| Q. | I found a deadbolt at a chain store for $9.95. Your deadbolt costs $25. What is the difference? |
| A. | Your professional locksmith has one advantage (in today’s ever-competitive market place) over the rest of the retailers that are selling the same type of merchandise. That advantage is knowledge. The chain stores are in business to sell only. They do not have extensive knowledge about the product, its deficiencies or how to properly install it. If you have a question about a product, you more than likely won t be able to call the chain store where you bought it for service, because they have no knowledgeable person on staff to discuss your problem. However, they will gladly take it back and replace it, or refer you to the manufacturer for help. The product your professional locksmith sells is the highest quality for your money. He can tell you the advantages of the products he sells, and steer you clear of a bad choice that you will ultimately regret. He has the knowledge to sell, install and service the security products that you might need or want. He places his reputation on the line with each and every product he sells. He wants you, his customer, to feel secure and to be happy with your purchase. |
| Q. | I have a beautiful 150-year-old house with very ornate doors. I have the old-style skeleton key for the front and back doors. I have been to every hardware store in town and they can’t duplicate them. Can you make them? |
| A. | Yes. Most locksmiths have the equipment to duplicate these types of keys. However, you will find that a good locksmith will caution you on the use of those locks as the primary way of securing your house. The old ‘bit key locks,” as they are called, are not very secure because the construction and operation of most of the bit key locks around today do not lend themselves to large numbers of key patterns. At most, only 250 different bit key patterns are common today throughout the country, and many of the bit key locks on structures can be unlocked with a universal pass key which is shaped to open many different bit key locks. Your professional locksmith can recommend a good auxiliary lock for the ornate doors that not only will blend in with your existing hardware, but at the same time will give you an excellent upgrade of your security. |
| Q. | I have a deadbolt that worked fine when I locked it this morning. But now when I put my key in, the key just spins around and the door is still locked. Can you help me? |
| A. | Yes. Your professional locksmith can get you in. Sometimes it can be done without damaging the lock, but if the lock must be sacrificed, he usually will be able to replace it on the spot, keying it back to your original key. Then he will attempt to discover what caused the lock to break. if the lock was not installed correctly, he may have to make adjustments to either the lock and or the strike plate on the door jamb to correct the problem. Be assured that he will do his utmost to solve the problem so you wont have another lockout. |
| Q. | I just bought a $600 mountain bike. I need to lock it up and I was wondering what you would recommend. |
| A. | Your professional locksmith has many padlocks from which to choose. A locksmith will probably steer you away from the poorly-made locks that are fairly good imitations of the better locks on the market, yet are cheaply manufactured but offer little or no security. There are many bike locks on the market. Some offer features such as being large enough to lock the wheels and frame to a fairly large diameter post such as a parking meter, or chains or coiled cables that you string through the wheels and frame before you lock the padlock. You must determine whether weight will be a factor, since a heavy lock might be too much weight to carry when traveling very far. You should discuss all of these factors with your professional locksmith before you make any decision. |
| Q. | Locks on a house only keep the honest people out. You can’t really secure my place, now can you? |
| A. | A professional locksmith has the knowledge to provide enough security to make your residence or business as secure as Fort Knox. It only takes enough money and the right combinations of high security locks, access control devices and alarm devices. He can provide retina-matching or fingerprint-matching devices to operate the access control system that will allow you to use a key which can’t be duplicated. This will enable you to unlock the interlocking deadbolt which allows you to gain access to the keypad to disarm your internal and external alarms so you can get into the house. Then, once you are inside, you can re-arm all the internal, external and perimeter alarms, trip wires and land mines, so you will know when someone is trying to get in. Now, for some people and organizations this might be exactly what they need, but is this the way the average homeowner wants to live? Your professional locksmith can guide you to the best security that money can buy, and at the same time, recommend a security system that is practical. |
