Notice Board called me in the morning, saying she had lost her keys and needed the locks changed. I verified her identity— she had her driving license, and the address matched the very nice house we were standing outside— everything seemed legit. I got changed the lock, got her in, got paid, and left.
That afternoon, I got a call from a man at the same address, saying he couldn’ t get his key in the door. I told him I had been there earlier and had dealt with a lady who provided ID. He said he was calling the police. Fifteen minutes later, he phoned back, apologised, and asked me to return and change the locks again— it turned out it was his ex-wife, just trying to collect her things. He even asked for a discount because it was my second job on same property! At first, I wasn’ t sure where I stood legally, but in the end, it all worked out and he laughed at the situation.
Upsides & Downsides of Locksmithing
I enjoy the variety— every day brings something new. I like meeting different people and helping them out. Customers often think locksmithing is expensive, but it’ s usually not as bad as they fear. The only downside is the occasional quiet day, but there’ s always something to do, like organising my van.
Let’ s Talk Locks
For standard lock I use Prolox and Versa and for high-security options I recommend APECS. If a property has been burgled, I install a temporary cylinder and order the customer’ s preferred lock. APECS and Ultion have done excellent marketing, so customers often come in knowing exactly what they want. I always explain the benefits of different locks to help them make the right choice.
Plans & Future Goals
I’ m getting married this June in a church in Scotter where we live, and we’ re heading to Greece for our honeymoon— starting in Santorini and then island-hopping around Athens,
Mykonos, and a few other places over three weeks.
I’ ve dabbled in auto locksmithing, having done a short course, but the investment in tools is expensive. I’ ve been slowly acquiring equipment and plan to take another course to get fully set up. I specialise in non-destructive car entry, using Lishi picks to open car doors when keys are locked inside. I am excited to continue my locksmith journey and help serve the customers in my area.
info @ thehandylocksmith. co. uk www. thehandylocksmith. co. uk 07496 168177
More information
The Handy Locksmith offers is expert residential locksmith covering window locks and handles, door locks, failed gear boxes, mechanisms, locksmith emergency call outs for lost keys, home lock outs, lock changes and repairs, uPVC doors and windows repairs.
Also offering a commercial locksmith service to schools, golf clubs, training centres, distribution centres, changing locks and fixing issues on key safes, code locks, cabinets locked, locked storage units.
MARCH 2025
13 locksmithjournal. co. uk