Barriers to picking customers locks?

[Engineer]

I put this question in the business section as I am particularly interested in what professionals can do to pick under less than ideal conditions. This came about after a good posting by savs2k about having a bad day when trying to pick locks.

Sometimes I've resorted to an electric picker when I would have preferred to pick by hand. There is just something about electric pickers that fells just a bit unprofessional to me, although when my hands are so cold that I can't really feel them, I don't seem to have much other choice.

After another call-out, where the customer's "children" were shouting down my ear and asking inane questions all the time, I did find myself wondering if the customer would still pay me if I maced their kids for a bit?

Then there's the time I got an intimiate body cavity search from a rottweiler, oh, and drunk customers... All these increase my stress levels and limit my ability to pick like I should.

I am now practising in my spare time, not on picking more types of locks, but on being able to pick them under bad conditions.

I wondered what others found ruins their ability to pick and what they do to deal with it when they need to pick something?

[savs2k]

besides for my post about picking in the pouring rain then slipping, the only other time i've been in a rush was a friend left the house and was in a differnt city before they realized they left the stove on. Besides that I haven't came across anything that would make me lose focus.

[cheesehead]

picking in the cold is the worst! I don't think there is any easy solution, as gloves ruin your sensitivity almost as much as numb hands. As far as dealing with distractions like drunks, and obnoxious kids - perhaps you could try tuning your stereo to your least favorite music genre, and practice picking in front of the speaker, as you crank the volume to eleven. might help hone the ability to tune out distractions. just a thought

[nostromo]

I know it feels almost like a betrayal to the 'art' if you open a lock by a means other than manual picking, but will working the job tickets quicker by using a picking gun or dynopick let you do one or two more calls a day? If it's consistent, that can add up when it comes to your annual income. Might mean the difference between getting an HPC code machine or not, or a nice vacation, or replacing the truck sooner . . .

The customer doesn't really care how you do it, though one might (very rarely) say something like "I could do that too if I had a picking gun". That's OK. It's all part of the customer service business.

[5thcorps]

I hate it when the people are right there breathing down your neck and watching and waiting just to make comments like, "Oh still not gettin' it huh?" or, "I don't think you'll be able to get it that way." These fools need to be beaten and cut by a rusty hubcap.

[mhole]

If you have somebody who breathes down your neck, politely explain that what you'r doing requires concentration, and you'll get them in far quicker of they don't keep distracting you. Alternatively, go for the BS, but fairly reliable 'It's illegal for me to show you how I do this - the law consider it instructing an individual in burglary techniques, so I'll have to ask you to sit over there/at least 3 metres away/round the corner'.

[mongo]

okay, this was not pickin a lock but... I was a young mechanic in the army a million years ago. It used to feel like the officers would come into the maint shop and see people work, this makes me feel uneasy and nervous. Mainly because they dont know what I am doing and they want a show. I was getting tired of it, sooooo, one day I was changing a blower on 8v 2 stroke Dertoit Diesel. This is a filthy job, your hands become black and will be for days...On this day a group of young Officers being led by their equally young leader, starts asking real dumb questions...I can play..so I dumb it up an play hick from "deliverance" and while I am answering the assinine questions my filthy finger starts to mine for gold in my nose..it took only a few seconds for them to leave...they never did it again...and I might have

*****DISCLAIMER*****

This may not get you repeat business

[dreadlessone]

If you have somebody who breathes down your neck, politely explain that what you'r doing requires concentration, and you'll get them in far quicker of they don't keep distracting you. Alternatively, go for the BS, but fairly reliable 'It's illegal for me to show you how I do this - the law consider it instructing an individual in burglary techniques, so I'll have to ask you to sit over there/at least 3 metres away/round the corner'.

Hahaha I'm going to have to remember that one.

[TheSkyer]

Let me start by saying that I personaly see no shame in using a pick gun. Ofcourse a muanal pick is more satisfying but that's your own ego talking. Never had a customer say "Hey, you used a pickgun, now relock my door and act like a profesional!". If your gonna take 15 minutes to open a lock because the conditions aren't right than set your pride aside and pop it open with a pickgun, the customer just wants the lock open, he doesn't care XD

I like Cheeseheads comment on trying to pick in front of a speaker with crappy music. I tried openening a few locks with "50 cent" pumping out the stereo and I got totaly messed up, took me 10 minutes on a lock I can pop open in less than a minute.

As for the numbed hands, I always cary a pocket hand warmer around (you put a little lighter feul in in it and light it), actualy got it fron my late grandfather. WORKS LIKE A CHARM! Can recogment it to everybody. You could also collect rainwater and let it cool overnight, wet your hands and tools a practice how the rain will effect you.

Anyhow, in less than ideal conditions I usualy just take my pickgun. As for anoying customers, I tell them to stand aside and promise them to answer all question when we got the lock open and I get a free cup of coffee