How to Hire a Good Locksmith

With just about every service available today for your home, vehicle, or business, there is the chance you will run into a scammer or have to deal with a scam. Particularly when it comes to locksmithing, there is a chance you may end up hiring a locksmith that damages your home or vehicle locks, only making the problem worse. This may threaten your safety, or also potentially put your family in danger. To hire a good locksmith you will be able to trust, there are several things you can keep in mind.

#1 - Make Sure They are Certified
This should be the number one thing you look for when it comes to hiring a locksmith. Non-certified locksmiths are particularly dangerous to work with since you have no idea what skills or credentials they actually hold. A certified locksmith has been through a particular set of training in order to qualify them to change, repair, fix, and install residential, commercial, and vehicle locks. They also typically undergo a state exam and have been through a series of on-the-job training with professionals before becoming officially certified. Going with a certified locksmith is the only way to ensure that your repairs are done correctly and no damage is done to existing structures around your locks.
#2 – They Have Insurance
Insurance is critical for a locksmith to carry. This protects them as the contractor, but also helps protect you as the customer. This is a great sign if a locksmith is insured and can help give both parties peace of mind. For some reason, if something goes wrong during a locksmithing job that is in no way your fault, you know you will be protected.

#3 – They Are Bonded
Depending on the quality locksmith you choose, they should be bonded. This may mean one of two things. One type of bond is known as a surety bond. A surety bond guarantees that a job will be completed. If a commercial building owner, for example, hired a locksmith to replace deadbolt locks in the building, a locksmith might issue a surety bond. This ensures that the job will get done. If for some reason the locksmith is not able to complete the job, the surety bond can be used to go towards another locksmith that can complete it. This shows a great deal of dedication on the part of a locksmith because regardless of what happens, they are making sure the locksmithing requests you make are done in a quality and timely fashion.
The second type of bond is called a guaranty bond. Guaranty bonds are specific to the individual locksmiths that may work for a locksmithing company. These types of bonds promise that the locksmith working on any job is trustworthy. If for some reason, the client is stolen from or somehow the customer is hurt during a locksmithing job, they will be reimbursed fully. This is similar to and may be seen as part of liability insurance that locksmiths carry.

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What to Do if You are Locked Out of Your Home, Business, or Vehicle

Getting locked out can be one of the most stressful events to happen to us, especially if other people, children, or animals are involved. Lockouts happen every day to even the most careful and conscientious people. With how busy and rushed life has become in our modern era, it is not uncommon to find that hurrying or rushing, for example, might be the cause of a vehicle or home lockout. Luckily, there are several things you can do if you do ever experience a lockout and you are certainly neither stupid nor helpless if you do find yourself locked out. The following article will give you an overview of some common lockout scenarios, their solutions, and what you can do if you are involved in a lockout or some other locksmithing emergency.

Home Lockouts
Getting locked out of your home can happen in an instance. Maybe you went to go grab the morning paper or retrieve mail from the mailbox, and upon trying to re-enter your home, you find that the door has shut and locked behind you, leaving you stranded.
In this circumstance, luckily, you know your home best. Try and think if there is another entry point that is unlocked that you might easily be able to get through in order to get back into your home. Do not try to re-enter your home by breaking a window, prying open a door, or any other force to try and get back inside. This could not only cause severe damage to your home, but you could potentially injure yourself.
Many families keep a hidden key on the outside of their home or with a trusted neighbor in the event that a family member experiences a lockout. If you have not already, consider preventative measures for home lockouts and find a way to securely hide a key on the outside of your home, where only your family members will know where to find it.

Business Lockouts
Owning a business can be stressful in and of itself, but especially so if business owners or building managers are dealing with lockout situations. First and foremost, the good news is, is that businesses may have multiple employees with keys that allow for entrance into the main building. If you are trying to solve a business lockout scenario, check with some of your other colleagues, managers, or employees to see if they may be able to come unlock the building.
If you experience lockouts frequently as a business owner, you may want to consider upgrading to a different kind of lock. If missing or misplaced keys have been the source of lockouts for your business, you and your employees may greatly benefit from access control or smart locks of some sort. For example, upgrading to a combination lock for your business would omit the need to give employees keys or access cards. A simple pin is all that would be needed to open the building’s main doors and other corridors. You may want to speak with your local locksmith about upgrading to avoid lockouts from your business in the future.

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Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC: When to Replace Locks

Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC is here to provide information on when locks should be replaced. Of course, a lock isn’t like a light bulb that is going to have to be changed rather often. It’s not like the filter in your refrigerator that you have to watch out for. But locks still do have to be replaced every so often, and we can provide you with information on signs that it is time for a lock replacement.

There are certain scenarios which can arise that would indicate it is time to replace your locks. For one, if you move into a new place, you should have the locks changed out. This is something the previous owner might not have done or might not have been able to do, on account of contractors and brokers and agents having a copy of their key. When you move, you should have the locks replaced. You just don’t know who still has access to a key and would otherwise be able to get into your now home.

Lost House Key

If you lose your house key, you should have the locks replaced. In a best case scenario, a good person would pick up the key and try to return it to you. But you always have to be cautious, and in a worst case scenario, someone could potentially figure out whose house the key belongs to. You’ve heard stories of people being followed home while out running errands – be cautious and just change the locks! In some cases, a rekey might be possible. This is something that you should speak with a locksmith in your area about. If you happen to be in or near Norcross, GA, of course our local experts can help you for a reasonable price – we offer very competitive rates, as do most locksmiths!

Break-In

Another reason to replace your locks would be a break-in. This, like the other instances we are describing, would apply to one’s home, office or vehicle. Any property that is broken into is going to need new locks installed. A burglary is a difficult enough thing to deal with. There have been people who have had their most prized possessions stolen, like jewelry that was passed down from generation to generation. It is a horrible, invasive thing to experience, but if you have gone through this awful scenario, it is important to amp up your security. A locksmith can help you to do this, and they will start by replacing your locks. Perhaps if you did not previously have an alarm system installed, you are going to want one. Or maybe you will want added layers of security, like deadbolts. Maybe you will even want to go keyless. Talk to a locksmith about these things.

Divorce or Relationship Ending

If you go through a divorce, have your locks changed! Even if your divorce has been quite amicable, it is important to note that emotions can run high. It is not a bad idea to have the locks changed.

Lock Damage – Wear and Tear or Break-in

If there was damage to your locks, you should have them changed. This can occur because of a break in, or it could occur for other reasons. You will notice that your key doesn’t slip in as easily, or maybe you can see indications of damage taking place or having already taken place. Either way, you don’t want locks that are falling apart and therefore don’t offer any security. Have the locks replaced!


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Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC: Transponder Keys: Potential Problems

Even though you may not know what a transponder key is, you most probably use at least one – and you use it quite frequently. The key you use to unlock and start your vehicle is a transponder key. Perhaps you noticed that the key contains something more than just the metal part. There, in that plastic case, the transponder resides. Without the transponder, your car will not start. A key that has a transponder which malfunctions is almost useless. We say almost because the key will still unlock the car in many cases, even when the transponder is malfunctioning.

Unfortunately, unlike traditional keys, transponder keys are quite sensitive. Not only do they require battery power to work, they can also get easily damaged. If you drop the key repeatedly, the transponder may malfunction. Sometimes, the transponder key may stop working for no obvious reason. In any case, you need to take action as soon as you notice that the transponder key is malfunctioning. If you don’t, you will end up not being able to start your car. Here at Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC, we are experts at working with this type of key. We can help you with anything from reprogramming the transponder to replacing it entirely. We may not know what the problem is when you call us, but we will quickly dispatch a specialist to your location with all the necessary tools and equipment. Our locksmiths have years of experience working with transponder keys, so rest assured that we will be able to help you right away.

How Do Transponder Keys Work Exactly
A transponder key works via radio frequency. The transponder inside the key communicates with your vehicle and sends the ignition codes to the onboard computer of the car. The codes are preprogrammed into the transponder or are generated and sent in a somewhat random fashion. In other words, it would be very difficult to dupe a vehicle to start if one does not know the proper codes. There are vehicles that will not even unlock if the transponder codes do not match with the ones the vehicle is expecting.

Because the transponder key lets the car know that the rightful owner is nearby, it should work flawlessly. If it malfunctions and sends the wrong codes, the vehicle will refuse to start or even unlock the doors.

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Garage door locks; additional security

Would you like a smart and discreet way of making your Norcross, GA home more secure? Here it is; add a garage door lock! Here at Quick Norcross Locksmith LLC we are often asked about adding additional locks and locking hardware to area homes and businesses to make them less susceptible to armed intruders, burglars and thieves. Adding garage door locks is one way to do just that. While not a cure-all for those problems, the addition of a good lock to secure your garage door adds additional protection and real peace of mind.

Why add another garage door lock?
At first, the subject might seem odd. Add a lock to your garage door? Why? What could possibly be so valuable in your garage that you need to go that far? Actually, this ties in perfectly with our efforts to be discreet. If you are obvious in your security attempts, people automatically assume that you are trying awfully hard to protect something really valuable, and that in itself can bring intruders, and would-be thieves. Take most average garage spaces. Most people park their car(s) inside the garage. Cars represent one of the biggest expenses at your home. Even if you have a used compact car, the vehicle is worth several thousand dollars. If you have two or more vehicles, the value quickly adds up. What else is in your garage? Many people keep bicycles, boats, skateboards, motorcycles, ATV vehicles, powered lawn mowers and other similar items. By the time you add tools, stored belongings, paint, water heaters, water softeners and extra refrigerators, your garaged belongings start to represent quite an investment in time and money.

Empty garage
But wait! What if you don’t have all of those things? What if you only have a few of them or none at all and your garage is empty? Why add an extra lock for it, then? If your garage is attached to the main part of your home, it has an interior door that leads to the inside. This door is often left unlocked by those living at the home. All a criminal has to do to gain entry into your home is bypass your garage door. 

Don’t I have a lock already?
You might! If you are like most, you have an installed garage door opener system already in place. This opener unit allows you to open and shut your garage door with the tap of a button at any time; even from inside your car or house. These openers have a built in lock on them already. See for yourself; try closing your garage door with your opener remote or wall switch. Once closed, try manually lifting the garage door. You can’t, can you? That’s because the built-in lock has kicked in and secured your garage door.

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