Choosing The Right Locksmith

How would you go about finding a professional locksmith when you needed one?

Most likely, with a google search. With modern smart phones the internet has become our go to tool when we need something, and when locked out we seldom use anything else.

But how do you find the right locksmith and avoid getting ripped off by the cowboys?

When you search for a locksmith a number of results will come up with some paid adverts showing at the top of the page. While some of these paid adverts will be from genuine local locksmiths (i use this method myself), others will be from less trustworthy entities, such as the 'grab the money and run cowboy' and the 'national locksmith companies'.

The problem with these is the cost will almost certainly be higher or the quality of work substandard (in some cases both). I hear often hear horror stories from customers who had been massively overcharged for a poor or substandard service which they accepted because they were locked out and thought they had no other option.

My advice when instructing a locksmith:

Look for a "local" locksmith (look on their website for photos of work carried out and a van with proper advertising on it. A lot of national companies advertise as local to you)

Look for social media links on their website (these are a good way to look at past work and view testimonials)

Avoid call centre based national companies (you will often get charged far more than with a local locksmith and will often have to wait a long time for the engineer to arrive)

Discuss costs over the phone (ask if there is a call out charge. Cowboys will often try to add costs this way while any decent locksmith will simply charge an hourly rate plus any parts)

Appearance is everything (When your locksmith arrives you should expect to see a branded vehicle of the same name as the company you called. If not beware! Most professional locksmiths also wear some form of branded uniform)

Workmanship. As a professional locksmith I carry tools to non destructively overcome the vast majority of locks commonly found today. Where that isn't available i carry the specific tools required to neatly destroy the lock and fit an exact replacement. (beware the locksmith that reaches straight for the drill! and don't accept poorly fitted replacements)

Don't find yourself paying over the odds for a substandard service, use a

trusted local locksmith to avoid ending up with this: