It is not uncommon for people to lock themselves out of their apartments, offices, or even vehicles. This probably occurs at least once in a person’s lifetime. One cannot be too careful not to lose a building key or car key. When that happens, it is best to contact a reputable locksmith.
Hiring a Locksmith for Commercial Purpose
Locksmiths handle commercial lockout cases. They provide quick response time to address the situation, thereby reducing production downtime. Business owners who experience lockouts resulting from poor access control systems should consult an experienced locksmith that delivers first-rate repairs. This expert ensures that the business owner maintains business operation by either repairing the faulty lock or providing a new set of keys to access the building or office space. Commercial locksmiths handle the following: master rekey, rekeying, lock installation, access control systems, intercom systems, lockout services, high-security locks, and alarm systems.
Hiring a Locksmith for Residential Purpose
Locksmith services do not only revolve around commercial properties. Homeowners can also hire these services to rekey their apartments or replace their locks. There may be a broken lock in the building, or the property owner may misplace the apartment key. Such situations demand emergency response, mostly when they occur during odd hours. Ideally, a reputable locksmith responds between 15 to 30 minutes and provides immediate services, including lock change, key duplication and new lock installation.
Hiring a Locksmith for Automobile Lockout
Locksmiths also provide lockout solutions for car owners that cannot access their vehicles. They are well-versed in handling all types of car locking problems, including key duplication, ignition key replacement, broken key extraction, car rekeying, trunk opening, and other lockout services.
Areas to Look Out for When Hiring a Locksmith
When looking to hire a locksmith’s services, go for one fully licensed, certified, insured by a professional body to handle all lockout cases. Other factors to consider are:
- Response Time
How fast can a locksmith respond to a lockout case? This deciding factor contributes to selecting an ideal lockout locksmith. As discussed before, the acceptable response time should be at most 30 minutes. The lockout expert should treat emergency lockout cases for what they are – emergencies.
- Safety
Before hiring a locksmith, it is essential to consider security and trust. Homeowners are advised not to leave their homes in the hands of a stranger they do not trust. A reputable locksmith should respect a homeowner’s privacy.
- Efficiency
When resolving a lockout case, it is essential to use a non-destructive approach. A reputable locksmith should not resort to damaging the locked door, breaking glasses, or spoiling the locks to access the building. Such an expert should resolve the problem without destroying the door or locks.
When to Hire a Locksmith
Several situations may require a homeowner to hire a locksmith, ranging from losing one’s keys to having a damaged lock. They include the following:
- Damaged or Broken Key
Keys tend to get damaged when stressed or misapplied. Forcing the key into the wrong lock may cause it to break, which may be more complicated if it happens inside the lock. Extracting this item personally can be challenging or may even result in more complications. Hence, it is best to hire a locksmith to do the job.
- Lost Key
One common situation that occurs around a home or office is losing the building key; this happens to everyone at some points. It helps if there is a spare key around to access the apartment; otherwise, the best option is to contact a nearby locksmith who will attend to the situation in no time.
- Damaged Lock
There is no guarantee that one will not end up with a damaged lock. This outcome mostly stems from forcing the wrong key into the lock system. Burglars may attempt to access a home or office, and in the process, damage the lock. As such, a locksmith will come in handy. Homeowners with damaged locks should replace them immediately as it is easy to access the apartment through this faulty security mechanism.
- Lock Replacement
People tend to forget their lock combination from time to time. One forgotten number or wrongly arranged lock combination can prevent access to one’s apartment. In such situations, a locksmith will resolve the problem by resetting the lock.ecurity. These lockout experts are just a phone call away.
- Spare Key Requirement
One key is not enough to prevent a lockout. It is essential to have spare keys to grant access to one’s apartment or vehicle; this occurs if the individual loses the primary key. It is advised to store both keys safely to prevent such unfortunate events from occurring. A locksmith is readily available to provide the right set of secondary keys.
- Relocation
When relocating to a new apartment, a homeowner will need a new set of locks, as the previous ones may not be trusted. It is essential to get in touch with a locksmith to assess the apartment’s security level and provide the best security system. Who knows? The previous occupants may still have access to the new homeowner’s apartment using the former set of keys. This situation could even lead to burglary. A locksmith can prevent this outcome by changing or adjusting the locks.
On average, a locksmith may charge between $50 and $200, depending on several factors, like distance from the location, the complexity of the problem, availability or demand, type of lock, and time or day.
