Be honest, have you ever Googled ‘emergency locksmith near me’? Even if you didn’t need one in that exact moment, it’s always useful to know there is someone nearby who could help us in our time of need. But before you go dialling the first number you find online, it’s important to do your due diligence first. After all, there is no official legislation governing the locksmithing industry in the UK, so you want to be sure the person you’re calling at 2 am is trustworthy and professional. So, here are a few questions to ask to find out if your locksmith is legit, and can help you when you need it most.
Do You Offer 24-Hour Service?
Emergencies aren’t known for being punctual or sticking to a schedule. In fact, they seem to wait until the most awkward moment to happen! So, a locksmith who only offers their services between 8 and 6 is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. And believe it or not, there are plenty of locksmiths out there who only offer emergency services within set times. You want to find yourself a locksmith who will be available around the clock for emergency callouts. Make sure you ask what their standard operating hours are, and then what their emergency callout policy is.
What Type Of Emergency Can You Handle?
If a company is calling itself an emergency locksmith, it should be able to live up to that name. That means they should be able to fix car and van lock problems, replacer locks after burglaries, let you into your home without damaging the lock itself and get you into your office if the key snaps in the lock.
What’s Your Operating Area?
While Google is very good at recommending geographically relevant search results, it can slip up sometimes. Whether it’s an advert vying for your attention or a company playing silly buggers with their keywords, it’s all too possible to get search results for locksmiths who are outside your area. For example, while visiting Manchester I thought I would do a google and see what other locksmiths were around, and I got results for locksmiths in Birmingham! Ideally, you want a locksmith who can get to you within 30 minutes or less, which is all down to location and response time. So, if you’re in Farnborough, the last thing you want is a locksmith in North London – it’ll take them too long to get to you. So you would want a local Farnborough locksmith instead.
Do You Offer A Warranty And Insurance?
Any locksmith that is confident in their work will offer a warranty on their work, so if you find one who doesn’t, it’s a major red flag. Make sure you ask about the warrant offered on both the products they use and the work they do, so you can get a good idea of the coverage you have.
Speaking of quality and confidence, insurance is a must. We always recommend using an insured locksmith because it means they will be reputable, honest and safe to work with. It also means there is a safety net if anything were to go wrong. Insurance protects both you and the locksmiths so don’t go without it.
What’s Your Rating?
This is less a direct question to ask your locksmith and more of a bit of research for you to do yourself. Before you call any emergency locksmith, you should look up the ratings and reviews they’ve got online. This gives you a good idea of their quality and service levels from actual customers so that you know what to expect. Read some Google reviews, and testimonials on their website and on trade boards like Which?, Trusted Trader or Check A Trade. Choose an emergency locksmith with a solid backing of good reviews, who you would feel comfortable working with.
In the end, you need to make sure you call the best emergency locksmith near you. These are just a few quick questions you can ask to make sure you’re hiring the right company, and will get the best service. At My Locks we are always happy to answer any questions you may have, and to provide as much information as possible on our website. If you want to know more, or have a question we haven’t answered, just get in touch with the team today.