The modern Locksmith business: What does it entail?

If you go by the literal meaning of the word ‘locksmith’, it would ideally be suited to mean that the person is engaged in the occupation of lock making. This was true long time back when locksmithing operations were essentially meant to lock making only. The locksmiths of those times were the experts in the science and the art of making locks and keys. By the very nature of their professional, they were required to follow secrecy in their work as their moral duty.

In the present world, the true locksmithing operations are carried out by the companies which are focussed at developing not only the locks and keys but also new and modern locking systems for different uses. Whom we normally refer to as ‘locksmiths’, are actually the people who are lock-breakers or lock-installers. So, the so called present day locksmiths are mainly involved in two types of activities-lock breaking or installing a new lock.

For carrying out their operations in a legal way, the professionals are required to obtain a due license for the same. It is strange that in the most liberal of democracies where the licensing requirements have long been done away with, this occupation remains one of the very few that requires a license. The reasons are quite obvious. These have to do directly with the safety and security of the people. A locksmith who is good at breaking the locks can also use this art and science to compromise the safety and security of people and their assets.

Licensing is one of the ways in which the locksmith is going to establish his or her credibility. There are proper verification checks about the personal details, their occupational expertise and even the background of their character. People are more likely to call a licensed locksmith for help and they can even ask for higher rates for latter’s services.

Locksmiths not only make new keys or unlock the doors and windows, they can also supply you new locks and install devices like the CCTVs, surveillance cameras and other similar security instruments. Their business is diversified and this diversification is essential to do, if they have to survive in this business where there is less demand.

Diversification in this occupation can also happen in other ways. One of the ways is to cover a range of facilities or assets and do not confine oneself to just one type of assets. So, you can have the locksmiths for the residences, commercial spaces, industrial spaces and for different types of automobiles. One more level of diversification could be in terms of specialization in the technologies. So, a locksmith who knows how to open the high-security locking systems or even an electronic lock stands a better chance of earning good money rather than the one who is good at opening traditional locking systems only.

Those who are willing to make it their career shall weigh a number of factors and once decided, they shall work whole-heartedly to establish this. Being a member of professional locksmith bodies helps a great deal to get business.

Shall locksmith business be the second occupation, not the first?

There is always some confusion in the minds of people who wish to enter the locksmith occupation. This confusion is primarily due to the ability of this business to earn a reasonably good livelihood for them and their family. There could be a few inspiring role models who are doing well and, at the same time, there could be a number of failed locksmiths as well. It is true that this occupation is taken up by people who are either fascinated by the lock and the key or do not have sufficient funds to enter some trade supposedly better.

Before you take up or disown this occupation altogether, here are a few guiding principles which shall help you in arriving at a decision:

1. The chances of getting the business in the area. Naturally, if the place is densely populated and there are a number of buildings, structures and automobiles then there is always a greater chance of getting more business.
2. The number of locksmiths operating in the area: If the region is already well developed for a long time, then there are good chances of finding the locksmiths in good numbers. If it is a new developing area, then there are more chances of early bird taking a rather bigger share of pie.
3. Do you have any specialization?: If you are a specialist at some locksmith service which others can not provide and there is a demand for the same, then you have a much better chance of making more money and living better than others.
4. Check for the government regulations: The regulations regarding the licensing provisions of the locksmith business as well as the tax implications shall be duly considered before opening the business.
5. Are other options feasible to undertake?: If you feel that some other options are feasible along with the locksmiths occupation in the beginning, then there is no stopping you from the same.
6. Can you diversify in related fields? The nature of this occupation is that if you have basic skill set, then there are a number of competitors and even the fees are very basic. So, if you have the means to diversify into related fields like installation of security systems, you stand a much better chance of increasing your incomes.
7. Have you analysed reasons for failures of other locksmiths? If you see failures, you must think why they failed? If the reasons for their failure were within their control for rectification, then you shall not blame the occupation as such. Taking things on face value without giving these a proper thought could be distorting you from the right path.

There is nothing wrong in taking locksmith as a second occupation, if you can manage to attend to emergency calls anytime during the day or night. Second occupation shall not translate to becoming the secondary occupation in practice, being done half-heartedly. You shall give it its due chance, if you have indeed decided to make it into your profession. 

Likely reasons for the high charges of the locksmith

Do you think that the charges that the locksmith is asking from you are unreasonable and unjustified? Do you think that he is making the most of the situation in which you are? Is he taking undue advantage of you? Well, these could be some of your perceptions for their fees. There are good chances that you might be right in your judgement but equally good are the chances of your being ignorant of some of the crucial facts about the locksmiths which are making you arrive at these types of judgements.

So, how will you judge whether you are having a balanced opinion or are being biased against them? Here are some tips in this regard:

1. The locksmiths have to invest thousands of dollars in their tools and equipments for their effective operations. So, if you wanted to requisition the services of a highly experienced locksmith, the charges are bound to be higher because they have invested quite a lot in their paraphernalia.
2. Their services are not availed very frequently by the people. Therefore, the locksmith might not be having regular work. The nature of their business might be keeping them sparingly occupied. Therefore, to earn their livelihood, they might be incorporating their lean season money requirements as well.
3. Experience and expertise matters: This profession is both an art and a science. So, the more experienced person is likely to be more dexterous in opening a number of different types of locks and locking systems than the others. Therefore, to maintain distinction in their service and seniority, the charges for the more experienced ones are likely to be higher. Similarly, the charges for the more expert professional are likely to be higher. If you find the charges to be unreasonable, then you can always find the one with low rates.
4. Specialization: Some of the locksmiths are specialists in opening and/or installing the most modern locking systems. Due to the sophistication involved, they provide a very specialized service which is quite unusual to find even within their community. Due to the rarity of the service providers, the specialists are likely to be charging more.
5. Emergency response: Some of the locksmiths might also be charging higher for working at the night or for working in unusual or risky circumstances. They are also likely to charge you more since you are in urgent requirement of their service.
6. Range of operations: The charges could also be higher if you require their services in an area which is far off from their usual operating areas. Naturally, if they have to come to an area which is at a place not usually covered by them, then they might ask for higher charges.
7. Commission adjustments: If some locksmith is able to come due to any reason and he gives the name of some other person who can do the needful for you, then they might be having some monetary arrangement on commission basis. And, you might be required to pay more to the one who comes to you.

You must, therefore, ask and negotiate their fees before taking their services.

Finding the right locksmith

The services of the locksmiths are crucial in many situations. A locksmith can open up the locks of the doors or cabinets whose keys you have lost or misplaced. They can make the duplicate keys for the same, or, break open the doors with minimum collateral damage. They can also repair your locks and install new ones in your facilities. In many countries of the world, they are required to have license from the licensing authorities for practising purposes.

Just as people take note of the telephone numbers and other contact details of emergency services providers with them all the times, they shall also keep the contact details of a number of individual locksmiths or the companies providing locksmith services with them. The credibility of these service providers is always suspect and therefore, people take recourse to different methods of finding the right locksmith. Some of the most common methods employed by the people are the following:

1.       Seek references from the friends, relatives and other people: Normally, people would trust the references obtained from the near and dear ones. Since these are the more trustworthy people, the locksmiths coming from their references are expected to be more credible than the others. If none of your known people required their services in the past, the same can be known in turn from their references.

2.      Check with the directory listings: Some of the companies or the associations keep a directory of the different locksmiths so that the people requiring their services are able to get the most trustworthy service providers. Before being their members, they are required to submit their credentials with these organizations as verifiable proof of their identity, place of residence, contact details, professional training and licensing requirements. You shall have the telephone number of the association which is managed by professionals and can speak to their customer service for sending the right locksmith for your need.

3.      Online resources: If you can get the access to the online resources, you can sift through the local directories to obtain the phone numbers of the specialist service providers in your area. Most of these directories are organized as per the specialized nature of the work or as per the region of geographical operations.

4.      Asking the hardware shop owners: If it is daytime and there is a nearby hardware shop which sells the locks and keys, then you can ask for some credible locksmith. At least the shop owner is expected to know the right person for your work. For automotive purposes, the nearby car showroom can also help or mechanic can also help. 

Ideally, the contact details of these service providers shall be kept on-hand so that whenever the need be the same can be utilized. Further, the same shall be kept at more than one place so that the accessibility to the same remains possible.

Locksmiths provide a noble helping hand and are a vital resource for rescue operations in many situations.

Locksmiths for All Lock Making and Unlocking Services

A ‘smith’ is a person who works on the metals and usually forges or moulds the same to make some more useful metal products. The profession of the people who work on different metals or make different articles form these metals are named after those metals or articles. So, you have the goldsmiths who work on gold and make ornaments from the same. You also have the ironsmiths who manually make some of the utensils. And, similarly, you have the locksmiths who work different metals like brass or iron to make the locks and keys.

Traditionally, the locksmith occupation was more oriented towards the making of locks. And, by virtue of their ability to make the locks, they were also able to easily open the same. Therefore, it was required of them to maintain utmost secrecy about their works. Ever since the mass production of the locks began, the locksmith profession has undergone a significant change from the making to the service-providing part. The latter includes the repair of the locks and the ability to open them whenever the times warrant such an operation in the absence of or in the event of the malfunctioning of the keys.

Science or Art

So, is it a science or an art? The locksmith occupation is ideally a combination of both. It is a science because you have to make use of the methods of science to operate the same. The tools and equipment and the sophistication involved, especially in the electronic and the bio-metric locking systems, make it akin to an application of science. At the same time, it is also an art, because it requires individual skills to master. Even if the most modern tools and equipments are used for working, the art of opening the lock reduces the extent damage. The skilled locksmiths make use of only that much force which is actually required to open the locks.

Requirements of confidentiality

The profession of locksmiths requires them to have the utmost confidentiality about their clients. They shall not misuse this art for meeting wrong ends. Rather, this is to be used for some noble cause. Their profession is, therefore, organized in such a way that reduces the chances of the misuse for wrong purposes. There are professional regulatory bodies, training centres, legislative enactments, licensing requirement and professional associations which lend credibility to this profession. People who require the services of the locksmiths prefer going to those professionals who have listed themselves in the reputed association and are duly licensed to work.

Emergency operations

The most important use of their services is in the emergency situations which require quick response. These situations are the ones which bring out the difference between the good and the bad locksmiths. The ones who are able to arrive in no time with all their paraphernalia, are able to respond to the emergency effectively and efficiently and, at the same time, are good at customer relationship management, are able to create a good name for themselves in the market.

The Locksmith Paraphernalia

You would be gravely mistaken if you think that the profession of locksmiths is easy to make into a career. Even bigger mistake is to think that you do not need much of an investment to make a beginning. While it is true that you can make a beginning from the scratch and with a very little investment but it will take a lot of hard work to climb up the ladder. Some of the more profitable locksmith operations are done by using advanced tools and equipments which can cost you thousands of dollars. Some of the main tools which are the keys to the successful operations are given below:

1. Key Blanks and Key Making Machine: This is the first most important investment which a locksmith shall do to make a beginning. There are a number of key blanks which he shall have. These shall be divided into a number of different categories depending upon the purpose for which these are likely to be used, like residential, commercial, automotive, etc.
2. Key tags, drawers, towers and cutters: Once you have bought the key blanks, you would be requiring the key tags which would help in keeping the keys in one place. The different types of cutters that are required are the manual duplicator, semi-automatic duplicator, automatic duplicator, tubular key duplicator, code cutters and the cutter wheel.
3. Pins, Picks and Locks: The pins, picks and their kits also need to be bought. Since you might be required to operate on different locations and on different types and brands of locks, there is a requirement to have different types of locks with you.
4. Transponder keys: These keys are the ones which make use of the code machine to code the key for the vehicles. The ignition switch will not turn on till the key is coded with the machine. These keys make use of the computers and the electromagnetic energy is sent to them to enable their working.

To operate a more diversified business, the locksmiths are usually required to maintain a good number of the tools and equipments. You can find that the older tools are not discarded even as the new ones are continuously added to the kitty. The reason is quite obvious. It is so because the locksmith might be required to come in any time to open any type of door, from the most modern electronic or bio-metric locks or even quite an old one as well. For this reason of having a large number of tools and equipments, you would find them commuting on automobiles like bikes.

The buying decisions of these tools and equipments are based on the type of work you tend to specialise in. The skilful locksmith might either go for specialization in that area where the chances of getting business are more or might prefer to operate in a niche segment where a few people compete and where the demand of locksmiths is low as well. The prices are higher for the latter type of work.

How to check for the credible locksmith company online?

When electricity was first invented, it would have definitely given first shocks to the people. Was it discarded? No. If it had been discarded, could you have imagined the progress which we see today? This simple example shows that staying put with the innovations that have many benefits and finding solutions to the problems faced in the process has the potential to change our life and work styles. Internet-based businesses have always faced the problems of establishing their credibility. And, this problem is more profound for those who engage in ecommerce or deal in sensitive goods and services for security related businesses like that of a locksmith.

When people use the internet medium to find locksmith service providers, they would be willing to check their credibility as it directly affects their safety and security. Here are some tips on how to check the same:

1. Membership: In US, there is a body of professional locksmiths called the Associated Locksmiths of America which regulates the working of its members. The members of the organization are bound by the professional and the ethical code of conduct of the organization and by the law of the land.
2. Online verification sites: To solve this ‘credibility’ issue of the internet based businesses, the online verification services are provided by reputed companies. These companies verify the physical presence of the business and also check for the soundness of their programs. These do provide their seals and signatures to the sites which have been duly vouched for their authenticity. These verification sites also include the names of their clients in their list of members.
3. See the online reports and comments: While it does pay to check authentic online reports and comments on the net, caution shall be taken to first verify the details of the sites which feature these comments and reviews. Some of the sites might be purposely created only for adverse publicity.
4. “Seeing is Believing”: If you want to judge the authenticity of the online locksmith service provider, there is no better way to simply trying them once. If they do send in experts who are able to perform the required activity with due professionalism and minimal damage, then you can rest assured about their credibility.
5. Licensing requirements: Many states in the US require the locksmiths to have licenses for operating a lawful locksmith business. However, this licensing requirement is meant for the individuals only who take it as their profession. For the sites which maintain a database of these individuals and act as a platform of interaction between the client and the service provider, there is no professional locksmith license requirement presumably. These two aspects shall be clearly distinguished.

The law of many states does require the companies to make use of only the licensed locksmiths, failing which the operators are likely to be arrested and even imprisoned.  

Therefore, it is important to use your own rationale to find which one is a credible internet site and which one is good only at criticism.

What all you need to be a successful locksmith?

It is not very frequently that the locksmiths are called in for their services. The occupation of the locksmith is not easy to practice. You might be called at odd hours and at far flung places. However, if you have indeed decided to take this up as your profession, here are some of the tips on how can you be successful in your work:

1. Add diversity of operability: This means that you shall be an expert in more than one field of this trade. The more diversified expertise you have, the more successful you will be because the less you will be at mercy of your limited expertise.You can even go for more providing the installation services to increase the area of operation of your services. 

2. Select your location carefully: The localities with high density of populations are the best choice since the more are the number of the people, the more the residential and commercial spaces and the more are the automotives. Therefore, more are the chances of your being called again and again. The next important consideration of opening a locksmith business is that of the number of competitors. But, that is not significant because competition will be expected where there is good chance of generating business.                                                  
3. Get yourself professional training and certificate: By doing the course, you will not only be gaining good practical training and learn the different tools of operations but will also be enhancing your credibility.
4. Be a member of some reputed professional body of locksmiths of your state: This is again for the purpose of generating more business and enabling clients find you.
5. Customer service: If your customer service is good or exceptional, then you will be able to create a difference among the competitors. You will have more references and references work wonders in this field. Courtesy, punctuality, flexible time hours and longer range of service will help you immensely to be more successful than the others. Ability to work and handle the panicky and emergent situations will immensely increase your reputation as an effective locksmith.
6. Keep all your tools and equipment always at one place: If you forget to take required equipment or the same is not there in your kit, then it speaks volumes about your unprofessional attitude towards this work. And, if the situation is emergent and you do not have the tools, then it is like killing your own livelihood and extremely frustrating for the customer.
7. Make referral arrangements: If you specialize in any one area of locksmiths operations and the customer requires some other expertise, then you shall have a network of close locksmiths who would provide exclusive expert services to the clients and, within themselves, have a fixed commission system for providing references. So, the aim is not to let the customer go away from your own network. Many would deride this service but this is right on the business principles and when you are not referring any wrong person to the client.