help no work

[globallockytoo]

That's great advice maintenanceguy, however the north east is a far cry from the midwest (and the recent elections prove it). The mentality of the "coasters" vastly differs to the heartland.

Here apartment complexes and high rises categorically refuse to use locksmiths for their service work. They will use their own maintenance crews. I was told by multiple separate complex managers that if their maintenance staff are unable to do simple locksmithing skills, like changing locks or repairing doors etc, they fire them and find replacement staff who will.

The funny thing is that most maintenance people will take their locks and stuff off the doors and go to the locksmiths shop to purchase new parts, but they refuse to employ locksmiths for service work.

Institutions on the other hand, employ locksmiths directly in their own departments, negating the need for market trained technicians. Often these "institutionalized" locksmiths are blinkered maintenance people who often dont know a spanner from a wrench.

The hardware stores refuse to employ locksmiths but instead hire untrained part timers with no field experience because it costs them less. The old saying applies, "if you pay peanuts, expect monkeys".

I wish it were different, but it's not. The mentality in the USA is far different to other countries. I have lived it and worked it. The influence of the USA is starting to spread internationally (in terms of DIY'ers) harming the very trades that people have been able to rely on for all these years.

Most facilities departments are very price driven as opposed to product or quality driven. That's why they install SFIC garbage. It is sold by the factory direct at prices no locksmith could ever hope to offer.

(end rant)

[maintenanceguy]

Please don't take this as anything other than friendly advice. I once "persevered" in a business for four years after It was clear I was not treading water and almost lost my shirt.

If there really is no work available in your chosen field, the market has told you to do something else.

[globallockytoo]

Please don't take this as anything other than friendly advice. I once "persevered" in a business for four years after It was clear I was not treading water and almost lost my shirt.

If there really is no work available in your chosen field, the market has told you to do something else.

You are quite correct! The market is definitely telling me something (to get into automotive).

I have sidestepped auto for the last 3 years because of the unrealistic cost of set up. But i am starting to change my thought patterns and realize that auto will likely lead to the other side of the street. (I get at least 15 calls a week for auto that i pawn off to someone else)

I wish I had a bankroll to finance what I need to do it properly. I am not a corner cutter. I have to have the suitable machinery and inventory prior to getting into it again, because I refuse to be caught short.

[valentin_84]

Hello
My best advice to you is to get a PT job anything till things are straighten out and still do your locksmith after work, nights and weekends as I do.
We all go thrue the same thing.
Good Luck

[lockey1963]

The UK auto market is fast heading the same way as domestic for many , and its fast becomming overpopulated also.

Helped by the dramatic reduction in set up costs to cover the basic bread and butter work , the likes of the chakka bay and miracle a5 machine have dresticly reduced the cut to code machine costs , the supply of clone machines to cover the easier bread and butter work has reduced programming equipment costs and the new lishi 2in1 tools have reduced the skill and knowledge requirement to decode a lock.

so with set up costs falling , more and more are setting up and each trying to undercut the next.

The last 2 years has seen a boom in new starts in auto in the uk , lead by our suppliers , with hickleys now doing training open days and roadshows around the country to the auto trade , garages , enhancement centres and used car dealer , but also painters and decoraters , builders and bakers if interested, it all looks easy money on the examples given of how few cars a week you need to pay for the kit .

sadly most setting up now have missed the boom , and comming in on the back end of an already fast filling market.
profit still exists for much of the high end auto work as ability to cover this does cost ££££ still , but the bread and butter work that allowed you to gain experience and earn a wage that allowed you to invest in the future upgrades and skills required.

face it , in the uk entry work is few and far between as the RAC , AA and greenflag all offer entry free to their members , AA and rac are now actively training all of their roadside assistance guys in entry and equipping them with the tools and training to manage this . AA already have their 1st 10 key vans on the road offering a full auto key service .
Then when it comes to keys , the vast increase in people that now offer full car key and lost key services that include;

The vast majority of cobbler shops
most market and shop based key cutters
alot of the car enhancement centres
more and more auto repair garages
more and more used car dealers
more and more hardware shops
as well as the stream of lockies that want to cross over and new guys sold the dream to get them on a training course.

there still is a demand for much of the high end market , but the bread and butter work is thin on the ground for all , and its getting worse by the day , timpsons shops are also now expanding out into auto transponder keys equipping stores with mvp and ad900 units, and with the AA looking at another 30 key vans , alls looking rosey for the tool and diagnostic equipment and key machine suppliers , but for the vast majority even auto is fast becoming just another minor income stream to add to a number of others to club together to make a living.

as in any market , if theres some money to be made , and if the suppliers will sell to all who will buy , then every one wants a bit of it until it too becomes a very short lived market.

[Rickthepick]

hardly anyone does auto near me, i turn down a few a day, just not brave enough to invest myself

[LOCKS11]

Where are u based Rick???? Im comming back into the lock trade, after living overseas for 4 years. Im finding work very hard to come across. Yes im a newbie again, but there is so so many people doing this work now. Seems they start up thinking they will earn £60.00 per hour, for every hour god sends.... they have been brain washed!!!!. Job are few and far between, Im seriously considering taking a part time job to suplement my locksmith work, until things pick up and my company gets noticed. Im a mechanic by trade, done several locksmith courses over the years, We undertake auto lock repairs and vehicle entry has well as general domestic locksmithing, based in Cleveland, UK.

Regards Jeff Locks11.

[cledry]

We are so crazy busy we are running pretty much flat out 6 days a week. All the guys at our shop are taking work home with them. I don't know what makes our business different except we actively pursue customers and actually have a sales team. This week for example we are taking delivery of over 600 locks, 320 of them being Grade 1 levers, the remainder being exit devices, and mortise locks; all are going out on one job a local church. I reckon many shops would turn down the business because of the cost of simply purchasing the locks and having to wait 90 plus days for your money. We have 6 days to master key these locks and with only 5 locksmiths(one of whom is on vacation) it will be flat out, especially as we have a full schedule of other jobs.

There are shops in the Florida here that are running over 300 calls a week!