If you are looking to become a locksmith chances are you’re curious about the skills required to become the best & most successful locksmith you can be.
Our mini guide includes tips from trading locksmiths letting you know exactly what skills and knowledge is required to succeed as a locksmith.
Rather than cover the obvious skills such as dexterity and attention to detail, we’re going to tell you skills that working locksmiths use every day in their job, with answers from some of our Approved Company Locksmiths.
For a guide on becoming a locksmith please click here.
The first skill you will need as a locksmith is:
1. Patience – Not every lock is the same
Patience is the number one and the most common response we hear from our vetted locksmiths.
As a locksmith, you will be picking locks open.
Different manufacturers tolerances mean that the tension used on one lock may not work on the next.
You must have bucket loads of patience to practice, fail, practice again, succeed, and deal with challenges customers present
Scenario: You may have a customer urgently wanting you to open their house door in an emergency, if you can’t open the lock on first attempt you’ll need patience.
2. Forward Planning Saves Time
As a locksmith you be required to forward plan, always make sure you have identified what you are working on and when fitting anything always double check the measurements.
3. Wide range of Locksmith Skills
Some locksmiths will have large a skill set to seperate them from the competition, some can open safes, cut key by hand ( helpful for antique keys ), open locked cars and fit security grilles and gates.
We recommend learning a wide range of locksmithing and not just focusing on certain areas as it will separate you from competitors and give you more confidence on a broader scale when jobs are coming in Kansas city locksmith.
Key cutting by hand
Learning how to cut keys = Good understanding of locks
Also taking time to learn about key cutting and the different key blanks will give you a much better understanding of the various locks that you will encounter.
4. Think Outside the box ( with examples )
This was a very popular answer from our working locksmiths.
To be successful you’ll need to be a mechanically minded person that can ‘think outside the box’ on their feet. There is always more than one answer to a problem.
” MLA tutors even teach locksmiths how to make their own lock opening tools “
Every time you go to a lock out/failed lock there is always more than one way to solve that problem.
Examples of Thinking outside the box as a locksmith
Instance 1 – If the front door has a failed gearbox why keep everyone stuck outside? If it’s possible try and get the client back in their home by gaining access though a backdoor.
This way the client is back in there home, and you are free to work on both sides of the door, which is far more useful and you don’t have the pressure of the client hanging over you while you work your magic.
Instance 2 – If a key is snapped in a lock, you don’t need to panic.
If you can’t remove the broken key straight away maybe you can get the door open another way? Once the door is open you can then disassemble the lock and possibly get the key out.
Saving the lock & keeping the customer happy.
5. Make Your Own Tools
A good locksmith is highly adaptable and doesn’t necessarily need expensive tools to carry out their chosen trade but can adapt.
6. Accurate Advice ( on Lock Standards )
Giving the correct advice to secure a business or family’s home also needs responsibility from you to make sure that advice is right.
Pro Tip from Shane Hales of HalesLocks
7. Can you set up your own Business?
Locksmithing is not just a skill thats requires you to open doors.
If you go the self-employed route as a locksmith which many do, you will need the skills and knowledge to set up a small business.
8. Adapt Your Lifestyle to suit business
Locksmithing becomes a lifestyle not a job. As you will have to adapt your life to suit your business.
