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I had one call where someone claimed to be locked out and said his pregnant partner was inside the property. Then suddenly I was dealing with his friend instead. The story kept changing, and there was no clear proof of authority for the property anymore. He also started haggling heavily on price before I’ d even arrived and, at that point, I declined the job.
You have to maintain professional boundaries in this trade because there are people who will try to manipulate situations or ask questions about bypassing security systems for the wrong reasons. That side of locksmithing surprised me a bit, there is an awareness of criminality you need to have all the time. You cannot compromise your professionalism.
Every Job Teaches You Something
I’ m only six months in, so every single day is still a learning process for me. Some jobs go smoothly and others completely humble you. I can pick one lock in seconds, and another might take 40 minutes. It all depends on the mechanism, wear, damage and situation.
One thing I’ ve definitely learned is not to assume the customer’ s diagnosis is accurate. Someone might ring and say their door handle has slipped, and you arrive expecting a quick job. Then suddenly you discover a complete multipoint mechanism failure, the lock’ s failed internally, the gearbox is damaged and now you’ re removing windows and spending five hours on a job you expected to take one.
You only know what you can actually see. Sometimes there’ s a knock-on failure where one part damages another. A handle issue becomes a lock issue, which becomes a mechanism issue. That’ s why experience matters so much in this trade.
The Satisfaction of Solving a Crisis The biggest reward for me is helping people feel safe again. Your home is your sanctuary. When someone is locked out, dealing with a failed lock or worried about security, they’ re stressed before you even arrive. Being able to solve that crisis and improve their safety gives me a real sense of achievement.
I enjoy the puzzle side of locksmithing massively, but it’ s also about helping people through stressful moments calmly and professionally.
I still get frustrated sometimes when I don’ t know something immediately, but I’ ve realised that frustration is part of growth. When you eventually solve the issue and understand the mechanism properly, you appreciate the learning process much more.
Dean is focused on building McLocklin Locksmiths steadily and professionally across Carlisle and surrounding areas. A member of the Guild of Master Locksmiths and trained to Level 3 standard, he specialises in UPVC and composite door systems, multipoint locking mechanisms and emergency locksmith services. His business combines technical locksmithing skill with the calm communication and risk awareness developed during a decade working in high-pressure care environments.
www. mclocklinlocksmiths. co. uk 07462649550 Mclocklinlocksmiths @ gmail. com
JUNE 2026
11
Issue Takeover locksmithjournal. co. uk