Why do you do it?

[Imp]

Reading through the locksmith business forum is kind of depressing. Where most of this forum is helpful and excited at best, and atleast professional at worse, this particular forum only has a handful of positive things. Almost everything is about how it's hard to break into the business, how DE is the norm, or how annoying customers are. I'm starting to think that this is either a venting forum, or this is just a subtle way to control the influx of locksmiths.

So lets try to make a positive post, why do you stay a locksmith or how did you get into the biz?

[Evan]

Reading through the locksmith business forum is kind of depressing. Where most of this forum is helpful and excited at best, and at least professional at worse, this particular forum only has a handful of positive things. Almost everything is about how it's hard to break into the business, how DE is the norm, or how annoying customers are. I'm starting to think that this is either a venting forum, or this is just a subtle way to control the influx of locksmiths.

So lets try to make a positive post, why do you stay a locksmith or how did you get into the biz?

@Imp:

I know this entire website is dedicated to the hobby of lock picking and lock sport enthusiasts and that the whole debate over Destructive Entry and such can be a hot issue but look at it this way -- you are asking why DE is the norm when working with locks becomes a business rather than a hobby...

Hobbyists have the luxury of time... In business time is money...

If you can't pick a lock open in a few minutes of honestly attempting it as a paid locksmith you drill it because time is money and why get bogged down trying to save one lock on one call when you can destroy it, replace it and move on to the next service call...

Also with locks that have been vandalized it is better to destroy and replace so you are not called back on a freebie service call to deal with a failed lock which you were lucky enough to pick open, attempted to clean and put back into service (especially glued locks, you will never get it all out unless you use wicked solvents in a parts cleaning machine which isn't a portable set-up)...

It is tough to get into the business because of the large amount of up-front capital investment in supplies, tools and equipment... The fact that any given area can only support a certain number of locksmiths at any given time (just like if there are too many car dealerships in a given area, the one doing less business will eventually close)... That is it not something you can just jump into, it takes some amount of knowledge and training -- any handyman can re-key house locks, sales associates at hardware stores can cut keys -- a "locksmith" needs to be able to deal with locks on buildings of all types, opening and repairing automotive locks including being able to originate and program keys into a vehicle where none exist and have some working knowledge of safes to know what they can handle (combination changes) versus a lock out they would pass off to the area's established safe man who can open a reluctant container and get it back in service...

It is not that getting into the business is impossible, just that so many different aspects have to perfectly align in one's favor when they desire to get into this line of work:

-- a clean background
-- some technical training
-- the desire to constantly be learning new things
-- financing to buy in on tools, equipment and supplies
-- a geographical area in need of another locksmith

This is why most people getting into the business start off working and training under someone else and why a successful entry to the locksmithing profession often takes quite a while to get off the ground...

~~ Evan

[Imp]

...you are asking why DE is the norm when working with locks becomes a business rather than a hobby...

No I'm not, thats just a trade off of efficiency. I asked why do the locksmiths on this forum stay locksmiths, or how did they get in the business. There are plenty of DE debates on this site, I don't want to make another one...

...It is tough to get into the business because of the large amount of up-front capital investment in supplies, tools and equipment...any given area can only support a certain number of locksmiths at any given time...is it not something you can just jump into, it takes some amount of knowledge and training...just that so many different aspects have to perfectly align in one's favor...

Again, a whole list of reasons its hard to become a locksmith, and not one reason why anyone would actually want to become one. C'mon guys, you can't all do it just for the money, there are better ways to make money. I'm also not going to believe you're all just in it because its a family job. Why do you do it? Thrill and excitement? Is it for the women, becoming a locksmith allows you to unlock the hearts, minds, legs of women? (or men?)

Lets try this again,

So lets try to make a positive post, why do you stay a locksmith or how did you get into the biz?

[Evan]

Lets try this again,

So lets try to make a positive post, why do you stay a locksmith or how did you get into the biz?

@Imp:

Not for nothing man, but people read way too much into being a locksmith... It isn't always because it was the family business... It isn't always because of some mystique or fascination with locks or the profession... Just like every other job out there most people take it and become a locksmith because a position was offered as available by an employer in the trade and they were the one selected out of the pool of applicants...

You could ask the same question of electricians or fire fighters or auto mechanics or soldiers... Sometimes the answer is something special, the sort of stuff of myths and legends, the exciting kind of answer you seem to be looking for... However, most of the time the reality is the boring "because there was a job advert and I applied for it"... If you are looking for an exotic answer like "I do the job to try to get into a woman's pants" I wouldn't hold my breath if I were in your shoes... That sort of thing watcis like asking a fire fighter if s/he took the job because watching a fire burning sexually excites them or someone became an electrician because they really really love light bulbs and one day wanted to light one up in their mouth like Uncle Fester on The Addams Family...

You seemed to think my previous reply was lacking in some way -- no, it wasn't, it was meant to show just how rare of an occurrence it is when someone goes from being in a job having nothing to do with locks at all to being set up in business as a sole proprietor locksmith service by simply deciding that they wanted to do it...

~~ Evan

[camelgd]

Mr. Imp,
Evan is mostly right, in that if you are looking for some mystical reason why locksmiths are drawn into their profession, it just isn't there. Even in my case, I just applied for an apprentice locksmith job, having never done anything like it before. I think it was a couple of months before I realized that I had found the job that I was created to do. But beyond that, and the reason I never considered anything else, was that I finally understood that I was actually helping people through difficult times in their lives. Sometimes it wasn't much more than a hiccup, like keys locked in a car, or just needing a spare key even. But sometimes it was to separate a battered spouse from the batterer, or to allow the processing of an estate to start by opening up a locked safe. There have been jobs working with the police and/or the coroner in order to collect evidence, by securing a scene, or by providing non-force entry to houses, cars, or sometimes storage units. I do make a difference in people's lives, sometimes not for their benefit, if they have done something wrong. But if you have ever had a woman with a badly bruised face give you a hug and say thank you for getting up in the middle of the night and installing a deadbolt and rekeying her locks, you would understand that why I simply couldn't do anything else. No, it is not pride.... in fact, you realize how little you can do to make a difference. It makes me more determined that, when the opportunity arises to help someone, that I do what I do to the best of my ability. Most jobs are just routine, but the people and the problems that they have, are what makes the job a challenging.
I guess to sum up, I always wanted to leave the people and situations in the wake of my life in better shape than they were before I encountered them. It may draw some snickers from some out there in LP101 land, but I have had thirty great years as a professional locksmith, and have not regretted answering that add for one second. A sense of purpose is one of the most satisfying parts of our short time on the big blue marble.
camelgd

[dls]

Well in one way its just a job but in so many other ways its much more than that for me as i spend most of my time on the road.
We could travel 750km in a day around one of the most beautiful places in the world, i have seen practically every town and village in republic of Ireland and a good few up north.
One day you could be on the ring of Kerry and the next on Achill island, you get to meet some of the nicest most laid back people in the world.
One sunday i had a guinness in the highest pub in Ireland and the next day i had one on the lowest, best of all i get paid to see all these places.

I could go on but id start to sound like a bord failte add

[cledry]

I started in the business because I wanted to get out of the hotel/restaurant trade that is the norm for kids here in Orlando. I have never liked certain aspects of the job, the night calls to bad neighbourhoods, the domestic dispute calls, the car opening part of the business. However there are aspects I like, the safe work, master keying, electronic locks and the ability to spend time on the road.

The long and short of it is; it is just a job for me. If I didn't need the money I wouldn't be doing it. I certainly wouldn't be picking locks for a hobby.

[viking84]

Hey all,

The reason I decided to go into the locksmith field is to become my own boss and determine how to run my own company. I've been in the hotel industry since 2007 and my first time In the hotel field I became a hotel night manager within two months. Then after nearly 2 years, I was laid off. Then I went downhill and became stuck in dead-end positions in front desk jobs. I went back to college the month before I was laid off in 2009 to get a business degree from University of Phoenix to build my resume in the hotel field. Sadly that is not the case no more. I then wanted to focus on going into law enforcement. I could not afford my plane ticket to travel for NYPD testing. But I did not pass San Antonio's exam, and basically because I had too much debt (mortgage & student loans) I could was cut from testing with my local city and Dept of Homeland Security. After working in the hotel field, I can see the business aspect of how to run a locksmith business, I just need to build a foundation in experience. That is why I came to this forum to get advice and information from everyone that comments here. I truly do appreciate reading all the responses. Thanks!

JC

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Well since no one has said it to you yet, good luck. Breaking into this industry is the toughest part.