Yesterday we got a call from a consumer telling us they bought a home and needed 4 new locks. When we asked him why he thought he needed new ones he said it was because he didn't want the old owners keys to work.
We explained that unless he wanted to upgrade to high security locks he only needed to re-key the old locks, not replace them.
He was elated on two counts:
1. Flam's was the only company that told him the truth, the first 2 companies he
called quoted him on new locks and were ready to do the job
2. The cost of re-keying was a fraction of the cost of new locks
Our ethics were about to pay off until he asked how much our service call was and when we told him $75.00 he said we were too expensive compared to the first 2 companies he called.
We just saved him from being ripped off for probably hundreds of dollars by unethical locksmiths and didn't get the work. Now he was taking our knowledge and shopping for the cheapest re-keys.
Please consider the bottom line on your bill, not the 'service call' line.
There will always be someone with a cheaper service call but fewer with integrity.
These are the times when we shake our heads and wonder what the consumer will be left with if companies like Flam's are not around to protect them in the future.
These are also the times when we remember that we can sleep at night, along with the majority of our clients.
