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Health & Fitness

What Can Your Peabody Locksmith Do For You

The History of The Locksmith?

Back in the day, Locksmithing  began from the Blacksmith trade. Blacksmiths worked with metal and steel and as locks and doors made of the same material evolved, the trade of Locksmiths began as its' own speciality. During the 1930's their was a sharp increase in crime and security became very important for home owners and businesses therefore the  mortise lock was invented.  A mortise lock is a lock that is set within the body of a door in a recess or mortise as opposed to one that is attached to the door surface. This new upgrade made it challenging to pick a lock thus increasing security. As WWII approached the Locksmith became a valuable resource for the war effort for obvious reasons so the trade grew immensely. Today Locksmithing is offered in many trade schools. In fact the oldest "Locksmithing" school in the country is The North Bennett Street School located in Boston's North End. The owner of Secure Lock and Alarm, Keith Bedrossian, graduated from The North Bennett Street School in 1996 and is a Certified Professional Locksmith. A "real" locksmith does much more than repair locks. They are great problem solvers and can assess potential break in factors and the best method in which to prevent a security breach. The best security that one can have for their home is a high quality lock that is actually used on a consistent basis.

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What Services Can A Reputable Locksmith Perform?

Of course Locksmiths work with Locks, but they can do so much more. The basic services include locks repair, deadbolt installation, Lock Re keys, door repair, panic bar installation, high security lock installation, door closer repair and installation, and emergency mobile lock-out services. An advanced Locksmith should also be able to install access control systems, replace car keys, do auto lock-outs, repair mailbox keys,and do master key systems. A Locksmith worth their weight should also be extremely knowledgeable in safe sales, safe repair, safe cracking, and safe combination changes. A great Locksmith can do so much more then cut keys. Go the hardware store for that.

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How Do I know if a Locksmith is Legitimate?

This is a very important point because unfortunately the true tradesmen have been pillage by a group of illicit and fraudulent posers that are really making a bad name for the industry. There is a very clear distinction between the two groups and with a little education and fire power the general public should be able to decipher between the two. Here are some important points.

A reputable Locksmith will....

1. Be a member of ALOA- The Associated Locksmiths of America. This is a group that monitors the industry, offers annual conventions for training, as well as tests for locksmith to pass for certifications.

2. Will answer the phone directly or they will have their local office answer the phone. Be very leery of answering services in the Locksmith trade. There are many reasons why and I will review them later.

3. Good Locksmiths should be able to, in most cases, diagnose the problem over the phone and give you a firm price ahead of time. Be careful of bait and switch situations. If it seems to good to be true then it probably is.

4. A "real" locksmith should be able to open a lock without drilling it open. Occasionally even a well trained Locksmith may have to drill but this is the exception and not the rule. 

5.  They should be certified, licensed, bonded, and recognize by their local police department. Secure Lock and Alarm has working relationships with five  municipalities in Essex County and performs work for them on a regular basis.

Buyer Beware

As I mentioned earlier, there is a group of poser locksmiths in our community that are really hurting the reputation of our industry. When someone calls these companies, they are actually calling a call center. The call center will say that they are  a "Locksmith" and that their service call is only $15.00. Then they will say that they will call you back to fill the order. In the meantime, the call center is calling around Essex County to find one  of these thugs that are posing as a Locksmith. They hook you with the $15.00 service call. At Secure Lock and Alarm, we have done the research already and there are about 6 legitimate locksmith's in Essex County and the rates on service calls range from $75-$95 dollars. These other companies hook you with  the $15, arrive at your home or business, drill and destroy your lock, then put you in a position that  the lock will  have to be replaced. The end charge is about $700. This is all clearly described in ABC's Lookout series in May of 2012.  This video is embedded in our website www.securelockandalarm.com if you would like to review it. 

Here are some other thing  to remember......


Does the person your calling have the following

1. A real physical address that is a store location. Many of the fraudulent companies will give fake    addresses that are non related homes or fake commercial companies. For example, the address given will actually be a McDonald's or Stop and Shop. Secure Lock and Alarm is physically located at 52 Bridge Street in Beverly Ma. We have owned our property for 10 years and you are welcome to come to our safe showroom or get suggestions on alarm systems, safes, access control or camera systems as well.

2.  All Locksmiths should be wearing a  uniform from the company they represent and drive a lettered and marked van. These fake Locksmith's show up in regular civilian vehicles.

3. Is there a  legitimate website for the business and are they a  members of local Chambers of Commerce. Are they  embedded your community? Do they invest in some advertising? Real companies that intend in being around for while invest in themselves. They undergo continuous  education classes and keep update  to date on industry changes. Ask the companies that you call when was the last time they attended a ALOA convention or took a contueing ed class. 

4. Ask if being a Locksmith is their full time job? The fly be night companies that I referred to earlier typically do this as a part time job, thus the reason for no uniforms or lettered vans. Guess what, they have no insurance either.

5. I can't stress enough the importance of having a physical address that a customer can visit. Do you really want someone to have a key to your house and not be able to find them. They know where you live and you don't know how to find them or get in touch with them. Think about the potential of a security breach.

A Complete List of Locksmith Services

  • Lock Repair
  • Lock Picking
  • Lock Changes or Lock Rekeying
  • Emergency Mobile Locksmith Services
  • Duplicate Keys
  • Cut Keys by Code
  • Panic Bars
  • Door Repair
  • ADA Door Hardware
  • High Security Keys such as Medeco or Mul-T-Locks
  • Master Key Systems
  • Key Control
  • Magnetic Locks
  • Push Button Locks
  • Replace Car Keys
  • Car Lock-outs
  • Sell Safes
  • Repair Safes
  • Safe Combination Changes

Secure Lock and Alarm has been in business since 1996 and has a commercial showroom located at 52 Bridge Street in Beverly. We are a mobile locksmith company that serves all the towns in Essex County including Salem MA, Lynn MA, Peabody MA, Danvers MA, Marblehead MA, and Swampscott Ma. We are registered members of ALOA, attending our last continuing education class in July 2013, and we are  attending the Yankee Conference in October 2013. A certified locksmith answers the phone 24 hours a day and can typically give you a price over the phone. Please visit their website at www.securelockandalarm.com or email the owner, Keith Bedrossian at sales@securelockandalarm.com

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