Greater Manchester has an abundance of Local, Independent Locksmiths all touting for local locksmith work, some good, so not so good, so how do you stand out from the crowd and let the public and local businesses know that you are a professional locksmith?
The locksmith profession is one of the oldest professions around and the first locks date back to Egyptian times, however the locksmith industry has come under fire in recent years for being unregulated and for being populated by rogues and cowboys, this is not the case, the rogues and the cowboy’s make up a very small percentage as most locksmith are professional and trustworthy.
Where businesses and the public are concerned these bad apples can cause a negative effect on the industry as a whole with many homeowners and businesses reluctant to pick up the phone and call out and independent locksmith instead choosing to have one appointed by the police or their insurance provider meaning that many Independent local locksmiths in Greater Manchester, especially in high crime area such as Swinton and Salford are losing out on work.
So How Can Local Locksmiths Change The Current Perception of the Industry?
First off, sign up for a Google Business page and start asking your customers for reviews as reviews are the first thing many customers will check when searching for a locksmith online. Google reviews are more trusted than reviews displayed on your own website.
Invest in the correct equipment. When starting out some locksmiths will work out of their car and whilst this does not affect their ability to do the job the customer can see this as unprofessional so get a van and get it Vinyl Wrapped with your logo and business details as soon as you can. There are many companies around Greater Manchester offering Vehicle Branding at competitive prices, one of these companies, Universal Signage offers a very affordable vehicle wrapping service for locksmiths.
Join a Trusted Locksmiths website. There are a number of free and paid websites offering listings for locksmiths, one of these websites Smart Locksmiths guarantees that every locksmith listed on their website has been fully vetted and approved. Websites like Smart Locksmiths spend a fortune on marketing so are trusted by the public who see their web address show up again and again in locksmith related searches.
What Else is being done
After years of non regulation OfQual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) finally decided to launch an official standard qualification for the locksmith industry. The qualifications are;
- Level 3 Diploma in Commercial Locksmiths and Property Security
- Level 3 Diploma in Automotive Locksmiths and Vehicle Security
These Ofqual regulated qualifications, conducted through Highfield Qualifications, are 2 of the most advanced academic and vocational courses within the locksmith and security sector and are set to revolutionise and standardise the industry.
Initially these official courses will not be compulsory so current locksmiths can continue to trade but that will change in years to come as the qualifications are made accessible to more locksmiths through colleges and training centre up and down the country.
The transition period is rumoured to be 4 years, however as the official Ofqual Qualifications become recognised contractors will start to ask for the qualification before allowing locksmiths on commercial projects to cover their own liability.
Additionally, locksmiths like many other trades need to abide by government legislation’s, for example; Health and Safety At Work Act 1974, Regulatory Reform 2005, Equality Act 2010, GDPR Date Protection Act 2016, Building Regulations 2010, Public Indemnity, Public Liability and Employers Liability and these new qualifications assist in that knowledge and understanding.