It may seem like it is never a good day when put in the situation of needing a locksmith. Following some of this advice will make it much easier and not get ripped off. There are many needs to call a professional locksmith. They unfortunately don't sell the tools at a normal hardware store, so the average consumer is forced to have to use a locksmith from time to time. There are so many types of locks and security methods out there. From experience, there isn't one lock on the market that can be completely fail safe. Some locks are built better than other, costs can vary, many different terms thrown around, but what it comes down to is that they all pretty much do the same thing as the next one.
All of this brings me back to finding that locksmith. It's a tough industry to nail down just one. Many different ways to advertise. Anyone can put an add on the Internet, in the yellow pages, create a website, etc and promote it. There are 35+ business listings that are completely free to list your business, services offered, and contact information. With that in mind, try doing a search for a locksmith on your favorite web search engine. Guaranteed you will probably get an extensive list. Probably a few names that sound like it would reputable, even some with your local city or town in the name. The sad reality of this search is about 90% of those links are for a non local company that lists locksmiths in every town in the US. They buy up multiple local numbers to saturate the listings. It makes sense in a way since their adds will overpopulate the legitimate ones. These companies will always try to lure you in with inexpensive upfront costs. It is the first mistake you can make by falling for that trap. They will always overcharge for all the other services or even send out unqualified individuals in an unmarked car to just destroy your lock, then put you in a bind by having them charge extra money then to get it fixed. It leaves the consumer pretty much powerless and must pay the extra fees to secure their house/business/car.
So how do you weed through the sea of listings and find a reputable company that is locally owned and legitimate at the same time. The one most important methods is just common sense. If it sounds to go to be true, it probably is. Secondly, spend a little time doing a little research on the companies themselves. Before calling anyone, look at the phone numbers. A lot of these un-reputable companies will buy banks or "lots" of phone numbers. If you see this, this a dead giveaway that this a company you want to avoid. Then, create. List of few potential companies that do appear to be locally owned and operated. From this point, look at their advertisement. Click on it if on a computer, examine their website. Just read the first few lines on the page. The companies to avoid have also created websites too. But those websites will generally be obvious because the listing or coverage area won't be shown. There will be obvious mistakes that lead you to believe it was made to cover multiple locations (city or states). Lastly, if on the computer, check the web address you are on matches the name of the company. It is very easy to initially show you the website link at fist but send you to a completely different web page.
That first section was generally just a good way to weed out the worst possible choices. I'm sure this won't work every time but the percentage is high that it will. So, now that you have narrowed down the list, what to do now? Each company will generally list their services. The typical services are always there. At this point, the easiest way is to do research on the Internet about each. Look for reviews on other websites about these companies. Don't ever trust testimonials displayed on the particular website. Why would they post a bad testimonial. So, of course the list will be groomed for the best results and posted on the website. The reviews on other websites can also be false too. These reviews can be false reviews created by the company or other individuals that are close to the company. Of course those reviews would also be good. This method can get a better picture of the company as a whole.
The next step would be look at places like the BBB. These reviews will only be from actual customers, complaints, complaints that have been resolved, etc. But still, place like this aren't still showing a complete picture. Something to keep in mind though is that companies are not required to participate in the BBB. The BBB won't accept mobile businesses (must be a brick and mortar location) that can be completely trustworthy as well. They won't take newer companies less than one year old and have strict guidelines sometimes to even get listed after the initial year. There are going to be very good companies out there that are either fall into the newer category or don't care to be part of the BBB for one reason or another.
Almost there, the next step would be to call these companies. By now, the list is probably down to a handful of companies. Pay attention to how they answer the phone. Listen for the company name. Ask their name. If they don't answer the phone with company name, ask what the company name is. By this point, either you will get the answers your looking or not. The companies that fail the first two questions are probably the ones to avoid. Get a detailed list before you call as to what to ask. Another good thing to ask for is if they have a bond or insurance to cover damages and whether or not they are licensed to perform this work. This license is only applicable to a few states. Now, try to be as detailed as possible as to what your looking to get done. Then, all that is remaining is cost. Don't always shop on cost alone. Trust your instincts with this part. If the person sounds unprofessional, likely they will be the same in person as well. There are good ways to compare prices out there. Doing a web search will find you some of the average prices. Knowing these before you call will give you a better way to compare. The main thing to do before deciding is to ask if there are any other charges, hidden charges, and that all costs are final. That is the way that the companies from earlier get you by adding extra costs.
Finally, when the locksmith gets to your house/car/business, they will generally want to make sure you are who you are by asking for identification. They just need to make sure you are the person that called and that you have the authority to get the work done. Make sure to ask the locksmith for ID. Look around at the vehicle. Is it marked with the company logo? Most reputable companies will spend the money to mark their vehicles cause it serves as a good way to advertise as well. Then ask for a written invoice. Make sure the invoice shows a breakdown of the items being done. Then make sure there are no extra charges. Lastly, there will generally be a clause on the invoice giving the locksmith the OK to do the work. This is just your authorization to release them from any liability of damages or work completed. Don't worry though, at this point you will have found out about insurance or bonding to cover anything that could arise. A legitimate company will cover damages if anything were to incur even with that clause. They can't afford to get a bad rating or a call to the local/state authorities that will cause them a legal battle or license cancellation.
Overall, doing this research ahead of time is the best way to be ready. Most wouldn't usually have the time to go through the research time to do most of this. You usually just want whatever fixed. I know most wouldn't think about stuff like this, but that is why I wrote this in the first place.
If nothing else, A good general rule of thumb to narrow the search with very little effort is to skip businesses without a specific name. Generalized names like 24 hour locksmith, city "x" locksmith, or a combination of both are usually a dead giveaway to avoid the company. Trust me, you will see tons just like this on any search for a service provider, not just for a locksmith.
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