Locked Out?

OK so you find yourself on the outside of your house or car with the keys locked inside. What do you do now? The easy answer is to call Pop-A-Lock, but most people may not of heard of Pop-A-Lock or worse yet they may not have a Pop-A-Lock in their area. So what do you do then?

You have a few ways to find a good and honest Locksmith.

1. Phone book: When using the phone book make sure you call at least three locksmiths so that you can compare price and ETA. There is more to know besides price and ETA because unfortunately both Price and ETA can and will be misrepresented over the phone by some of the less reputable players out there. I can help you determine if you are talking to what I call a scum bag.

2. Google search: A great place to find locksmiths if you have access to the Internet via phone or computer. You should also call up to three locksmith but you can also look for the locksmiths that have a few reviews. Be careful because some of the review were written by the owners or employees and are just not true. Some of the questions I will share with you later will really help to keep you away from the scum bags.

3. 411: This is also good but you can only get one locksmith at a time and if you don't know the name of a good one then it is kinda a crap shoot. The other issue is your phone will be in the locked car or house.

4. Call a friend or relative: This can be your best source especially if they have used someone and they were happy with them.

Here are the questions you need to have answered before you hire a locksmith to open your car or Home.

1. What is your rate and is that a firm price? If they can not tell you a firm price Do NOT Hire Them!!!! The only reason they won't quote you a price is because they want to jack the price up as high as they think they can get from you when they get there. These are the scum bags of our industry.

2. What is the soonest I could expect someone to arrive? If They won't quote you a firm price on the phone then this is a non issue, but most honest locksmiths will give you a realistic time frame. Don't be fooled by the scum bags who tell you 15 minutes. They will tell you what you want to hear so they can rake you over the coals when they get there 60 minutes later.

3. Are your techs uniformed and driving a vehicle that identifies them as representing your company? If the company can not afford uniforms and marked vehicles, how professional is the company? In fact that is a good indication that the person helping you just may be an independent contractor and not really working for that company.

4. Are you accredited with the BBB? If they are not part of the BBB there might be a good reason. They may have had bad reviews or they don't feel it is important enough to have their business identified with a organization that protects consumers.

5. Do you guarantee your work? If they answer with what do you mean or you don't have to worry about that, then I would again tell you to go on to the next Locksmith. Honest Locksmiths will always back their work, in most cases up to two years.

That about does it for this post. Remember one of the most important things to do before you hire a locksmith is to get a firm quote. If they won't give you one then hang up.