Locksmith Services Blog

When you are a tradesman it is important to understand how to provide quality workmanship and do things right the first time, but it is also important to provide top-notch customer service. There have been a number of locksmith scams in the news lately, which really make us sick. Locksmiths have an important job to do, that requires trust - we can gain access to your house, car, business, etc. Conducting ourselves with integrity is important for the long term success of any business, but moreso with our industry.

One of the scams that is going on involves quotes that are given over the phone. These call centers would take calls from people who were locked out of their car or home and in need of help from an emergency locksmith, and they would be quoted a particular price. But when the locksmith actually arrived, he would charge them much more. It’s a classic bait and switch, and since you’re locked out and need emergency service, you’re stuck paying!

This type of scheme really doesn’t make a lot of sense if you are trying to build your business, because customer satisfaction leads to positive word-of-mouth advertising, and that inevitably leads to the growth and long term success of your business. However, there are those who want to “hit and run,” and that can make it harder for the majority of professional locksmiths like us who go about their business with honesty and integrity.

Fortunately, these scams are now out in the open and the authorities have aggressively prosecuted the perpetrators. It is now a matter of consumers developing a relationship with a reputable local locksmith that gives them the best customer service at the lowest prices, and good locksmiths take customer service just as seriously as they take the quality of their work.

One of the hallmarks of good locksmith customer service is absolute availability. If you are advertising yourself as a 24 hours a day locksmith, you need to be available and answering the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When people are locked out of their car after a night on the town at three a.m., they do not have a lot of time to waste leaving voice mail messages and hoping for a callback. You take on a genuine responsibility to the community that you serve when you declare yourself a 24 hour emergency locksmith, and you have to be there for people when they are in need. Locksmiths who place an emphasis on customer service recognize this responsibility, and they make sure that they have the manpower available to be able to answer and respond to emergency locksmith calls whenever they come in.

Without question, good locksmith customer service involves giving accurate quotes and having the integrity to do what you say you’ll do over the phone once you actually arrive on the job. It also requires a commitment to being there when the customer needs you the most. The third and last component of locksmith customer service involves the interaction between the locksmith and customer when he is out in the field doing his job.

Simply put, when a locksmith arrives on an assignment, the customer should feel confident that he or she is dealing with a competent professional. Locksmiths that care about customer service dress appropriately and arrive in a commercial vehicle that engenders consumer confidence. They should treat the customer politely, explain what needs to be done, and maintain a communicative and pleasant demeanor while they are working. Everyone has a different personality and there is no script that a locksmith needs to read from. Good locksmith customer service in the field is really just a matter of common sense and treating people the way that you like to be treated when you are in a situation where you are the one who is the customer.

Providing exceptional customer service is how we keep our locksmith business thriving and growing. Locksmiths, like everyone else, are participating members of the communities they serve, and being a positive contributor to the community is another reason to provide good service. 24/7 Locksmith Services honors our estimates, and when you call us, we are there for you, whenever it may be. When you speak with us on the phone, we listen, and we empathize with your situation. In the field, our certified locksmiths treat you politely, and we get the job done quickly and efficiently.

When you are looking for a local locksmith that does quality work at affordable prices, call 24/7 Locksmith Services, where the customer is King.

It is difficult to know all of the different home security locks and keyless entry systems that are available to you if you are not a locksmith, and locks are something that most of us don’t put a lot of thought into. As long as they work when you turn the key, you assume that all is well, but in fact, that may not be the case. Locks serve a very specific purpose, and if you don’t have the right locks installed throughout your home you may be putting your family and your belongings at risk.

Lock bumping is a very big problem these days, and the vast majority of the locks that people are using are not bump-proof locks. Very briefly, lock bumping is a method that thieves use to fashion a particular type of key, called a “bump key,” that they insert into your lock and tap until it catches and allows entry. This can be done in a matter of just a few seconds in some instances, and bump keys are available online for as little as a couple of dollars. Since around 90% of the locks that are out there are vulnerable to lock bumping, you really need to have a locksmith analyze the locks that you are using around your home to be sure that they cannot be so easily compromised.

Other aspects of home security that people do not pay enough attention to in many instances are their patio and sliding glass doors locks. These almost always need to be upgraded to ensure a reasonable measure of home security. A professional locksmith can install high security tamper-proof and pick-proof sliding glass door and patio locks that will keep this vulnerable area of your home safe and sound.

Window locks are also a key aspect of home security that can be overlooked by the layman, especially downstairs windows that are easily accessible from outside. A professional home locksmith can take a look at your windows and the means that you are using to secure them and make recommendations for improvements (like keyed window locks) that will make your home very uninviting to potential intruders.

Garage door locks are another way that homeowners can make their homes more secure, and quality garage door lock installation is a relatively inexpensive way to be certain that your garage is completely protected from would-be thieves.

Having a locksmith inspect your property and let you know what your home security options are is a must for any homeowner. Few of us have unlimited budgets, but a seasoned commercial locksmith can work with you to help you prioritize the most important security upgrades that your house needs, and you can tackle these issues one by one. For a home security analysis from a certified security locksmith, call 24/7 Locksmith Services and we will arrange an appointment that fits into your schedule. We can and do respond to locksmith emergencies that require our immediate assistance, but Locksmith Services 24/7 gets far greater satisfaction from preventing break-ins before they happen.

Locksmiths have to do their homework! In any day they could have to

• open a car door
• get into a locked house
• re-key a lock
• install a safe

Talk about a jack of all trades. You might be asking yourself how locksmiths keep up with current technology. Wouldn’t it be really easy for a locksmith to accidentally set off an alarm, causing police and/or ambulances to come racing to the scene? Oftentimes, this can happen without the locksmith even knowing that it even happened! For instance, have you ever heard of plumbers who got left a key so that they could get in to fix the plumbing, only to find that the homeowner had forgotten to turn off the security system? Needless to say, the plumber was surprised when a squad car came screeching to a halt in the driveway!

Thankfully, locksmiths are now armed with new technology and knowledge to help them bypass these little annoyances. And you can be pretty sure that it makes their day a lot easier when the police doesn’t try to interrogate them.  One example of such a security device is a security pin. These pins make it harder for locks to be picked, but locksmiths now even know how to detect security pins! By using a torque tool and a lock pick, they can feel around and unclick the pin. Also, if they release the torque, the pin will click back into place. This is a sure sign that there are security pins in the lock.

A locksmith needs a variety of different tools when working. Generally, locksmiths use large vans or trucks to haul all of their gear, because there are usually way too many things to carry in a simple small car. Locksmiths can open regular residential locks, they can re-key locks, they can open all kinds of car door locks, they can open commercial grade locks and they can even open safes. Not all locksmiths provide safe opening services, as this is a more specialized form of locksmithing that you do not see all the time.

If you have ever locked your keys in your car, you probably know just how much help a locksmith can be. After all, there is nothing more frustrating than locking your door, swinging it shut and just before it closes, realizing that you don’t have your keys. Of course, by the time you turn around, the door is already shut and you are locked out. Then, with the help of your cell phone, you contact your local locksmith. He comes and opens up your car. Needless to say, it can really make your day when you get out of a situation like that!

Locksmiths are also not too expensive. You really don’t have to worry about spending a ton of money on services when you hire a locksmith, because they generally charge a flat rate that you will find reasonable.

The Associated Locksmiths of America have recently spoken out on bump keys, and we will now take a more in-depth look at what that might mean to homeowners. What’s a bump key? Check out this video:

Bump keys have been used by locksmiths for around 75 years or so for opening locks that either had a cylinder malfunction or that had no key. Thanks to the availability of information, the instructions on how to make and use these bump keys is available to anyone who’s looking.

Locksmiths are now recommending that, in order to make sure that your home is safe from uninvited guests, you should get in touch with a certified locksmith near you and make an appointment in order to get a consultation on how to make your house more bump key proof. This is not a hard task, and any certified locksmith can help you do this to your home. Then, you can rest assured that bump keys will no longer be a problem for you, whether or not they have been in the past.

Of course, if your house is equipped with modern locks, then there might not be anything that needs to be done. Many modern high-end locks are already bump key proof. But just to make sure, you might just want to go ahead and contact your local locksmith anyway. It is better to call and find out rather than assume you and your family are safe.