Just like other trades, quality locksmiths aren’t always a dime a dozen.

If you’re like me, and you expect the work to be done thoroughly and properly the first time around, be sure that you are calling someone with a good reputation.  I had a recent personal experience with two HVAC companies which just reinforced this point.

The Backstory

First things first – thank God for home warranties.  When my husband and I purchased our home, the sellers included a 1-year home warranty.  Earlier this spring, after Old Man Winter decided it was finally time to leave, we noticed that our air conditioners weren’t working…at all.  After a momentary freak-out, we remembered we had the warranty.  They sent out a technician, and thankfully, there were two float switches that needed to be turned on.  They had likely been tripped during the home inspection.

So, crisis averted!  Or so we thought.  A little over a month later, we noticed that the upstairs was not cooling properly.  I’d check the temperature in my daughter’s room and it would be up around 80 degrees.  So, we called the warranty company again and they re-dispatched the same company.  This time, they looked at the outside unit and said we were low on Freon.  They charged it, collected their deductible, and left.

Surely that would fix it right?  Wrong.  A week and a half passed, and again, the upstairs was staying in the upper 70’s to lower 80’s.  After trouble re-dispatching the original company, the warranty company sent out their secondary vendor.  I was pretty ticked at the time after spending over an hour total on hold, but that was an hour well spent.  As it turns out, we had a host of issues:

• Low on Freon in both the upstairs and downstairs units
• Leaking service vale on the downstairs air compressor
• Leaking coils in both the upstairs and downstairs air handlers
• A blocked coil in the upstairs air handler
• A dented coil in the upstairs air handler
• Rust and corrosion
• Both air handlers were installed backwards with the service panels up against a truss

YIKES! That’s a big jump from just “low on Freon.”

My Beef

Here’s where I have a problem.  There were simple steps that could have been taken by the first company to further diagnose the problem on each of their visits.  However, these steps weren’t taken, leaving us with multiple deductibles to pay.  They went for the quick and easy fix rather than the complete fix.  To me, this is not the mark of quality, nor is it the level of quality we at LockNet expect from our locksmiths.

When the first company came out on the first trip, they easily could have checked the pressure on the units to see if they were low on Freon.  I watched the second company that came out, and it took less than 10 minutes if I’m being generous.  This would have caught the low Freon issues from day one.

Secondly, when they were in the attic looking at the float switches, how did they not notice many of the aforementioned issues with the units?  I understand they could not have noticed a leak without doing a leak test, but from my elementary (and that’s very elementary) knowledge of ACs, a visual once-over would likely have indicated that some deeper-digging needed to be done.

When the second company came out, they did an excellent job.  They did thorough testing, identified issues that weren’t originally reported, and gave me a clear explanation of what was wrong and their recommendations on how to fix it.  Now that is what I expect when I call someone for an issue.

Quality Locksmiths – What to Look For

Just like these two HVAC companies, there are quality locksmiths, and there are those that are looking for the easy dollar.  Sometimes, when you’re like me and don’t know much about the problem at hand, it’s hard to know what to look for in a quality locksmith.  So, before you pick up that phone, here are some resources to look at and questions to ask.

First off, are the listed on the Better Business Bureau?  If so, what do people have to say about them?  When we vet our techs, this is a resource that we lean on heavily.  If they check out there, or if they aren’t on there, what are their reviews on Google?

If you can’t find any consumer reviews, be armed with a few questions when you call in:

1. Does our state require licensing, and if so, do you meet all licensing requirements?  Are you insured?

It’s important to note that not all states require licensing.  If you are calling a company that resides in a bordering state, make sure they are licensed for your state before you ask them to do the work.  We see this issue pop up a lot in border towns.  Typically, locksmiths will be licensed in both states, but it’s always good to ask.

2. What are your areas of specialty?  Do you have any relevant certifications?

If you are calling any old locksmith on google to open your safe, you may be in trouble.  Similarly, if you are calling a locksmith to help with door issues, you may not get the best results.  There are a lot of areas of specialty when it comes to doors and locks.  Likewise, there are a lot of different certifications.  Be sure you get a tech that fits the job you need.

3. What is your warranty period?

The standard warranty period is 90 days.  If the technician doesn’t offer at least a 90-day warranty, call someone else.

4. Does your company do background checks on technicians?

If you are calling a technician, you are likely calling them to help you gain access to something valuable.  They will be in your place of business, your home, or in your safe.  It is important that you trust this person.

Quality locksmiths will gladly answer these questions and give you confidence in their abilities.  In addition to this, from my experience discussed above, when they are on-site, watch to make sure they do a thorough inspection of the issue.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  If you call someone for a broken closer, ask them why it was broken.  When they respond, ask them what caused the root issue.  Doors and hardware, like many things, are interconnected.  One issue can have a trickle down affect.  You can fix the symptoms all day long, but until you fix the root issue, you will continue to have problems.   Ask questions until you are comfortable that the root problem is resolved.

At the end of the day, it is sometimes difficult to know if you are dealing with a quality locksmith until they are on-site.  Just keep asking questions, and if you have your suspicions, it never hurts to get a second opinion