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Hiring a professional to work for you is always a good idea and most certainly will produce the best results.
When I was growing up, I mowed lawns on the weekends to earn extra money. The lawn would be cut, edged and all the clean up. It would look okay but you could tell who in the neighborhood used a professional gardener and who didn't. The lawns the gardeners maintained were greener, flower beds weeded and groomed better, leaves raked up, hedges trimmed level, trees pruned; much more detailed than I could ever provide.
Why did the gardener's work look better? The gardeners were professionals. They did this work every day and have the experience, proper tools and education necessary to performed the work correctly and it showed. While you can't always see the difference; hiring the correct trade to get the results you're looking for is critical. You wouldn't hire a auto mechanic to work on your airplane engine or a baker to cook at your backyard BBQ event, or perhaps a plumber to install your lawn sprinklers. These are all similar professions but they couldn't possibly be more different. You definitely would not get the results you were expecting. So it stands to reason, why would you consider hiring someone other than a locksmith to work on your locking hardware. The same hardware that's designed to protect you and your business or family day in and day out.
Two of the most common reasons why you wouldn't use a locksmith is the cost and the perception that locksmithing is typically a pretty simple operation. Let us look at reason number two first. The reality is that anyone with some simple hand tools can take apart just about anything. That's not the hard part! Making the repair, re-assembling, troubleshooting the problem, adjusting and testing the lock is where the knowledge and experience come into play. Let's look at an example of how things can go wrong quickly. Take a problem like a door not latching. If the lock is not latching when the door is closed, the first thing a locksmith will look at are the hinges on the door; yes the hinges. If the screws securing the hinges are loose the door will sag causing the lock latch and the strike cavity to be misaligned. A less experienced person would start attempting to adjust the lock or the strike plate compounding the problem even further. That person would perhaps file down the strike plate trying to compensate for the sagging door (which they are not aware of). The lock will start latching again but over the next few days the problem will return because the hinge screws will continue to loosen and the door sags more.
If this was an exterior door on your business, anyone attempting to gain access to your building need only to push or pull on the door to gain entry. This is a problem you won't know about until the next workday...maybe! Normally this is a simple repair for the experienced locksmith. It goes back to doing the job right the first time. Why take a chance with less qualified people. The lock diagrams below shows the complexities of the locks typically found on commercial buildings. When these locks have a problem, you better know what your doing!
 | | Typical Lever lock - a little simpler than a mortise lock but a mistake here will change how your lock works. |
 | | Mortise lock - all the parts need to work together for the lock to operate correctly. Each manufactures lock is different. |
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This is a rim exit device active pad. This is not only a security device but a safety device as well. Malfunctioning hardware could trap people in a building so it is very important to know what your doing when working on this hardware. The hardware could be fire rated! Making a repair to a fire rated lock that does not meet fire codes will void the fire rating of the lock. A mistake made here can cost a $1,000.00 or more to replace the complete unit.
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As you can see by the examples above commercial locks are not simple devices like you might think they are. The knowledge needed to repair and install these types of locks correctly is not something that should be learned on the job at the moment a lock needs servicing.
Locksmiths are trained to make repairs, take apart and re-assemble locks and to install locks of all types. They work with locks like this every day. We have manuals, specialized tools and jigs, lubricants, original replacement parts and most of all we have the support and training of the lock manufacturers.
The handyman, maintenance man, brother-in-law type people are not the ones that should be working on your locking devices. They will not know how to recognize when a lock has a problem or how to performed good troubleshooting skills necessary to isolate a lock problem. There is a good chance they will exacerbate the problem without realizing it because they lack the experience. Your door locks are your first line of defense against someone attempting to gain access to your building. Your master key system is your second line of defense against employees gaining access to unauthorized or restricted areas within your building. Mistakes made to your locks or master key system may not be realized until after the damage is done. Professional locksmiths have the knowledge and experience to avoid making these mistakes and that keeps you protected. That's why you hire professionals. You can rely on them to perform the work correctly.
And now the second factor; cost. You can expect to pay more for the professional locksmith for the obvious reasons such as their training, permits & licenses, insurances, specialty tools & machines, vehicle maintenance & fuel, and the higher investment in qualified technicians. The non-professional locksmith typically doesn't carry adequate insurance, permits and licenses or have the training to provide the service expected. As the adage goes; 'Buyer beware'.
If your company is constantly needing the services of a locksmith but are using someone other than a professional locksmith, give us a call, we can provide you with special pricing based on your annual usage.
So when it comes to price, weigh the cost against the threat and potential loss of resources, time and product because of a poor repair or service to a lock or master key system. Hiring a locksmith to come to your home to secure a $39.00 bicycle with a chain and padlock is not a good investment. Hiring a locksmith to repair the front door lock on your home or business is a very good investment. Another adage goes, 'You get what you paid for'. That saying never rang more true to me as the day my $29.00 DIY home alarm system failed to report a break at my home while my family was vacationing.... Lesson Learned!
Give us a call at 714 633-1499
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