We at South Shore Lock & Key have been your trusted local partners in all your lock & key needs for over a decade now…
But what does that service actually entail? What sets us apart from your local mechanic shop or general contractor?
A locksmith is a tradesman who specializes in installation, upkeep, repairs, and duplication of keys in lock & key security systems. Or, to put it simply, a locksmith is a person who deals professionally with all things lock & key. Need a new car key? Want to change out the locks at your house? Looking to set up access control for your business? Though you may be able to find someone to help with each of those needs individually, only a professional would be your all-in-one, experienced partner in taking care of those issues the right way, the first time.
But what does that entail? In this article, we will walk you through what exactly a locksmith does in the three security sectors that we serve: automotive, residential, and commercial locksmithing.
Automotive
South Shore Lock & Key got our start as Affordable Auto Keys back in 2013, when our founder, Troy, bought a new-used car which came with only one key. When he began to search around for a new key, he found the process was confusing, time-consuming, and EXPENSIVE, which is why, when a hardware was going out of business nearby, he decided to buy up all their locksmithing equipment and to start his own business to fill the niche that was so needed on the South Shore: automotive locksmithing.
Fast forward, we now have three full-time techs on the road who are automotive locksmith specialists and who can make keys for 99% of cars on the road today, including complex European cars, newer models, and more.
So what are our techs doing all day? There are a few things that an automotive locksmith does:
• Car Key Duplication: Of course, one of the main jobs of our automotive locksmiths is to make duplicate car keys. Many dealers nowadays only give you one key when you buy a car, and as anyone who’s had a set of important keys can tell you, they have a way of walking away right when you most need them.
While you’re not totally up a creek if all of your car keys get lost (more on this in a moment), the best way to save yourself time, money, and stress when it comes to your car is to get a second key before it’s needed, and that is one aspect of what we do.
Using tried and true software, programmers, cutting machines, parts, and methods, our automotive locksmiths are highly trained and experienced to make a duplicate key for your car.
• Car Key Replacement: But what if you’ve lost all of your car keys? As mentioned above, you’re not totally lost – another important part of an automotive locksmith’s job is to make new keys from scratch when all of your keys are lost.
How do we do that? The first step is verifying ownership. We take pride in working with the utmost integrity, which is why we’ve been trusted locksmiths for over a decade in this area with plenty of good reviews to prove it. In order to stay in line with our integrity, we always make sure, when we are making keys to a car that has none, that we are doing so with the express permission of the person who has the legal right to give it. This means checking the government-issued ID of the person requesting services, as well as the registration, title, or active insurance paperwork of the vehicle.
That done, our typical next step is to pick the door lock. This is done both to open the car if it is unlocked and to get the correct cuts to enter into our laser cutting machine so that the key works in both your door and ignition.
After that, we will program the key to the car. A quick note on that – 99% of cars on the road today use an immobilizer system which either allows the car to be started or stops it from being able to start (immobilizes it) depending on the coding of the chip on the key. Chances are, even if you don’t have any fancy buttons or push-start capabilities, your car key has a chip that needs to be programmed. Once this process is done, you’re back on the road and ready to roll!
• Ignition Work: Is your key working in all your doors and trunk, but not in your ignition? This is a sign that your ignition could be bad and could need to be replaced by a locksmith. For this process, our mobile techs would come on scene and first asses the situation. If we determine that the problem is indeed the ignition, we will remove it and see first if it is fixable – for most GM trucks, ignitions often only need a good cleaning – or if the whole thing must be replaced, which is something we are equipped for and which we have done many times.
Residential
The residential side of our business has grown substantially over the past few years, and we are glad to be able to serve this niche in a few different ways…
•Changing Your Locks: The most common need in the residential world is rekeying, which is commonly called “changing your locks”. This process involves changing out the pins in your current locks so that the keys you had before no longer work.
Why would you want to do this? There are a few different scenarios for which you’d want to change your locks.
1.) You’ve just moved into the house. If you’ve just bought a new house, first of all, congratulations! Second, you will definitely want to change your locks, sooner rather than later. You have no idea who could have access – plumbers, electricians, contractors, neighbors, friends and family of the previous owner, and so on. Changing the locks ensures that only you and those you trust have access to your new home.
2.) You (or someone) lost your keys. Whether your keys were stolen or simply lost, the fact is, you are once again at risk of intrusion by those whom you do not know and trust. Get your locks changed by a trusted locksmith ASAP.
3.) Someone you live with has moved in or out. If you’ve had someone living with you for awhile, you can never be sure just how many keys they’ve made and who they’ve given them to. Best thing to do when someone has moved out is to change the locks, so no matter how many copies they’ve made, they are now useless.
• Hardware Upgrades: Perhaps you want to up your security. Perhaps your kids need access to your home when you’re not there and they cannot be trusted to hold onto a key. Perhaps you have cleaners or contractors come in on a regular basis and you won’t always be around to let them in. Then something like a smart lock is for you. These locks have wifi, mobile app, fingerprint, keypad, physical key, and even more ways to access the home, which can be set to certain days and windows of time, making your home access manageable and convenient, and we specialize in the installation and set up of locks like these.
•Door Repair: Most times when people call us because they are having trouble opening their doors, they assume the problem is the lock hardware. Many times, however, the problem is actually the door itself and the way it is aligned (or, misaligned), and a simple adjustment can make your door open and close as smoothly as the day it was made. This is s service we are happy to provide in our capacity as residential locksmiths.
Commercial
In the commercial locksmith sphere, we have helped businesses large and small with all manner of lock & key needs, including the following:
•Crash Bar Installation: You know those button-bar-type things you see on doors when you’re leaving places like auditoriums or businesses? That’s called a crash bar, and it’s an important part of a business’s security. Part of our job in the commercial world is to install these.
•Access Control: Another important aspect of our work in the commercial field is setting up access control for businesses. This often means setting up a master key system (which is making one key be the master key that can access all doors and having the rest only have access to certain doors) or keypad locks that have codes with certain restrictions. These help managers keep track of who is where and which employees have access to which areas.
•Door Adjustment Services: Just as in our residential locksmith work, door repair is an important part of securing your business. This aspect is especially important for storefronts, restaurants, and other such businesses, as people – staff and customers alike – are coming in and out of your door all day long, and the front door is your first impression with a new customer; you want it to be as smooth as the rest of their experience with your business.
Conclusion
There are many things that a locksmith is specifically and specially equipped to do, as we’ve seen above. Perhaps you have more questions, in which case you can check out some FAQ here and here, or of course you could give us a call and chat about your specific question.
Either way, when you’re dealing with a locksmith issue of great importance, it’s important you have a local locksmith you can trust, like South Shore Lock & Key. Having an experienced, knowledgeable technician working on your car, home, or business is essential, both to your safety and your ability to rest in that safety. There are plenty of scammers out there who will try to take advantage of you – choose a trusted, long-time local partner like South Shore Lock & Key.
So, what does a locksmith actually do? The short answer is, a good locksmith gives you peace of mind.