Q:
Why are locksmiths so expensive?
A:
It really depends on who you are calling.
A national locksmith franchise or call center type operation often appear to be local businesses since they tend to use redirect local landlines to their call center and also display fake locations in their adverts.
National locksmith companies have enormous advertising costs due to the fierce nature of their advertising campaigns, taking up the majority of space in physical telephone directories and the expensive top listing positions in Google Adwords. This has to be made back somewhere and a large portion of the customers bill is made up of this advertising cost.
You will find that these companies sub contract work to the nearest locksmith on their books which could be anywhere up to 50 miles away, these traveling costs bump up your bill enormously. It could also mean you are waiting a ridiculous length of time for your locksmith to arrive.
Solution:
Use local tradesmen!
As a result of the nationals invading the country locksmiths have been labelled expensive emergency services when in fact the majority of real local locksmith business are reasonably priced and offer a fantastic service.
Using a local locksmith business ensures you are getting a quick response and a reliable, trustworthy tradesman who works hard to uphold his good reputation. National locksmith chains are far less likely to honor part guarantees and fix future problems since it is often difficult to send the same 'engineer' out again.
Spotting a genuine local business can be difficult with the misleading adverts put out by national locksmith companies.
If you go straight through to a receptionist wanting to know all your details before issuing a quotation you are more than likely speaking to a call center. A real local locksmith will be more than familiar with the area you tell them.
Always shop around, get a few quotations! The real local ones will be far cheaper than the nationals so never go for the first quote, no matter how desperate you are to get in.
About Turn Locks, Surrey
Sunday, 13 April 2014
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
Locksmith Training Courses | Locksmith Blog
With competition for locksmith and door repairs work increasing on a weekly basis there are more and more locksmiths jumping on the training bandwagon to top up their income.
Just a quick search for locksmith training brings up pages of results varying from large training facilities run by locksmith organisations to random Joes training for peanuts from a garden shed.
Since there is no recognised qualification for locksmithing, a lot of these companies will invent their own certifications to lure in customers seeking to join the profession. Let me first warn anyone reading this that these qualifications are not worth the paper they are written on!
This can make choosing a locksmith training course pretty confusing for a newcomer looking to train so I have decided to point anyone looking in what I believe to be the right direction and offer a little advice.
Firstly, the larger organisations promote exclusiveness and appear to offer good support to their trainees. This usually comes at a hefty price and annual fees and membership are required to maintain this support. Usually access to work and clients is promised, however many of the members I have spoken to suggest this is only the case for the inner circle and main faces of the organisation with little passed on if any to the newer members.
Now the other end of the spectrum; the locksmith on Ebay offering to teach you the basics for a few hundred quid and a 6 pack of beer... As tempting as this may be it is probably best avoided and I would expect only the bare minimum of lock butchery to be taught here with no access to any specialist tools or equipment that would be used by a professional locksmith.
The inbetweeners are usually self employed locksmiths that have established a recognised training school and have their own purpose built facility offering the same level of teaching as the exclusive organisations but without all the frills and unnecessary extras. In my opinion these are usually the best locksmith courses as will offer better value for money and not try to sell a load of side orders that you really don't need to buy into.
I have met a lot of locksmiths in my time in the trade and have been a member of numerous forums and clubs and there has always been one name in locksmith training that has always stood out, offering unrivalled post course support and has an enviable following of loyal friends.
Island Locks - Locksmith Training are in my opinion the course to choose, if only for the incredible support you will receive afterwards via the dedicated online locksmiths forum.
Just a quick search for locksmith training brings up pages of results varying from large training facilities run by locksmith organisations to random Joes training for peanuts from a garden shed.
Since there is no recognised qualification for locksmithing, a lot of these companies will invent their own certifications to lure in customers seeking to join the profession. Let me first warn anyone reading this that these qualifications are not worth the paper they are written on!
This can make choosing a locksmith training course pretty confusing for a newcomer looking to train so I have decided to point anyone looking in what I believe to be the right direction and offer a little advice.
 |
| Safe Lock Opening |
Now the other end of the spectrum; the locksmith on Ebay offering to teach you the basics for a few hundred quid and a 6 pack of beer... As tempting as this may be it is probably best avoided and I would expect only the bare minimum of lock butchery to be taught here with no access to any specialist tools or equipment that would be used by a professional locksmith.
The inbetweeners are usually self employed locksmiths that have established a recognised training school and have their own purpose built facility offering the same level of teaching as the exclusive organisations but without all the frills and unnecessary extras. In my opinion these are usually the best locksmith courses as will offer better value for money and not try to sell a load of side orders that you really don't need to buy into.
I have met a lot of locksmiths in my time in the trade and have been a member of numerous forums and clubs and there has always been one name in locksmith training that has always stood out, offering unrivalled post course support and has an enviable following of loyal friends.
Island Locks - Locksmith Training are in my opinion the course to choose, if only for the incredible support you will receive afterwards via the dedicated online locksmiths forum.
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
uPVC Lock Repair Problems | Locksmith Blog
For an experienced locksmith, uPVC door lock repairs are usually a straightforward swap of a centre case or fitting a replacement mechanism. Every so often there a small complications that can make this job a little trickier and have you scratching your head and puzzled.
I thought I would share a few scenarios with my fellow locksmiths to see if you have had a similar experience. If not you will sure know what to look for when you do encounter it.
Lockmaster/Paddocks Centre Case Replacements
Have you ever swapped the centre case on a Mila-master/Lockmaster/Paddocks mechanism and found that upon lifting the handle the top hook and bolt will only protrude 95% of the way? This makes it impossible to throw the lock by turning the key.
After much head scratching I solved this mystery which has led me to order a complete locking strip in the past.
The followers on these strips connect to the centre case via a 90 degree bend which drops into a slot inside the gearbox. Continual forcing can cause this 90 degree bend to stretch which in turn throws the top hook slightly out of sync.
To repair clamp behind the bend and tap back into a 90 degree angle and refit the centre case.
Fuhr Lockcases Working But Not Opening
So you installed a new Fuhr mechanism and check it all works, however the door is not opening despite the key unlocking and the handles working as normal.
Sometimes the pins in the lock bolt have not been sealed properly and upon throwing the bolt they can slide out of the end, effectively extending the bolt length.
Resist forcing the door open and using a spreader, shuffle them back inside the lock bolt.
Peen over the ends and/or glue the pins in place to make good.
About Turn Locks Epsom
Unjamming Mechs Without Working Handles
When the spindle gear is broken or missing from a upvc door lock you can effectively unlock it with the key but have no real way to retract the bolts and hooks.
If you have access internally you can remove the handles and retract the bolts with an L shaped wire in the hole the gear sits.
When faced with a lock out situation I have found the best method to retract the hooks is to locate the position of the bottom most locking point using a mica card and then spread the door slightly at that point.
Using a bent screwdriver/wire, manually force the bolts or hooks back inside the lock case.
Since it is all connected all of the bolts will retract with it except for the latch piece which is easily popped with mica or a flat steel prising bar.
I thought I would share a few scenarios with my fellow locksmiths to see if you have had a similar experience. If not you will sure know what to look for when you do encounter it.
Lockmaster/Paddocks Centre Case Replacements
Have you ever swapped the centre case on a Mila-master/Lockmaster/Paddocks mechanism and found that upon lifting the handle the top hook and bolt will only protrude 95% of the way? This makes it impossible to throw the lock by turning the key.
After much head scratching I solved this mystery which has led me to order a complete locking strip in the past.
The followers on these strips connect to the centre case via a 90 degree bend which drops into a slot inside the gearbox. Continual forcing can cause this 90 degree bend to stretch which in turn throws the top hook slightly out of sync.
To repair clamp behind the bend and tap back into a 90 degree angle and refit the centre case.
Fuhr Lockcases Working But Not Opening
So you installed a new Fuhr mechanism and check it all works, however the door is not opening despite the key unlocking and the handles working as normal.
Sometimes the pins in the lock bolt have not been sealed properly and upon throwing the bolt they can slide out of the end, effectively extending the bolt length.
Resist forcing the door open and using a spreader, shuffle them back inside the lock bolt.
Peen over the ends and/or glue the pins in place to make good.
About Turn Locks Epsom
Unjamming Mechs Without Working Handles
When the spindle gear is broken or missing from a upvc door lock you can effectively unlock it with the key but have no real way to retract the bolts and hooks.
If you have access internally you can remove the handles and retract the bolts with an L shaped wire in the hole the gear sits.
When faced with a lock out situation I have found the best method to retract the hooks is to locate the position of the bottom most locking point using a mica card and then spread the door slightly at that point.
Using a bent screwdriver/wire, manually force the bolts or hooks back inside the lock case.
Since it is all connected all of the bolts will retract with it except for the latch piece which is easily popped with mica or a flat steel prising bar.
Saturday, 25 January 2014
So, You Call Yourself A Locksmith? | Locksmith Blog
We all refer to ourselves as locksmiths but the definition of the trade has changed considerably since the days of building locks in your garden with huge lumps of machinery.
The term 'locksmith' nowadays has a broader definition.
Of all the locksmiths I currently know the more successful locksmiths generally fall into one of these categories:
1/ The Established Locksmith Shop Owner
These are usually the oldschool locksmiths that have been around longer than most and built a business on reputation and have a good highstreet presence that attract the bulk of their custom.
2/ The Warrant Locksmith / Sub Contractors
The majority of the warrant locksmiths work is on behalf of or for another company under an agreed contract usually in the form of Energy Company runs or for national locksmith chains.
3/ Specialist Locksmiths
As well as general locksmith work these locksmiths specialise in a particular niche area of the trade such as Safe opening and repairs and key programming or Access control and electronic hardware.
4/ Locksmith Trainers
Alongside their own locksmith work, train new locksmiths with basic to advanced skills for training agencies and back to work programmes.
5/ Part Time Locksmiths
As well as their main locksmith work also have a little something on the side generally related to the trade such as tool production, websites and seo services or completely different trades such as plumbing and heating. These locksmiths make up the main bulk of the mobile locksmith community.
--
Of course none of the above are any more successful and the different branches suit different home circumstances and personalities moreso than others.
You will often find members of the oldschool mentality and certain organisations shunning a particular sub section of the locksmith community for selling out or taking away part of their work.
This kind of viewpoint can be intimidating to newcomers and is generally frowned upon by the majority.
Locksmithing has evolved considerably over the years and has grown many more branches than the few I have mentioned and will continue to do so as technology and demand for the services change in the future.
The term 'locksmith' nowadays has a broader definition.
Of all the locksmiths I currently know the more successful locksmiths generally fall into one of these categories:
1/ The Established Locksmith Shop Owner
These are usually the oldschool locksmiths that have been around longer than most and built a business on reputation and have a good highstreet presence that attract the bulk of their custom.
2/ The Warrant Locksmith / Sub Contractors
The majority of the warrant locksmiths work is on behalf of or for another company under an agreed contract usually in the form of Energy Company runs or for national locksmith chains.
3/ Specialist Locksmiths
As well as general locksmith work these locksmiths specialise in a particular niche area of the trade such as Safe opening and repairs and key programming or Access control and electronic hardware.
4/ Locksmith Trainers
Alongside their own locksmith work, train new locksmiths with basic to advanced skills for training agencies and back to work programmes.
5/ Part Time Locksmiths
As well as their main locksmith work also have a little something on the side generally related to the trade such as tool production, websites and seo services or completely different trades such as plumbing and heating. These locksmiths make up the main bulk of the mobile locksmith community.
--
Of course none of the above are any more successful and the different branches suit different home circumstances and personalities moreso than others.
You will often find members of the oldschool mentality and certain organisations shunning a particular sub section of the locksmith community for selling out or taking away part of their work.
This kind of viewpoint can be intimidating to newcomers and is generally frowned upon by the majority.
Locksmithing has evolved considerably over the years and has grown many more branches than the few I have mentioned and will continue to do so as technology and demand for the services change in the future.
Wednesday, 8 January 2014
Locksmith Tips and Tricks | Locksmith Blog
 |
| Broken Multipoint Locks |
Locksmith Tips and Tricks
Back by popular demand once again is five locksmiths tips and tricks.
I have had loads of emails asking when the next locksmith tricks would be added.
So Here you are, Five random tricks that may (or may not) help you out one day.
1> GU Mechanism Failure
The older GU mechanisms are prone to a failure by where the cast gear explodes out the back of the gearbox. (As in the gold mech in the image). If the door is jammed shut all that is required to open it is to apply a reasonable force downwards on the handle. Remember to physically unlock with key first though. A good locksmith will always have a GU on the van, it is one of the most common out there!
2> Cutting Inner Steel Frames
When fitting a different multipoint lock that requires new keeps to be cut you will sometimes encounter an internal metal frame inside that is going to foul the hooks or shoot bolts and prevent the mech locking. I have found the best way to cut this metalwork is to hammer the edge of it with a sharp screwdriver or old chisel, splitting it. Do this at the top and bottom section of the area you need to remove and then fold inwards using a similar technique.
3> Adjusting Flag Hinges
Remove any cover caps and mark around the hinges with a pencil.
Starting with the top hinge wind each a few turns one at a time to pull the top of the door inwards and sometimes the bottom hinge outwards slightly. You will see the direction of the movement using the pencil lines as a guide. Test after each adjustment and fine tune to improve lock meshing.
If in doubt return all hinges back to pencil marks and try again.
4> Locksmith Training
Want to further your locksmith knowledge or learn how to pick locks like an expert?
There's only one man for the job. Jay at Island locks - Locksmith Training
5> Guest Posting Online
Guest posting is now an important part of how we should be advertising as locksmiths. A lot of my customers find me through investigating a problem themselves online and then reading a post I have made about it. Of course all your contact details are in the article and when recognised as an expert I get a call asking me to go and attend and help.
I recently travelled across the country to unlock some Cyberlocks for a company that had read an article of mine online. It was a good earner and well worth the trip!
Rick.
Thanks to Rob at Arvco Locksmiths at for some of that valuable content.
Monday, 23 December 2013
Advertising Your Locksmith Business | Locksmith Blog
In my opinion advertising has become the most vital part of running a successful locksmith business.
The game is constantly changing, particularly online advertising which sees directory companies rise and fall in a matter of months, its hard to decide where to concentrate your time and money for the best return on investment.
Im going to give a quick summary of my experiences with a few different forms of advertising and how much impact they have had on my locksmith work.
Directory Books (Yell, Thomson, BT)
The future has never looked so bleak for the physical paper directories. Both Yell (Hibu) and Thomson Local both struggling to keep their heads above water this year.
Ten years ago the success of your locksmith advert in these directories was proportional to the size of advert you could afford.
Nowadays its hard to get noticed amongst the plague of national companies filling the advertising space with the all important AAAAAAAA prefix to ensure a well placed advert.
I have always kept a basic locksmith advert in the directories just to have a presence and usually break even or make a small profit on the adverts... but nothing to shout about.
This year I have ditched them completely and I don't think it will have any impact upon my success.
My directories go straight to the recycle bin. How about yours?
Online Directories
There are a few more choices with regards to advertising your locksmith business in an online directory.
As well as the two aforementioned companies that run the paper directories there are also Yelp, Locksmith Directory UK, MLA directory, Lactartes and other smaller directories that can all achieve a page one presence on Google in some areas.
The success does vary from area to area and while you are always tempted to pay for a premium locksmith listing on these sites you can have just as much success with a well rounded free advert.
Yell and Thomson supply data to Google places and are currently bending the rules to force false data to the top of the maps listings for their clients, you know those locksmith listings that have a false or vague location!? It works at the minute, but this kind of black hat work will inevitably lead to further demise.
Flyers and Door to Door
I have delivered flyers and business cards in all my local areas in the past advertising door repairs and locksmith services and have had some success with it.
Its hard work but good exercise whilst you aren't physically working on locksmith jobs its worth getting out there, park up your van and post some adverts out.
Most will end up in the bin, that goes without saying but some people do tend to hang on to adverts and I have had some decent work as a result of a physically posted advert.
Word of Mouth
In my opinion this is the big one!
People love to talk. People love it even more when they can recommend someone to help a friend or relative!
Ensuring you offer a great locksmith service is key to building a good reputation. Don't rip anybody off, ensure all your work is as good as you can make it, go that extra mile to put a smile on the face of your customer whether it means having a quick look at other doors/windows in the house or knocking a few quid off if they are genuinely struggling to pay the bill.
Recommendation is the hardest advertisement to acquire, it grows over time but once established can bring in a large proportion of your locksmith work. My friend James has been a locksmith for about 20 years and hardly spends a penny advertising these days.
This is why a lot of the national locksmith employees and franchise investors struggle to establish themselves as they are usually the face behind the extortion that nobody will recommend.
Locksmith Websites
Having your own website built and investing in regular work is often more rewarding than advertising on online directories.
Again, it can take longer to establish this and grows with online endorsements form other websites and forums that may recommend your services.
It also requires you to keep up to date with current online trends and social media and if you haven't already got a Facebook and Twitter fan page set up, you need to get on it NOW!
Advertising your locksmith website often involves chasing the Google carrot as the algorithm evolves but with the increase in smartphone users that will now Google a locksmith in an emergency it has never been so important to have your own online presence.
Rick | Cannock Locksmiths
The game is constantly changing, particularly online advertising which sees directory companies rise and fall in a matter of months, its hard to decide where to concentrate your time and money for the best return on investment.
Im going to give a quick summary of my experiences with a few different forms of advertising and how much impact they have had on my locksmith work.
Directory Books (Yell, Thomson, BT)
The future has never looked so bleak for the physical paper directories. Both Yell (Hibu) and Thomson Local both struggling to keep their heads above water this year.
Ten years ago the success of your locksmith advert in these directories was proportional to the size of advert you could afford.
Nowadays its hard to get noticed amongst the plague of national companies filling the advertising space with the all important AAAAAAAA prefix to ensure a well placed advert.
I have always kept a basic locksmith advert in the directories just to have a presence and usually break even or make a small profit on the adverts... but nothing to shout about.
This year I have ditched them completely and I don't think it will have any impact upon my success.
My directories go straight to the recycle bin. How about yours?
Online Directories
There are a few more choices with regards to advertising your locksmith business in an online directory.
As well as the two aforementioned companies that run the paper directories there are also Yelp, Locksmith Directory UK, MLA directory, Lactartes and other smaller directories that can all achieve a page one presence on Google in some areas.
The success does vary from area to area and while you are always tempted to pay for a premium locksmith listing on these sites you can have just as much success with a well rounded free advert.
Yell and Thomson supply data to Google places and are currently bending the rules to force false data to the top of the maps listings for their clients, you know those locksmith listings that have a false or vague location!? It works at the minute, but this kind of black hat work will inevitably lead to further demise.
Flyers and Door to Door
I have delivered flyers and business cards in all my local areas in the past advertising door repairs and locksmith services and have had some success with it.
Its hard work but good exercise whilst you aren't physically working on locksmith jobs its worth getting out there, park up your van and post some adverts out.
Most will end up in the bin, that goes without saying but some people do tend to hang on to adverts and I have had some decent work as a result of a physically posted advert.
Word of Mouth
In my opinion this is the big one!
People love to talk. People love it even more when they can recommend someone to help a friend or relative!
Ensuring you offer a great locksmith service is key to building a good reputation. Don't rip anybody off, ensure all your work is as good as you can make it, go that extra mile to put a smile on the face of your customer whether it means having a quick look at other doors/windows in the house or knocking a few quid off if they are genuinely struggling to pay the bill.
Recommendation is the hardest advertisement to acquire, it grows over time but once established can bring in a large proportion of your locksmith work. My friend James has been a locksmith for about 20 years and hardly spends a penny advertising these days.
This is why a lot of the national locksmith employees and franchise investors struggle to establish themselves as they are usually the face behind the extortion that nobody will recommend.
Locksmith Websites
Having your own website built and investing in regular work is often more rewarding than advertising on online directories.
Again, it can take longer to establish this and grows with online endorsements form other websites and forums that may recommend your services.
It also requires you to keep up to date with current online trends and social media and if you haven't already got a Facebook and Twitter fan page set up, you need to get on it NOW!
Advertising your locksmith website often involves chasing the Google carrot as the algorithm evolves but with the increase in smartphone users that will now Google a locksmith in an emergency it has never been so important to have your own online presence.
Rick | Cannock Locksmiths
Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Dedicated SEO service for Locksmiths | Locksmith Blog
An SEO company for Locksmiths
This month I thought I would post a review for the company working on my two websites.
Rick who built the sites over a year ago has been working as a locksmith for over five years and also with Websites and Search engine optimisation in the past.
Using various methods which may as well be black magic for all I know and a boost via social media and blogging, the websites have grown to be quite profitable and rank extremely well in the search engine reports for all my key terms, in fact one of which hasn't left top spot since it got up there!
Until recently this was more of a thing he did for fellow friendly locksmiths but has now decided to make it more official by offering his services to the locksmith population.
Ricks passion was born from a hatred of national locksmith chains and franchises polluting the internet that could afford to pay SEO experts large amounts and brute force their adverts to the top of Google pages.
Although Google works hard to prevent spam, particularly in the 'locksmiths' category, there is still a load that slips through
As for the cost of this fabulous SEO service I have found it to be very competitive and a lot cheaper than hiring an established SEO professional that probably wouldn't understand the industry as well anyway.
When compared to a package I took from Yellow Pages/Hibu last year the return on investment is substantially higher than I got with Yell, a massive company by comparison.
So if you are a novice when it comes to building a website or getting it found online I would urge you to contact Rick immediately to discuss your requirements! He is limiting his websites to strictly one locksmith company per geographical location (each site will contain 3 pages/locations).
Its simply an opportunity not to be missed!
SEO for Locksmiths | Websites For Locksmiths
This month I thought I would post a review for the company working on my two websites.
Rick who built the sites over a year ago has been working as a locksmith for over five years and also with Websites and Search engine optimisation in the past.
Using various methods which may as well be black magic for all I know and a boost via social media and blogging, the websites have grown to be quite profitable and rank extremely well in the search engine reports for all my key terms, in fact one of which hasn't left top spot since it got up there!
Until recently this was more of a thing he did for fellow friendly locksmiths but has now decided to make it more official by offering his services to the locksmith population.
Ricks passion was born from a hatred of national locksmith chains and franchises polluting the internet that could afford to pay SEO experts large amounts and brute force their adverts to the top of Google pages.
Although Google works hard to prevent spam, particularly in the 'locksmiths' category, there is still a load that slips through
As for the cost of this fabulous SEO service I have found it to be very competitive and a lot cheaper than hiring an established SEO professional that probably wouldn't understand the industry as well anyway.
When compared to a package I took from Yellow Pages/Hibu last year the return on investment is substantially higher than I got with Yell, a massive company by comparison.
So if you are a novice when it comes to building a website or getting it found online I would urge you to contact Rick immediately to discuss your requirements! He is limiting his websites to strictly one locksmith company per geographical location (each site will contain 3 pages/locations).
Its simply an opportunity not to be missed!
SEO for Locksmiths | Websites For Locksmiths
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