Many locksmiths advertise 24 hour locksmith and emergency boarding services, but how many are fully qualified in the said skill and how many are actually on call 24/7 when you really need them.
Being a locksmith, especially a 24 hour emergency locksmith, can be a very lucrative and rewarding career that is not really affected by a downturn in the economy or the stock markets, people will always need locksmiths because people will always lose or misplace locksmiths. keys to your house, office or car, are locked out of your house or office and unfortunately buildings will continue to be broken into and robbed, whether it is a residential or commercial building.
Unfortunately the locksmith industry is not really a regulated industry, sure there are groups you can be a member of but there is nothing in the law that prevents unqualified people from watching some YouTube videos and then presenting themselves as locksmiths professionals, these people will likely successfully gain entry to your home, office, or vehicle, but it usually takes a while and causes a lot of damage in the process.
So what should you look for when choosing a locksmith?
Look for recognized bodies that they are members of and see if their website lists who trained them and what level of training they received. One of the best locksmith training schools in the UK is Train Locksmiths, Training College in Manchester, which trains locksmiths to an enhanced level 3 high recognized standard. If your website indicates this then you are generally in good hands, although a quick phone call to the training school may confirm the validity of your claim.
A good locksmith will tend to promote “non-destructive entry” as one of their services, meaning that if you’re locked out, they can get into your home, office, or vehicle without breaking your locks, saving you money. Remember, anyone can pick a lock, but it takes a highly skilled professional to pick a lock and gain non-destructive entry, also beware of unscrupulous charlatans who will break your locks on purpose just so they can sell you new ones, usually at cheap prices. higher than retailers.
So what about the 24 hour call?
This is a term you see on almost every locksmith website and in fact it has become a trend to display this claim however a lot of local locksmiths do not actually offer this service some will tell you straight up that they can leave first thing in the morning, while the worst ones will still answer the phone and string you up by saying they’re busy and on another call. Locksmith call centers do this a lot, harassing you while they themselves call local locksmiths on their books trying to find one to pick you up at 3am. Some locksmiths have started putting messages like “Speak directly to the locksmith and business owner, no call center means no delays” on their website due to the bad experiences many people have had with the big call centers .
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to do your research, check out a locksmith website, if they have all the information you need, if the locksmith is local, if they’re professionally trained, if the locksmith has feedback, being vigilant is paramount.
