Time + Money Versus Locksmith Skill

[Gordy]

Sometimes I know that a busy schedule and workload make the easy option of swapping locks when punters have lost their keys more viable. However, as a trading locksmith, I am finding more and more work recommendations are coming because I use my knowledge to pick the lock and make new keys.
Many of my customers have been told by other so called locksmiths they will have to replace a lock when all they have done is lost the keys, why?
Are people forgetting that locksmithing is a skill we train for or is the pound sign a bigger factor.
Personally I charge the same whether I change the lock or do a new key. The time and cost to me factors are the pretty much the same dependant on lock of course. However the satisfaction of doing a job like this are far better and the punter feels like he is getting good value for money, hence more work my way.
Just wondered what you guys thought? After all any handyman can change a lock nut it takes skill to fix one.

[NickBristol]

I find quite a lot of lost-key customers prefer a new lock because they feel unsafe that their house key is 'out there' somewhere and they have no control over who has it. If they've lost the keys along with any ID then you'd be a fool not to get new locks.

Just because the keys are lost doesn't automatically give a Locksmith carte blanche to not open the lock non-destructively. It does make a difference to reputation and personal satisfaction in the job to be as NDE as possible.

Making a key from scratch is very satisfying professional skill.

[Eyes_Only]

A lot of customers express concern over that but we usually just tell them that if someone wants to get into your car they can and will one way or another. Plus most cars are transponder now so not much of a chance they can open and start the car to take off with.

[toomush2drink]

I too make keys to locks, it makes sense finacially due to thelongterm repeat business. if they are worried about someone having their keys i swap the levers about before making a key.

[hillel]

do you guys make keays for the lock, or pick the lock, take it apart and then re-key it to a new key? today i did that to a guy that lost his garage key. He told me another place he called told him the lock had to be changed. right.

[lockey1963]

sadly a sign of the times where skills are being diluted in the name of quick profit.

im not knocking hobby guys saying this, but its a sad state of affairs when more passion, more skill and more pride exists amongst the hobby and sport communities than in the trade, surely it should be the other way around ?

The difference, to the sport or hobby picker it is a passion an interest and becomes a way of life, why has the trade lost these ethics ?

I think i would rather have any of the hobby sport pickers here open my door than call the majority of so called trading guys in my area, with the exception of a few, more skill and knowledge exists here than in many trading lockies.

[Eyes_Only]

You know what? From what I've seen so far in the locksmith industry I agree with what you said completely.

[HeadHunterCEO]

sadly a sign of the times where skills are being diluted in the name of quick profit.

im not knocking hobby guys saying this, but its a sad state of affairs when more passion, more skill and more pride exists amongst the hobby and sport communities than in the trade, surely it should be the other way around ?

The difference, to the sport or hobby picker it is a passion an interest and becomes a way of life, why has the trade lost these ethics ?

I think i would rather have any of the hobby sport pickers here open my door than call the majority of so called trading guys in my area, with the exception of a few, more skill and knowledge exists here than in many trading lockies.

I agree

[Varjeal]

One of the main issues I've seen is a paradigm (sp?) shift in owners thinking.

Many companies in my province have stopped calling their employees "locksmiths" and started calling them "security technicians" or just "technicians". Seems meaningless, but if you think so, your being fooled.

A "locksmith" is generally trained in thinking to figure out how to repair somethinig, while a technician evaluates quickly "cost vs time" and does whatever is most profitable and is the fastest.

Just yesterday I was called to a local fast food eatery. They were having trouble with a Schlage double-cylinder deadbolt and their key was stuck in it. They had, of course, tried forcing the key slightly but stopped short of breaking it.

The original company that had installed the lock had charged something along the lines of over $200 for the lock and installed, and they were complaining that the lock would need to be changed.

I arrived to take the lock off the door, saw that as I suspected the cap on the back of the cylinder had skipped a cog and that the tail piece on the back of the cylinder had bent and twisted, jamming the lock. I replaced the tail piece, tighted the cylinder cap and reinstalled the lock. $80 later the manager said to me in passing "I didn't know locks could actually be fixed. Thought when they stopped working right you just threw 'em away and put another one on."

.....and THAT is why people buy locks at hardware stores and discount shops.

[Bump]

I just mention guarantee!

The customer will expect a repinned/repaired lock to have the same integrity as when it came out of the package, sometimes years ago, and won't hesitate to call you back if and when it starts to play up.

I too re-lever/re-pin locks but make it quite clear that there is no parts guarantee. Faced with the fact that the difference in price is often marginal they would usually rather have a new unit than a reconditioned one.

It's great to have pride in your skills but I think its being harsh to say that the professional Locksmith is more interested in money. In the days when labour was cheap and material expensive, the repair philosophy was sound but today its often the same difference to replace than re-condition. A simple business case!

A call back cost money!

[Squelchtone]

sadly a sign of the times where skills are being diluted in the name of quick profit.

im not knocking hobby guys saying this, but its a sad state of affairs when more passion, more skill and more pride exists amongst the hobby and sport communities than in the trade, surely it should be the other way around ?

The difference, to the sport or hobby picker it is a passion an interest and becomes a way of life, why has the trade lost these ethics ?

I think i would rather have any of the hobby sport pickers here open my door than call the majority of so called trading guys in my area, with the exception of a few, more skill and knowledge exists here than in many trading lockies.

Best post I've read on lp101 in a long time.

I'm in that warm fuzzy grey area of hobbyist, turning into a legit locksmith, and the handful of jobs I have done of changing out locks or aligning doors, etc, I can tell the people who worked on those door and locks before me, were either not locksmiths (ie. handy man, meintenance workers, etc), or not locksmiths who cared very much about workmanship and quality.

I take pride in a lock I fit properly where the deadbolt and strike plate align so nicely, that the deadbolt doesn't rub the strike plate, but at the same time someone trying to rattle the door, gets the smallest amount of play possible.

cheers,

Squelchtone