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Tips to hire a good locksmith

Locksmith BirminghamIn a town the size of Birmingham, AL you can find hundreds of locksmiths. They are literally everywhere you look. You can find locksmith shops online, on billboards, in the yellow pages, on windshield flyers, even on business cards stuck on coffee shop bulletin boards. With so many options to choose from, how do you know which one(s) to hire? Is your choice really that important? Aren’t all locksmiths pretty much the same?

The answer may surprise you, but there ARE differences and qualities that you need to be aware of. Think about it; a locksmith is someone that is working to help secure your access to home, auto and business properties. If they help you get access, it means that THEY can get access, too! Wouldn’t you want someone trustworthy and skilled for a job like that? Of course you would! A lot of folks are more selective when hiring a gardener or a common handyman than they are when choosing a locksmith. The technician you select needs to be licensed, bonded, insured and fully mobile (at the very least!).

Is licensing important or just prestigious?

It’s actually both. It’s hard to believe, but people sometimes avoid calling a licensed technician in an effort to avoid having to pay more. This kind of thinking is foolish. Would you go to an unlicensed doctor or dentist? Of course not! Here at Birmingham Locksmith we take credentials seriously and so should you! Having a license is more than a just a piece of paper; it is validation that proper training and skill procedures were followed and that accountability to a licensing board is involved. Having proper credentials doesn’t have to mean higher prices, either. Not only are our Birmingham Locksmith technicians affordable, but many other local Birmingham, AL locksmith shops are, as well. If you need something simple like key cutting or door knob changing, call anyone you like, but when it comes to real locksmith tasks like lock replacement or transponder key programming use only real lock professionals and get better quality as well as peace of mind!

Be proactive!

It never hurts to be ready for ANY need. This includes locksmith service, too! If you lock yourself out, or come home to crime damaged locks, having a fully vetted locksmith already logged into your smart phone contacts is good to have. Instead of stressing out over trying to locate a technician and calling to see if they are available, just reach for your mobile device and tap to call! We recommend adding at least two shops or technicians to your smart phone and making sure that your loved ones, roommates or key staff members do the same. If you never need to use them; great! But if you do; they are only a fast phone call away at any time, day or night.

Insist on this one!

Choose a Birmingham, AL shop that offers 24-hour service; that’s important. Locksmith problems don’t keep regular hours; in fact, it seems that they happen when we least expect them and mostly AFTER hours. While ads often claim 24/7 service it’s smart to check and see if they really provide it. You might be locked out of your car late on a weekend night and not feel so safe in whatever neighborhood you are in. Or, your home might have been burglarized on a holiday and your locks were so badly damaged that you need new ones. The last thing you want to deal with now is a late show (or no-show) technician; not when you need one immediately! Our shop uses live response, 24-hour telephone staff to ensure that your call is handled with the utmost speed and attention. Insist on similar personal attention from the locksmith shop you choose to work with.

Check for unresolved issues

Every local business has complaints from customers from time to time; that’s not the problem. It’s the unresolved ones that tell a different story. Look for online reviews on the company you are considering and see how problems were taken care of. Check Better Business Bureau records for problems that were not finalized in a satisfactory way. The locksmith shop in question does NOT have to be a member but it should have few to none unresolved complaints. A pattern that says otherwise should be a red flag.

Insurance and bonding

Insist that the locksmith shop you select is bonded and insured. Go a step beyond just asking if they are covered, and find out for how much. This is a strong indicator that the company is legitimate and has your best interest at heart. It also protects you from shoddy work that one of their locksmiths may do that might cause property damage or even bodily injury. Note the response of the person you speak to. If they give the information willingly and cheerfully that tends to be a good sign. If they don’t know or refuse to answer the question; call someone else! While you are at it; be sure to ask if the company used to operate under other names. This is good to know in case they were previously shut down by local authorities and have now re-opened under a new name. Even if they don’t own up to that, you can still tell a lot by how they answer the question!

Well rounded service

An optimal locksmith shop for you to work with can do more than just make keys or install a peephole. They need to be able to help with residential locksmith services like emergency door unlocking, alarm service and lock replacement. They should also be well versed in automotive lock and key service including trunk opening, keyless entry repair and transponder key programming. Lastly, commercial locksmith service should be available including safe opening, panic bars and keypad devices. Having an “all in one” locksmith shop that is fully certified and available 24/7 is what you should be looking for. Spend the time and effort to find one now and it will pay off in big dividends down the road when you need to use them!

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