​You’ve realised you are locked out (or perhaps you are locked in) what should you do now?  I have been working as a locksmith in Milton Keynes for over 20 years now and have helped thousands of people who have found themselves in this situation.  Perhaps you have lost your keys, left them inside and the door has shut behind you or perhaps the lock has broken or the key has snapped in the lock.  Whatever your reason for finding yourself locked out (or in) our MK locksmiths can help.

​You may be in the fortunate position that you are able to get back into your property without having to contact a locksmith.  Perhaps there is another door or a downstairs window that you could use to access the property or perhaps you have left a spare key with a trusted friend or family member.  If this isn’t the case however, you will need to contact a local locksmith but how do you know which one to choose? 

It is worth spending a little time on this decision as unfortunately there are a lot of “cowboy locksmiths” out there.  These rogue traders will often advertise cheap rates online only to increase their prices once they are on site.  They are all too often unskilled and inexperienced and can often leave your door in a worse state than it was before you contacted them.  Our Milton Keynes locksmiths work closely with Trading Standards and report these unscrupulous traders on a regular basis when we come across them.  So how can you make sure the locksmith you choose is trustworthy and reliable?  Here are three questions that can help you when making that decision:

Is the locksmith approved by Trading Standards?

Trading Standards are the local authority departments that enforce consumer protection legislation in England.  Trading Standards in Milton Keynes operate the Buy with Confidence scheme.  The Buy with Confidence scheme vets and approves local MK companies.  All of our MK locksmiths have been vetted and approved by Trading Standards.  Our customer service is monitored on a regular basis and our locksmiths in MK have had their qualifications, references and insurances checked by a Trading Standards professional.  If you are locked out in Milton Keynes, our trading standards approved MK locksmiths can help.  Call us on:  01908632651

"​Is the locksmith endorsed by a Trusted Traders scheme?

There are a number of trusted trader schemes that claim to help consumers.  The “Which?” brand operate the “Which? Trusted Trader” scheme whereby they assess and endorse local tradesmen and tradeswomen.  All of our local Milton Keynes locksmiths at Errington Locksmiths and Security have been assessed and endorsed by "Which?"  The Which? Trusted Trader" endorsement is a sign of reputation and trust.  If you find yourself in need of a locksmith in Milton Keynes, our Which Trusted Traders approved MK locksmiths can help.  Call us on:  01908632651 

​Is the locksmith experienced?

An experienced locksmith should be able to ask the right questions in order to diagnose your problem and give you a quote over the phone.  Questions an experienced locksmith might ask include:

• Do you have ID to prove that you live in the property?
• Are you locked in or out?
• Are the keys inside?  Do you know where they are?
• Do you have a letterbox fitted on the door?    
• What type of door do you have?  Is it a wooden or UPVC door? 
• What type of lock do you have on the door?  The locksmith may also ask you to send a photo if you are in a position to do so.

All of these questions will help an experienced locksmith diagnose the problem and make decisions regarding which tools will be needed to let you back into your property with the minimum of fuss.  Be wary of a locksmith that gives a price over the phone without asking any of these questions.  It is likely that the price will change on site.  An experienced and professional locksmith will practise non-destructive entry wherever possible.  All of our locksmiths at Errington Locksmiths Milton Keynes are experts at non-destructive entry and will always seek to practise this.  If you are in the unfortunate position of being locked out in MK, please contact out skilled and experienced local Milton Keynes locksmiths on 01908632651

I hope these three questions will help you choose a locksmith if you ever find yourself locked out of your property.  In the meantime if you have any security concerns, please contact one of our MK locksmiths to discuss them

Back in December 2016, I successfully applied to become a Which? Trusted Trader and have been proud to be endorsed by the scheme since then.  I thought I would write this blog for any customers who were unaware of the scheme to explain how it works. 

Which? Have been testing products on behalf of consumers for nearly 60 years now and have a reputation for being thorough, fair and trustworthy.  When I heard that they were also testing tradesmen and tradeswomen, I knew that this was the brand I wanted to be endorsed by.  I did consider applying to be endorsed by some of the other “trade check” companies but I didn’t feel that any of them would give customers the same peace of mind that the Which? brand would.  Although I do have to admit that some of the other companies do have some very catchy radio jingles!   
   
To become a Which? Trusted Trader, you have to undertake a rigorous assessment procedure.  Background checks are completed on the business before you meet with a trading standards professional.  From this meeting, a list of pre-endorsement and post-endorsement compulsory action points are drawn up and the business must adhere to these action points in order to become endorsed and remain endorsed by Which?.  Although, any type of assessment can be daunting, the fact that I was meeting with a trading standards professional reassured me that any advice given was relevant and necessary. 

After the meeting, a random sample of previous customers are contacted and are asked to review the business.  Although I was confident of my customer reviews, I was still relieved to hear that I had passed the assessment and that Errington Locksmiths and Security would be part of the scheme. 
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Far too often, the reputation of a trade is tarnished by “cowboys” carrying out inadequate work for sky high fees.  Unfortunately this is as true for locksmiths as it is for any other trade.  I hope that the Which? logo and my profile page on the Which? Trusted Traders website helps to reassure my customers and any potential customers that they have found a tradesperson they can trust.