What to do to prevent lockouts

Lockouts can happen for homeowners, car owners, and businesses alike. They can happen after you’ve left your keys inside, when your locks malfunction, or if your key becomes jammed inside the keyhole.

Needless to say, no matter how you’ve ended up in such a predicament, lockouts are not very pleasant situations to be in. A locksmith will always be your best resort – but before you even get to that, there are ways to prevent lockouts from happening too. Read on to get some tips from our lock and key experts.

Planning for the worst case scenario

As with all types of emergencies, advanced planning can help resolving all issues in the most efficient manner. In the majority of cases, lockouts arise simply because a key has been lost of misplaced during the day. Always have a backup plan ready to deal with the most common types of lockout:

• Residential
• Automotive
• Commercial

If you can find a locksmith business in your area that deals with all three, great! Otherwise, get a few quotes from local professionals specializing in each area, and save their contact details somewhere you can easily access during an emergency – this may include your cell phone’s contact book, business cards stored in your wallet, or companies’ websites saved to your web browser favourites.

Avoiding lockouts in general

1. Replace worn out locks before they become an issue

Locks are bound to become worn out after extensive use. If your key starts sticking when you try to unlock the door, ask a locksmith to inspect your security fixtures for damage. It may be that you’ll need to replace your locks, or simply repair them. The sooner you do this, the less likely your faulty locks will become a liability.

2. Always check that you’re actually carrying your keys with you

Developing a habit of verifying your keys are on-hand, before you lock the door behind you, will prevent any awkward scenarios. The best way to do this is to incorporate it into your daily routine: check you have your home and car keys when you’re leaving your house, remember where you’ve placed them when you arrive at work, and check again when it’s time to leave the office. If it helps, attach noisy accessories to your keyrings to make them more noticeable.

3. Have a spare key

You can keep it in your bag, wallet, or in a jacket that you wear every day. Or you could go the traditional route and hide the key somewhere outside, where you can easily access – just be careful not to put it somewhere obvious like under a mat, as you may leave yourself vulnerable to burglars.

4. Give someone you trust a spare key to your property

This could be a friend or a trustworthy neighbor. Try not to have too many duplicate keys, though, as you don’t want to lost track of how many copies have been made. Ideally, you shouldn’t have any more than 2-3 spare keys: one for yourself, one for a friend, and possibly one for someone in or around your neighborhood.

5. Too many keys? Consider a keyless entry system

These have become quite popular for homeowners and business owners, primarily because of the security they provide but also because they’re relatively low-maintenance. If that sounds like the ideal security upgrade, talk to a locksmith in your area – any company that is actively involved in the professional community will have access to the best keyless technologies around.

Dealing with lockouts

But what if, despite all preventive measures, you find yourself in a lockout situation? That’s where the help of a 24/7 locksmith service will come in handy. A qualified locksmith will ensure everything is resolved efficiently, and in a way that doesn’t cause further property damage. You can usually expect them to come quite quickly, and they will have all the specialist equipment on-hand to do the job right away.

Never had to hire a lock and key expert before? We’ll help you. The first thing you should do is ask people you know and trust if they can give you any recommendations. Note down a few business names, and shop around. Always hire a locally-based professional with a fully verifiable address, and make sure to ask the person on the line for client references in the area too. Avoid businesses from outside your vicinity as they will charge you extra to travel to your location. Remember too that after hours’ services tend to cost a bit extra – always get a full price quote from the expert you are talking to before hiring them for any job.

Even in an emergency situation, you should avoid making a hasty decision. Asking your locksmith for license and insurance information is crucial, and make sure to get them to identify themselves when they arrive into your property too. Be wary of any locksmith who changes their price quote upon arrival, and never hire a business who refuses to provide details like a full business name upon request. If you have the time to spare, it’s always good to actually visit a business’s physical location to talk to an expert – that way, you’ll know exactly who you’re hiring and how credible they are.

One final thing to keep in mind: some locksmiths may choose to focus on specialist services, while others offer a wider scope of solutions. Make sure to clarify with the person you are talking to that they actually offer the type of lockout help that you need – be it automotive, commercial or residential.