Commercial Locksmith Services
Anyone who owns a business or other non-residential property understands that there are radically different maintenance and security issues with such buildings. This is true whether it involves electrical systems, plumbing, construction and even locks. This is why anyone who owns a non-residential structure will also want to have reliable commercial locksmith services available. In fact, it is so likely that you will eventually require these services that you may want to take the time to pre-screen and keep contact information for your chosen commercial locksmith services on hand.
After all, needing someone with the skills essential to commercial locksmith services is a serious matter, and you don’t ever want to make your choice in provider while under pressure or emergency conditions. This is so often what causes someone to just choose the first listing they find, and that may not provide them with the ideal commercial locksmith services at all.
Expertise and Commercial Locksmith Services
To make that easier to understand, let’s just consider differences between residential and commercial locksmith services. Though you may find someone capable of doing it all, it is still important to know why the commercial expert is of so much benefit to you.
Residential providers are the ones most likely to help you with lock sets, supply you with keys, and even install more sophisticated gear such electronic key pads. They are not security experts, though some can work as consultants and help a residential owner understand the kinds of locks and other equipment that are important to them.
While commercial locksmith services may involve locksets (usually of a more industrial and heavy-duty variety than a standard residential property) as well as supplying keys, they may also have certifications in far more complex areas of specialization. For example, commercial locksmiths are often certified by specific manufacturers and even by locksmith associations. This is to demonstrate to clients that they have the kinds of skill and knowledge so important to success.
Keep in mind that this is very relevant because commercial providers may do much more than dealing with door locks. They may also:
- Handle all facets of installing, maintaining and planning your electronic locks
- Dealing with keys and transponders for commercial vehicles and equipment
- Installing locking arrangements for equipment such as electronics and control systems
- Creating access systems for multiple buildings and different installations
- Helping to open safes and other similar items without risking damage to contents
- Doing master key re-keying on multiple buildings or access ways
- Installing all the components for keyless entry ways and maintaining them
- Installing new locks of many kinds
- Being a point of contact and offering help with emergency lockouts
- Installing doors and the hardware needed to ensure optimal security
- Helping with key control systems to limit liabilities created by too many key holders
This is but a partial list of what the better commercial locksmith services can provide, and you can see that it is far different from the work that standard residential or emergency locksmiths offer.
A Standard Scenario
While the majority of businesses and commercial entities are smaller in size, the commercial expert could help with issues as complex as code compliance and high-end security. However, they are also going to be invaluable to the owner of a smaller business or facility.
Just consider this example: You own a commercial building and have several people with keys to access that building. Something occurs, and you must fire one of those employees. Now you are left with the issue of getting back the key, hoping they didn’t make a copy and trying to determine how best to re-secure the building.
This is the ideal task for a commercial locksmith. They can give you a few options that might include re-keying all the locks, replacing them, or even installing electronic locks to make this issue irrelevant in the future. For instance, you can rely on your chosen commercial locksmith services to install new electronic locks and give unique codes to each employee. If someone is let go or quits, you just issue new codes to all and your locksmith can make those changes in seconds.
Choosing the Right Provider
Now that you have a good idea of all that a commercial locksmith might do for your business or non-residential building, it is important to know how to choose the right provider. To begin with, inquire about those certifications mentioned earlier. These are not certificates of completion of training, but actual certifications given out by major lock and security manufacturers.
If they have several, then start finding out about customer feedback. Their website should let you see some comments from previous customers and how they felt about the service. If you want to be certain that your provider is a good fit, also ask them directly for references. A good provider should be happy to give you the names of other commercial clients they have worked with, and you must do the legwork and give at least two or three of the references a call.
Use the power of the Internet to find out all you can and even contact the company to get an estimate before you agree to any work. Be sure their pricing, and their operating hours are a good fit to your commercial needs.
After all, it is your business or non-residential property’s security in question. It is entirely acceptable to ask a bit about their reputation and performance and dig around a bit to be sure you’ve found the right service provider.
The point, though, is to choose commercial locksmith services long before you need them. As the experts over at Angie’s List even say,
find a reputable locksmith before you need one… Once you find a service provider you’re comfortable with, store that company’s information…
Even though you may not be in need of a commercial locksmith right now, there is always going to come a time when a non-residential property requires such services and it is best to have all of the searching, screening and legwork done in advance.