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The locksmith trade: the good, the bad and the ugly

Thinking of becoming a locksmith? Many people ask me about my profession when I arrive at a workplace. The thought of working with the public, working with hand tools, making a quick buck from closing calls, and of course the power and ability to open doors, cars, and safes is pretty intoxicating for some people. I don’t run help wanted ads, but I do, however, average one unsolicited resume per month via email. It usually comes from an anxious teen looking to do an apprenticeship. OJT (on the job training) is a good way to go if you can get the job. That is precisely how I started. That and reading all the trade magazines I could get my hands on, endless hours of researching the web, taking classes, going to trade shows, and talking to any locksmith who would take the time to chat with me (and many would, as long as I wasn’t one of your competitors). But that’s how it is for most blocking athletes. Once you start working as a locksmith, it gets under your skin. It consumes you and becomes an obsession. That’s not exactly a bad thing after all; being (God willing) financially successful in what you enjoy is a great way to pay the bills. However, there is a price to pay that does not fit the lifestyle of most people and therefore the purpose of this article.

The Good: Helping out the public and earning a few bucks while you’re at it. First of all, I rarely charge to unlock a car or a house when there is a child locked inside. When I get the call, usually from a panicked parent who says his child is locked in a car, I run to the scene. There are few better moments for me as a locksmith than seeing the relief in a mother’s eyes when I open the door and she pulls her child out of a stifling car on a hot summer day. “You are my HERO,” she says as she hugs her son with tears in her eyes. “No charge, ma’am. We don’t charge for kids locked in cars. If you’d like, for a small fee, I can make a copy of your car door key so it’s less likely to happen again.” They almost always say yes, and the payment of the key is usually accompanied by a tip. The “extra offer” is simply to cover my gas out on the call, and the tip, if any, buys me lunch.

The rest of my jobs are typically for-profit jobs. Still, more than half of what I collect goes back to the company in the form of gasoline, insurance, advertising, trade organization, license fees, vehicle maintenance, tools, supplies, and other expenses.

As a locksmith you will never get rich, but if you play your cards right you could retire well. The plan, as I read in a popular business magazine, is to sell a well-established store with a long list of customer accounts, while owning and collecting rent for the property on which the store is located. It’s even better if you own an entire complex and also collect rent from your store’s neighbors. I personally know a retired locksmith who did exactly this and understand that he is doing quite well.

Many locksmiths make and sell tools and/or reference books, or teach classes (like me) to supplement their income.

The bad: being on call 24/7. Service after hours and on weekends can account for a large part, if not most, of your income in the beginning. Then there are the night calls. 2am, half drunk and can’t find his car keys: “I’m sorry sir, I can’t help you drive your car tonight, but if you call me in the morning I’ll be happy to help.”

The locksmith industry is a highly (but necessarily) regulated security industry. The licenses, insurance, and bonds you need to carry can cost a small fortune. I have a city business license, a state locksmith license, a state locksmith and security contractor license, two insurance policies (general liability and commercial vehicle insurance), two different bonds, and am a member of two major organizations national commercials. In California, you must be fingerprinted and pass state and federal background tests. I am also a member of a few local organizations including the Chico Chamber of Commerce and the North Valley Property Owners Association.

The cost of running a business like this can be overwhelming and there is always another tool that needs to be purchased, another software upgrade or parts/tools that need to be ordered. I am currently saving for a high security key machine that retails for $5,800.

Let’s not forget the paperwork. You will need to maintain legal forms for clients to fill out and detailed records of who, what, where and when. The last thing you want to do is make keys to a car or house for someone who has no authority to possess a key to that property.

Lastly, buy yourself a nice shirt and tie because you will most likely find yourself in a court of law before too long for, among other things, domestic disputes.

The ugly: evictions, repossessions (REOs) and re-keys after a domestic dispute. There are few things as humble in this profession as writing a bill for after-hours service and handing new keys to someone with a new black eye. I vividly recall a woman standing by a hole in the drywall where her head was forcibly inserted just hours before. Local bailiffs know me because it’s not uncommon to do security checks and rekeying while they’re still there, filling out their report.

Can you say fleas? Yeah, I keep flea powder in the truck now because you never know what condition a recently foreclosed house will be in.

Angry former tenants who have been kicked out can also put up a challenge. Sometimes the locks are disabled or destroyed, and I keep latex gloves in the truck in case I ever have to pick another lock that’s been wet on.

The bottom line: I’m pretty happy being a locksmith, most of the time. The salary, the freedom of the job (I can leave my hours open if my kids have a school event), and the satisfaction of helping people while making a profit for myself keeps me going.

My advice to you:

1. Do your research before entering the market as a locksmith. My city has too many locksmiths per capita. There is hardly enough work to go around most of the time.

2. Get with another locksmith and be willing to move, as you may have to sign a “no-compete” agreement that says you won’t stop being your boss’s competitor. Locksmith schools are fine, but an experienced locksmith can show you a few tricks of the trade that can help you make bigger profits or get jobs done better and faster than the basic skills taught in most schools.

3. Be willing to pay your fair share. It will take many years to build a customer base and a name of your own. A wise locksmith once told me that it takes at least three years before they (customers) know you’re there, and seven before they realize you’re gone.

4. When starting out on your own, get an easy-to-recognize logo and put it on everything: your truck, bills, handout pens, and any other advertising pieces (see our logo below).

5. CYA Document everything and have professionally prepared, pre-printed legal forms for your clients to complete.

6. Don’t get too carried away. If you have other obligations, such as a spouse and/or children, be sure to make time for them. It’s hard to turn off the phone or reject calls because you’re rejecting money, but you can’t make up lost days.

A former employer of mine occasionally tells the story of how he made $2,000 in one weekend dispatching calls to his on-call locksmith while boating on Lake Shasta with his wife. It was a rare vacation weekend for them, and he spent much of the day on the phone. She died of cancer two short years later, and then she told me that she would give anything to get it back that day. I know this story personally as I was the clerk on call that weekend.

To quote Uncle Ben (from Spider-Man the Movie): “With great power comes great responsibility.” The ability to unlock doors, bypass alarm systems, unlock safes and insider knowledge of customers’ security systems has been the bane of unscrupulous locksmiths. In short, if you can’t handle temptation, don’t go into business.

Finally: Never take advantage of someone. As Grandpa always said, it can take a lifetime to build a good reputation, but only a moment to ruin it.

Good luck in whatever you decide, unless of course you’re planning on opening a locksmith shop in my service area.

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