When you have to call a locksmith, you're putting that person in a position of trust. After all, the locksmith has the means and the training to get you back into your house or car when you've lost your keys or locked yourself out. Unfortunately, there are some locksmiths that don't practice good ethics and who abuse their position and skills to gouge prices or otherwise take advantage of people in vulnerable situations.
Think about the problem of lost car keys when you're out somewhere, especially if you're tired and it's cold out. Most cars today use transponder keys, and your car dealer may have told you that they are who you should call if you lose your car keys. While they can and do make replacement car keys, they usually charge a premium for it, and there's no guarantee they can get to you right away.
But a properly trained car locksmith can do the same job usually much quicker and for a much lower price. Getting a Chicago local locksmith to replace your lost car keys is easy, and good Chicago area locksmiths have no trouble duplicating transponder keys with the hardware and software they carry in their service vans.
Honest locksmiths abide by a strict code of ethics, since they know they are sometimes in a position where they could take advantage of people in difficult situations. But a good locksmith is devoted to non-deceptive practices and will never use his skills and training to compromise a person's safety or security.
Just like you should always have the number of a trusted mechanic and a trusted plumber before you need it, you should have the number of a trusted locksmith on hand. In fact, it's a good idea to have a set of duplicate car keys made even if you've never lost your car keys. You can leave them with your spouse, parent, or another trusted party who is easy to get in touch with if you find yourself without keys. Plus, having replacement car keys made before you need them will let you scope out the professionalism and service offered by the locksmith you choose.
You have no doubt heart horror stories of people losing their car keys and locksmiths taking advantage of their desperation to overcharge them. Locksmiths that do such things infuriate honest locksmiths. It's not easy to make an informed, wise decision on a service provider at the spur of the moment, with limited information, when you're desperate. Which is why you should ask around and get personal recommendations if possible about reliable, trustworthy locksmiths in your area. Once you find one, program the phone number into your phone (and your spouse's phone, children's phones, etc.) so you can reach them easily.
The best time to find a good locksmith is before you need one. Most locksmiths work hard to earn customers' trust, so don't let reports of dishonest ones turn you against the whole profession. A good locksmith can really save the day when it's cold or dark out and you've lost your car keys.