Finding The Right Locksmith
Come to think of this scenario: It is Friday. After a long and tedious day at work, you decide to go out and have a drink with your friends. You have fun at its optimum, and at around midnight, you decide to go home. You wait outside for your cab to arrive. You are a bit tired and tipsy, and all you need is a perfect place to lay your head, and the only place you can think of at the moment is your home. The cab arrives, and at last, you are home. On arrival, you are greeted with the unexpected. Your door is wide open! You get in just to find out that all the locks on your doors have been broken, and a range of treasurable items are missing. You feel confused; your mind sobers up immediately. You are confused, but all you need is some professional help. You cannot wait a minute longer. You need someone to fix your locks this minute. Who do you call? Do you have a good locksmith that you can rely on at the moment or will you just settle on any?
The above scenario is a real representation of how most Australian homeowners are. Very few of them think of a locksmith until a problem happens. Most owners don’t believe that a locksmith should be an important and respected ‘stakeholder’ in your premises, in fact, he/she should be a member of the family you never had. You need one now, even if you don’t have a problem you need to be fixed.
Today, the Australian market has been clogged with many locksmiths. This is simply because this is a well-paying profession that most people are using to accumulate wealth. However, there are some good locksmiths in your local area whose goal is not to get rich quickly but offer quality services to clients. You need one ideal individual who you can call in case you develop a lock problem. How then, do you choose an excellent locksmith?
Range Of Services A Good Locksmith Should Offer
24/7 emergency locksmith services
This is one of the most important services that will help you distinguish between good and other locksmiths. For a fact, most, if not all, lock problems are unplanned for. For example, do you plan that your premises will be burglarised? Do you know that you will be locked out of your car at night in the middle of nowhere? Do you have initial plans that criminals will gain access to restricted areas of your business premises and run with important documents?
A good locksmith understands that lock problems cannot wait an extra minute. They believe that the client is the most important shareholder of the company, hence his/her needs should always be at heart. They know that the security of a customer is as essential as his/her health, hence in an event an emergency occurs in your home, office, or car, they should respond faster than an ambulance.
To ensure that they respond in time, a good locksmith should invest in the proper equipment and fleet that will guarantee their technicians are the next visitors to knock at your door a few minutes after you call.
Residential locksmith services
Your home is the most important element in your life; hence its security should always be a priority. Excellent locksmiths will always ensure that you are always safe in the comfort of your vicinity. Apart from giving you access to your palatial home in the best suburb of Australia, a good locksmith should offer you with a broad range of other services including;
Wind locks repair/replacement
Broken key extraction
Rekeying locks
Residential safe lockouts
Door hardware supply and installation
In case you need highly advanced security systems in your residence, a good locksmith will visit the site, and present you with an array of systems that can apply to your home, hence enabling you to have security features that have a personal touch, and that enables you to take charge of your security.
Commercial locksmith services
Your business premises are as important as your home. It is the place where you spend the whole day, trying to make ends meet and make your life comfortable. For this reason, the business needs to be protected, and a good locksmith will always understand this. He/she comes up with innovative ways to protect your business and offers a range of services including;
o Commercial lockout services
o CCTV installation and repair Commercial buildings lockout
o Unlocking file cabinets
o Installation of security deadlocks
o Installation of high-security locks and master-key systems
o Mailboxes change out
o Cutting of rusty padlocks
o Reprogramming and servicing of digital locks
o Safe lockout and repair
Factually, a good commercial locksmith is not your ordinary locksmith. Because they are expected to work on sophisticated security equipment, they are highly trained, and the Australian government has strict licensing regulations concerning this trade. Therefore, make sure that the commercial locksmith of your choice can provide proof of licensing, and certification of specialised training on the job.
Automotive/car locksmith services
According to experts, car lock problems are the most prevalent in Australia, hence making it easy for scammers to penetrate the business. However, it is not difficult to find a good car locksmith, one who provides the following services;
• Car key extraction
• Car key cutting services
• Ignition cylinder repair and replacement
• Repair and replacement of ignition switches
• Replacement or duplication of car keys
• Rekeying ignition
• Transponder keys reprogramming
For a fact, a good auto locksmith can work on all types of cars. If you call for a service, the locksmith can instantly understand all the security features that come with your vehicle model and develop the best ways to solve your problem in the best way and in the shortest time possible.
Because cars are produced every day, good locksmiths take it upon themselves to investigate these new models, how they are made, the type of locks they come with, and most importantly, how the locks can be efficiently repaired in case they get damaged.
Characteristics Of A Good Locksmith
A good locksmith is:
Timely
A good locksmith understands that lock problems cannot wait. Hence promptness is part of them. When you call, the locksmith will always arrive in time, and will never hesitate to come up with a solution to your problem. He also provides a service as fast as possible, such that if you are locked out of your home, you will be able to gain access in the shortest time possible.
Highly professional
A good locksmith is a professional just like any other, and fulfils all the requirements of a profession including;
– Membership to one or more professional bodies that regulate the trade
– Has accreditation from an institution that is associated with the trade
– Employs technicians who are fully trained
– Keeps service to humanity before personal and business interests
– Has a well drafted and professional code of conduct that is followed to the letter, and a breach of it by one or more members of staff calls for disciplinary action.
Client-oriented
A good locksmith puts the needs of the client before business needs. When you call for a service, a good locksmith will not tell you to wait for a business meeting to end. He will not inform you that all the staff members are on vacation, and the only time you can get the service is the next day or another time. He understands that it is because of you that they are in business, hence will be quick to tell you, “Our technicians will be there in a few minutes.” They will always understand what you feel and will offer you with services that suit your budget.
Reputable
Yes, a good locksmith has accumulated solid reputation over the years he has been in business through diligent service and quality workmanship. Reputation is a clear manifestation of business success since speaks volumes of the perceptions others have about the locksmith. To find out the reputation of a locksmith;
Check the reputation of the institution one got accreditation from
Check customer and expert reviews over the internet
Look at the number of recommendations you get from family and friends
Check the reputation of the training centre a locksmith got certification from.
Always ready
Readiness of mind is an important characteristic of a good locksmith. When you present your problem, the locksmith should always be ready to provide you with a workable solution. If you need a re-keying service, for example, the locksmith should be quick to offer you with this service and desist from suggesting a change of locks.
Equipped
A good locksmith has all the equipment needed to offer all types of lock services. A locksmith who hires equipment whenever the need arises displays low levels of professionalism and ends up wasting time and making you pay higher prices than you would have paid to a locksmith who has invested in his equipment.
Modern homes, offices, and vehicles need special equipment to enhance their security. Good locksmiths are those who move with the times and trends and invest in high-tech machinery that can work well, to help you achieve your dream security solutions.
Experienced
A good locksmith has worked in hundreds of lock problems, hence has developed solid skill, knowledge, and ways to deal with any problem regardless of the level of complication. To a great locksmith, no job is too difficult to solve. Go for a locksmith who has at least five years of experience working in your local area; you will never go wrong in getting the quality of services you have always desired.
A ‘jack of all trades’
There are three main types of locksmiths in the Australian market: auto locksmiths, residential locksmiths, and commercial/industrial locksmiths. A good locksmith is one who goes an extra mile to train in all these fields and become a guru in all. It is a wise decision to work with a locksmith who will offer you with all the services at once. This way when you have a security breach in your home, business, or your car, you don’t need to have three contacts in your phone, you will get all solutions from a single locksmith.
Highly skilled and knowledgeable
A good locksmith is well educated and has immersed a lot of knowledge and skill as a result. In whatever situation, a good locksmith is always ready to give a solution. He/she never gives up, is open to criticism, and is always willing to learn from previous mistakes. Research is an integral part of an excellent locksmith, and he/she uses it to gain more knowledge, and always stay ahead of the competition.
Licensed, bonded, and insured
Excellent locksmiths operate legitimate businesses. They are not out to scam unsuspecting clients of their hard-earned valuables, but they want to engage in legal dealings, which serve the interests of humanity. They are quick to give you copies of their licenses once you request for a service. They are real abiders of the law and responsible citizens who pay their taxes.
By being bonded and insured, good locksmiths ensure that you, your loved ones, your property, and all the employees working at your premises are protected from unforeseen events that unfortunately occur in the line of duty.
Affordable
A good locksmith is neither cheap nor expensive. By being cheap, a locksmith either uses substandard products or offers poor workmanship. By being expensive, it just means that the locksmith is not out to serve all the people in Australia, but a few individuals who are in the higher levels of the social-economic ladder. A good locksmith always offers services that suit the budget of the client. They will assess the situation at hand, give you a free quote, and if you find out that you cannot afford what is quoted at the moment, they are quick to suggest alternative methods that will compliment your tight budget.
What are the main core-values of a good locksmith?
Honesty
Integrity
Respect
Reliability and,
Legitimacy
Promptness
Quality