Locksmith Services Blog

Most of us have professionals that we go to regularly when we need the services they provide. We have a family doctor and a regular dentist, and we know who we will call if we need a plumber, a carpenter, an electrician, or a landscaper. We develop these relationships over time and we continue to do business with people that provide us with quality work and good service at fair prices, and invariably, we recommend them to others.

It is a good idea to keep a list of all of the service providers that you may need somewhere handy in the event of an emergency. You don’t need to be rummaging through your drawers looking for the phone book or wasting time trying to separate the spam from the legitimate listings online when you need help immediately.

Locksmiths are often called because people find themselves locked out of their business, car, or home, and when you have no idea who to turn to when you are in the midst of an unexpected locksmith emergency, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to scams. There was recently a case in Missouri that was brought to light by the State Attorney General there that underscores why you should identify a reputable local locksmith in your area and keep their contact information close at hand.

There was a locksmith company out of Florida that came to Missouri and created multiple fake identities with different phone numbers that all fed to the same call center. When you called any one of these companies due to a locksmith emergency, they would quote you a particular price, and then charge you much more when they got there. If you tried to complain at the “office” that was listed, you found out that there was no locksmith at that address. And then if you told others to beware of this unscrupulous locksmith, they were likely to get the same company because they dominated the listings under different names with different phone numbers.

This type of thing can and does happen in any industry, which is why it is wise to find tradesmen that you know you can count on to act with integrity if you have to call them in the event of an emergency. The best way to do this is to develop a relationship under non-emergency circumstances. Residential locksmiths offer a full range of solutions that can help keep your home and valuables safe. Having a locksmith come out to upgrade your locks or install a keyless entry system can be a good way to improve your home security while connecting with someone you can trust in the event of an emergency.

24/7 Locksmith Services is dedicated to becoming the most trusted 24 hour emergency locksmith in the business, and we do all that we can to keep people aware of the scams that are out there to help you avoid paying more than you should. We highly recommend that you develop a relationship with an honest local locksmith who you can rely on to respond to emergency locksmith situations quickly, honor their quotes, and get the job done right. Don’t take chances when you need a mobile locksmith. Call the trusted professionals at 24/7 Locksmith Services.

Tampa locksmiths have to stay vigilant to help their customers prevent car theft, and it is a good thing that there are so many good anti-theft devices on the market today, because thieves can become quite organized and sophisticated. It is one thing to try to protect yourself from random individuals who are not very savvy or experienced, but when you have organized theft rings doing business over a number of years, they can get pretty good at what they do.

“Car cloning” is a way that car thieves can sell the cars that they steal and have them appear to the buyer to be legal. They take the license plate, vehicle identification number, and other identifiers from a legal vehicle and place them on a stolen one that is a similar year and model. The person whose car was stolen is obviously victimized by these car cloning theft rings, but the buyers of the cars are also left holding the bag when the authorities find out that they are in possession of a stolen vehicle that they thought they bought fair and square.

A man named Joe Pirrone was the victim of a Tampa based car cloning theft ring that was recently broken up by the FBI. Pirrone took out a loan on a $27,000 pickup truck only to find out that it was stolen and being towed out of his driveway by order of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office while he was enjoying a short vacation in Fort Lauderdale.

“I am making payments on a piece of property that I don’t have. They can’t even repossess it. The bank doesn’t have any help to offer me,” said Pirrone.

The ring had stolen over 1,000 different vehicles that resulted in losses exceeding $24 million. Before the FBI was able to put a stop to it, they had actually been stealing cars and cloning them for around twenty years.

This particular auto theft ring has finally been brought to justice, but the story is very informative. When you realize that there may very well be highly experienced and organized car thieves operating here in Tampa and elsewhere around the country, it underscores the importance of taking preventative measures. You have to make sure that you are protecting your vehicle, but you must also beware when you are buying a car or a truck so that you don’t wind up like Joe Pirrone, who is stuck with a $536 a month payment on a truck he doesn’t have.

Source: CNN

When you need a locksmith in Tampa that you can trust for fast service at affordable prices, call 24/7 Locksmith Services at (813) 994-8383.

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.