At some point in your life, you will inevitably need the assistance of a locksmith. Whether you accidentally locked yourself out of your house or your key broke inside the door, locksmiths are absolute lifesavers during these inconvenient, stressful times. Imagine the relief you’ll feel if you’re locked out of your house on a cold night and the locksmith finally pulls into your driveway; you’ve been rescued.
What should you expect when calling a locksmith and what does the process entail?
The first step is submitting a service request. Next, the company’s dispatch department will work with the local team to find a technician available to help you. The technician will contact you with an estimated time of arrival. The technician will also ask you any relevant questions and gather all the necessary information needed to unlock your door.
The next steps in the process are outlined below so that you will have a better understanding of what the typical protocol is when a locksmith arrives. You will also learn the basics of what a locksmith does when fixing or replacing a broken lock. The more you know about what’s going on, the more comfortable you will feel.
Calling a Locksmith: An Overview
The process a locksmith typically follows is outlined below.
● Submitting a service request. This refers to the call you, the customer, make to the company when you need a locksmith’s assistance. Ideally, you will be familiar with a 24-hour emergency locksmith service ahead of time. Otherwise, you will have to do a few quick searches on your phone before making the call.
● Coordination. The company’s dispatch department will coordinate the call with a service manager. This is when the company locates a service technician who is available and geographically close to you. If it is after hours, there is usually at least one technician on call at any given time for emergencies.
● Phone call. The technician will call you to update you with an estimated time of arrival and to gather any pertinent information. That way, the technician will have all of the tools and equipment he or she needs to successfully complete the task at hand.
● Evaluation. Once the locksmith arrives, he or she will evaluate the problem and give you an estimate of how much it will cost to fix or replace your lock, how long it will take and so forth. That way, there will not be any unpleasant surprises at the end when you receive an invoice for services.
● The work. After the locksmith has answered any of your questions during the evaluation stage, he or she will do the actual locksmithing work. For a lockout, this involves either repairing or replacing the damaged lock. There are many other services that they can provide, it depends what you need.
● Completion. The final step involves the locksmith presenting you with an invoice for services rendered. You may be asked to submit payment immediately, or you might be given a 30-day window.
Will I Need to Replace all My Locks?
It depends on the work the locksmith is required to do. If you were simply locked out of your house, the locksmith can open the door without requiring any of your locks to be replaced. In general, this is less expensive and easier than replacing the locks. The same is true in the event you accidentally lock yourself out of your car; the locks and keys do not need to be replaced unless you have absolutely no access to a spare key.
Can a Locksmith Help Me if I am Not the Homeowner?
A locksmith can indeed assist you if you are locked out of a home that you do not own. For example, you may be housesitting for someone else and accidentally lock yourself out. However, you should always expect to produce your ID and explain to the locksmith that you are not the owner.
Related Questions
When Should my House be Rekeyed?
In the event your home is burglarized, and the burglars were able to access one of your house keys, it is necessary to change the locks and rekey them. That way, the burglars will not be able to easily access your home again. Or, if there is a problem with your lock that is so complicated that it cannot be repaired and it has to be replaced, then, in that event, you will need to rekey all the locks as well.
Does a Locksmith Have to Break Your Lock?
In most cases, no. A locksmith can usually open a locked door using his or her tools and equipment without causing any damage to the lock itself. This is not always the case, however. In some rare instances, yes, the lock will need to be broken in order to open the door. The locksmith will advise you before breaking the lock if it is indeed necessary to do so and there are no other options.
Hopefully, you will not need to call a locksmith anytime soon. That said, it’s important to have the name and phone number of a reliable locksmith handy in the event you are locked out of your house or car. It happens to the best of us – that’s why 24-hour emergency locksmith services are available in the first place.
How Much Does a Locksmith Charge for His or Her Services?
It varies. Different locksmiths have different rates for their labor and equipment. This is why the evaluation step is important; you will be provided with an estimate before the work is done. That way, you can realistically manage your expectations in terms of what it is going to cost you to have your door opened, your locks replaced, etc.
If you live in Michigan, Action Locksmith, Inc is a trusted and reputable locksmith that has been helping residents throughout the southeastern Michigan and beyond for over 30 years! Hard work, dedication and commitment to quality workmanship has made us one of the best locksmith companies around. From re-keying to door repair and installation, access control to security systems, we can help your home or business with your door lock and security needs. Call us today to learn more about our locksmith services!
FAQs
What to expect when you call a locksmith? ›
The technician will contact you with an estimated time of arrival. The technician will also ask you any relevant questions and gather all the necessary information needed to unlock your door.
Why use an emergency locksmith? ›Emergency locksmiths are a lifesaver when you're locked out of your home or car. They can change the locks on your house if you have been robbed and need to feel safe again. They can also help you get back into your car if you lock your keys inside.
How do you negotiate with a locksmith? ›Negotiate Discounts
Depending on how much work you need to get done, you might be able to negotiate better rates with your locksmith. For example, you might get a better rate if you are asking for 5 locks to be rekeyed instead of just one. Some businesses also offer special discounts to seniors or veterans.
Call when you're in an emergency
You need to pick up the phone right away if you find yourself locked out of your home, car, or office. Other emergencies could be that your key broke in the lock, your lock isn't working right, or there has been a break-in and you need to change the locks.
On average, locksmiths cost around $60 per hour, but this may differ depending on the time of the day. If you need your locksmith to come to you during business hours, a call-out fee of around $110 will be incurred. For after-hours services, this price will increase depending on how late it is.
What questions should I ask a locksmith? ›- Do They Offer Emergency Service? ...
- Are They Licensed, Bonded, and Insured? ...
- Do They Conduct Background Checks on Employees? ...
- Do They Have Consistently Positive Reviews? ...
- Do They Offer a Wide Range of Residential Services? ...
- Can They Perform a Comprehensive Security Audit?
One of the most common ways a locksmith will attempt to open your door is by picking the lock. Their lock picking kit will contain the tools needed to open your locks. Lock picking leaves your lock in good working order. Meaning that your key will continue wot work with the lock and it will not need to be replaced.
Can 911 help with locked keys in car? ›Being locked out of your car can be a valid reason to call the police. However, they may not be able or allowed to unlock your car unless there's an emergency, such as a small child or pet locked inside. Even so, without specific tools and skills, they'd likely need to break in just as you would.
Is it better to leave the key in the door when locked? ›Instead of hunting around looking for keys, keys inside locks will provide a readily available solution to simply unlock the door and evacuate the premises. While this may be a good strategy to be used in emergencies, it also encourages burglars to easily break-in.
Why does it cost so much for a locksmith? ›Cost of replacement parts, time, and labour by a qualified and experienced person also effect the cost of hiring a locksmith. A qualified professional locksmith has trained for 4 years to gain the knowledge and experience to assist with all security situations. This goes beyond just cutting keys.
What factors affect the cost of a locksmith service? ›
- Emergencies. ...
- Trip Fee. ...
- Service Type. ...
- Keys Lost or Stolen. ...
- Locked Out. ...
- Security Upgrades.
Professional locksmiths are guardians of security. For this reason, locksmiths must be exceptionally honest, trustworthy, and of good character.
How long does it take for a locksmith to get into a door? ›How long does it take a locksmith to open a door? It can take anywhere from 7 seconds to 45 minutes for a locksmith to pick open a lock. Generally a locksmith should be able to unlock most doors in about 10 minutes. Of course this is effected by the type of lock.
Do you need ID to call a locksmith? ›Professional locksmiths will ask you to provide them with valid ID and/or proof of ownership of the property in question. In many cases, both will be required. However, if it's deemed clear you have been locked out momentarily, simple verbal identification from a neighbour or similar will often suffice.
How long does it take a locksmith to fix a door? ›It should take a locksmith from 30 minutes to open a locked door, the time taken will depend on the type of lock you have fitted. For example, a basic euro cylinder will be quicker to unlock compared to a high-security anti-snap lock which will require specialist tools to open.
Can a locksmith make a car key? ›Typically, the quickest and least expensive way to get replacement keys made up for your car is via an auto locksmith. Not only will they have equipment to replace car keys for most makes and models of car, but most will offer a mobile service – meaning that they will come to you.