Category Archives: CT Commercial Locksmith

CT Commercial Locksmith, CT Residential Locksmith, Home Safety

Showing up is half the battle

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Woody Allen once said “Showing up is eighty percent of life.” But it’s not just about showing up… unfortunately there are many not so honest so-called locksmiths who show up in an unmarked car, are not licensed and are unqualified.

When we come to your home or business you never have to guess who we are. We always come in a clearly marked service truck and we are licensed (as required in CT), bonded and insured.

Give us a call @ 860-678-9797 if you need locks replaced, repaired or rekeyed. Click here to see a full list of our services.

J & B Locksmith Service

CT Commercial Locksmith, CT Mobile Locksmith, CT Residential Locksmith

The advantage of mobile locksmiths

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Sharon & JimWe are a trustworthy mobile locksmith company and because we’re not tied to a brick-and-mortar location we can offer specific advantages to our customers:

  • We provide services whether a person is at home or at their business;
  • Because we work on-the-go, we have our equipment with us and can resolve problems quickly;
  • We offer a broad range of locksmith services, not just the basics. Our services include lock repair, lock installation, dead bolt installation, panic bar installation and repair, door closer installation and repair, lock rekeying, master rekeying, house lockouts, cutting keys, duplicating keys, safe combination changes.

It’s an unfortunate reality, dishonest locksmiths are all around us. Here are a few tips on what to watch for when dealing with a mobile locksmith you’ve never worked with before:

  • They should have a truck with their company name on it;
  • Ask for their locksmith license, Connecticut (and 13 other states) require locksmiths to be licensed;
  • Ask for references;
  • Ask for a business card, many fly-by-night “locksmiths” don’t even bother to get business cards.

Jim Arsenault is a Connecticut Master Locksmith with 30+ years experience. He is licensed, insured, and bonded. Jim repairs and installs locks at your Connecticut home or business, email Jim or give him a call at 860-678-9797 if you need locksmith services.

CT Commercial Locksmith, CT Residential Locksmith

Mystery in Seattle

mystery coke machineA Seattle locksmith’s claim to fame is a mysterious Coke machine, although the shop’s owner denies having anything to do with the machine. A employee states that they only supply electricity, that’s all.

The beverage dispenser apparently belongs to nobody, yet is fully functional and gets refilled with Coke and other soft drinks on a regular basis. Every Saturday and Sunday, when the shop is closed, somebody comes by to restock the machine, according to the employee. The vending machine itself isn’t new, in fact it looks more like a soda machine from the 1970s. And the price of a can of pop is also retro, for 55 cents a refreshing thirst quencher gets delivered at the push of a button. The selections are Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, or Root Beer. As if that isn’t mystery enough already, on the dispenser itself are two buttons labeled “Mystery” – if pressed the machine spits out soft drinks in various hard-to-find or even discontinued flavors such as Pineapple Fanta and Mountain Dew Code Red. Or sometimes you might get an apple juice, it’s totally up to the machine what comes out when the mystery button is pushed.

Many Seattle residents have tried to lift the secret around the vending machine but have failed. The machine has become somewhat of an iconic landmark and even has its own Facebook page with 23k+ “Likes” at the time of this writing – not bad for a rusty machine from the 70s. Whoever updates the page seems to have a good time with it. On one post “Mystery Coke Machine” thanked the little gnomes for the regular supply of soft drinks and the locksmith shop for the electricity.

Just goes to show you that locksmiths can have a little fun with their marketing 🙂

Jim Arsenault is a Connecticut Master Locksmith with 30+ years experience. He is licensed, insured, and bonded. Jim repairs and installs locks at your Connecticut home or business, email Jim or give him a call at 860-678-9797 if you need help with your locks.

CT Commercial Locksmith, CT Residential Locksmith, Scams

Make sure you hire a licensed locksmith

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For your own piece of mind it’s important to hire a licensed, insured and professional bonded locksmith.

Look for these three things when hiring a locksmith:

  • Licensing: In Connecticut it is required by law for a locksmith to have a valid locksmith license (you can check online to see if a locksmith license has been issued in Connecticut and if it is valid: https://www.elicense.ct.gov/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx).
    If you don’t see a license number on the locksmith’s website or business card, which by the way is required to be displayed if the state issues licenses, don’t be shy to ask for the license number.
    Unfortunately, states that do not require licensing make it easy for inexperienced and unprofessional individuals to call themselves “locksmiths.” Most of the time these locksmiths do not have the consumer’s best interest at heart, often they’re just scaming unsuspecting people out of money without delivering.
  • Liability Insurance: Insured locksmiths have purchased liability insurance, thereby protecting the client and themselves in case there is any accidental damage to the property.
  • Bonding: Bonded locksmiths undergo a background check to make sure they do not have a criminal history. This assures the consumer that the bonded locksmith is legitimate and that he has the necessary knowledge to make sure the home or business is protected.

Jim Arsenault is a Connecticut licensed Master Locksmith with over 30 years experience. He is licensed, insured, and bonded. Jim repairs and installs locks at your Connecticut home or business and you’ll always be charged a fair price. Email Jim or give him a call at 860-678-9797.

CT Commercial Locksmith, CT Residential Locksmith, Scams

Anybody can be a locksmith

Duplicate keys, change locks, open locked doors, install alarms… it’s all in a days work of a locksmith. And, unless you live in one of the fifteen states that require licensing, anybody can open shop and call themselves “locksmith.”

You’re just going to get the newspaper by the front door and your toddler or pet decides the door should be closed. Slam, the door is locked and you’re standing outside, with the keys on the kitchen table. A familiar scenario that happens every day in all parts of the country. The only thing that can help you now is calling a locksmith which can quickly become very expensive if you call the wrong company.

Often the situation will be used to rip off the consumer. In an emergency there is no choice but to pay the totally over priced fee. Occurences like this have given the locksmith profession a bad name.

Although a few technical colleges offer locksmith training programs it is not required to be certifiied, making it extremely easy for shady individuals to set up a locksmith business. They lack the skills a true professional locksmith offers: key duplicating, installation and repair of locks, electronic lock installation, and product knowledge that helps the consumer to decide which product will be the best fit for their particular needs.

So how do you recognize a good locksmith? Well, if you live in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia or Nassau County, Long Island, New York City, Hillsborough County, Florida, and Miami-Dade, Florida – ask to see the locksmith’s license. These states, counties and city require licensing. Often a serious locksmith business will also belong to a professional association such as the NLA (National Locksmith Association) or the Better Business Bureau.

The best recommendation will undoubtedly come from family, a friend or neighbor. Ask around for the name of a good locksmith, somebody they used before and were happy with. Then keep the contact information handy in case of an emergency.

Jim Arsenault is a Connecticut licensed Master Locksmith with over 30 years experience. He’ll repair or install a new lock at your Connecticut home or business and you’ll always be charged a fair price. Email Jim or give him a call at 860-678-9797.