What people do when locked out (usually).

Thinking you are the victim of a lock out is not great. First reaction is to doubt the situation.

Doors do slam in the wind, also we think we have put our keys somewhere but may have done something different that day and popped them down somewhere else. Take a minute to calm yourself from the situation.

1. Make a few calls, phone a friend

Make a few calls if you are lucky enough to have your phone with you. Think of the people who may be able to help you in, phone a friend. Your child might be in school, your Mum may still have her key. Your partner will have theirs. You may only be temporarily locked out.

If you rent your place, try getting hold of your landlord or letting agent. They will usually have a spare set of keys for the property. Ideal for lock out situations, and if landlords require them for any other reason.

Do not rely on agents or landlords during the weekend or holiday periods, unless they have confirmed they do have a spare set. This could also set you back a few hours waiting for responses and then another couple for them to get to you or you to them. Calling a lock out locksmith might even save you time.

2. Are you really locked out?

People who locked themselves out inadvertently are usually highly stressed and do not always immediately think logically. it is easy to forget that most of us have more than one door or we have left a window open. Are you really locked out? Try all options first.

Going through windows is not the best choice, but some people are more athletic than others and do not mind that they may end up head first in the downstairs loo or wrapped around the venetian blind. Be careful, if it looks too dangerous it probably is.

When locksmith’s go to a lock out they always assess other means of entry. A good few gain entries are achieved without the need to even get a tool of the van. Much to the chagrin of the customer who has waited in the cold for 30 minutes and now has to pay a tradesman.

3. Become a lockmith yourself for 10 minutes

Many locked out people try to improvise magic tools that can make a door open and think, if they got out, they can get back in. Parents ask their children to try and stick their hands in the letterbox to help. Some go and ask a neighbour if they can use their ladders for 10 minutes. Others hit YouTube to see if they can learn the profession in a few minutes to try and become a locksmith. They also say they was sure they could get their head through that upstairs window.

People know or think they know their own lock weaknesses. Many locked out people have seen the movies where the hero opens locks with credit cards and hair pins.

This is not recommended, but has been known to work for some. If you have this sort of a lock protecting your belongings then you need to consult us, do not leave it until it has got to this stage.

The reason this stage is not recommended is the fact you might be doing more harm than good. Snap your credit card and you won’t be pleased. Sticking foreign objects into a lock and they snap, then you will find yourself in more trouble.

4. Break things

The final stage of self lock out. This has been included because many people decide that it is easier to break things than get someone who knows what they are doing. All lockies have been to call outs where locked out people have broken things, only to find out the lock is defective anyway and needed someone to fix it way before it locked someone out.

Other times engineers have got to the clients address and the customer have had no door left to fix or to fit into the hole it came out of. Once you have reached this stage of lock out you are looking at an expensive fix price.

A bit of boarding up later and a new door required.

Once you have gone through the above 4 steps, all are a matter of choice to a certain extent. Here is the 1 amazing tip, call a locksmith. It may be cheaper than you think.