A Locksmith Milwaukee Can Trust!

Locksmith FAQ’s

Q:

I have heard about locksmith scams. Can you tell me more and how do I protect myself from getting ripped off?

A:

There are a few ways you can protect yourself from these fly by night scammers. First and foremost ask for a total cost for services over the phone and tell the locksmith that I will not pay for any amount over your quoted price. This will weed out the scammers quickly and they will more than likely hang up if they plan on scamming you into a bait and switch scheme.

The second is never give your full address to your location until you agree to hire that company. Your approximant location will work fine during the phone quote conversation. Note, If you choose not to hire the individual but you unknowing gave them your address, The scammer will send a fake locksmith out to you to intimate and fool you into thinking you hired them, when in fact you did not!

The scammer is a master of deception and will make up lies and threaten you into paying for a service call when they show up. Third, if the locksmith asks for your zip code then they are not local. Most likely you just called an out of state call center and you will be ripped off. Just never mind and hang up.

Fourth, when the locksmith does show up, the service van should be displayed with the correct company name and logo that matches the advertising on the internet. Also, the locksmith should be wearing some kind of uniform with the company logo. If their business card doesn’t match the company profile then they are a fake locksmith. Tell them to leave immediately or you will call the police.

If for any reason you feel uncomfortable then tell the individual to leave. Protect yourself and trust your gut. Also note that not all States, such as Wisconsin, require locksmiths to be licensed. Feel free to ask them for their license, if they present you with any sort of license make up then they are fake.

This only is valid in my home state of Wisconsin. I clearly tell my customers that I am not required to be licensed but I do possess a federal FEIN / EIN number which is registered with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and Internal Revenue Services in which I am lawfully engaged as a legitimate business.

Also, note that most of us locksmiths are mobile service providers. We do not necessarily have a brick and mortar building/location. So referencing a physical address with a company can sometimes be difficult. Scammers are known for advertising fake locations on Google.

I myself clearly display my home address because I am a mobile locksmith but entrust full disclosure to my customers. Another way of verifying the legitimacy of a locksmith is to check Yelp or other social media websites. It’s very difficult for the scammers to falsely represent themselves on social media. Keep in mind these tips and you will prevent yourself from getting ripped off.

Q:

What are the advantages of having high-security locks on my home or business?

A:

High-security locks are the best and most secure locks available on the market. They almost always are mechanical locks and not so much electrical. The body, parts and internal workings of a high-security lock are built to withstand the harsh everyday use and also theft-resistant.

They are designed to last a very long time. However, they also are the most expensive due to the precision machining of internal parts versus cheap stamped steel commonly found in over the counter locks. High-security locks also come with a restricted keyway.

A restricted keyway is a key not commonly found at the hardware store but a key that is very special due to its unique design and is not available to the general public. When duplication of a high-security key is needed you must have this done by a factory-authorized locksmith.

Every key made is accountable through a database and prior to duplication, proper credentials must be presented by the key holder. If you are in a situation where you do not want anybody to have the ability to sneak behind your back and have a key made without your permission or knowledge then a high-security key and lock are just what you need to prevent this from happening.

Some applications for high-security locks would be a bank, government building, jewelry store, or even your house! A high-security lock and key is the ultimate theft deterrent and best way to control access through a door. Protect what’s most important to you! Have high-security locks installed on your business or home!

Q:

What services do you offer regarding cars and trucks?

A:

We offer emergency lockout services for cars and trucks. Lockout service is when the vehicle keys are locked inside the car when the doors are closed and locked. The vehicles we service are all makes and models including heavy-duty construction vehicles, semi-trucks, mobile home travel trailers, and more.

If the keys are locked inside we can get them out no matter what the situation is. Unfortunately, at this time we do not generate, cut, or program vehicle keys/fobs. We hope to bring this service back in the future.

Q:

What forms of payment does Affordable Locksmith Milwaukee take?

A:

We take all major credit cards. Master card, Visa, Discover, and American Express. We also take cash and checks with the proper identification.

Q:

Do you sub-contract your work out to other Milwaukee locksmiths?

A:

No, I do not. If there is an issue where I can’t complete a job in time to meet your needs then I will offer a referral to another locksmith company. I am a firm believer in personally representing my company. Having a sub-contractor in the mix can cause problems and that is something I just don’t find acceptable. Every job will be done in person by myself or one of my employees. Period.

Q:

Can every lock be picked?

A:

Almost every lock can be picked, or as we call it, defeated. There is almost always a way to exploit the vulnerabilities of a lock. It goes without saying that every lock will require a certain level of skill that will allow the individual to pick the lock.

Some locks take great skill in manipulating it open while others can be picked by the common amateur lock picker. There are ways to make a lock very difficult to pick. A professional locksmith will know how to “set-up” a lock to be pick resistant.

But like I said every lock can be defeated. It is always in your best interest to have the best lock available set up by a locksmith to resist picking attempts. Even the cheapest lock on the market can be set-up to be quite difficult to open!

Q:

Is there a service fee to come to the home or business to estimate a potential job?

A:

With 25 plus years under my belt, I can almost always estimate or diagnosis a job simply with a phone conversation. If there are more questions then the use of picture texting is a great help. Most often we can save a ton of time by shooting me a few pictures of your lock situation.

After seeing a few pictures I can nail the job down to the penny. If your situation is more complex and requires a visit to your home or business then I will come out for a free consultation and or estimate. I usually like to accomplish this when I’m in your neighborhood on another service call. It’s great when I can “kill two birds with one stone”. I’m very busy these days and my services are in high demand but I value and want your business!

I will make every effort to get out to you asap which is usually the same day if not 24-48 hours later for a quick estimate or evaluation. My service calls find me on the road all over southeastern Wisconsin every day. Call me and ask where are you today? I might just be in your neighborhood.

Q:

Can all my locks work on one key?

A:

Depends. In order to make all the locks on your home function on one key, they must be compatible. Schlage and Kwikset, two separate manufactures, have established the main two key-ways used in the North America residential lock market.

Your key will work either Schlage type locks or they will work Kwikset type locks. The two are not interchangeable because they are the two largest competitors in the lock industry. A lot of the smaller manufacturers use Schlage or Kwikset key ways in their own locks. This is just the norm.

So the best way to see if your locks are compatible would be to grab one of your working keys and insert that key into all the locks. If that key slides into the lock, doesn’t need to turn, just slide into the lock then they are compatible. When I come to a customer’s house the first thing I do is to look at every lock to determine if they are all compatible.

If so then it’s just a matter of re-keying all the locks to a new common key. If your locks are not all compatible then what I like to do is determine how many Schlage compatible locks you have and how many Kwikset compatible locks you have.

After a quick inventory, a decision can be made to replace one type of lock to a different compatible lock. Eventually achieving a one keyed alike home. I almost always choose to keep the most expensive locks on your doors and replace the cheaper ones. But every home is different. Quick evaluation and inventory will result in the most economical solution for your house locks.

Commercial locks, however, are much more complicated. There are many different manufacturers that are in the commercial lock industry. They all have their own key-ways. Most of the time a quick phone conversation or possibly a visit is needed to physically inspect and or test your locks to make a determination on the most cost-effective way to achieve a one-key system.

Q:

How long does it take to install new locks?

A:

It depends on how many doors you have in your home. Most homes with 2 to 3 doors can be completed in 2 hours. Some larger homes with 4 or more doors may take up to 3 to 4 hours.

Commercial doors are much more complicated and every job is taken on a one-to-one basis. Once I know the extent of the job I can pinpoint the exact time it will take to complete the job. I usually am plus or minus 10 minutes from being spot on my estimates.

Q:

What is rekeying a lock?

A:

Re-keying a lock is the process of deleting the existing working key and re-configuring the lock to work with a new unique key. This is done by means of removing the lock from the door and dismantling the lock cylinder down to its basic parts.

Once dismantled it is then cleaned and rebuilt with all new parts and configured to a completely new key. After a successful rebuild is completed the lock then is re-installed on the door; finished with a final inspection and check for proper fit and function.

Typical cases where re-keying a lock is needed, Lost or stolen key, tenant eviction, divorce, or an employee let go.

Q:

Do you install key-less push button and smart locks?

A:

Yes, I install push-button key-less locks. These are stand-alone units that require a 4 digit number to operate them. They are not connected to a smartphone or the internet nor do they have the capabilities. Smart locks, however, are Wi-Fi and or Bluetooth capable depending on make and model. Older smart locks use to require a bridge, which is a device that connects to your router and allows your smart lock to connect to your local network and then communicate over the internet.

They were buggy and not dependable. However, newer smart locks are no longer requiring a separate bridge! Hooray! They have either Z-wave, Wi-Fi and or Bluetooth built into them for easy connectivity to your network. Smart locks have come a long way and they continue to improve every year!

They are easily managed with a smartphone app and are very dependable. I have personally used every smart lock on the market, let me help you to choose which is best for you!

Q:

What residential lockout services do you offer?

A:

We provide full residential lockout services for any and all doors. We can get you in your house fast when you’re locked out. We also can get any interior door such as a bedroom door open damage free.

We even can get the garage side and overhead doors open when there is a power outage, garage door opener malfunction or an old rusty side door lock that just doesn’t work anymore. Call us for a quick and prompt lockout service. We take this as a priority and you will receive service in a flash.

Closing Thoughts

Thanks for taking the time to read through all of these Frequently Asked Questions.  I get asked these exact questions every day on the job and wanted to post them as a resource here on the website.

Feel free to contact me any time with questions.  I look forward to helping you with all of your locksmith needs.