There’s a reason why the locksmith industry is worth an estimated $3 billion. There’s no worse feeling at the end of a long day than getting locked out of your car or house. As such, we rely on professionals like locksmiths to get back home as soon as possible.
However, it’s important to remember that locksmith services can be expensive. This is especially true if it’s late at night. As such, there are three important factors that you need to consider before calling a locksmith.
That way, you’re sure that you’ve exhausted all of your options before you call them. In this article, we’ll go over these factors. We’ll also give you some tips on finding a locksmith that you can trust. Let’s get started!
1. Can You Get Into the Car or House Yourself?
Before you call a locksmith you should make sure that you’ve tried all other possible entry methods. This might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how often a locksmith shows up only to find that one of the other doors is completely unlocked.
This is a nightmare because you just spend possibly hours waiting and now you need to pay the locksmith for driving out. So, it’s worth it to be sure that you can’t get in before calling. And don’t just try the door.
If you’re trying to get into your house, then also check all of the windows. It might not be very graceful, but climbing in through a window is much more preferable to waiting for a locksmith.
Or, if you have a car, then you might want to try opening it yourself. Some lock mechanisms are fairly easy to open using a coat hanger. Just be careful when you try this. If you aren’t careful, then it’s easy to damage your car. As such, we only recommend this for individuals with older vehicles.
2. If It’s Late, Then Can It Wait Until the Next Day?
One factor that affects the price of your locksmith is the time of day when you’re calling them. It will cost a lot more to get into a car or house in the dead of night than it will during traditional business hours.
If it’s an emergency, then you should call the locksmith right away regardless of what the hour is. However, let’s say you lock your keys in the car at the bar. It might be more practical to Uber home, or get a friend to pick you up.
Then, you can come back the next day with a locksmith at a more reasonable hour. This will save you a lot of money in the late-night fees that locksmiths will usually tack on.
Plus, you aren’t waiting for an hour or more in the dark, which can be dangerous. If you have no other options, then you can ignore this factor. But, it’s still worth considering before you call the locksmith.
3. Do You Have AAA Emergency Services?
Many people are unaware that locksmiths often come with emergency service plans. As such, if you’re signed up for these services, like AAA, then you can contact a AAA unlock car to come and help you.
There’s no cost to you because the price is included in your plan. Plus, these individuals often arrive more quickly. Not everyone has an emergency roadside service.
However, if you do, then you should check and see whether or not locksmithing is included with the service. That way, you don’t need to spend unnecessary money.
How to Make Sure You Find a Dependable Locksmith
As we mentioned before, there are a lot of unreliable locksmiths out there. These individuals often prey on the vulnerable situation that people are in to charge exorbitant prices.
So, how can you make sure that you find a reliable locksmith that you can trust? Simple by following the advice in this section.
Check Their Reviews
Before you call anyone, see what other customer experiences have been like. Online reviews are a good place to start. You can’t expect all of the reviews to be perfect. However, tons of negative ones should be viewed as a clear red flag.
If the majority of people had a bad experience, then how can you expect yours to be any different?
Ask About Price
You should be careful around locksmiths that refuse to give you a price estimate over the phone. This is often a strategy that’s used to take advantage of people. They’ll wait until they’re in person before giving you an outrageously high price.
Then, if you don’t accept it, they’ll charge you an expensive service fee for driving out there. As such, make sure that the person is as transparent as possible over the phone. Otherwise, they might be trying this tactic.
Experience
The last thing that you want is an inexperienced locksmith coming to you. When this happens you can spend hours waiting for them to get into your house or car. As such, you should make sure that they’re good at what they do.
Time is generally the best indicator of this. How long have they been in the locksmith industry? If it’s more than a decade, then that’s a good indicator that you can trust their experience level.
Want More Content? Keep Reading
We hope this article helped you learn about the three factors everyone should consider before calling a locksmith. Sometimes, there are situations that only a locksmith can fix.
However, as long as you follow the advice on this list, then you won’t break the bank when you need their services. Heck, you might not even need their help at all if you can get in yourself.
As such, make sure that you go through it before calling them. Did you enjoy this article? If the answer is yes, then you’re in the right place. Keep exploring to find more content that you’re sure to love.