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10 Crucial Points to Consider Before Hiring a Locksmith For Lock Repair

Posted by on May 23, 2016

10 Crucial Points to Consider Before Hiring a Locksmith For Lock Repair

Losing your car key or the key to your house can be very heartbreaking and stressing. More often than not, a person in such circumstances is left with the option of looking for a reliable locksmith. Below, therefore, are ten crucial points you need to consider before you solicit the services of a lock technician:

1. Find out if the locksmith is licensed and insured

Inquire if the technician has a clean license from accredited license bodies. You cannot afford to entrust your lock replacement to an unregistered locksmith. Taking precaution will guard you against rogue locksmiths who may be out to make a fortune from where they did not sow.
On the other hand, hiring a registered and insured technician is a smart idea as they are probably both legitimate and more qualified.

2. Ask the locksmith to quote their rates

It is vital to understand the rates of their services so that you can budget your finances upfront. This is an important piece of information as some technicians charge a fixed fee while others charge per hour. You should also investigate what their trip fee is so that you prepare yourself. It is advisable to choose a locksmith who charges a fixed rate as hourly rates tend to be expensive.

3. Ask about the warranty period

Reputable locksmiths offer a period of 30 or more days as the warranty period. If they don’t provide this, you are better off not hiring them. By so doing you will avoid incurring additional expenses should unintentional lock issues arise later on.

4. Ask the locksmith if they perform background checks on their employees

The technician you are entrusting with your lock repair and replacement will have undeterred access to your property. For this reason, it is important that your technician, together with their employees, be reliable and trustworthy individuals. All lock technicians should go through this process. Remember, it is of significant importance to keep your employees and property safe. You never know, you could be dealing with ex-convicts or hardcore criminals!

5. Find out the lock technician’s level of expertise

locksmith trainingBefore you tell the locksmith what you require to be done, ask them the jobs they can complete. The answers they provide will help you access if they have the necessary skills and experience for your task. Locksmiths should handle all types of locks, be it keyless or regular locks.
However, tasks like installation, repair and replacement require specialized skills and high levels of professionalism. Knowing your locksmith’s specialty will save you both time and money.

6. Relevant education and certificates

Reputable technicians update themselves from time to time as far as technology and innovation are concerned. With numerous pieces of training come multiple certifications. If a locksmith lacks such certificates, chances are, they don’t attend such workshops, and as such, they are not well-versed with the current trends in the industry.

7. Ask if the locksmith operates locally

Approximately 92% of the locksmiths on the internet are nonexistent. For this reason, investigate if they have a physical address in the area. In case they don’t provide a physical address or confirm their retail location, don’t offer them the job.

8. Professionalism

Every business requires a high level of professionalism. Likewise, a professional locksmith should take their time to give a detailed explanation of how he purposes to do the job. While on it, he should regularly provide updates on the progress.

9. What is the locksmith’s schedule

24-7It is of utmost importance to hire a technician who is reliable and has a flexible schedule. You should hire a professional locksmith who goes out of his way to meet the needs of his clients regardless of the circumstances. Finding a locksmith who has a flexible schedule will ensure your work is done even when you have a tight working schedule.

10. Provision of estimates

A professional technician will give you details of all calculations before getting down on a project. Enquire about this and if he does not provide, don’t hire him because you do not want to be left wobbling in the dark about how much money to set aside for your project.

Considering the above points will ensure you get a professional technician who will offer you value for your money. Consequently, it will not only save you money and time but a headache and heartache as well.

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