Do you wonder how burglars enter a locked home? According to the State of Safety survey, break-ins are the most common property crime concern in the US.
Many criminals who want to break into houses know how much time it may take for someone who lives there to answer the door if they knock or ring the doorbell. Most people think that somebody would answer immediately after ringing the doorbell. But criminals can easily catch somebody at home off guard by knocking on their door rather than using the doorbell, which might make them call the police.
Some burglars will ring the doorbell to see if anyone answers. Once someone answers, they rush in or pretend to have an emergency to get inside the home. The criminal may not even reveal what they are actually doing. For instance, they may claim that their child is choking and needs help rather than stealing something from within the house.
Tips in Choosing A Locksmith Company
The technological world has brought about a lot of inventions that made our lives easier. One such invention is smart locks that are now being used by many homes because they offer excellent facilities and features. While keys can only operate traditional locks, these modern locks can be handled from your phone without any difficulty.
In order to ensure peace of mind and security at your property, it’s important to select a reputable commercial or residential locksmith company near you. Remember that it’s always best to work with a company with 24/7 locksmith services.
Here are four tips in choosing an efficient locksmith service provider:
1. Insured
Before hiring any locksmith company, it is important to double-check whether they have insurance. A company should possess a state license and general liability insurance. This proves that they are serious in handling all projects with utmost care and following the best practices.
As a property owner, you want to ensure that your home, business, and belongings are secure. You can do this by hiring a locksmith with insurance.
So, what type of insurance coverage should you look for?
The most usual type of coverage is general liability, which can help protect you from accidents or injuries that may arise while at work. This coverage often includes protection from claims made by customers for faulty service and/or damages to property caused during a service call.
Other forms of insurance a professional locksmith should carry include:
- Worker’s Compensation. The protection provided to employees for on-the-job injuries or illnesses.
- Employer’s Liability. This covers business owners from lawsuits filed by non-employees.
- Auto Insurance. Provides protection if an employee gets into an accident while working for your company. In addition to carrying the proper insurance, a locksmith should be bonded. This means they have agreed to protect you against any losses resulting from their work.
2. With Track Record And Good Customer Feedback
One of the best ways to identify a reputable locksmith service provider is customer feedback. You should always opt for a company with positive reviews from other customers on their website or third-party websites like Google, Facebook, etc. So before hiring any company, ask them for references so you can contact the previous clients of your prospective locksmiths and hear what they have to say about their services.
3. Certified And Licensed
A good locksmith company will have the necessary documentation to prove their skills and abilities in efficiently handling all kinds of projects. The company should possess licenses, proof of insurance, and other essential documents available with them readily, if you ask.
Everyone wants a job done well, but not everyone knows how to do it themselves. This question comes up often when someone wants to see if they can hire an unlicensed locksmith to complete a task correctly. It makes sense that somebody might want to hire someone else with experience in this trade instead of trying themselves – after all, it’s much easier and faster just to pay somebody else for their knowledge and skill rather than learning everything from scratch yourself.
However, hiring somebody who doesn’t have any training could end badly, leaving you worse off than before you called them.
Locksmiths need licenses not only because they might pick the wrong lock or make it easy for somebody else to break in. But also because their liability insurance will be invalid if they’re not properly trained. There’s no accountability with an unlicensed locksmith, your safety is at risk, and nobody will be held responsible.
4. Quality Of Workmanship
Quality of workmanship is something that should be at the forefront of your mind when hiring a locksmith. It is important to establish whether the person you hire has invested time, energy, and money into their career. If they have not, why would you want to hire them?
Although most locksmith companies offer almost similar services, some usually deliver exceptional quality service at affordable rates. To identify such a company, always check out their previous projects on their website or third-party websites. You can also look up the reviews by the customers who interacted with them in the past to find out what they think about their services.
Keep In Mind
Most people do not realize that there are two types of locksmith services companies. One knows what they’re doing, and the other tries to sell you something so that they can make money off of you. The difference lies in their level of professionalism and practice.
If a locksmith does not own the locksmith shop you are visiting, then there is no need to worry about these skills, as they were probably purchased as part of an “all-inclusive” package. But it does not also mean that it will be any less sweet than those who have invested in equipment
themselves.
You would like to look for a car, business, or home locksmiths who make their own tools. You can recognize these guys by the quality of their products. There will be no real variance in color or finish, but any changes are purely for comfort and ergonomics, not aesthetics. They will use the same materials over and over again because it works.
You may also want to check their equipment. Do they have standard drills, wire cutters, etc.? Or is everything custom made? This may be difficult to tell for most people, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Instead, you can use this opportunity to learn about how they work on locks and if they are passionate about what they do for a living.