Since in the UK there are no strict laws or professional codes and standards pertaining to become a locksmith, every person that wants to be a locksmith can attend short courses of few weeks or sometimes few days, and become one.
Being a good locksmith however, is not only based on how well trained a tradesman is, or how good he is with locks. It’s a combination of things that makes a good locksmith. Some of the key requirements of becoming a good locksmith include reliability, timeliness and how good you are with learning along the way. As a locksmith you can learn some of the basics in a short course and if you have the right tools and good hands, you will probably succeed in opening and fitting most locks. But there are many cases where basic training just won’t do. Being a good locksmith requires excellent customer skills, it also about being able to use your common sense and gather all the knowledge you have and the information you can find out, in order to deal with a specific scenario.
A Locksmith can sometime face a job where he thinks the only way of gaining entry is by drilling the lock. Yet, if he try all the available method of non-destructive entry may prove his initial assessment wrong. There are times that locks may behave in unorthodox ways and your assessments may prove wrong. Therefore, before resorting to a destructive entry, it is always good to try out other optional non-destructive methods to see whether you and your customer are lucky. I once arrived at a place where a high security deadlock was locked and as always if even when I know there is no possible chances for it to work; I tried opening it with some non-destructive methods, prior to anything else. This time I apparently got lucky, god knows how but the lock opened simply with the slipping of a card. Many times as locksmith you will get surprises of this nature, and when you’re not even expecting it, a simple method may work, saving you time and your customers a bit of money too. So a good locksmith will always try to minimize destruction, damage and costs being incurred to their customers.
Certificates and Organisations
In the London and the UK there are 2 main organisations; The UKLA and MLA. Both approves their members to be “fairly liable” by confirming different documentation such as proof of address, DBS check, public liability insurance, etc.
There is an assumption among some people that certificates from a locksmith organisation is what make a good locksmith.
To put some light on this certificates can mean very little about your locksmith. Certification in a country that has no legislation in the locksmithing industry can usually be bought for few hundred pounds a year as subscription, regardless of whether or not the locksmith is well trained, reliable or professional. There are many companies that have tons of certificates, but their services are worse than one would imagine. Bottom line is that, certificates don’t make locksmith a good locksmith, and they are basically they meaningless in regards to the quality of service. So it’s a plus but don’t take this as a rule of making a well established locksmith business.
Customer Care
A locksmith is just like any other tradesman and what makes a good tradesman in any industry will also make a good locksmith. Research shows that costumer service is the most important aspect in any service industry and that’s not a surprise. Any business, be it a supermarket, a fitness centre, a hospital or a locksmith firm, will depend on good customer care to have their customers coming back. The reliability with which the service is provided is the foundation on which great customer care is built upon. That is what makes a good business of every nature.