This is an age-old question that millions of Americans find themselves asking, at least once in their lifetime, do I need to contact a locksmith for this? Locksmithing is a craft that has come a long way, and where this profession is today is thanks to centuries of hard work, innovation, and evolution. Locksmiths are so good at what they do that they make their craft look easy to the rest of us, we’ve all had a lock or key issues that seemed simple enough to repair ourselves, sometimes we succeed, while most times we create a more significant problem.
Today, we’ll take an in-depth dive into the thought process behind deciding to do it yourself or outsourcing to a professional. We’ll consider the pros and cons of doing it yourself and contacting a professional locksmith in your vicinity.
That being said, we strongly advise you to relax, sit back, grab a cup of your preferred beverage and join us on this journey as we separate fact from fiction and help you make more informed decisions. By the end of this piece, we hope that you’ll have had all your questions answered, without much ado, let’s proceed.
PROS OF PROFESSIONAL LOCKSMITHS
First and foremost, experience, due to the fact that locksmiths deal with security for a living, they know more than most people when it comes to any lock or key help you might require. An experienced locksmith will help you out in such a way that we mere mortals could never match. This is the most glaring need for patronizing, professional locksmiths, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re dealing with a “simple” stiff lock or a compromised security system due to burglary. A professional locksmith will help you out in little to no time, and they’ll make it look easy.
Furthermore, reliability, if you have a trusted local locksmith practice close to you, we advise you to consider contacting them and getting their emergency contact details. You’ll sleep better at night knowing that your home, business, or automobile is safer thanks to your trusted locksmith practice. In the unlikely case that something terrible happens, you don’t have to stress as your 24-hour locksmith will be more than willing to assist you. As much as we may trust in our abilities to deal with things around the home or business, it’s always advisable to have a reliable locksmith on hand.
Consequently, professional expertise, there are some instances where professional expertise is unnegotiable. For example, imagine you were moving into a new apartment or your own home; in such scenarios, you need to take full responsibility for the security of your property. When you move into a new space, you have no idea how many people have keys to your new home, how secure it is, and what lapses are in your security system, amongst other things. You may require the help of professionals to audit your apartment’s security, then fix, install, or replace necessary features or items. This is just one example of when professional expertise is required.
Passion is necessary, most people aren’t passionate about installing, fixing, or upgrading security systems, and this is what sets the rest of us apart from career locksmiths. To put in the work and make the sacrifices necessary to master this craft successfully, you need to be passionate about locksmithing. When the going gets tough, those that aren’t passionate about protecting the lives and properties of their neighbors will quickly give up. Locksmiths are passionate about keeping you, your loved ones, your businesses, and automobiles safe.
Furthermore, professional opinion, keep in mind that you may not only require the expertise of a professional locksmith when something needs installing or fixing, every now and then, but expert input is also necessary for those of us that are passionate about maintaining and improving the security of our businesses or homes. We had the pleasure of speaking to the Lead locksmith at Good Lock in Virginia Beach, VA, and when asked about what drives locksmiths in their practice, he had one word for us, “love.” Locksmiths affiliated with Good Lock told us that the love they have for members of their community in and around Virginia Beach, VA, drives them to do better and be better.
CONS OF PROFESSIONAL LOCKSMITHS
As great as professional locksmiths are, there are a few things that need to be addressed, for instance;
Price, in a lot of cases, the expertise of certified, professional Virginia Beach locksmith do not come cheap, these individuals spend years as students or apprentices, while locksmith practices spend a fortune to run their business, so it’s only fair that they get compensated for their effort. Generally, you can expect the prices of most Virginia Beach locksmiths to be reasonable. Pricing is usually dictated by location, the job’s complexity, distance to your home or business, time, and a few other things.
It goes without saying that there have been reports of unscrupulous locksmiths baiting customers with unreasonably low prices, then overcharging them when they get to their customer’s location. Keep in mind that this isn’t the norm; most certified locksmiths won’t tarnish their brand or risk losing their certifications by partaking in such acts. A few rotten eggs do these, and as a customer, it’s your duty to do your part in ensuring that you only patronize reputable individuals and businesses to ensure that we keep enjoying proper services.
PROS OF DOING IT YOURSELF
Don’t forget, we’re looking into the pros and cons of DIY home security, and contacting a professional Virginia Beach locksmith expert. Fixing locks and security items in your homes has its perks, and we’ll go over a few reasons for you to consider attempting to fix your locks.
Firstly, price, this is pretty self-explanatory, when you do not have to worry about affording the expert services of a Virginia Beach locksmith, you can save yourself a considerable amount of money if you fix or install items yourself. We’re not going to try to lead you astray, locksmiths don’t come cheap, and the more complex your task, the more it’ll cost you. If there’s a way for you to reliably eliminate the need for a certified locksmith without compromising on “quality”, then you may want to consider if you feel up to the task.
Next, confidence, when you have “minor” hindrances, you may want to attempt fixing it yourself because when we successfully do, we feel better about ourselves, and in the digital world we live in, every now and then, we need a way to reinforce our independence.
Additionally, practical experience, are you interested in knowledge acquisition and doing things yourself, or better still, do you have offsprings, and you’re interested in teaching them the joy of getting their hands dirty and fending for themselves? A great way to start might be by tackling “minor” lock issues together as a family. Anything worth doing is worth doing yourself.
CONS OF DOING IT YOURSELF
When we attempt to do the jobs of professional locksmiths, there’s always the risk of making things worse, for example, by attempting to rekey a digital lock yourself, you can end up in a home lockout scenario or unwittingly compromise your personal security. By attempting to fill the role of locksmiths, you can save a considerable amount of money if you’re successful, but if you’re not, you might end up making matters worse and spending a fortune to undo your actions.
It’s a well-known fact that DIY is a double-edged sword, and on one end of the spectrum, you stand the chance of learning a lot, mastering new skills, saving some money, or even building better connections and bonds with those you love. On the other end of the spectrum, you can incur debt, loss of valuables, or even life.
IN CONCLUSION
After all, is said and done, when it comes to deciding whether to contact a professional or doing it yourself, there’s an obvious choice. Contracting the services of a professional locksmith is almost always the better option – keyword, almost- if you have severe security or locksmith need, sure, pay for the services of a professional. It takes a lot to learn the many services of a Virginia Beach locksmith company. They tend to offer many services such as auto lockout, cut car keys, transponder key programming, Ignition key, residential door locks, home security locks, commercial door locks and so much more.
Still, if all you need to do is change the password on your digital lock, you may want to consider going on the internet and finding out how to do it yourself.
As with most other things in life, we can’t look at this dilemma from a two-dimensional point of view, and if we do, we’ll overlook a lot of things that cannot be measured or quantified, like the joy of teaching your kids a new skill, increasing your self-confidence by fixing a minor security issue and the likes. We’re not saying that you should try to install a CCTV system yourself with little-to-no knowledge or contact a professional locksmith for every minor mishap. It’s always important to strike a balance between getting help and doing it yourself, and nobody said you had to pick a side, balance is the key.