El Mirage Locksmith | Locksmith El Mirage
Call (623) 498-8714
Call us (623) 498-8714
Do you need to find a good locksmith to work with? Are you baffled by the criteria needed to do so? Maybe you’ve heard that lock professionals are expensive or practice shady tactics like quoting one price and demanding another. You might have had a bad experience with a locksmith in the past and dread going through that again. No one blames you – you have to be careful about trusting a stranger with your locks and keys! It can all be so confusing!
You may be wondering what the big deal is? Aren’t all locksmiths pretty much the same? Don’t they learn the same “stuff” and just go by different names? No – not at all! Lock professionals can vary in their experience, craft, and skill just like any other expert or vendor. Keep reading and see what we recommend that you do to find a trustworthy lock expert that you will be happy to work with now and for years to come.
If a so-called lock professional tells you that he is not licensed or that it is not important to be licensed; run! Do NOT use that person. Each municipality has its own rules, background checks and requirements to be truly licensed as a locksmith and while these may vary between locations, they all attest to the legitimacy of the person being certified. Some of the many requirements that licensees have to pass include background clearance, written tests, fingerprinting, fees, written applications, verified references, proof of skill, sheriff’s card, apprenticeship and having a valid photograph on file.
If you think about it, someone having access to your home, business and auto locks and keys needs to be properly vetted! Why wouldn’t someone want to be licensed? They either couldn’t pass the tests, come up with the fees or they flunked the background test! Don’t use them!
If you think about it, how many times have you had a key copied at your local home improvement store or mail center? The person that made it for you was surely not a locksmith! So why get a licensed professional now? Our El Mirage Locksmith techs are booked from people that want more than just a key copy. If that’s all you want; go to your mail center and use the retired guy behind the counter. Your key may or may not work but the job can be done by an amateur. If you need true locksmith service done by experts; hire one! Maybe you need your car’s ignition system replaced. Your company may need vault installed or maybe you want to have high security locks added to your home’s front door. No clerk can do all that!
Another useful tip for finding a good locksmith is to poll your friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers and other close associates. Chances are; they’ve used a local locksmith at some point. Pay attention to their feedback. Were they pleased by the work done by their technician? Was the price reasonable? People love to give opinions and if the technician was good or bad, they will tell you about it! Make note of who is recommended and who you are warned about.
Your locksmith needs to offer emergency service on a round the clock basis. What good is having a great day time locksmith that works only during office hours? Your locks and keys might need service in the middle of the night or during a weekend or even a holiday. Look for a lock professional that will be both available and responsive. You don’t need to be waiting long for help to arrive. We’ve heard stories of people that waited so long for a locksmith that they gave up and called another shop and later had two technicians arrive!
Your locksmith of choice should welcome any questions that you may have about service, prices, hardware or techniques used. An informed customer is a happy (and returning customer) so avoid any technician that doesn’t seem forthcoming.
What good is locksmith skill if the locks, keys and hardware they work with are shoddy and not up to par? The best locksmith shops use hardware from leading national brands that customers know and trust. Please note; these lock brands are not expensive, but they are the very best in the business. They include Master, Kwikset, Sentry, Marlock, Primus, InstaKey, BiLock, Schlage, Baldwin, Medeco, ASSA, Llco, Yale, Falcon, Dexter, Sentex, Abus, Ace, Abloy and others of similar quality. Don’t be afraid to ask about the lock brands used by your potential service technicians; demand quality!
The largest, flashiest ads don’t necessarily mean the best locksmiths. It just means that more was spent on promoting them; nothing more. Rely instead on facts. Are all of the above criteria in place? Do you have good vibes about the shop or the people that work there? Does the shop come recommended by others? A locksmith is a needed and trusted professional and choosing the right ones to work with is all important to your safety, security and well-being.
