Challenge

Shelter Garage, located in Madrid, specializes in the care and custody of classic and sports cars. Originally started as a garage for vehicle storage, the business has expanded to offer services including detailing, restorations, vehicle wrapping, polishing, buying and selling, and specialty preparations. With four locations and growing demand, their key handoff process was becoming a bottleneck.

Before implementing Keycafe, the Shelter team relied on manual and improvised methods to manage vehicle keys. Keys were hidden or exchanged in person, consuming time and introducing the risk of misplacement or miscommunication. The company needed a solution that allowed them to scale, improve security, and eliminate the inefficiencies tied to physical key exchanges.

Pain Points

• Lack of Visibility: No way to track when or by whom keys were accessed.
• Time Consumption: Manual coordination delayed vehicle access for clients and staff.
• Security Concerns: Hiding or informally exchanging keys led to risk and uncertainty.
• Customer Service Delays: Staff had to wait on clients or vice versa, creating friction and wasted time.

Solution

To resolve these challenges, Shelter Garage implemented Keycafe's SmartBox system across its facilities. The digital key management platform offered centralized control, allowing the team to assign, track, and manage key handoffs for both staff and clients.

The onboarding process was simple: clients create a Keycafe account, receive a walkthrough of the system, and are able to access their vehicle keys at any time. Internally, Shelter Garage staff use Keycafe as a key logistics hub. Each employee knows where to retrieve or return keys without having to involve another team member. The clear process reduces interruptions and makes it easier to carry out daily operations efficiently.

Shelter Garage’s Implementation

• Easy Client Adoption: New clients are guided through the setup once and are immediately comfortable using the system on their own.
• Self-Service Access: Clients can drop off and retrieve keys without requiring in-person coordination.
• Centralized Key Hub: Employees use the SmartBox system to securely access vehicle keys for services.
• Controlled Permissions: Clients are granted access to only their vehicles, while staff have more flexible access based on their role.

Result

Keycafe quickly became an essential tool for Shelter Garage’s daily operations. By automating and digitizing key handoffs, the team eliminated inefficiencies from their manual system and gained full control over every interaction involving customer or employee keys. According to Shelter Garage’s COO Guillermo Encina, they have achieved an 85% reduction in operating costs associated with the management of keys.

The new system gave Shelter Garage the confidence to scale services without increasing administrative workload. Both clients and staff adopted the technology easily, and the system itself became a selling point. Iván Fiestas, noted that clients appreciated the practicality of the system and that it became “a clear reason they choose our garage.”

The team has continued expanding with Keycafe as a partner, implementing the latest SmartBox models and adapting the technology across locations.

The Outcome

• Operational Control: Full visibility into who accessed keys and when, helping quickly resolve issues and avoid misplacement.
• Scalability: The team can now serve more customers without additional coordination or time-consuming manual tasks.
• Improved Customer Experience: Clients enjoy the independence and convenience of self-serve access.
• Staff Autonomy: Employees no longer rely on each other to locate or access keys, increasing workflow efficiency.
• Brand Differentiation: Keycafe is now part of the value proposition when onboarding new clients.