Looking for Locksmith ID template

[pickmonger]

Some customers request to see id or that I wear it while I am on the job site.

Does anyone have examples that they could post or even better a template to create an idea?

[Silverado]

Go with a T-shirt that has LOCKSMITH across the back, like the security shirts.

I've not seen anything of the sort. Though keep in mind, I live in a backwoods little village.

[RumballSolutions]

Most of the Locksmithing organisations offer a locksmith ID to members, however it means you have to join an organisation.

Do you have licensing in your locale? Perhaps just display your licence/permit?

[pickmonger]

Unfortunately Ontario does not license or regulate locksmiths.

I am going to keep locking for a locksmith association that I can join and get an id card from.

There are of course the fake id versions sold on many sites but they look terrible.

I will probably go the route of photoshoping an employee id card of some sort.

[cledry]

Our local police department is very friendly with us and use their ID badge machine to make ours for free. ASSA has a free locksmith university and they will send you a nice professional looking ID free of charge.

[billdeserthills]

Unfortunately Ontario does not license or regulate locksmiths.

I am going to keep locking for a locksmith association that I can join and get an id card from.

There are of course the fake id versions sold on many sites but they look terrible.

I will probably go the route of photoshoping an employee id card of some sort.

What I did was to get bonded, then the bond company will send you an I.D. card & a certificate suitable for framing.
I currently have my bond through the NSO, and it is given free with a subscription to their organization. You can also
get bonded through The National Locksmith, Locksmith Ledger and many other places. Having a bond card is much more
of a recognized ID than the million dollar liability insurance policy I also have, both should be required for any professional locksmith
who is working for himself. If you are employed by a company, they should have their own liability policy to cover your actions

[Jacob Morgan]

... million dollar liability insurance policy I also have, both should be required for any professional locksmith
who is working for himself. If you are employed by a company, they should have their own liability policy to cover your actions

Back when I used to contract with vendors for various services for a company I worked at, having a current Certificate of Insurance (COI) on file was required before any of them came on-site. They had to have so much coverage for general liability and workers' comp. Besides protecting one's self from liability, there may be some commercial accounts that one would never get for lack of insurance. Maybe companies would not be too worried if someone was just going to re-key an office door, but certainly they would want one if a whole warehouse was going to be re-keyed or if their work was going to take them into a hard hat area.

Leaving locksmithing aside, if you ever hire tradesmen to work on your house, especially at something potentially hazardous like roofing, it is a real good idea to verify that they are insured. Otherwise, as their "employer" you could be on the hook for any injury they sustain themselves and for any damage they do to third parties. I do not like the overly litigious society we have, but that is how things are.

[Sinifar]

WEAR lettered uniforms. For us this has been the #1 way of identifying our people and me in specific. We wear Dickies uniforms, and have them lettered with our logo and company name on the back / front by a local embroidery firm.

When you walk thru a building without an escort people might try to stop you and ask who you are and what you are doing there. With a full uniform, they look and move on and do not bother you.

So - Hat, both summer and winter type lettering on the front. Shirts, both long and short sleeve - logo on the back and company name on the front with your name on one side of the thing. Jackets and sweats -- company name on back in large script, front in small script and your name someplace on it as well.

If you can, wear boots which can be shined. Nothing says business owner like shined shoes. I wear CAT safety boots with steel toe and reinforced sole so you don't step on nails and get one in the foot. It takes a nice shine and looks grand.

Color? Gray, Black, or dark blue look good for security people. you will find that the plant maintenance people if they wear uniforms wear on of those colors and if you wear the same, people will assume you are with them.

Never go and be a tourist on any site unless you are called out to work. That is a temptation when you can get away with looking like you belong there.

Old uniforms should be destroyed after they wear out as they are you ticket into many places.

just a suggestion -- 2017, our 45th year in business!

Sinifar

[Ralph_Goodman]

I will probably go the route of photoshoping an employee id card of some sort.

Photoshopping will certainly give you the most control over the look and information on the ID. The down side is getting it to look/feel professional.

The issue of the badge's 'feel' can be especially difficult to get right. Laminating can give you mixed results, and ID can seem pretty cheap and fake if it is not thick enough.

I would say the construction of the ID matters more than the design template. Even some very professional IDs look horrible. They can just look fake.

Remember that the idea is to make customers feel at ease, so it is more important to put forth the appearance of professionalism. Those that may be skeptical of your credentials will almost never have the actual knowledge to verify who you are. So more important than an ID, I would say you should just look and act professional, and prove who you are with your extensive knowledge.

A good start is what other people have already mentioned. Branded vehicles that match branded uniforms go a long way to establish credibility with customers.

Talk to them about what is happening with the lock, and always explain the minutiae of what you are doing. You are the right person to be giving them the service, and you can prove that with what you say just as you can with what you wear.

[pappas44]

In Ontario there is the TAOL (The Association of Ontario Locksmiths) if your still looking.