Boston Locksmiths, a little weak

[sign216]

I'm putting in a NOS S+G lock into my vintage safe, and need a spline key and dial ring bushing. So...I went to one of Boston's oldest and most established locksmith shops. The old man at the counter wasn't eager to help, didn't recognize the S+G part names, and said "email us and we'll answer later on if we have it."

What? I said I'll get my tablet and show him a pic of the parts. Seeing the pictures, he immediately recognized the parts, but said he didn't have "safe parts." End of story. Didn't want to order it, had no interest in my needs.

I feel like their level of service was sub-standard. Small businesses complain about losing out to internet companies, but if you won't help the customer standing in front of you then he'll go to the internet.

Am I unreasonable?
Joe

[bitbuster]

Doesn't seem right that he didn't know the S&G parts names or even want to help. Heck, Squelchtone just may know of the 'old man' at the counter.

[sign216]

I just got the impression that I was "a bother." It was a sizable operation, but with a tiny counter for in-person customers.
Seemed set up more for the profitable on-the-road calls, rather than people showing up for parts and such. Sadly, perhaps this is the future (albeit limited) of locksmithing.

[Squelchtone]

Which actual shop did you walk into, there is no Boston Locksmiths as far as I know..

The place to go would be Boston Lock and Safe in Brighton, unless this is the shop you are saying you went to. was it a brick warehouse with a long thin showroom?

https://goo.gl/maps/nWsdg6JmuFp
30 Lincoln St, Brighton, MA 02135

Oldest locksmith in America, but they probably will give you the cold shoulder as they will be suspicious of any do it yourselfer asking for safe parts. Their mentality is that you'd better hire a pro, than buy your own parts, botch it up, and then call them for help anyway. They don't realize that there are hard core hobbyists who can actually handle the work without getting into trouble.

They do warm up when they get to know you after a couple visits, but that trade still seems to have this old guild mentality and this veil they hide their secrets behind. It took me about 5 to 10 visits to the locksmith on Moody Street in Waltham before they didnt think I was a burglar fishing for info on locks.

my 2 cents
Squelchtone

[Squelchtone]

Commonwealth Lock Wholesale Locksmith Supply at Porter Square in Somerville is also good, but you may have to establish an account or social engineer them to sell to you just this once pretty please.


https://goo.gl/maps/dNxsGzeE11G2
Mass Ave, Somerville

Squelchtone

[demux]

Sadly, perhaps this is the future (albeit limited) of locksmithing.

Probably not. Like any other industry that involves service, there are and always will be good and bad shops, and even good and bad employees at individual shops (maybe the guy in your post was just having an off day, or had something else on his mind). Time in business does not guarantee placement into either category.

There are still a lot of competent, quality locksmiths out there. As I've said in previous posts, part of what you get when doing business with such people is the knowledge and experience they have, which is often quite esoteric and difficult for most people to acquire. If you need help finding such a locksmith in your area, you could always try asking here.

[Squelchtone]

one thing to remember when walking into a shop..

Not every locksmith is a safeman, and not every safeman is a locksmith. It could very well be that old man river didnt know what you needed and he may call those parts by entirely different names he learned over the years.

But I think we've all come home from a locksmith shop disappointed in their lack of excitement or zest to help someone out. I don't know if it is because they are a suspicious bunch, or just burned out because this is just a day job for them.

Squelchtone

[demux]

...but that trade still seems to have this old guild mentality and this veil they hide their secrets behind. It took me about 5 to 10 visits to the locksmith on Moody Street in Waltham before they didnt think I was a burglar fishing for info on locks.

Also a good point, and one I've experienced myself as well and totally agree the industry needs to get past. But OP should remember that just because some are this way, not all are, and you do have the option to vote with your wallet. If I walk into a shop and they give me the stink eye when I ask for something other than a copy of an SC1 key, I'll just take my money and go elsewhere.

[sign216]

I don't want to "out" a shop on the internet. Let's just say it was on Germania St.

I wasn't asking for the deep dark secrets of the trade, i.e.; the weak points, or attack points of a safe.
Just wanted to buy some simple, standard lock parts.

It actually seemed that the business was not set up for walk in customers. They had a counter, but didn't really expect people to show up.
Joe

[Squelchtone]

I don't want to "out" a shop on the internet. Let's just say it was on Germania St.

I wasn't asking for the deep dark secrets of the trade, i.e.; the weak points, or attack points of a safe.
Just wanted to buy some simple, standard lock parts.

It actually seemed that the business was not set up for walk in customers. They had a counter, but didn't really expect people to show up.
Joe

just to clarify, a typical locksmith shop would seldom have a customer walking in asking to buy a spline key. may not be an unusual request for you but to a shop that just makes copies of Schlage keys and Honda car keys all day long that kind of part request would be unusual and they probably wont stock it if they dont do regular safe work.

[sign216]

I don't want to "out" a shop on the internet. Let's just say it was on Germania St.

I wasn't asking for the deep dark secrets of the trade, i.e.; the weak points, or attack points of a safe.
Just wanted to buy some simple, standard lock parts.

It actually seemed that the business was not set up for walk in customers. They had a counter, but didn't really expect people to show up.
Joe

just to clarify, a typical locksmith shop would seldom have a customer walking in asking to buy a spline key. may not be an unusual request for you but to a shop that just makes copies of Schlage keys and Honda car keys all day long that kind of part request would be unusual and they probably wont stock it if they dont do regular safe work.

The representative immediately recognized the part (spline key) but he also said he didn't have it. It might be unusual to have someone ask for it, but I also think that any shop of many years experience would have some on hand. How do you work on safes without it?
Perhaps they keep some, but it's not something they have to sell on a retail basis.

Still, I think they should have offered to order it for me. I've got identification and am a legitimate purchaser. Otherwise, I'll go to the internet, and continue to make the local store redundant.

[billdeserthills]

I'm putting in a NOS S+G lock into my vintage safe, and need a spline key and dial ring bushing. So...I went to one of Boston's oldest and most established locksmith shops. The old man at the counter wasn't eager to help, didn't recognize the S+G part names, and said "email us and we'll answer later on if we have it."

What? I said I'll get my tablet and show him a pic of the parts. Seeing the pictures, he immediately recognized the parts, but said he didn't have "safe parts." End of story. Didn't want to order it, had no interest in my needs.

I feel like their level of service was sub-standard. Small businesses complain about losing out to internet companies, but if you won't help the customer standing in front of you then he'll go to the internet.

Am I unreasonable?
Joe

I like to let my walk in clients know that I don't sell supplies--you see I make my living installing those parts.
I would have sent you packing, or invited you to pay me for my time to install those parts for you

A locksmith's storefront is not your invitation to demand anybody sell you anything, in fact I have a little sign
hanging in my shop that notes that I have the right to refuse service to anyone

What makes you think anyone can even order you 1 spline key?
I buy mine by the 10 pack

[cledry]

Ordering those parts individually is a PITA. You have shipping costs because it doesn't meet minimum order etc. I will gladly sell a small part like that but you might not like the price, and you would need to wait a day for a service truck to return to the shop. For a sale of $5 it isn't worth the aggravation. Our on road safe techs carry those parts which are used as part of a job where they are earning $95 per job minimum plus a trip charge, there a $5 part makes sense. In the shop we only carry those parts to stock the service vehicles. We stock dials with dial ring for sale (includes spline key), and we sell the locks (includes screws), and we sell a complete lock and dial. Those items actually have a bit of markup and are worth selling.

If their shop is anything like ours, they need to turn a lot of sales to pay for the shop, they are probably answering a 100 or more calls a day, dealing with e-mail requests for work. I know every potential walk in is a potential repeat customer and I always try to be nice but if you walk in and the owner waits on you it might be different. I have had a hobbyist (I assume) come in and ask to buy 10 number 3 Schlage bottom pins! The sale isn't worth the time, so I gave him 10 Lab universal pins. He said no, I said Schlage pins. So I told him that I only sell bags of Schlage pins and it would be a couple of days. He then got snotty and said you don't have real Schlage pins? So I reached under the counter, lifted up a Schlage pin kit, opened it, his eyes lit up at the sight of all those shiny original nickel silver Schlage pins. After he stared for a minute, I shut the lid, put it back under the counter. He left with no pins and parted that I have lost him as a customer! Oh well, at least I won't have him aggravating me again.

I had one guy this week walk in with an old Master combination padlock. He said can you provide the code for me from the number on the back. I replied, yes, it is $5. He said that the padlock isn't worth much more even when new. So I pointed to the wall display where they were hanging so he could choose another one. He said he didn't want to spend money he just wanted to use the one he had. Wanted to know why it was $5. I told him I have to pay for a subscription to the codes online and that it therefor costs each time I use it. He then said well in the old days the locksmith he went to before he died just had a book and would look up the code for free. So my boss overheard the conversation and chimed in, well go to the old locksmith then.

[Squelchtone]

I had one guy this week walk in with an old Master combination padlock. He said can you provide the code for me from the number on the back. I replied, yes, it is $5. He said that the padlock isn't worth much more even when new. So I pointed to the wall display where they were hanging so he could choose another one. He said he didn't want to spend money he just wanted to use the one he had. Wanted to know why it was $5. I told him I have to pay for a subscription to the codes online and that it therefor costs each time I use it. He then said well in the old days the locksmith he went to before he died just had a book and would look up the code for free. So my boss overheard the conversation and chimed in, well go to the old locksmith then.

Excellent story! should have told him that you also use his old locksmith and he gives you the codes for free, but the long distance call to heaven is $5 dollars a minute.

[sign216]

So it depends on the business model.

Locksmiths sell a service, and the lock+parts are incidental to providing the service.
Hardware stores sell locks+parts, but tips they give you are incidental to selling the locks/parts.

Fair enough.