Notice Board
From Warrant Work to Locksmithing : JLS Locksmith
JLS Locksmith is a family-owned business , covering south-east England and west London ran by John Le-Surf for the past three years . John previously worked as a bailiff and doing warrant work and found himself fascinated by the magic of opening doors without damaging them , so became a locksmith …
From collecting debts to picking locks
I previously worked as a warrant officer / bailiff and when I was out on jobs , I thought it was great how locksmiths opened doors non-destructively , it was like they ’ re magicians . It was a skill I wanted to learn , so I started watching YouTube videos during lockdown and started to have a go at picking locks . I found that I really bonded with locksmithing , so I started to put myself ‘ out there ’ on LinkedIn and to companies where I had previously worked as warrant officer . I started to advertise lock upgrades on social media , and I just got busier and busier . I see myself working in locksmithing until I retire .
Helping people
I like to help people get back into their properties , when they ’ re in despair and it ’ s late at night , I rescue them from the cold and take all the stress away , it ’ s a great feeling . I feel like a miracle worker , and everyone is so appreciative of the work I do . I also like to help people who have sub-standard locks and open their eyes to the better security options available at their local hardware store .
Annoyances : penny-pinching It annoys me when I see door handles that have been put on the wrong way around ; I ’ m not sure how it happens , I think it ’ s the handy work of people who go around doing various jobs and clearly don ’ t know what they ’ re doing . ‘ Jack of all trades , master of none ’ so to speak . I understand that people just want to make money , but when it compromises a family ’ s safety and security , it ’ s just not worth it . It ’ s always better to call a locksmith . It ’ s not just in the domestic industry you see this unfortunately , I did a job on a retirement village in Virginia Water in Surrey and all the residential door handles were put on the wrong way around – unbelievable ! This was done by a construction team . It ’ s pennypinching getting someone else to do work they ’ re not trained to do , one less trade to call out to a job .
Training : it ’ s all about the right contacts
I started out learning on YouTube , but then did proper training at South UK Locksmith Training and then some oneto-one training with Jason Hillier at JJH Locksmiths in Birmingham . Jason is my ‘ go-to ’ person for anything I want to learn – he ’ s an oracle ! Also , Gavin Jeffries and Brian James from Lock101 . I follow the footsteps of Brian and try to be 100 % non-destructive like him .
What ’ s new for 2025
I started a YouTube channel to give back because that ’ s how I learned . I enjoy sharing ideas on social media but avoid content like ‘ how to pick locks ’ that could aid criminals .
My plans for 2025 are to expand my business and offer access control entry systems – repair and installation , and CCTV . I ’ m going to do the courses
8
DECEMBER 2024
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