee7st]

I can see the scepticism with inmates having access to key making when the only thing keeping them inside is locked gates.

[@chester6343]

The sole reason they're still around has nothing to do with his business acumen - which I have my doubts about as family type work environments are normally way too overbearing and make it difficult to separate work from home, but it does have everything to with being unreasonably expensive..

[@Derek_Garnham]

"sole" reason - is that an intentional joke?

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

It’d be hilarious if it turned out he’s been moving bricks of coke and laundering the money through Timpson’s books all these years, and he’s actually a Bricktop level nutter behind closed doors 😂.

[@andyturner7963]

You say you like family business but will close them down on a hart beat

[@thomaswoodall3305]

I work for timpsons and they don't they do everything they can to keep shops open if the situation arises, During covid James changed the definition of our business to a hardware shop so we were classed as essential business so we could stay open and colleagues could get full pay even though we got it while we were off he knows we would have wanted to be working. Maybe do your research first

[@Michael-is2se]

So, a percentage of "prison leavers" are cutting your keys. Does that not ring alarm bells......

[@willallnutt4612]

What about it rings alarm bells? Should they just sit inside and rot, instead? If people are happy and receiving a liveable wage, then what incentive do they have to steal from you?

[@stuartrobinson1188]

The culture of throwing ex offenders on the scrap heap needs to change. We need to stop marking ex offenders with the scarlet letter and help them to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society. I’m so glad James timpson is now prisons minister

[@majordelays4909]

“Hi I’d like a duplicate of my house key please” “Oh yeah, can I just have your address and name please” “Oh wait 😮”

[@japan-black]

Very interesting 👍 but omg your camera person should be fired 🤢

[@TheChodax]

Well, that's my opinion of Timpsons changed.

[@2x2-wr2he]

Key blanks cost on average 11p minimum charge at Timpson is £9

[@oliverlevine6577]

Go buy a cutter and cut them yourself then

[@smiths7317]

It's all economics of running a business compared to DIY yourself.

[@flymoracer]

One thing I learned from using Timpsons to make me a key, is that I’ll go out of my way to find someone else to make it. Crappy job done too quickly for too much money.

[@ronnielees547]

competitive hahaha, you wanted £9 to cut a key, so i went 3 doors down to another shop who cut the key for £3

[@L.C.Sweeney]

I commend this man for his efforts but he makes no plausible link between hiring prisoners or ex-cons and having good staff. Saying thst criminals are "reliable" and "hardworking" is literally describing the opposite of a typical prisoner. You'd have better luck at an AA meeting.

[@jimmysjobs]

Hmmmm .... interesting idea thAA one will suggest that to james when i next see him.

[@UnderscoreZeroLP]

i think the idea is if you screen them well enough you get the same good worker but that's more loyal and will accept a lower wage

[@jimmysjobs]

I thinkthe loyalty bit is absolutely true, but I think in time the wages even out. @@UnderscoreZeroLP

[@tallus]

He is not employing prisoners at random though. I've spent a fair amount of my career working in charities managing volunteers. By far the best volunteer I've worked with was a recovering heroin addict in a halfway house who was about to get sent back to prison because he couldn't find a gig. People have to want to change but if you put trust in someone and give them a chance to turn things around, when it's exceptionally hard to get a break, you better believe they can be really motivated.

[@jimmysjobs]

Thanks Tallus, why was he about to be sent back though? I totally agree that people who are given a second chance can be incredibly motivated. @@tallus

[@andyasia]

So they start up training convicts in prisons on whose dollar ? Who was or is paying for that training ? Let me get my crystal ball out ! I predict the UK government were effectively paying Timpson to train these convicts which then saved Timpson loads of money in training and they benefitted from a virtual captive employee market upon release. I don't buy that it was purely to give something back for one second !