Choosing an emergency locksmith

Finding yourself locked out is not a situation you can always prepare for. We at Pick me locksmith Ltd answer more calls to a failed lock or UPVC mechanism than we do to keys being lost or left in the house, therefore a supportive neighbour or close family member may not always be the solution.

So, before you launch an attack on the small side window or send the smallest person up a nearby drain pipe in a precarious attempt to gain entry through a slightly open upstairs window, you decide to call a locksmith.

What do you need to consider when calling a locksmith? Choosing the right locksmith will affect three things:

1. Time
2. Cost
3. What you’re left with after.

Time will be a major factor as you don’t plan to get locked out, so you will have somewhere to be. To ensure you get the quickest response you should consider location and size. A national company will use a call centre, so you could be speaking to an unqualified person who has little understanding of the local area. After your initial call you will have to wait while they will call around the locksmiths on their books to get someone out to you.  If you call a local locksmith however, you will generally speak to the locksmith who is going to come out, this means you will have an accurate understanding of the progress towards getting you back in. As a small business’ reputation is vital, you can be sure they will be very customer focused.

Cost is also key as we cannot be expected to budget for the unexpected. You will want to avoid paying a premium for a national company who will quite often subcontract to a local company who would be cheaper if you called them direct. You still don’t want the guy off ‘rogue traders’ tipping up who only takes cash! Local Trusted Trader schemes offer an opportunity for customers to get some background information on the tradesman they intend to hire. Method of payments accepted also helps demonstrate how established and serious a small business is. The last thing you need if you’re already inconvenienced by a lockout is having to dash to the nearest cash machine once you get back in.

When locked out your main focus is on dealing with the task in hand, but you can end up with a lock that needs replacing unnecessarily or a repair not completed. I attend a good number of jobs where the previous tradesman advised they have done all that is possible, but the door still catches or the lock is still a bit stiff where a small amount of adjustment is all that’s required.

Going direct to a researched local locksmith will connect you directly to the quickest and best solution, meaning you will be catching up on the recent political drama with a cup of tea in no time!