When someone thinks of a locksmith they usually picture a guy in truck or van who can help them get their keys out of a locked car or help them safely get into their home without damaging their property. And locksmiths can certainly do those things, but the type of locksmiths who do those jobs are residential locksmiths. There are, actually, two types of locksmiths and a lot of people are unaware of this fact. The other type of locksmith is called a commercial locksmith.
This might not come as a surprise – the world is full of people who work in the commercial and residential markets: Window cleaners, landscapers, lighting designers, etc. And just like those other professions, commercial locksmiths specialize in order to take care of the specific needs of businesses as opposed to homes. The need for this kind of specialization becomes apparent when one considers the different types of accesses that business can provide to their employees, as well as an increased chance for theft (especially if the business is a merchant of some sort). Don’t misunderstand, there are some skills that both commercial and residential locksmiths possess, but often times a commercial locksmith has to be more involved with their clients. Here a couple ways that commercial locksmiths differ from residential locksmiths.
Both commercial and residential locksmiths can repair a lock if a key has broken off inside of it, but generally a residential locksmith will simply replace the lock and issue a new key. This is problematic for a business if multiple employees have keys that they are using to access the building at different times. So, a residential locksmith will usually try to repair certain parts of the lock or remove the broken part of the key if they can. One thing that a residential locksmith almost never does is carry a duplicate key for a home. Commercial locksmiths will often have a key to a business, that way if a manager, or other authorized employee, is lockout they can simply call the locksmith and gain access. For this reason commercial locksmiths are usually on-call twenty for hours a day.
Most homes have a standard lock and key, that is: They have a lock and a physical key that usually operates at least a dead bolt. But businesses have needs that exceed a standard lock and key, especially businesses that have secure access points where only certain employees are allowed. For this reason commercial locksmiths have to keep-up with current technology. Types of technology that a commercial locksmith may need to use include:
• Numeric key pads
• Locks opened electronically from a separate part of the building
• Badge readers
• Fingerprint technology
• Timed locks and gate apparatuses
The differences between commercial and residential locksmiths don’t necessarily limit either group. Both types of locksmiths are specialized with their client’s best interest in mind. But it’s good to know that you’ve got choices when considering what kind of locksmith is best for your needs.