We entrust our local locksmith not just the security of our possessions – but our personal and loved ones safety.
Therefore, it is paramount that we employ only professional and reliable locksmiths, rather than any person who can pick a lock and install a new one. He might just copy your keys and sell them to the highest bidder!
So how can we tell the difference? Here’s a list of all the ways that one may tell them – especially in New-York City.
Proper training and diploma
One of the first qualifications for a good locksmith is his or her’s training. Your locksmith must be properly trained and certified by an established and well known institute.
This is not an easily learned profession that can be mastered in a few months. At the very least, the locksmith must provide a diploma, proving he was properly trained and qualified serviceman, that can deal with any kind of lock.
The good locksmith asks the proper questions
A good 24-hour locksmith in Upper East Side must ask his employer if he or she is indeed the owner of the home or car in question. He should ask for any form of I.D proving you are the owner. A bad locksmith won’t.
The locksmith is not the only one who should ask questions – you as well can ask for aforementioned diploma and other documents without hesitation.
The good locksmith is a consummate professional
Another indication that you are dealing with a good locksmith is – you guessed it – his actions. A good locksmith will identify the problem, will devise a solution and give you his price – all before starting to work.
A good locksmith will work fast and efficiently, will use the right tools, and know when to break in a lock and change it only when necessary. Also, he won’t be bothered when his customers are in his presence while working.
As a reference – if you called a locksmith to change a lock, it shouldn’t take more than half an hour. If the locksmith is extremely experienced, he can get the job done, and done well, in only 10 minutes!
A bad locksmith will exploit your lack of knowledge
A bad locksmith will exploit your lack of knowledge in order to take advantage of you. A classic case is charging an extremely high prices or even worse – changing your broken lock with an old one, while claiming it’s “new”. This is very bad, as the old lock might still have keys that fit it.
Another risk is when a bad locksmith installs a lock from an unknown source of established lock company, not only making it harder to repair should it come to it – but making it difficult to duplicate your key.
The key here is to be vigilant when dealing with locksmiths and take note of these differences. A few questions and a sprinkle of common sense is, after all, the safest way to make sure your valuables and loved ones are safe.