Are you wondering who to call when you get locked out of your home or car? Unfortunately, most people don’t think about finding a locksmith or developing a professional relationship with a locksmith before they need their services. This can make it harder to find someone to unlock your doors, rekey your locks or change your locks when the time comes. In this article, we’ll cover how to find a locksmith before you need one and are in a panic because you’re late to work or for an event.

1. Look at Local Locksmiths in Your Area

To start your search, it’s always best to look at local locksmiths like this auto locksmith near me. These are simply locksmiths that are in your local area and could be locally owned, corporate-owned or family-owned. This will provide you with the best option if you need a locksmith at your home. However, if you commute fairly far away, it may be best to also look at locksmiths near the area where you work or at a midpoint between your work and home. This will provide you with an initial list of locksmiths.

2. Consider Family-Owned Over Corporate

Once you have your initial list, look to see which locksmiths are family or locally-owned and which are corporate-owned. Family-owned businesses typically offer better services and fewer hard rules that make negotiating services and prices impossible. Plus, you’ll be supporting family-owned small businesses in your area.

3. Look at the Locksmith’s Specialties

Different locksmiths may specialize in different areas. For example, one locksmith may be very good at rekeying locks or hand-cutting keys. Different locksmiths may also work differently. Some may prefer to have an actual physical location, while another may be a mobile locksmith with a dedicated truck or fleet of trucks, depending on the size of their operation. When looking for a locksmith that meets your needs, pay attention to their highlighted areas of expertise and whether they are mobile or at an actual store location, which could limit their service area.

4. Make Sure the Locksmith Is Certified and Licensed

Always check to make sure that your preferred locksmith is certified by the ALOA, which sets standards and professional conduct in the locksmithing and building security professions.

5. Visit Their Website and Call

Always visit the locksmith’s website prior to hiring them. The website should list all of the locksmith’s services, their service area and their professional specialties, as well as their phone number. Next, you’ll want to call the locksmiths to ensure that they perform the services you need. Speaking with them over the phone can also give you a good idea of their professional attitudes and how helpful they are. Also, don’t forget to ask questions, like how long it takes them to get to a location to perform an emergency job, like if you locked your keys out of your car, and the average costs of their services. The latter will tell you how much you need to save for potential lock problems or keep free on your credit card.

6. Read Information at the BBB

Next, read the locksmith’s page on the BBB website. Do they have any outstanding claims? Are there a lot of unresolved complaints? What’s their BBB score? You can also look up any reviews on google for the business to help you determine if the company is one you wish to do business with now and in the future.

7. Choose Your Locksmith

Lastly, choose your locksmith and enter their information into your phone. This way, if you do end up locked out of your home, business or car, you’ll be able to easily call the locksmith to request services.

8. Pay Attention to the Interaction with Your Locksmith

Even after researching everything about your preferred lockmith, you may still have missed some red flags. The locksmith you call should show up in a marked, company vehicle, not their personal vehicle or a random unmarked truck or van. The locksmith should ask if you own the property and can provide proof of ownership or your ID prior to unlocking the building or vehicle. Failure to ask these questions and to make sure the door is being opened for the right person is a red flag. If you encounter any of these scenarios, you can and should terminate the agreement for unlocking services and find another locksmith, even if it’s inconvenient.

By taking the time to find a locksmith before you need their services, you are helping to ensure that you choose the right locksmith for your needs rather than choosing the first locksmith you see on your phone because you’re in a panic and need to get into your home, business or vehicle right away.