The problem of people posing as a fake locksmith that ‘dupe’ customers is an International problem.  A Locksmith is meant to be a trusted security professional with the proper training, education, and ethics.

Without doing your homework, or using a trusted network such as 1-800-UNLOCKS, you could place your safety and personal information in peril.

Trust your local professional locksmith and always call 1-800-UNLOCKS!

Barry Wilson, owner of American Lock & Key says the business name may be accurate but the address is not and the phone number does not belong to the business either.

These types of deceptive advertising practices confuse the consumer into thinking they are reaching a reputable locksmith such as American Lock & Key or Buckley’s Security System.

This problem has persisted for several years and we believe its time to put a stop to it.  We are having a meeting with Delegate Jimmie Massie this evening to discuss the problem and see if there is anymore help the state can provide to the consumer as well as the locksmith business owner.

As always, simply dial 1-800-UNLOCKS (800-865-6257) to reach your local professional locksmith and avoid being scammed.

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Crowd sourcing content is noteworthy achievement for web developers.  By allowing users to update their local business listings, websites such as Yahoo, Yelp, Google, and Yellow Pages have grown enormously in a much shorter time frame than they otherwise would, but not without cause for concern.

As you will read in this Washington Post article, crowd sourcing is not always a win-win.

There are countless business listings for locksmith businesses that are illegal, illegitimate, out dated, or incorrect.

Before calling a locksmith that advertises incredibly low rates such as $15, remember to research the business.  Chances are, it’s too good to be true and the $15 is just the tip of the iceberg.  Finding a local professional locksmith is not necessarily an easy task but is certainly worth the time and effort when your security as well as personal information is at risk.

Aside from calling 1-800-UNLOCKS to instantly reach your local professional locksmith, research a professional locksmith at www.findalocksmith.com or www.ftc.gov.

As always, thanks for reading and always be thinking how you can better serve your customers.

Because 35 States have yet to adopt licensing for locksmiths, 1-800-UNLOCKS®  exists to protect the consumer from calling just any locksmiths.

Before spending several hundred dollars and risking your security, remember to call 1-800-UNLOCKS®. This tip will save you time and money!  We thoroughly research all our members to maintain a pristine and reliable network.

It was amazing to me that many officials and police officers are still unaware of the illegal locksmith issue that is sweeping the nation.  Fortunately, The Today Show did an expose which can be viewed on our Facebook page. Always ask the locksmith for their license number in you are in one of these states.  Rest assured, 1-800-UNLOCKS® does not tolerate illegal locksmith activity!

I believe one of the reasons this problem has persisted is due in part to the nature of the locksmith industry.  Typically, the average consumer only needs a locksmith a few times in their life.  This infrequency of use makes the consumer unaware of the issue and might assume the price these locksmith scammers charge is justifiable.  These scammers steal hundreds of millions of dollars from consumers every year.  The numbers are staggering.  What’s more upsetting is that these dollars leave the Country and go overseas immediately.  A professional locksmith pays local, state, and federal taxes which supports their local communities economy.

Aside from the obvious problem of security issues when dealing with an illegitimate company, these locksmith scammers typically destroy your door locks, car locks, and car windows.  They have no regard for your property and will demand payment several times what a professional locksmith would charge.

Certain locksmiths have taken it upon themselves across the country to fight these impostors but it is a war against what some would characterize as a pyramid scheme.  Some people contest that these locksmith scammers are all connected on a Nationwide level!  Small victories are being won in this battle such as in the case of Mike Bronzell of All Hour Locksmiths in Chicago Illinois.  1-800-UNLOCKS®  has locksmiths in Chicago and surrounding counties that we have partnered with. You can see ABK Lock & Safe and Chi-Town Locksmith here.

The problem is obvious.  The solution is also obvious. It is 1-800-UNLOCKS® view that we are the solution to this problem.  With 1-800-UNLOCKS® (800-865-6257), you get a centralized phone number to reach a professional locksmith from anywhere.  Our locksmith members are local professional locksmiths.  It is in their best interest to provide exceptional service to their customers 24/7.  Professional locksmith organization, the SOPL, believes that the 1-800-UNLOCKS® programs is a great way to combat these scamming locksmiths at their own game while helping out the consumer.

As always, thanks for reading and always be thinking how you can better serve your customers.

Always call 1-800-UNLOCKS® (800-865-6257) when you need a locksmith! Tell your friends a family to stay safe!

A good goal in business is to have a long term competitive advantage.  Carving out a niche is a way to ensure sustainability in your marketplace.

Anticipating what your customers need is simple  They want a local professional locksmith that they can trust with their security needs.

The question is, how can you convey to your customers that you are in fact the professional locksmith they should be calling for automotive, residential, and business locksmith needs?

The customer is no different than you or I.  They want good work, honesty, and fair pricing.  More than that, they want to be able to get in touch with their locksmith immediately in an emergency situation.

As a locksmith, you want to have an easy to remember phone number that sticks in people’s heads.  A number that people can tell their friends about in 2 seconds.  A number that signify’s you are an elite locksmith that is full-service and always professional.

The best part about this is, your customers will then do marketing on your behalf.  They will tell their friends and family exactly who they should call by name and number.

As always, thanks for reading and always be thinking how you can better serve your customers.

Consumers need to be alert when calling for locksmith services whether you live in North Carolina or not!

By posting these stories and alerting the average consumer, 1-800-UNLOCKS® hopes to put an end to the problem once and for all.

A fraudulent locksmith can be difficult to spot.  1-800-UNLOCKS® makes sure all of its locksmith partners are pre-screened, insured, and licensed where needed.

1-800-UNLOCKS® has partnered locally with 1st Sergeant Locksmith in Jacksonville North Carolina.

Need a trusted locksmith in Columbia South Carolina? Call A City Lock Service!

That is exactly what my Father did and it served him well, but that was back in 1979.

Skip ahead 30 years and you find that there is fierce competition in the locksmith industry.  To maintain an edge on your competition all businesses should do a basic Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threat analysis of their business.  Additionally, a SWOT analysis can be applied to a specific project or venture being considered.

What is the goal of a SWOT analysis?  The goal is to figure out if your goals or objectives are attainable.

Funneling resources without seriously considering the subsequent upside or downsize could be a risky venture.

As we all know, scamming locksmiths have developed a huge presence online and in the phone books.  This not only makes it more expensive to compete with scammers because their prices are below the cost of doing business legitimately, but your advertising expenditures are being diluted.  This aggressive campaigning is something that no locksmith can combat alone.

ALOA has set up a legal task force fund to attempt to bring justice to these perpetrators.   You can donate here!  Whether or not justice can and will be brought to these individuals remains to be seen.  Of course, we all hope for a quick and effective resolution that benefits the hard working professionals across the country.

The bottom line is, 1-800-UNLOCKS®  is interested in crafting successful marketing ideas that locksmiths can follow and have measurable success.  (If you want to share your own successful marketing stories, please leave a comment.)

In order to grow, a locksmith must look at the following:

Strengths: attributes of the person or company that are instrumental to attaining the objective.
Weaknesses: attributes of the person or company that are detrimental to attaining the objective.
Opportunities: external conditions that are helpful to attaining the objective.
Threats: external conditions which could hamper the business’s objective and performance.

An objective should be clearly defined and concrete.

Non-Concrete statement: “I want to make more money”.

Concrete statement: “I will increase revenues 20% by June 2012.  This statement is much more concrete and thus attainable.
Possible Strength Answers: Had proper locksmith training, established relationships with hardware manufacturers, built solid customer base in my territory, maintain track of inventory, have a professionally built website, have a social media presence that gets updated at least once a week.
Possible Weakness Answers: Lack any of the above, poor customer service, don’t answer phone calls and return calls promptly, don’t answer the phone professionally and proudly, lack an easy to remember and trusted phone number.
Possible Opportunities Answer (external): New technology to increase customer base, social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  Possible population growth in an area, new construction in an area, competitor goes out of business, increase in crime rates, skilled labor force available, unique product offering to control your territory.
Possible Threat Answer (external): New competition in town, scamming locksmiths, etc.

The biggest threat to the growth of a locksmith is lacking a well-defined market place niche.  Locksmiths come in all shapes and sizes but the product offering remains the same.  Those that specialize in a field such as automotive or safe work are probably content with limiting growth potential.  There’s no doubt specializing and honing your skills pays off.  Being a jack of all trades is nearly impossible.  That’s where skilled and trained personnel come in handy.  There are plenty of hungry and driven individuals out there willing to learn a trade. If you know a locksmith that needs a job, contact us here, we will help find them a job.

The biggest and most controllable strength you have is yourself.  Being courteous and polite regardless of how customers may treat you says a lot.  The biggest opportunity the full-service locksmith has is 1-800-UNLOCKS®.  It is unique, it is easy to remember, it gives you a market niche, it allows you to control a specific territory, it separates you from your threats whether they are locksmiths or scamming locksmiths.  This is what you would call a solid competitive advantage.

As always, thanks for reading and always be thinking how you can better serve your customers.

There are many companies that offer SEO and website services for locksmiths but they don’t don’t specialize in marketing specifically for Locksmiths.  This means they don’t follow industry news that affects your bottom line and your customer’s safety.

Today’s locksmith needs to offer a wide range of services in order to be competitive.  In order to advertise this, you must have an online presence that is professional and helpful for your customers.  Online advertising is great for many reasons.

By having an online presence whether it be with a website, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn you can update your customers on latest offerings along with all other updates.  Your customers can get a feel for your company and level of professionalism. It allows your customer to touch and feel your company before making the call for service.

In reality, what matters is what the consumer thinks.  The customer is king, period.  I don’t care what business you are running.  If you think for a moment that people don’t talk to their friends about a really good or a really bad experience with a business, you’re living in dream land.  No one likes dream land, the economy sucks and you can’t supersize your combos.

Here’s a question, is your work day fun and exciting? Maybe for some.  As long as I get some Starbucks coffee in the morning I know I enjoy my days.  For most, it’s the same stuff, different day.  Sometimes, something special happens and it’s different stuff, different day.  That’s when it gets exciting!  So what changed? I locked myself out of my house.  I locked my keys in my car.  I bought a new house.  I fired an employee.  I got promoted.  I got robbed.  I broke my key.  The list goes on and on.  What do all these events actually mean?  These events mean that someone, somewhere needs a locksmith.  They need their local professional locksmith.  In a pinch, they need someone fast, reliable, ethical, and trustworthy.

Customers think of 1-800-UNLOCKS® this way, it’s a phone number that is easy to remember and signifies there’s a reliable, local professional locksmith on the other end of the phone.

Locksmiths think of 1-800-UNLOCKS®  this way, you are providing your normal services, maintaing your normal professional presence, and consistently staying busy.    In this economy, everyone should be happy just to have work let alone earning an ROI on their marketing dollar every month.  I have seen a significant drop in business first hand in my fathers business over the past couple of years.  Fortunately he is advertising 1-800-UNLOCKS®  in the Richmond Virginia area and has thus maintained his call volume.  My prediction, this stagnant economic trend continues for the next couple years.

Your customers want to feel reassured that you care about them, that’s not rocket science.  So set up a presence online!  1-800-UNLOCKS®  is constantly growing our online reach with people across the world.  We have experts that can create a very professional locksmith website and assist in your business social media strategy which can help your company grow.

As always, thanks for reading and always be thinking how you can better serve your customers.