A day in the life of your friendly neighbourhood locksmith
Just recently I had a call from a gentleman looking to start up as a locksmith in another county. He wasn’t going to be my competition, so I thought I’d take five minutes to answer his questions and give him some advice. Half an hour later, we were still talking and I had only scratched the surface. Being a locksmith in the UK is hard compared to other places.
From what I read of American locksmiths, their locks are pretty easy to pick but they are pretty standard, so locksmiths tend to re-key locks rather than replace the whole thing. That means they are used to dealing with the same locks day in, day out. Re-keying is where you take out the old pins, put new ones in, using a different configuration and cut keys to match. Across as much of Europe as I have been, the locks are usually euro cylinders, the type we see most commonly in UPVC doors. These are everywhere, and again, pretty easy to get through if you know what you are doing and have the correct tools.
But here is the UK, you never know what sort of lock you are going to find. Nightlatches (Yale locks), mortice (Chubb) locks in 2, 3, 5 or even 7 lever varieties, Rim locks mounted on to one side of the door with a long key, wooden doors, metal doors, composite doors, hollow doors, upvc doors and on and on and on. UPVC doors have in excess of 37 mechanism manufacturers, all whom produce multiple designs with multiple sizes of those designs. To be prepared for any situation, I would need to go to every job in an articulated lorry! If you ever think of going into this business, you must be prepared to learn a lot on the job. Even now, I am coming across things I have never seen before in over 13 years on the job.
So what is my day like? Unlike city locksmiths, being one of the few Norfolk locksmiths, my area is huge. Norfolk has quite a sparse population well spread out and with a notion that we are a ‘safe’ county. That means I can drive for up to an hour to reach my jobs. Admittedly, I do try to keep local, but right now, there is a massive shift in holiday let fire regs and I am racing across the North Norfolk coast fitting thumb turn locks for all those that need keyless escapes. That means from my base, I travel all the way to Hunstanton in one direction and as far as Happisburgh in the other. I will go further, but this is my main focus.
So, Monday means getting to the first job for 9. Mondays are always busy so this will be booked from last week. By the time I finish the first job, I’ve been interrupted by two more bookings and two or more advice calls. With something unexpected happening at the first job (customer not there because they decided to walk the dog and leave me waiting for half an hour, I am already late for the second job. But one of those calls I just received is from someone locked out with desperate need to get back in and pick up the CV they need for their job interview. They are also on a large divert from a direct route to my original second (now third job). With no time to put anything away tidily in my van (my wife never believes that), I hurry to the lock out. Five minutes away, I get the call that the lockout has found a neighbour with a key and they don’t need me. So now I am really late for the second job and have nothing to show for it. Luckily, when I get to the second job, it is really easy for me and I am away in fifteen minutes, catching up time, but not enough to keep my van tidy (honestly, wife!)
The third job is a long distance one, so there and back is nearly three hours. Unfortunately, I need to order parts, so apart from getting them secure, there is not much to do. That’s three (nearly four) visits and only two have resulted in me getting paid today (I don’t usually charge if I can’t do anything). I then come home. I have a backlog of paperwork to do, parts to order and a van tidy to ignore (tomorrow when the weather is better!) During this time, more calls come in and more appointments/queries need to be addressed via email. But Monday is my favourite day. I play football on a Monday night so it is the one time I can switch off. I have been known to go to jobs after playing 5 aside football, but now I ache too much. Any other night I am ready to go when the phone rings. This last week it was Friday and Sunday nights, but luckily on both, I was home by 11pm, so in bed ready for the next day. Tuesday is likely to be more easy jobs like measuring up for thumb turn locks, because I am a wuss with the football (maybe next day for the van tidy!). But the emergencies come in anyway and I can only hope for the long drives in between!
99% of people understand that locksmiths are different to most other traders. We don’t often get big jobs like builders. Most of our time is in between jobs. So when we turn up and get you inside your home in five minutes, the money you pay is for the time to get to you, to return home, the fuel, wear and tear on the van, the time advertising, doing paperwork and eventually tidying the van!
Here at AC Locksmiths Norfolk, it has always been my aim to provide quality work with fair pricing. We are still the only company in the area to give prices on our website so you can know before you even call what prices are likely to be. Regular customers will know that I have never charged for a second visit if I do not have what you need on board at first contact, and if you call me to do a second job within 6 months, I have been doing these jobs labour free where possible. My other desire was always to keep AC Locksmiths prices the same whether you call me out at 2pm on a Monday, or 2am on Bank Holiday weekend. I have been able to keep this going for twelve years, but unfortunately, to stay in business and to stay competitive, changes have to be made.
My AC Locksmiths prices will always be displayed on the website, so that you the customer, will know I am honest about what I charge. While my profit margin remains low, extra cost of materials leading to increased prices will push me over the VAT threshold and prices displayed will not include the VAT price, so when that is applicable I will make that clear in my pricing list.
While I am no longer able to do second visits for free in all cases, they will still be free if the item I am missing is a basic everyday lock. In all other cases, repeat visits will be charged at a half labour rate, and separate jobs will incur the full labour rate regardless of time in between visits.
Between the hours of 7am and 7pm Mon – Fri, my rates for the new financial year will remain the same as before. But evenings, weekends and bank holidays will see an increase to £95. This is a flat fee for emergency work and will apply if the job takes five minutes or five hours. For non-emergency work, the cost will be £75 for a single lock change/short job, £150 for a half day, and £250 for a full days’ work. All large value jobs will require a 50% deposit.
Despite these changes, I will still continue to help advise my customers on lock and mechanism maintenance to help the locks last longer, I will still tell you if there is a way to do the job yourself when you call me. I will still not charge you if you call me out when you actually need a door fitter instead.
I will still offer a comprehensive range of services, including all below and more:
- Gain entry
- Lock fitting
- Lock upgrades
- Alarm fitting
- Internal CCTV
- Smart locks
- Vehicle entry
- Empty home management (look after your 2nd home/look after home after death of a relative, etc)
- House clearance
- Repeat maintenance
Find our full price list here: https://www.ac-locksmiths-norfolk.co.uk/prices-2024/
Thanks for reading, Alan
Problems with copy keys
Does your lock require a Knack for getting it open? Does one side open better than the other? Does the lock stick sometimes and need be jiggled to work correctly?
All these are signs you have been using badly cut keys. Look at the key you are using in your lock. If it doesn’t have the same brand name on it as the lock, it is a copy. Key cutting shops use generic brands like JMA because one key will cut for several brands. This makes things easier and cheaper for the key cutter, but the copy brands are often made with cheaper materials, as this means less wear and tear on the cutting blades for the machines. If key cutters used genuine branded blanks all the time, they would go through more cutting blades and instead of throwing away a cheap copy if you bring it back, and it becomes a more expensive throw away if they don’t get the cut right first time. For them to use genuine blanks, prices of key cutting would have to double at least, but more likely triple.
For the person cutting the key, they only have your original to work from, and often people bring in copies to copy from. Ideally, you would take the lock so they can test the keys before you take them, but that is very unlikely to happen.
So, when you are thinking of changing locks, think hard about the number of keys you require. Most locks come with two or three keys as standard, so any more will have to be ordered. Ordering additional keys with the lock ensures you get branded keys that have been tested before the lock even goes anywhere near your door and keeps your guarantee sound. A locksmith fitting your lock can easily claim any failure could be down to poorly cut keys should you have more cut elsewhere after he/she has done the work. And they would more than likely be correct. Only today, I changed a lock for a couple who had six copies made from keys of a lock I fitted about 5 years ago. Some worked inside only, two worked outside only and one had to be pulled back slightly to work on either side. Between them, they were wearing the pins away so that even once the original keys were found, those originals were not quite right. The worst of it was, they didn’t even need that many keys. Remember, there were just the two of them. Three original keys and six extra copies. A keysafe would have been a better option than so many extra keys.
Based in Holt, AC Locksmiths covers a large part of North Norfolk, including the north coast towns of Thornam, Brancaster, and the Burnhams. We go to Hunstanton, Snettisham, Dersingham and Heacham. And not forgetting locksmith services in Docking, the Rudhams, North Creake, South Creake, Walsingham, Little Snoring and Great Snoring.
Thanks for reading
What I have learned after 10 years as a Locksmith?
Lessons 10 years as a locksmith has taught me:
1. The multipoint locking mechanism on a double glazed door (or any door where you lift the handles before locking) is NOT a five lever lock. Five levers refers to the internal levers in a mortice lock which sits inside a wooden door.
2. All of those hooks, bolts, mushrooms, and rollers on a lift handle door mean nothing when burglars can attack the lock barrel easily. Having the correct barrel is vitally important and while you might get the insurance company to reimburse your financial loss, they cannot replace the heirloom given to you by Grandma that has enormous sentimental value. If your locking barrels do not have British Standard kite marks, you are practically inviting burglars into your home.
3. Home security is not necessarily about keeping intruders out. We all know they can smash a window. But they do not want to leave through that window carrying your stuff. You are looking to make it as hard as possible for them to leave with their arms full.
4. Look at your neighbour’s house when thinking about home security. Your aim should always be to make them look like an easier target. Crunchy gravel, CCTV, alarms, sensor lights are instant barriers before they even reach your door. Burglars recognise good locks and will go elsewhere. Your local locksmith knows the best brands you can’t buy on the high street.
5. That sneaky place you hide a spare key in the garden is glaringly obvious to the burglar. You are much better off with a quality keysafe.
6. You do not need multiple keys for carers. A keysafe can be much cheaper and easier for all. No more worries when keys go missing.
7. A home safe is not just about deterring criminals. A good one will protect important documents in the event of a fire. But batteries should be changed annually whether the low battery warning beeps or not, and override keys should be kept with a trusted neighbour or family member. Leaving the keys inside the safe is not a clever idea.
8. Taking your car on holiday? Make sure your partner takes the spare key. Nothing worse than calling a locksmith to open your vehicle when you lock the keys in the boot knowing a spare key is at home. Do not leave the spare key in the glove compartment.
9. Very few smart locks conform to BS3621, meaning they are not covered by your insurance.
10. Most lock failures can be avoided. If you notice your lock is getting harder to operate, or you have a special knack for opening the door, then something is wrong and needs addressing. It will be cheaper to sort now and if you don’t, the chances are it will fail when you are stuck in the pouring rain and are desperate to get in because you need to get ready for that important date/job interview/wedding/etc.
11. Hanging keys on a hook in plain sight of your door, or putting them in a dish/on a saucer near the front door is not good. Most luxury cars are stolen from drives after thieves use tools to hook keys through the letterbox. Seal the letter plate on your door and install a post box at the end of your garden. The postie and those who deliver your paper will love you for it.
12. Burglar alarms are not just about burglars; They now come with optional extras like smoke alarms and panic buttons allowing you to call a family member and talk to them through the system if you take a fall and cannot get back up.
13. Modern CCTV puts you in control. If you post images or film of a crime, the local community might help. A friend knew someone who did this when Christmas decorations were stolen from their garden. The theft was captured by a smart doorcam and posted. Locals soon identified the thief and the stolen items were returned (along with a box of chocolates!).
14. If you need to get copies of keys made, still use the originals as your primary keys. Ask your local key cutter to order genuine branded blanks, even if it costs more and you have to come back. 90% of my recalls for faulty locks end up being poor copies not working properly. When you order a new lock, think about the number of keys you need, and order them at the same time. If you need more than four extra keys, a keysafe can be cheaper.
15. Plastic doors are just as prone to weather conditions as wooden doors. Be aware of direct sunlight and salty sea air. Check regularly for signs of rust. Lubricate your doors every time you change your clocks (spring and autumn). You can find out how by reading my blog on door maintenance.
16. The industry recommends changing your locks every 5 years, especially when keys have been handed to builders, carers, lost by teens, etc. While 5 years might seem a bit too much, adult children might do well to check their older parents’ locks. Many older houses are simply not up to insurance standard. If you cannot find a British standard kite mark on their lock, they are probably paying insurance for nothing as the insurers will not pay out in the event of a burglary.
17. Making a new car key when you have one to copy from is much cheaper than calling out the emergency locksmith when you are stuck in the rain and locked out of your vehicle because you just dropped your car key down a drain. And some cars, like Fords, will require you to make two new keys when all keys are lost as the car will not start without two keys programmed and the process automatically deletes all existing keys.
18. Cloning a car key means any lost/stolen keys will still start your vehicle. Making new keys allows you to ensure only the keys you hold will start the vehicle.
19. Car keys have a huge difference in prices from vehicle to vehicle for many reasons. Some can only be reproduced with genuine branded parts. Others require the removal of the dashboard in order to read a certain computer chip. While most can be done on the day, you might find yourself without the use of your vehicle for some time. Another reason to have a spare key made when convenient rather than leave it to an emergency.
20. Everything comes in all shapes and sizes. Locks are no different. Beware of what you buy in shops or on the internet as they might not be the easy DIY job you were expecting. Always consult a professional locksmith. For example, lots of internet-based car key makers advertise Landrover Discovery keys, but these can only be produced by the manufacturer. In the home, only Chubb branded locks fit exactly into the place where a Chubb lock has been before. Any other brand will need carpentry work and movement of handles (which might expose paintwork that needs touching up that might lead to the painting of the whole door, meaning a quick job becomes a whole day event).
Thanks for reading. Please call us to find out more or ask any questions.
07846643176
All about Smart Locks – What are Smart Locks?
The name ‘Smart locks’ applies to locks that can be opened with technology like your mobile phone and does away with the need for keys. They can be fingerprint activated, voice-activated or have keypads and sensor proximity tags, depending on the lock and how you want it to operate. Smart locks are a relatively new technology with new products appearing all the time.
What are the benefits?
Smart locks can offer controlled access to your home without having to hand out multiple keys, so they are great for people who have carers or home help and find it difficult to get to the door themselves. Teens are fantastic at losing their keys; I know of one unfortunate customer in Aylsham whose daughter got in with a bad crowd and was giving her key to unsavoury friends, who then stole from the property. Smart locks here could have quickly been re-coded to bar anyone who she did not want having independent access. Keypads and proximity tags save you from having to hunt in your bag for your keys. And some more and more are now connecting to home smart networks, which in turn, connect to your mobile phone. Connected to one of these systems with cameras and zone restricted alarms, you can be on holiday in Greece, sat by the pool and when the delivery you have been waiting for arrives, you can let the delivery driver put your parcel in your house, watch them leave and lock the door up behind them.
How secure are they?
This is where you really need your local locksmith. So many smart locks lose security for convenience. Many are latch type locks that are easy to bypass if you have the right tools and know-how. If you change your existing lock for a smart lock then you might be invalidating your insurance. Always consult your genuine local locksmith before making any purchase. They are used to the requirements of insurance companies and will be able to offer the best lock to suit your needs. Also, you might be paying too much for features you do not need. If your smart lock requires you to have a key-operated lock in the same door for security and insurance purposes, then there is no real point in the smart lock. While there are many smart locks available, few will actually be BS3621 rated. You don’t need this rating on UPVC doors (yet) but even here, there is still a mechanical aspect that the lock cannot do. It will not lift the handles that engage all the hooks before locking. That sort of takes all meaning out of the hands-free point.
Are smart locks expensive?
Yes and no. As with everything, there are cheap and expensive ends of the scale. This is another reason to talk to your local locksmith. We know brands and their quality. We do the research so you don’t have to. We go to the nerdy lock conventions and get to see the items in action before we buy them.
In summary, smart locks are a great idea for certain situations but often lose security for convenience and often that convenience can be misleading. For example, with a normal lock, you approach the door and with one hand, take your keys from your pocket, insert into the keyhole, turn and you are unlocked. With some ‘faster’ smart locks, you approach the door and take out your smartphone. Holding your phone in one hand, you turn it on with the other, insert your security code, find the app, open the app, find the button that unlocks the door and eventually you are in. If you are trying to do this while laden with shopping, the process just got longer. There are better products out there, but you will need your locksmith to help you through the minefield. However, if you are really into your gadgets, then a smart lock is a great one that you will use every day. Paired with Alexa or other smart devices and part of a home network that includes CCTV, alarm and a decent door cam, smart locks show potential intruders that you mean business (if you get the right one).
If you have any questions about smart locks or any home security issue, please do not hesitate to contact me via any of the methods on my contacts page.
Thanks for reading.
Auto locksmith FAQ’s:
Do I have to bring my car to you?
No. A car locksmith has all the tools needed to cut your new car key and the computers to do the programming on board his/her van. Recently I made a new Fiat Ducatto key for a customer in Gresham village. I was able to copy his existing key in my van and then plug into his onboard computer via the OBD port and program his new key to the vehicle. This meant he could use his vehicle the same day. Had he taken the key to the dealer or manufacturer, he would have had to leave it with them, possibly waiting weeks without the use of his own vehicle.
Does the locksmith change the locks on my car?
No, if you lose your keys, we will only make new ones, but they will be coded differently, so the old keys will be useless for driving your car away. Unless you leave valuables in your car, this should not be a problem. If you want to change the actual locks on your vehicle, you should, in most cases, go back to the manufacturer. If you have had your locks modified or changed in any way, you must inform the vehicle locksmith if you later require his help. I remember being called out to a Jeep in Brancaster late at night. It was parked in a very quiet beach car park. When I tried, my Jeep lockpick, I found the whole thing felt wrong and asked the customer if anything had been changed, at which point he told me the vehicle locks had been changed for aftermarket products. This meant I was unable to do the job without damaging the vehicle, so alternative arrangements had to be made (they paid me plus an expensive taxi home to get the spare).
How much does a car locksmith cost?
This is like asking how long a ball of string is. Unlike house locks and keys, auto locksmithing has many components. And the cost will be based on how many of those components you need. Will I need to pick the lock? Will I need to work out the key shape from the lock? Will I need to access a database that charges me for certain codes to allow me to program the new key to your car? Can I use aftermarket products or do I have to use genuine branded parts? How far did I have to travel to get to you? Does coding your key require me to a plugin, or do I have to take half of your dashboard apart to get to the chip that I then have to remove, code and return? These and many more factors make up the cost, but in nearly all cases the auto locksmith can sort your problem on the day and will be cheaper than going back to the manufacturer. For example, I produced a key for a customer with a Renault Clio in Fakenham and saved them £300 on the price they were quoted by the dealership. What’s more, it was all done at the customer’s place of work, allowing them to get on with their day.
Will the locksmiths make keys for my old classic car?
To be honest, no. Cobblers and engravers can usually copy the keys of older cars and motorbikes. If not, you may have to change the locks and ignition barrels, in which case scrap dealers are always a good call. But for the auto locksmith, we can only make a profit on keys with computer chips. Travelling to Dereham from my home town of Holt to produce a key for an old Ford Capri is not even going to pay for the cost of the round journey, whereas making and coding a key for a 2015 Ford Mondeo will work for me. A very few auto locksmiths might just be able to produce older keys, but often the cost would be more than the value of the vehicle itself.
Can the auto locksmith make keys for all modern cars?
No. We can make keys for most car brands and models, and there are very few we cannot get into if your keys are locked inside, but there are a few when we have to tell you to go back to the dealer. Land Rover Discoveries and Volvos spring to mind. There just isn’t the data available for us to do our computer work on these vehicles. You might see websites advertising that they can indeed clone your key when the locksmith says he cannot, but these sites include every vehicle in their menus just to drive traffic to their sites. When you actually ring, they are just as powerless as the car locksmith.
What is the most common reason for an auto locksmith call out?
By far it is keys locked in the boot. When you are loading/unloading your vehicle, unlock all the doors. So many people only unlock the boot. They then put the keys down inside the boot, load the shopping, the golf clubs, the tools, etc, and then slam the boot down and swear in the next five seconds when they realise the keys are now in the back and they are locked out. There is no security benefit to only unlocking your boot if you are only going to lock yourself out of your car in a high crime area.
Does my breakdown cover include the cost of an auto locksmith?
No. Some recovery drivers will make a quick attempt for you, but I have been called many times by the biggest recovery service in the UK and I am a registered peripheral of the second largest. In all cases, I charge the customer direct. From Cromer, Fakenham, to Burnham Overy Staithe, call me first and save time. You don’t want to wait hours for the recovery service only to be told you have to wait even longer for me.
Can you make me a new car key if I have lost all the original ones?
Yes, I can read the lock using a special tool or get the information for many vehicles from your registration document, providing I have proof of ownership. Once I have cut the key blade, I can then let my computer talk to your car and program the new key to your vehicle. It is a much faster job copy from an existing key, though.
What is cloning?
Cloning is simply replicating an existing key. As far as the car computer is concerned, it believes there is only one key when you may have two or even more. You can clone some keys without having to plug into the car. This is a cheaper way to replace lost keys, but it does not protect you from those lost keys being used should someone else find them and want to steal your car. Making new keys that are uniquely programmed to your vehicle gives you the option of deleting the old keys, in exactly the same way you would put a stop on a lost credit card.
How do you get into my car if there is no keyhole?
There is always a keyhole. On modern cars, the keyhole is covered and the key is hidden in the key fob. But for safety, there must be mechanical access. A customer of mine in Norwich was astounded when I turned up to get him into his vehicle. His fob battery was flat and he could not get in. So I showed him the hidden key blade and then revealed the hidden keyhole on the vehicle. Had he listened to the dealer (if the dealer had even told him), or read the car paperwork, he could have made his meeting that day because the car will still work when the fob battery is dead. The customer was still happy though as he had expected a very expensive job. It was still expensive for a battery change he could have done himself.
How long does it take to pick the lock?
Seconds – hours depending on the vehicle, age, possible rust/damage inside the lock. I’ve taken two hours to open a car in Hunstanton and one and a half minutes to open a car in Beeston. Conditions like cold and rain might also slow me down. It takes as long as it takes.
How easy is it for thieves to hack the signal and steal my car?
Thieves that do this have bought special equipment. They are stealing cars to order. While not impossible, it is not likely for those of us with standard cars to have our signals stolen. You can, if you wish to, buy signal jamming pouches and I am happy to source them for you. But the biggest growing way for cars to be stolen is via your home letterbox. I see it all the time. People come home and put their keys on a table or other piece of furniture near the door so they can easily pick those keys up as they leave. Thieves are now fishing through the letterbox to get keys which can give them access to your home and they can use your own car as a getaway vehicle. Don’t make it easy for them.
If you would like more information on the above questions or have others to ask, please get in contact via any of the methods on my contacts page.
Thanks for reading!
Yesterday, I got to called to a house where the customers had accidently shut themselves out of their house. A nice easy job, I thought. Most nightlatches (often referred to as ‘Yale’ type locks) are simple to bypass. As I arrived, I got a bit more excited. The lock was a kite marked BSI 3621 variety, meaning I was in for more of a challenge and probably late for the next job of the day.
