Locksmith businesses are all over your area. Wherever you go, you would always see a locksmith advertising themselves either as the best or the cheapest in the industry. You know what they do, but you never had the chance to hire one in the past. Some friends told you about their experiences with locksmiths – on how they were able to perform their services, charge for different fees and provide different kinds of warranties – and this made you curious. You think that in times of vehicle lockouts and key duplication needs, you would need their professional services. But do you know what to expect once you hire one? Do you know what you’re getting yourself into when you work with a locksmith? To give you an idea, listed below are some of the pros and cons of a locksmith.
When you work with a locksmith, you can experience the following:
- Superior experience, knowledge, and training: Working with an accredited and licensed locksmith means you’ll be working with experts. These documents prove that they have received enough education and training to work as locksmiths, and the state allowed them to do so. Regardless if you want help with your car keys stuck in the ignition or you want to duplicate worn out house keys, they can do the job with efficacy and finesse.
- Convenient and round the clock service: Most of the locksmiths nowadays have a 24/7 service. This means that even if you want their help on a Sunday night, they’ll be there right away. With the convenience they can give you, they can solve your problems within a limited time and ensure that you’re able to get back to your daily routines. You won’t need to wait for the week to start before you can call them.
- Professional advice: Aside from the services you pay for, you would always want to gain knowledge of how simple problems can be avoided. For instance, determining which types of locks or door handles to use can play a significant role in ensuring the safety of your home and everyone living in it. This is something which a locksmith can also give you. They will recommend you products appropriate for your needs and give their two cents on when the best time is to change the locks on your home and vehicle.
With the number of benefits a locksmith can give you, working with one might seem very appealing. However, to set your expectations, you should also be prepared for some of the setbacks involved. Here are some of the cons of a locksmith:
1. Additional cost: Reading marketing slogans which indicate that a certain locksmith is the “cheapest” choice is no longer uncommon. This is something which you can see anywhere especially if the competition is fierce among locksmith businesses. This can be a very tempting deal to dive into, but most of the time, cheap prices are synonymous with low-quality products, compromised service, and illegal business. When you end up working with a locksmith who is too cheap, you might be paying more to redo their jobs. This is the reason why whenever hiring a locksmith, the price shouldn’t be the only deciding factor.
2. Security and safety: When you want to replace all of the locks and doorknobs inside your home immediately, expect that you’ll be hiring more than one person to do the job. The locksmith business might have their own employees or outsource workers to help them out. And since you’ll be allowing different people to go in and out of your house, there’s always a possibility that your security and safety might be compromised. These workers might steal your valuables and even harm you and your family. These situations do happen, and as a homeowner, you should be very keen on who you work with. You want your security problems to be solved, not make them worse.
3. Misleading price estimates: Before hiring any service provider, asking them about their price estimates is a requirement. This is an excellent way of preparing yourself for expenses you might have in the future. However, some locksmiths will provide you with a particular estimate during your initial contact but will overprice you after they performed the service. And since you desperately need their help in times of emergency, you have no choice but to pay the price upfront.
Watch Your Steps
There’s nothing really wrong with hiring professional help especially when the situation calls for it. In fact, this is a wiser decision compared to fixing everything on your own. You don’t want your problems to multiply, right? And while there are several pros and cons of a locksmith, there are many precautions you can do so you’ll end up getting only positive results. You can scout for options, inquire about their services and rates, and assess how they can help you in your problems. You should always be careful in deciding which locksmith to hire to avoid experiencing any cons along the way.
John Kelly
John Kelly is a home improvement enthusiast whose contribution pieces to Top Lock NY reflects his love for his craft. As a writer, John believes he has a responsibility to make sure his pieces remain interesting and entertaining to read, and as such tries his best to add creative and unique twists to them. He has a thing for cooking, which he practices during his free time.
