The Best Locksmith in Your Area (How to Find Him)
Been locked out?, need your locks changed?, or just want better locks? You need a locksmith!!! If you need a locksmith you might as well go for the best in the area. And you need to know how to find him. By 'the best locksmith' we're not talking about, necessarily, the most skilled locksmith. We mean that someone who is Honest and reliable, fits genuine good quality branded parts and charges competitive prices. Here are my tips for you, in no particular order
Personal Recommendations
We trust recommendations, so should you? This, potentially, is one of the most best ways of finding you a best locksmith. A genuinely Best locksmith works hard to create and maintain a good reputation in their local area. Personal recommendations are crucial for a new business and will help their business grow.
Check Their Reviews
No personal recommendations?, you need to check the reviews online through Google, Facebook, Yelp can be helpful in this instance. Good locksmiths will be easy to spot via their high numbers of 5* reviews from their customers. Take time to read the reviews. Reading what is said in the reviews you can also get a feel for the type of locksmith you can expect come to your aid.
Check Their Accreditations
There is currently no government based licensing of the locksmithing industry, so anyone can call themselves a locksmith. It is therefore a good idea to check if the locksmith is on any approved trade lists, as this generally means that the company has been thoroughly checked out e.g. Trusted Trader, Which? Trusted Trader
Listening Carefully
A good locksmith will have relevant questions when you call him up, especially if you're keen for a price before booking. A seasoned locksmith will have encountered just about every type of lock issues before. By asking perennate questions the locksmith can usually figure out the bulk of the problem and give you a reasonably accurate quote over the phone.
Check The Locksmith Is Insured
Public liability insurance is essential and all good locksmiths will be covered in the unlikely event that they cause damage to your property.
Check They Are Local
Where possible use a local Locksmith. National Companies often advertisement as local businesses. This is bad 2 fold.
- Firstly - If they are national locksmiths they may be travelling from out of town or even from a town miles away. This results in you hanging around for hours in end.
- Secondly – National Locksmiths always subcontract work out, usually to any old locksmith in your area. Good locksmiths do not tend to need to sub contract to nationals. The nationals do not pay well but are renowned for charging the customer very high rates.
Get A Few Quotes
Without any doubt you should always get at least 2 quotes for any job undertaken by a locksmith. However, be aware that it does happen that the locksmith will give you a low estimate over the phone and then ramp it up lots of extras when the job completion. Sometimes this is unavoidable, however, to avoid any awkwardness when the invoice is presented here are some good questions to ask:
- Does the quote include any call out fees?
- Is labour included in the quote?
- Does the quote cover parts?
- Does that include VAT? Thats an extra 20% to pay right there!
- Are there ant surcharges I need to be aware of?
Ask About The Locks
Locksmiths will carry several different brands of lock, on their vans, which they prefer to use. Based on experience, your locksmith knows which locksm he considers to consistently perform best. That said, he should stock the most common brands, including
- Yale
- Era
- Chubb
- Union
- Legge
- Asec
- Garrison
- Assa Abloy (possibly)
Unscrupulous locksmiths may try to hoodwink you (and to save his money) by fitting cheap, nasty, unbranded locks bought at B&M. If you need a new lock for an external door check that the locksmith is fitting a British Standard (BS3621) . Anything else may not accepted by your insurance company. Additionally, a good locksmith will offer you at least a 12 month guarantee on any new locks they fit and any repairs carried out.
Conclusion
Following these tips and your experience finding a good local locksmith should be a piece of cake. Remembering to store their number in a safe place or add it to the contacts list on your mobile phone.
For any help with all your locksmith problems 24 hours a day, don't hesitate to contact Dougie, a Local, Honest & Reliable Locksmith in Winchester.
