You’re running out of gas. You go to the gas station to fill it up, get out of the car, and that’s when the problem starts. You forgot your keys inside, and now the car is locked. You are traveling to another city and stop at a roadside restaurant to have a bite. It’s a long road, and you want a cup of coffee. After you’ve eaten, you exit the diner only to find your keys still in the ignition.
These scenarios and more happen to all of us. We’ve all been through them or some variation of them. The problem comes when you are stuck and looking for an emergency car lockout service to bail you out. But at that moment, you don’t have the time to look for the right one. You want the quickest one. And that could sometimes land you in more trouble than you originally were.
So, what’s the solution?
Find an emergency car lockout service and save their details for future use. But with so many services, which one is the right one? Which one do you trust? Who will come to the rescue and have your back when needed?
Here are 5 tips to help you select the right emergency car lockout service. Keep on reading.
1. Check Out the Experience and Qualifications of the Emergency Car Lockout Service
Most of us know the damages an amateur can cause to your car. You don’t want a car lockout technician who scratches up the paint job, damages your vehicle, or takes too much time opening the car door. What you need is someone experienced, qualified, and efficient.
For this purpose, you need to check the credentials of the experts at the car lockout service you’re looking at. Are all the technicians qualified? How much experience do they have? What type of vehicles have they worked on?
To become a locksmith, people need to have a certificate or diploma. They should also have an on-job apprenticeship to become a professional locksmith. They should also have the registration and license for their state. Also, they should be fully insured. Make sure that the car lockout service you’re looking at has technicians with all these things.
They should also have a master locksmith. The one guy who trains all the other guys. The one guy they can turn to if they falter. You can call their customer support or visit their location to find all of this out.
2. Make Sure They’re Available 24/7
Yes, car lockout emergencies could happen during business hours, but do they? Most of us will attest that it happens when you least expect it. In the morning, when you’ve got an important meeting, traveling to another city or state, or some other unexpected time. You could lock yourself out in the middle of the road with no signs of life as far as you can see.
You need someone who can come to your location at 5 A.M. or 5 P.M. You need someone who offers 24/7 service.
Now, you would think that car lockout emergency services are all 24/7, right? But that’s not the case. Some of them operate during strict hours, and you don’t want to rely on them because you know you’ll get locked out of the car just as their operating hours close. So, before you add their number to your emergency numbers, call them and ask them if they are open 24/7. It could save you a lot of trouble in the future.
3. Find out Where They are Located
You might think location doesn’t matter, but it does. You need to know where they are located.
Ideally, you want someone close to your home and work because you do most of your traveling to and from these locations. You are more likely to get stuck at these two places than others.
But that’s not all. You will occasionally go out of your way to do something. Have a picnic with your family, attend a wedding, go golfing with your buddies, and more. For this purpose, ask your emergency car lockout service about the areas where they operate. Preferably, they should have a long list of areas and suburbs they operate in, and that’s precisely what you’re looking for.
So, to round it up, you need a local car lockout service that covers many areas and has a fast response time. That is the best emergency service, and that’s exactly what you’re looking for.
4. Look at Online Reviews
We’ve covered the technical aspects of the emergency car lockout service, but is that all? Does your car lockout expert only has to be qualified and experienced? Do they only need to work fast and get you out of trouble? No. There are other things that you need to look for.
One of those things is service with a smile. They have to be courteous and polite. You’re already locked out of your car and don’t want to face someone rude and unprofessional. You don’t want someone who spends a lot of time bickering with you or ranting about their life. They should be able to talk to you politely, answer your questions, and help you.
How can you find it out?
Go online.
People leave reviews about their experiences all the time. Check out Google reviews to find out what people say about the car lockout service you’re looking at. See if they have reviews that are spread out, and not all of them are five-star. That could mean that some of them or more could be fake. If they have more than one or two-star reviews, they might not be the ones you should be working with. These reviews will give you an overall idea of who you’re dealing with.
5. Ask Them About Their Prices
When you’re stuck out of your car, you need to know you can rely on someone to get you back inside. One of the things you should look at is their prices. See if they’ve mentioned it on their website or Facebook page. If not, you can always call them and ask. This’ll help you figure out how much it will cost. You won’t have a surprise waiting for you later.
Final Words
Everybody gets locked out of their cars or other vehicles at some point. But if you already have an emergency car lockout service on speed dial, it could save you a lot of trouble. Use the five tips we’ve shared above to find out the best car lockout service and save their contact for later use.