Here is the scenario, it’s Saturday evening and you arrive home from the airport after just getting back from a two week long much needed vacation. When you get to your front door you suddenly realize you don’t have your keys to get into your home! You’re exhausted from all the fun you had on your vacation and from the long flight home that was delayed because TSA had to double check everyone’s shoes!
As panic and worry start to set in you suddenly realize what you have to do, Call a locksmith! So you reach for your I-phone and Google local locksmiths. In your search results you have the name and number of 10 locksmiths that claim to be local and have 24/7 Emergency service. You call the first one and no one answers. You call the second one and again no one answers. You start to get a little worried but you remain calm and call the third locksmith and finally you get someone on the other end and this is how the conversation goes:
Locksmith: “Hello, this is Jim from ABC Locksmith how can I help you?”
You: “I am locked out of my home HELP ME!”
Locksmith: (Laughs to himself) “No problem, what is your address?”
You: “Well wait a minute, how much is this going to COST ME!?”
Locksmith: “Well, for us to come out there and open your door without damaging it, it is going to cost 125.00$”
You: “125.00$!! What!? That’s crazy! I could just break a window or kick the door down at that point!”
Locksmith: “Well yes I suppose you could, however I would not recommend that. We are professionally trained locksmiths and we guarantee to get you into your home without causing damage to the lock or door.”
You: “That’s just too much money I am going to try to call another locksmith to get a cheaper price!”
Locksmith:” No problem, if we can help we will be here! We always answer!”
Now you’re a bit upset and getting more tired and aggravated. So you try calling another locksmith. The next Locksmith again doesn’t answer. You call 4 more locksmith numbers that claim to be 24/7 that don’t answer until you finally get one that does. Here is how the conversation goes:
Locksmith: “Locksmith”
You: “I am locked out of my home PLEASE COME HELP ME!”
Locksmith: “What is your address?”
You: “How much is it going to cost me?”
Locksmith: “60$”
You: “Perfect, here is my address …..”
You’re thinking that you just saved 65$ by calling another locksmith that was “Cheaper”. When the locksmith gets to your home he tries to pick the lock and can’t. The locksmith tells you the lock HAS to be drilled so you agree. In the end the locksmith ends up destroying the lock cylinder, the lock body, and damaging your door. The lock cylinder cost 85$, the lock body is a Fire Rated lock that cost 850$, and the door is a Fire Rated door that cost 1,200$. Now the door you didn’t have to replace you can have it repaired, but the lock body and cylinder you had to have replaced. So what you thought was a savings of 65$ actually ended up costing you over a 1,000$ just to get in your home when you were locked out.
This is a true story that happened to a customer of ours recently. The lesson in this story is to not just look for the cheapest locksmith. There are reasons why professional locksmiths charge what they do. That doesn’t mean you should look for the most expensive locksmith it just means you need to make sure the locksmith you are hiring knows what he is doing. That way you can avoid a disaster like this or much worse!