Just a short post to wish you all a merry Christmas. :-)
For those working the Christmas period as emergency locksmiths dudley I'm sure you will have plenty of emergency calls to keep you busy with the usual drunks losing keys and the festive domestics.
I shall be taking a week off to relax and reflect on my plans for 2017, I have a lot of ideas and not enough time to implement it all hehe.
I would be interested in hearing your locksmithing new years resolutions, I think mine will be to brush up on the lock cylinder picking which has slipped over the last year, with the increase in higher security locks cylinders out there now it's going to be a useful skill to have honed in 2017.
Thanks for reading, sharing and liking our pages.
Cheers.
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Sunday, 18 December 2016
Monday, 29 February 2016
Locksmith Directories | Locksmith Blog
There are so many locksmith directories out there now that it's difficult to know which ones are worth adding your locksmith business to.
Well the answer is simple really: As many free listings as you can.
If a site is insisting you pay to list your locksmith business the general rule of thumb would suggest that it's not worth investing in. If they are really as great as the claim then they would surely offer a free trial to prove so.
There are a couple of directories aimed at promoting the small local locksmiths that I would recommend that are entirely free. They do offer a paid feature but it's not mandatory like most of the paid locksmith directories.
Firstly: http://www.locksmith-directory.org.uk is the original 'No nationals' directory that are lot of people are now trying to re-create. This directory ranks no.1 for the term locksmith directory so is a good way to be found online for customers searching for a directory. All entries are vetted and checked so there are no national and spam firms listed here.
Second one worth mentioning is http://www.doors-repaired.co.uk a similar directory built on the back of a locksmiths site that lists all genuine local door repair firms in the UK. Again the same No National locksmiths ethics apply.
A lot of the magazine publications are also creating online local locksmith directories that you may want to add to, just be warned that they will cold call you and try to get you to subscribe to the magazines in return (which we all get free anyway).
Then there are also a lot of seo and web companies with similar themed locksmith directories all looking for paid entries and making a lot of promises. In my experience these are best avoided if giving the hard sell on the phone. This includes Yell.com and Thomson local who both offer free listings but will pester you to death with cold calls afterwards.
Well the answer is simple really: As many free listings as you can.
If a site is insisting you pay to list your locksmith business the general rule of thumb would suggest that it's not worth investing in. If they are really as great as the claim then they would surely offer a free trial to prove so.
There are a couple of directories aimed at promoting the small local locksmiths that I would recommend that are entirely free. They do offer a paid feature but it's not mandatory like most of the paid locksmith directories.
Firstly: http://www.locksmith-directory.org.uk is the original 'No nationals' directory that are lot of people are now trying to re-create. This directory ranks no.1 for the term locksmith directory so is a good way to be found online for customers searching for a directory. All entries are vetted and checked so there are no national and spam firms listed here.
Second one worth mentioning is http://www.doors-repaired.co.uk a similar directory built on the back of a locksmiths site that lists all genuine local door repair firms in the UK. Again the same No National locksmiths ethics apply.
A lot of the magazine publications are also creating online local locksmith directories that you may want to add to, just be warned that they will cold call you and try to get you to subscribe to the magazines in return (which we all get free anyway).
Then there are also a lot of seo and web companies with similar themed locksmith directories all looking for paid entries and making a lot of promises. In my experience these are best avoided if giving the hard sell on the phone. This includes Yell.com and Thomson local who both offer free listings but will pester you to death with cold calls afterwards.
Tuesday, 2 February 2016
I'm Back | Locksmith Blog
Locksmith Blog Return
Locksmiths Blog | Local Locksmiths | Door Repairs
I have been away fro quite some time now, it has been pretty busy in the locksmithing world and I have had plenty of work to be getting on with so I kind of neglected to update the locksmith blog.I have also been working on a lot of other sites providing SEO for locksmiths across the country which turned out to be quite time consuming.
Hopefully I will be updating the locksmith blog shortly with some fresh content, new locksmith secrets and latest product reviews.
In the meantime if you are struggling to get your locksmith fix you can check out Rick the locksmith.
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Rogue Customers - Locksmith Blog
Rogue traders get plenty of exposure in the news and on television however it seems the rogue customers are free to cause as much trouble as possible without any kind of exposure.
Working as a self employed locksmith brings me into contact with rogue customers on a regular basis.
One of my more recent 'customers' was locked out.
Naturally as a 24 hour locksmith I dropped everything and drove the ten mile to the home of the customer who lived in an apartment block.
Now upon arrival there are several apartment blocks in this particular street and hard to distinguish in the pitch black so i call to ask for further directions only to be told "oh it doesn't matter now we managed to get in...." (Insert cursing words here)
I know the sure fire way to avoid this kind of scenario is to take card payment up front, but firstly you need the equipment to do so and I think it may put off some customers.
You could demand payment for your time and have a good old argument about it however being a small self employed locksmith leaves you vulnerable to hoax calls and further trouble so i find its best to bite your lip and move on.
Then there are the customers that want to haggle after the work is complete.
This usually happens on those jobs you have already quoted at a reduced price for friends of friends or on particularly quiet weeks.
I am all for haggling beforehand, its natural for a customer to try and get the best deal, in any trade not just locksmiths.Then there are customers that fall into the down right criminal category, usually larger companies that think they don't have to pay the small guy and will fight to the last straw to avoid parting with a penny.
A recent post on a locksmith forum shows the trouble and financial problems a large customer can cause. Fortunately for this chap he had his day in court and won!
I know a locksmith in Walsall that was recently swindled by a squatter claiming to live at a property.They had all relevant ID and utility bills linking them to the property so access was gained and locks changed.
A few weeks later the cheque bounced and the customer upon further investigation through the letting agent turned out to be a serial fraudster named Tina Patel.
So i guess my main gripe is that the spotlight is always on the tradesmen, when in fact there are far more 'rogues' and crooked customers out there waiting to rip off the next self employed guy that doesn't have the bottle or time to defend himself and I think its about time Domonic Littlewood and all his cronies start to fight for the victims on the other side of the coin for once instead of tarnishing good reputations.
Working as a self employed locksmith brings me into contact with rogue customers on a regular basis.
One of my more recent 'customers' was locked out.
Naturally as a 24 hour locksmith I dropped everything and drove the ten mile to the home of the customer who lived in an apartment block.
Now upon arrival there are several apartment blocks in this particular street and hard to distinguish in the pitch black so i call to ask for further directions only to be told "oh it doesn't matter now we managed to get in...." (Insert cursing words here)
I know the sure fire way to avoid this kind of scenario is to take card payment up front, but firstly you need the equipment to do so and I think it may put off some customers.
You could demand payment for your time and have a good old argument about it however being a small self employed locksmith leaves you vulnerable to hoax calls and further trouble so i find its best to bite your lip and move on.
Then there are the customers that want to haggle after the work is complete.
This usually happens on those jobs you have already quoted at a reduced price for friends of friends or on particularly quiet weeks.
I am all for haggling beforehand, its natural for a customer to try and get the best deal, in any trade not just locksmiths.Then there are customers that fall into the down right criminal category, usually larger companies that think they don't have to pay the small guy and will fight to the last straw to avoid parting with a penny.
A recent post on a locksmith forum shows the trouble and financial problems a large customer can cause. Fortunately for this chap he had his day in court and won!
I know a locksmith in Walsall that was recently swindled by a squatter claiming to live at a property.They had all relevant ID and utility bills linking them to the property so access was gained and locks changed.
A few weeks later the cheque bounced and the customer upon further investigation through the letting agent turned out to be a serial fraudster named Tina Patel.
So i guess my main gripe is that the spotlight is always on the tradesmen, when in fact there are far more 'rogues' and crooked customers out there waiting to rip off the next self employed guy that doesn't have the bottle or time to defend himself and I think its about time Domonic Littlewood and all his cronies start to fight for the victims on the other side of the coin for once instead of tarnishing good reputations.
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