Locksmith Occupation: Past and Present

If you have forgotten the keys inside the car or the home, then you will suddenly find the locksmith to become very important. These and many other situations, of normalcy and emergency, do require the locksmiths to be called to gain access through the problematic locks.  Since centuries, this occupation is concerned with the making of the locking systems. The practitioners of this art and science were required to maintain high confidentiality and secrecy in their works. They were required to not let the knowledge of their art to be given to others or even discuss the same with some other person. The occupational secrets flowed down from the lineage and the outsiders were not welcomed in this.

The essence of the principles, rules and regulations that were there for the locksmiths in the past are still being carried forward. In fact, these have been strengthened. The rules have become quite explicit and elaborate. The practitioners are still required to adhere by these. The modern day lock menders have to bear or carry a valid license, for them to operate in this field. This single piece of paper is a proof of their authenticity and their ability to provide their expert service in a total confidential manner. The license, therefore, assumes a lot of importance. It is, in a way, the assurance from a reputed authority (the license maker, which can be the government as well) that the person providing the services is fully capable, in all respects, to provide the locksmith services.

The confidentiality aspects, too, are very cared for. The elaborate rules and regulations are required to be followed during the course of training and even after the same. If there are verifiable and proven complaints against locksmiths, then their licenses can be revoked and in case of any delinquency, suitable action can be taken as per the law.

The revocation of the licenses can only make a locksmith unable to carry on the work with others. But, this still does not prevent him or her from using his skills in the wrong way. The fear of the law can be one of the deterrents from doing any misadventure but it is more important to be very selective in training the people. The present training institutes carry relaxed eligibility criteria since the people can take to this profession as a career, to earn their livelihood.

In this one and very important respect that the occupation can be taken up by anyone, there is a break away from the tradition. In the earlier times, the entry to this trade was quite restricted, confined only to the members of the family and lineage. But, the modern times have not been that restrictive. This could also be due to the higher demand of these professionals of this field in the present day world, the increase in the sale of security instruments and many other factors which have led to the emergence of many practitioners of this trade.   

Different situations in which you can use a locksmith

Security and confidentiality are the two most desirable qualities of a locksmith. Since this occupation has direct implications for the security of the people, the government makes licensing compulsory for the locksmiths to carry on with their works. Their training also focuses on this aspect quite substantially. Since the locksmiths might be required to operate in varied circumstances and in different times, the personal integrity of the person has to be of utmost importance.

Some of these situations in which the services are required are:

1.       Non-emergency situations: If your door gets locked, even if there is no emergency, it is still something which is unusual to have happened and might require quick operation. So, there is a definite sense of urgency, if not emergency, for it. These typically are:

a.       The locking of the keys inside the vehicle or the premises, which requires opening of the locks to be done.

b.      The keys have been damaged or the broken which requires rekeying.

c.       If something adverse has not happened, duplication of keys might be required to have one extra bunch of the same.

d.      Repair and replacement of the locking systems.

2.       Emergency situations: There could be some situations might require immediate locksmith services, like:

a.       Being caught up in a room set on fire.

b.      Being locked inside a malfunctioning elevator.

c.       A malfunctioning bio-metric or electronic access control device in an important establishment requires urgent mending.

d.      To help the law enforcement agencies in unlocking the doors and other access points to gain entry.

e.      To help gain access to your infant who has got locked inside and there is a chance that he or she may get harmed in some way.

Similarly, there could be many other situations which would require the locksmith services. There are specialist locksmiths for the residential, commercial, industrial and for the automotive locking or unlocking needs. This is not as if you can find the locksmiths only for the mending of the locks or keys, you can also use them for putting up new locks in the doors, windows, cabinets and other places.

Many of the companies dealing in the modern security systems employ them for installing the security systems like CCTVs, video cameras, break-in alarm systems and other such features in the premises. In that sense, they have a diversified role to play in different scenarios and situations.

Since this locksmith occupation sees the emergence of newer security products, there is always a need to keep updated about the new developments. They may get a call from a person who has installed the newest security system and is not able to find any person who knows about it. If you are able to mend it, you are laying the ground for future references to flow to you. Since, people change locks very rarely sometimes it might be two or more decade old locks that are required to be mended by the locksmith. So, there is a need to achieve expertise in both these types of locks.

Things to learn for a locksmith

Learning is an ongoing process, relevant for all ages and for all times. Learning is never complete. For some it is a continuous process and for some it is episodic. Even for people in an occupation, the process of learning could be continuous in the beginning and it might become episodic at the later stages. A locksmith is also always at a learning curve all the time. Right from the day he enters a training institute to get the training in the art of this trade to his days of active practice there are many things that a locksmith shall learn in order to be successful.

Some of the important things for him to learn are:

1. Technical expertise: A thorough understanding of both the basic and the advanced locking systems must be attained. Work comes first and it is the efficiency of the work and the level of his expertise that will determine his success or failure. Locksmiths shall better attain some specialisation in this occupation since there would be many doing the routine and normal activities. It is true that they might have to exert themselves a little more, stretch their finances a bit more but all this will be paid off well.
2. Customer service: What good is the expertise of the locksmiths if they are quarrelsome, argumentative, talkative or not coming in time when called? They are actually finished in their profession when they are not able to provide the professional and customer-oriented services. This is a trade where the business grows on the basis of references. If a locksmith spreads a bad name for himself then he is shrinking his market. The people would prefer others who may take a longer time or may not be that expert. Therefore, important that you know how to speak, what to speak and more importantly, how much to speak as you go to attend the call. So, you must watch out your manners and behaviour when you are on call.
3. Responding to emergency situations: The locksmiths business is not just a lock and key affair. There might be situations where the people would be in emergency and your timely and highly expert services might be required. For you to actually put up the best foot forward, making use of everything that you have learnt, might require total concentration which may be hard to put in the panicky situations. So, there is a need to learn to work in different sort of problematic situations without yourself being taken over by the heat of the circumstances.

One of ways in which this can be done is at a training institute which can simulate the conditions for training purposes. If not at training, then the same can be done with self-imagination of the troubled situation even when you are actually on a routine call and trying to work at pace with total focus.

Apart from calming yourself down, the locksmith shall be able to calm down the people around as well but not at the cost of his time for the work which is of utmost significance in these situations.

Steps to Resolving Doubts on the Locksmiths

People are not very sure when they call the locksmith. They do not know what kind of a person will turn out to open the troublesome locks. They are doubtful about the personal character of the person, his ability to open the locks and his likely behaviour when he comes. The doubts are quite natural. The apprehensions are based on the fact that there have been instances where a wrong person has turned out posing more problems than solving the already existing ones, that is of unlocking the locks. Therefore, whenever you require a locksmith, you need to make sure that all the correct steps are taken.

Selection Of The Right Source

You just can not afford to pick up any of the directory or the daily newspapers’ classified and make a call to get the locksmith. After all, these are only ads in these sources. You do not get to know anything about the profile of the locksmiths service providers. The best way would be to seek the references form the near and dear ones who would be able to advice you on which source to take the help from or, on the contrary, not to take help from. But, there is a good chance that even they might not have taken the help from someone till now. So, the next best medium of finding the right company would be the internet. This can help you to know in detail what all services are provided in what all areas, what is the profile or the specialisation of the locksmiths and whether these are available round the clock or not.

Make a call and ask for the service

After the selection of the right locksmiths service provider, you shall call to know in detail about the company. Do not hesitate to shoot your questions to the customer service. Clear all your doubts on crucial aspects of the business, like its legality, and when you are satisfied with their answers, do seek their prices for servicing your requirement. Negotiate on the labour charges, if the company tells you the same. There is always a room for it when talking business. There is a difference between the showing-up charges and the labour charges and the latter are often not possible to predict until the work to be accomplished is seen due to the complexity of the work.

Verify the credentials of the person

When the locksmith comes on your call, you shall verify his credentials and check for his licenses and ID proof. Normally, he shall be carrying the same with him all the time, and especially when he has come on a call. If he does not have it, you may not allow him to go ahead with the work. If he has all the relevant docs with him, you can even call back the service provider and let him have a word with the customer service. You shall again speak to the customer service. If everything seems fine, then you shall permit him to go ahead.

The arduous life of a locksmith

There is more to locksmith operations than you can imagine. The locksmiths will come, open the locks or mend the keys and then leave after taking the charges. The work would seem very simple and easy to do. What they do not recognize is that a lot of effort and labour goes into the making of a professional in this field. They might have been trained at a professional and recognized institute or under some experienced master. They would have spent thousands of dollars as the course fees and also for procuring their tools and equipment. They would have done all this knowing fully well that this is a lowly demanded work in the market.

Professional locksmiths are driven by passion for gaining expertise in this field. Without passion, you can not delve into the depths of the trade. 

Their interest in unravelling the mysteries of the locking systems keeps their interest alive. With every new lock or security system that comes to the market, the keen locksmith will examine it and if possible, try to find the ways to unlock it. Since, the person may not be having sufficient resources of his or her own to keep experimenting with the new security systems, this need is fulfilled by the training centres themselves who organize these updating session regularly. This actually means that he has to keep working on the locks and updating himself on the new ones. 

Some of the main services provided are the repair, replacement and re-keying of the locks; installation of the new locks and security systems like the computerised and the bio-metric access control devices, CCTVs, fire alarm, peep-holes, etc; and the opening of locks without re-keying. Their services are required for the residences, the commercial establishments, industries and even your cars, recreational vehicles, trucks and other automotives.

He can be called anytime of the day or night, in any type of weather condition and even on the weekends or holidays. Although there is no binding duty on him to provide the services 24×7, he might be propelled to do the same as his moral obligation to help the people. This round the clock service is also provided by reason of competition. As in other fields, the competition is quite stiff in this profession as well. Customer service and technical expertise are the two key determinants which can create the difference in bringing more business. 

The former holds a lot of importance since it helps in referral marketing of his or her services. When people require the locksmith services, they invariably ask their contacts for references of the locksmiths since it has direct security implications. The people trust the references provided by their contacts more than searching through other mediums. 

So, the locksmith shall build up this reputation for providing excellent customer service. And, this is no mean task. It does require a long period of consistently adhering to norms of excellent customer service, providing prompt services in normal and emergency situations to people in your area.

How to run a locksmith business successfully?

There are a number of factors which make for the successful running of a business. For the newly set up businesses, there is always a period of survival, growth and sustainability which comes in phases and it requires very skilful manoeuvring to stay in contention and ahead of others. And, if the business is of the nature of providing specialised services like that of the locksmith, then successful running requires even more skilful work. Here are some of the elements requiring considerable attention:  

1. The location: Where shall the business be located? Naturally, it shall be located at a place where there are greater chances of getting the customers, provided there is less competition from the other locksmiths in that area. Though this parameter is more important while setting up the business, it also impacts the running of the business.
2. Customer service: If your customer service is very good, then the people will call you rather than a thousand odd competitors in that area. This will hold good provided that your technical ability at the work, at the minimum, matches those of the others. You shall be very quick to respond to their calls. You shall also be able to comfort them in emergency situations while going about your work. Also, if you remain available even during the odd hours, then your service will be appreciated by the satisfied client. A satisfied client is the biggest asset of a locksmith since this business grows very rapidly due to references.
3. Fool-proof recruitment system: If you are running a locksmith agency wherein you require to recruit the locksmiths, then the success of your business depends a lot on the quality of your recruits. Professional, trained recruits with positive mental disposition, verified background checks and due licenses can be a little expensive to hire but will do a lot of good to the business in the long term. The untrained or unprofessional locksmiths with a negative attitude can harm your reputation and can even cause some legal action to be initiated against you.
4.  Keep updating: There are many new security and lock and keys systems which keep showing on the shelf spaces of the stores. If the locksmiths do not update themselves on these, they are digging the grave of their business. Since people are keen to install the new and the most secure locking systems in their premises, these fast outdo the traditional ones. So, periodic updating of the knowledge about the new systems is very important to meet the demands of the customers using these devices.
5. Advertise: Advertisements are very important for the fast growth of the businesses, including that of the locksmith. With low demand potential, this business is already on the edge and with a laid back, wait and watch attitude, even the survival will become very difficult. So, for success, you need to have the biggest market share and this is possible only with consistent and rightly directed marketing campaign.

Importance of locksmiths in different situations

A locksmith plays a very important role, especially in the emergency response situations. He is good at not only providing the access through the problematic locking systems but also installs the new security locking systems and devices.

A locksmith performs the functions which shall be held in extreme confidentiality. Being trained in the art and the science of providing the access to their belongings and responding to emergency situations, they help people in different situations by providing their expert unlocking services. They are also trained in the installation of the different types of locks and locking systems for various establishments, be it residential, commercial or industrial.

Locksmith in emergency situations

There might be times when their services are required by the people in emergency situations or when they are in a state of distress. There might be a child who has locked himself up in almirah or cabinet, or there might be an outbreak of fire in the place which could have jammed the electronic access device. There might also be a situation where the people are struck up in a lift/elevator.

The services of locksmiths would be required by the home owners, the police, the ambulance services, the fire department, the management of different establishments and other departments. Some of the organizations even employ them permanently for reason of their frequent requirement for different works.

A professional locksmith, trained in meeting the emergency situations, is able to provide the right solution much faster than the others. They understand the need of the hour and are able to quickly come to a decision on what step needs to be taken. Their role is not confined to their work alone. In distress situations, they shall also be able to comfort the panicky people. The focus has to be on the work at that time and verbal comforts shall be given while going about their job. Good locksmiths are extremely good at fast and appropriate response and that is why they have an edge over their competitors.

Locksmiths for installation works

The services of the locksmith are used generally for unlocking, re-keying or breaking the locks to gain access but the profession can also include the installation of security devices in different establishments. These could be the ordinary lock and keys systems or the complex electronic and computerised access control devices. These can also be the installation of the biometric, smart chip based and other types of devices or the CCTVs and video cameras with different functions. These installation experts go about their works in extremely efficient way.

These installations works are required in the areas where there are construction projects coming up. These upcoming regions of new development activity and the existing ones with high density of buildings provide the maximum scope for the locksmith operations. Therefore, the new entrants to this occupation usually prefer to set up shop in these areas.

There is no doubt that the locksmiths provide vital service and their role becomes even more important in emergency situations. By virtue of the nature of their work, they are required to maintain ethics of highest standards. They are required to be people of unimpeachable integrity and character. Add to it their customer service orientation and the dexterity of their works, and the success is not far behind.

Precautions a locksmith shall take while going about doing his work

There is plenty of readable material on the internet about the precautions to be taken while calling the locksmiths. But, how will the locksmith ascertain that the person who called him is actually the user or the owner of the asset?

If you were to search the internet for the tips and advices on how to find the right locksmiths company, there would be a thousand web pages dedicated to the same. There would also be considerable resources telling you what all precautions you shall take while calling the locksmith and supervising his or her operations. You might be advised to check the credentials of the person and also his license. All these resources presume that the genuine people only call up the lock operators and the problem is likely to emerge only at the front of the lock operators.

But, why is it that the locksmith only is at the centre of all these tips and advices. Why it is not presumed that the person who made the call could be having mala-fide intentions? What if the person who called is not the owner of the car, or of the any other asset for which he needs the access? This could be a very serious problem since the locksmith would be held responsible if anything goes wrong. The situation that the caller is a mala-fide person is less likely to emerge. But, it is a distinct possibility. This situation is more likely to arise at places where there is no one around to monitor or to ascertain the identity of the person as the user or the owner of a particular asset.

So, what all precautions shall a locksmith take while going about his work? Here are listed some of these:

1. On arrival to the site, the locksmith shall seek the verification of the fact that the person is the owner of the asset. He can even take some time to enquire about the same from the neighbours of the person.
2. If there are no neighbours, like when he is required to provide the services on a highway for a key having got locked inside, then the locksmith shall check the driving license of the person. He can even ask in whose name the car is registered. This can be cross verified from the papers of the car after opening the lock of the car.
3. To keep a record of the person whom he met while on the call, it would be good if he can manage to do some video recording of the person and the asset (especially number plate) or even take a few snaps of the same. This is very much possible since the mobiles have these functions inbuilt. IF any mishap happens later on, these can serve as a proof of his innocence and even help the law enforcement agencies to nab the culprit.
4. When it comes to opening the locks of a safe vault where some high value items might have been kept, the locksmith shall first check the purchase papers of the safe vault and cross check the name written thereon with the identity proof of the person.

This might look like the locksmith is being more of a detective but, these precautions are a necessary part of ensuring that there is no problem.

Scale of the locksmith operations

A locksmith is a person who opens up the locked doors, cabinets and other entry points and some of them might also be installing the new lock and key systems, traditional or modern. The careers of locksmiths can either take the way of the apprenticeship training or he/she can get themselves enrolled in a recognized and popular training institute. After the course, they can either get employment in the various industries which require their help, like the security companies or they can even set up their own businesses.

The locksmith business can be operated at various levels. The scale of operations of this business can be determined by considering various factors. Some of these factors are:

1. Own interest and management capabilities: Some who would prefer operating in only some parts of the country. Some others might be operating countrywide. All this depends on how keenly you follow the expansion plans and your ability to administer the operations on a wide scale.
2. Demand assessment: There might not be any primary or secondary data available on how much these operations are in demand. The assessment of the demand has to be derived from indirect sources of information, like the extent of commercial and residential activity taking place, the number of automobiles in a particular region, etc. The information of these is available from a number of sources.
3. Requirements due to nature of business: The locksmith services are not required very frequently by the people. Therefore, to make a reasonable beginning, the business might be required to be operated at a bigger scale. Some might opt for diversified activities like the residential, commercial, automotive and others. Some others might be going for bigger geographical operations at the national or the regional levels. So, it would not be surprising for you to find multi-location locksmiths services being provided by many big companies. There are also internet based companies which provide multi-location services.
4. Availability of the lock operators: For a single-handed locksmith operation, the non-existence of the locksmiths in a particular area could be a good omen but for the internet based services this may not be a good prospect in that area.      Licensed lock operators might also not be there or these may not be verifiable.

The diversification of functions and area of operations is dependant on the considerations, some of which are mentioned above. Some might prefer to go in for adding more services to their offerings whereas some might prefer staying with some specialised service but would launching these on national scale. Determining the scale of operations is a very important business decision and this depends on the assessment of the demand and supply functions of the market and your own resource assessment. This resource assessment also includes the human resource, the finances and your managerial capability among others.

In the locksmiths business, it is important to imbibe confidence in people and develop the reliability of your services, so efforts shall be directed towards meeting that end.