Comments The Locksmith Journals

accountant

Contributing Member
Hey DL,

So if you're telling us that putting liquid graphite into locks is bad for it, why is it sold everywhere and there are locksmiths on the interweb with videos showing how to use it?

I would sincerely like to understand.

Personally, I have only used WD-40 and lock de-icer for problem locks.

Thanks,

A.
 

day late

money? whats that?
Graphite will work most of the time, but being solid and granular, it tends to actually bond with the dirt that gets in there every time the wind blows. If you've got a lock that has been there for a few years, you would be surprised at how much dirt has built up. If there isn't a lot of dirt graphite will tend to make the particles of grit slide off of one another, but in the long run it just adds more gunk to the lock. The thing with WD-40 is being a semi-liquid, it causes the dirt to basically drain away out of the lock and into the door. That's no problem. Some people will tell you that over time WD-40 will begin to solidify. That is also true. However, the answer is another shot of WD. Everything that is starting to get solid goes back into solution and drains away.
 

Freebirde

Senior Member
Graphite vs WD40 question depends a lot on where you are. What works best in Lake City FL is not what works best in Lake City, MN. Graphite is better where it is cold and dry, WD40 is better where it is hot and humid. Variation of this debate has been a source of conflict in the gun culture for years. Here in TN, I use WD40 during the summer and graphite during the winter, cleaning between times.
 

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money? whats that?
Boy, since the manager has been gone the boss is getting deeper into the day to day. Everybody's schedule has been changed and he is taking more of an interest in some of the finer details. I've mentioned before we have a thing called an under the door tool. There is an old one in the van I drive, and I've heard stories there is supposed to be a second newer one in the van. Those stories started a month or so before the manager got canned. Nobody ever asked me about it, it was just mentioned during the weekly meetings. Last night just after I got off work, I got a call from the boss wanting to know if I had that thing in the van. Well, recently because the new guy is not doing such a great job keeping things put away in the van, every time I get it, I have to put things back where they belong. I've been spending a bit of time in the back of that thing. So, I told the boss, if there is one back there, I haven't found it, and there aren't any places where it could hide. He found that interesting but didn't say anything about it. I do believe he has begun to find things are missing and is trying to find out where they went.

One of the things I like about the boss is that he isn't into trying to micro-manage everything. Personally, I always thought that weekly meetings were a bit over the top. The company isn't that big and there aren't that many problems. It seems the boss thinks so as well. He has cut the meetings back to bi-weekly, which suits me just fine. He also seems to be a little more interested in getting the parts we need, BEFORE we need them. I rode the manager for weeks about getting in some more smart key deadbolts. The answer was always something like, 'I've been meaning to do that.' or 'I'll make sure we get some when I place the next order.' but the locks never showed up and the manager kept saying to stop by some place and buy what we needed on the company credit card. That causes a delay in getting to the customer, which looks bad for us. Or on some occasions we would have to leave the job, buy what was needed, then return and finish the job. This also looks bad for us. The reason it looks bad is that when we buy something the first thing, we have to do is double the price, (added expense to the customer) AND charge more for the time spent on the job (another added expense to the customer). I'm getting the feeling that I would really like to get a close look at the managers expense account. I think it would be most interesting.
 

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money? whats that?
These past few days have been something. I knew it was going to be different with the second or third call I got my first day at work. I call the customer to let him know I'm on my way, and we'll have that lock re-keyed in no time. Then he asks me,

"Do you know anything about hanging curtain rods?"

Well, I did it in my house and have learned to live with the results. I am not hanging them up for you. Things just got stranger from there. The worst part saved itself for yesterday. I'm down to the last couple of hours to my shift. I'm getting ready to call in my break, so I can go home and cook supper. Naturally that's when I start getting hit with call after call. The worst job I got was at the SS imposed deadline for the number of hours worked. It's a re-key. No big deal. NOPE. This guy has just bought this place. He and his roommates will live here while they are going to school. Once finished with school, either sell the place and move forward, or rent it out as a source of income while you try to get a start in your career. This place has three doors, and five different locks have to be made to work on one key. Each lock has its own set of keys. Out of seven locks on five different doors, only two locks used the same key. Normally what I would expect is that each door had a matched set of locks. Not this time, it didn't matter if it was a doorknob or a deadbolt, each one keyed differently. AND every last one of them had to be installed within the past week.

Long story short, what should have been a fifteen-minute job now takes nearly an hour. And I still haven't had my break. The only good thing to come out of it was the owner had no use for and didn't want all of these left-over, now useless keys. The boss and I were just discussing having keys, ready to be copied for re-key jobs. I now have five new sets from the manufacturer. Not a copy, that was a copy, of THE copy, of the original key. At this point, best to just re-key with the original, and the first few generations of copies at going to be very close to the key that came from the company. There were a couple of more things, but right now on my first day off, we FIANALLY got the freezer fixed. It started to die just before Mrs. late went of a trip home back in late June. Today it is fixed. I'm just waiting for the sound of the first of cubes falling from the icemaker. Then I know its working.
 

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To give a better idea of what the recent past has been like, here a couple more of the jobs I had yesterday. A mid-aged couple, just moving into new digs, want all the locks re-keyed. Not a big deal. It gets even better when three of the doors have smart key locks on them. Only one was a standard, pickable deadbolt. I compliment the homeowner in choice of locks and point out the one that can be picked. Now it only takes about fifteen seconds to re-key a smart=key lock. I spend more time moving from lock to lock than I do re-keying them. Before I get done with the last one, the guy is asking if I can replace that one, with a smart key that looks the same as the others. Just so happens that I do. I did tell the guy and his wife that they could save themselves some money and do the job themselves. NOPE. They want it done by the pro. The bill just went up another $60. But who am I to complain? It's not like I tried to talk him into it.

Then we get to the 'I can't count' customer. More often known as 'count doors, but don't count locks' type of customer. It also seems she has used our services before, so I can't drop the ball on this one. It is when I ask the lady which lock is to be changed, she tells me the doorknob and deadbolt on the front door. She paused for a moment, looked at and says,

"I guess that's two locks, isn't it?"

Ok, not a big deal. Not like it's the first time this has happened. Until I pull the locks off the door. I think Schlege stopped making these locks about ten years ago. Re-keying them wasn't hard, but the locks themselves were made at a time when lock manufacturers seemed to be competing in a contest to see who could put the highest amount of useless pieces in as they possibly could. One false move and its springs and pins everywhere. Also, things evolve over time. The length of pin #1 today isn't exactly the same as the same number pin of twenty years ago. Or maybe the diameter of the plug the pins ride up and down in has changed over time. So, today's pin doesn't always fit yesterday's lock. Unless you get lucky and find a pin the right size, you have to go a size taller and then grab the file. You file however many pins may be sticking up, (three on each lock this time.) and file them down to the top of the plug. At the same time, you must not reshape the plug by over-filing. Took much longer than it should, but in the end the boss made money, the customer was happy, and it kept me busy for a bit.
 

WanderLore

Veteran Member
DL, I'm finally done! Wow if you replace the word "Locksmith" with "EMT", we could tell some similar stories!
Really enjoyed reading through it all and hope to see more.

Once some years ago, my daughter lived in the big city. It was winter (North) and she called me because her key wouldn't turn in her car ignition.
I drove all the way there. Money was pretty tight on everyone. I actually called my ex in Hawaii to ask his advice. He looked up and got a lock smith number for me.
I sit in the car and talk to the Locksmith. He tells me he can come tend to it but wants me to try something first.
Heat the key with my cig lighter. I did and it worked and the car purred right up!
Apparently, there was so many fast food wrappers and pizza boxes in the car, they had caused quite a bit of moisture and it got into the ignition and froze it.
(i cleaned the car up, it didn't happen again).
 

9idrr

Veteran Member
DL, I'm finally done! Wow if you replace the word "Locksmith" with "EMT", we could tell some similar stories!
Really enjoyed reading through it all and hope to see more.

Once some years ago, my daughter lived in the big city. It was winter (North) and she called me because her key wouldn't turn in her car ignition.
I drove all the way there. Money was pretty tight on everyone. I actually called my ex in Hawaii to ask his advice. He looked up and got a lock smith number for me.
I sit in the car and talk to the Locksmith. He tells me he can come tend to it but wants me to try something first.
Heat the key with my cig lighter. I did and it worked and the car purred right up!
Apparently, there was so many fast food wrappers and pizza boxes in the car, they had caused quite a bit of moisture and it got into the ignition and froze it.
(i cleaned the car up, it didn't happen again).
Done that that many time. Butane lighters don't work too well in really cold weather. Never had a car with an electronic whooliemadang fob-thingabob so I don't know about tryin' it with one of those.
 

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money? whats that?
A sad story today. But with a semi-happy ending. On 08/09 at 11:04 P.M. my brother went home to The Lord. We didn't find out about it until Wednesday. Tough news to break to your mother, I'm here to tell you. My other brother and I did it together. Mom is holding it together, but she is in much more need of attention by my other brother and I right now. Mom, my nephew and nieces asked me to re-key his house. There were some people who my brother may have given a key that they don't see eye to eye with, heard a few stories, that kind of thing. I agree to do it but having the key that works now would sure help. No problem, we'll make sure you have a key. I get there, no key. No problem, I let myself in and change the locks. When I pull up in the driveway, there is a set of wide gates meant for traffic, and a single person gate to the side. I enter and leave through the single gate. From there I went to spend a few hours with Mom. While we were talking, she mentioned a special coffee cup she had left at my brother's house. It was a gift from her sister. I ran back down to my brother's place to look for it. When I got there, the big double gate was open and there were fresh tire tracks in the grass. Kind of looks like the family heard right. Sad comment on where we live. Supposed friends stealing from a dead man before they have even set the date for the funeral.

Oh, yes. I did find the coffee cup.
 

Siskiyoumom

Veteran Member
Sincere condolences on the loss of your brother.

Glad you found the mug for your mom and the discovery of the tire tracks. Perhaps you need to install locks on all the gates? As you know locks can be defeated. An inexpensive security camera system can be useful as well.

Take care.
 
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day late

money? whats that?
My thanks. When my brother left us, I lost not just my brother but one of the best friends I ever had. I lost the guy who kept my secrets while growing up, and the guy who's secrets I still keep. My partner in crime and co-conspirator. We were born two years and three days apart. I think it is safe to say that in my 66 years we celebrated most of our birthdays together. Right now, I can't imagine sitting in a boat, running a trotline in the middle of the night, without him sitting in the other end of the boat. I learned a lot from him about many things over the years and not all of them about fast cars and faster girls. I will miss him and look forward to the day we see each other again.

I do thank The Lord for this oddly enough. He survived cancer 18 years ago. Then a couple of years ago it returned. He has been in a lot of pain, both physically and emotionally (because of marital problems), for a long time. That pain is now gone. He now lives in a body that can't get sick or injured. He is reunited with his wife, and there are no longer any problems between them in God's Kingdom. He has already had long conversations with our father (who passed in '15) and Our Father. I know he is at peace. Now it's just the rest of us who have to make our way without him.
 

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It's the middle of the day. I just finished lunch and could be called at any time. So, I'll make it short. File this under 'How do they DO that?' I just got back from a call. The lady is locked out of her car. No big deal. It's a V.W. Okay that may throw in some problems. The car is running. Odd but it happens, and it makes my job easier. All I have to do is push the button to roll down the window. AND I'm talking to one of the officers directing traffic, because this car is in the right turn lane on a major road through the U.F. campus and she is blocking traffic. I could have been there sooner, but traffic in front of me was moving pretty slow.

How and why, would you get out of your running car, at a busy intersection, and manage to lock yourself out?

The only other one that comes close to this was the young lady, years ago, who locked herself out of her running car, right at the corner in the drive through of a local fast-food joint. Talk about a traffic problem.

Edit to add. I NEVER question the customer about HOW it happened. I figure they are embarrassed enough already. And most of the time I don't even have to ask. They just start explaining how it happened. The main thing I want to know is, where are the keys? If in the car, no problem. If in the trunk, problem.
 
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Now I grant that moving into a new home can get you distracted. Lots to do, many changes of mind, and so on. Especially when things go bad, like they did this time. I had to rekey a house for the folks moving in. When I was sent out I was told I would simply be rekeying six locks. That makes sense. Front door, back door, and side door. It didn't go quite like that. The truck with their furniture hasn't arrived, despite many guaranties. The same can be said for the delivery of his truck. SO, when I get there it's, remove the old door handle and deadbolt, and install new ones the customer has bought. Then I get to rekey EIGHT locks, and to top it off the only key the customer has for any of them is the key to the dead bolt I'm replacing. Now I've got to pick all of them before I can rekey them. Hope and pray my little pin set has everything I need. There is a bigger one in the van, but I use it to restock my kit. I've got things spread out all over the place and all this time the lady wanted me to wear a mask.

"We haven't gotten it yet, and we don't want to."

I could have told her that the masks don't help, but you don't argue with the customer. Even when they are pin heads. It should have taken an hour tops. Because things aren't always what they are supposed to be, it took almost two hours. They spent the entire time complaining.

"We only have the one key and it doesn't fit any of the other locks."

(Ummm, why didn't you get them at closing?)

"It is so different down here."

(Isn't that why you came here?)

"They don't do anything like they do in New York."

(Maybe that's why we call it Florida.)

The guy seems nice enough, but I think his wife is not going to fit in too well. She spent some time telling me how terrible the government is in Florida. Then she goes into the usual mantra of hashtags MSM has recently been pushing against whomever. I want to advise her to move back north, but I've got to sit there and take it. But I get the feeling that these two won't be here long. Wait until we get a Cat. 3 here locally. They will be out like a shot with horror stories to tell for the rest of their lives.
 
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Freebirde

Senior Member
"They will be out like a short with horror stories to tell for the rest of their lives."

Please NO! There are already too many "half backs" around here messing up property prices and such. Half backs = People that move to FL then move halfway back, TN & KY usually, to where they lived before after finding out why air conditioning was invented.
 

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I'm delving off into the personal here for a minute. To give you a good idea of why I'm going to miss my brother, I found out a short time ago that there is a request he made of all who attend his memorial. Everyone must wear Hawaiian shirts. This is the guy who lived by the motto,

"Growing older is required.
Growing up is not."
 

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Only one call today. It was sad and very spooky at the same time. It seems recently the sister passed away and now the brother is getting around to clearing out her home. As I understand it, it is really his home, she was just living there. He had a boat load of tools in the shed. At any rate, while she was there, she handed out a key or two to friends. Now he wants everything rekeyed, to protect it from people he doesn't even know. It is sad that he lost his sister. It is sad that as a society, we have people who think stealing from the dead is an opportunity, not a crime and despicable.

For me, the spooky part started when he just wouldn't shut up. His mouth was running most of the time I was there. Even times when I wasn't there. I would wait for one of those brief moments when I could say something and tell him I needed another tool from the van. He starts talking again as I walk away, then he gets up and walks into the house, STILL TALKING, and when we both return, he thinks That I know what he is talking about. Most of the conversation was about what I was doing, and I was happy to show him as I was doing it. The not so fun side was when He started going on about not having anyone. No wife, no family now that sis is gone. It got really weird when he began to blame his father, a WW II fighter pilot, for HIS PTSD. Daddy seems to have told him he made a practice of strafing troop trains. The guy is really broken up about it. He seems to want to blame his father for all of the evil in the world and Dad isn't here to take it out on. And I don't know what he was on, he did say he shouldn't be drinking so much coffee, but his hands were shaking like you wouldn't believe.

To be honest, I hope he makes some friends real fast. Shouldn't be too hard. He's from Tampa, so he doesn't have to learn to speak southern.
 

Dumb Blonde

Contributing Member
Daddy seems to have told him he made a practice of strafing troop trains. The guy is really broken up about it. He seems to want to blame his father for all of the evil in the world and Dad isn't here to take it out on.
Could have been Dad's way I f dealing with the horror of war. And while releasing himself, has unintentionally has shifted the trauma down to the next generation.
 

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The question WHY comes up a lot in my line. Why does someone want super-duper deadbolts put on a shed that is about to fall down, for example. I've done it. But the most usual why question is really why not? Why didn't the bank call the locksmith before sending their guy to remove the lock from the repossessed house? He used a sledgehammer to beat the lock off and ruined a $600 door. Then we have today. I got a call to open a closet door in an apartment. First why. Why would you put a locking doorknob in a bedroom? I mean, you've got a key to the door. Isn't that good enough? And now the young lady in question has lost the key. I call her as I'm leaving, and she tells me she isn't home, but the roommate is and she can let me in. The customer is heading my way now and should be there in ten minutes. I get there, the roommate lets me in and shows me to the offending door. There are large pieces of paint that have been stripped off the door from where our young lady was beating the knob with something flat and VERY hard. This doorknob is just barely hanging on. I have very low expectations, but to my surprise the lock picked easily, and I got the door open. But here is the second why. Why cause a couple of hundred dollars in damage to avoid paying $70? I didn't look too closely but I'm willing to bet that door took quite a bit of damage as well.

I'm sorry to say the lady's troubles didn't end there. Just as I got to the place, she called me. It seems she has just had an accident with her scooter. She can't make it to the home. I told her not to worry. Just take care of yourself right now. Everything else can be worked out later.
 

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Not a lot going on at the moment. But I do have to take a minute to give kudo's to one customer I had. He had a latch that had failed on the door that leads from the house into the garage. Now most people would have done one of two things. 1. Tried to open the door themselves with no concern about how much damage they may do. Oh, they are concerned at first, but with the second or third mis-lick with a hammer or some other blunt object, they no longer care, just get that stupid thing open!!! Often in these cases, people become so fixed on the lock, they forget there is another side to the door. They just might be able to access the latch that way, such as in this case. The only thing that matters is that, that stupid door isn't going to beat them! When it does and they call us, the job is usually easy. They've already done 90% of the destructive work.

The second type are those who either do nothing or just tinker with it, like they see James Bond do in the movies. Which is why I sometimes run across locks with pieces of anything from credit cards to paper clips still stuck in some part of the lock. Usually that happens with young ladies for some reason, I don't know why. The point is they either don't try of just play at it, then give up and call the pro's.

This guy was between the two. I give credit. Like the folks in group 2 he used his head rather than brute force. At least most of the time. Good thing he did too. It was a rather expensive Smart Key doorknob. He used his head and realized the problem was in the latch and not the lock. So, instead of beating on it, he used a screwdriver and took it off. BUT here is where I have to take away a few points. He then used plyers or something like that to try to pull the latch out. It isn't made to be removed that way. It was a mangled mess by the time I got there. I did everything I could to open that door from the inside, since I was there. Nothing doing. I went around to the garage side, levered back the latch and had the door open very quickly. Now, this was the job I had been called to do. Just open the door. The customer would pick up any needed parts and do the repair himself. As I'm getting ready to settle the bill this guy starts thinking. He is half an hour to forty-five minutes from the nearest Home Depot. Here is a locksmith standing in front of him. It's worth it to get him to fix that door and he doesn't have to try to run to town and back before supper. Doesn't need to leave the wife alone with an unsecured door while he is gone either.

The job wound up being a little more expensive, but the customer was happy to pay it. At first, he protested,

"They said it was $85 for you to come out here and open the door."

"Yes Sir. And it is $65 to repair the lock."

He got that deer in the headlights look for a moment then agreed. I had done more that was requested, used parts, and the job was well done. He paid the extra without further complaint.
 
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day late

money? whats that?
Today wasn't bad, but it wasn't fun. And it started yesterday. I'm on the schedule for three days. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Then Thursday night I get a notice of an appointment on Monday. Okay, the work week ends on Sunday, so working on Monday is okay, but how many days in a row am I working? Didn't the boss tell you? You're on until Wednesday. I don't find out about this until around 8 last night.

Today, only two jobs. One makes me want to slap the boss around a little. Now I admit the customer did have an accent. A number of things were discussed on the phone. I was told I needed to get to a business and, first of all, get the customer inside. Secondly, I was to replace two deadbolts. Simple enough job, but a bit on the pricey side. Well over $200. When I get there, the customer is inside and all he wants is to have four keys made. Clearly there has been miscommunication. But the boss insisted that I collect the full fee for the service call and then something for the keys. The boss reasoned that the customer knew what the service call fee would be, before I was sent the job and they agreed to it. They should pay. And he's right. They should pay something, we did come out and do a job. But with the communication foul up it shouldn't have been full price. I charged a guy nearly $100 for four keys. But the boss wouldn't listen to a thing I said.

After this job I have to take three boxes of parts to the boss. The boss decides to completely redo the back of the van. Almost nothing is where it used to be and somehow, we managed to shoehorn in more supplies than we had. I mean does this little van really need to drive around with a couple of dozen locks each, from two manufactures. And that doesn't count all of the other stuff I have to carry. In all the job took about three hours.

But the FUN part was right in the middle I have to drop everything and drive 30 minutes away to open an Amazon van. It takes less than five minutes to do, and then the driver and I got to stand on the side of the road in the rain while his boss and our dispatch figured out who was calling who for the credit card info. We waited and tried not to get too wet for another 30 minutes. Then, I get to drive 30 minutes back and work with the boss for about an hour more to get the van taken care of.

Some days ya just should of just stayed in bed.
 

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money? whats that?
About all I can say is I wish those young folks all the best. They are going to need it. I was called to rekey a house today. Now this place was probably built in the 60's and at that time was quite the nice little hideaway. Two bed/one bath home built on about an acre. It was well manicured back in the day. When it was built it was well out of town and is still on a little-known back road. Time and the community have not been kind. When I got there the grass in the yard was about a foot tall. The weeds were even taller. There are three doors they want rekeyed. I do believe this young couple are having a go at flipping houses. Mostly they simply want to secure the house until they can really get started on renovating the place. Inside it was obvious that the last people there were evicted. Dirty clothes all over the place. I mean there wasn't a room in there that didn't have the floor covered with either them or well-worn bedrolls. While the front yard was clear, the back yard was holding a lot of garbage, including the remains of a flatbed trailer that was about 10 feet long. Also just about rusted solid.

The house itself wasn't in bad shape. Nothing a good airing and a fresh coat of paint couldn't fix. A place or two where cheap vinal tile was put down that should be redone. But, of course, what got me was the reason I was called there. I mentioned three doors. The front door not only had the usual doorknob/deadbolt combination, but also has a second deadbolt. That didn't help whoever was living there. Even with two deadbolts and the knob, someone kicked open the front door. That was clear by the busted-up door frame. The odd thing was there is a door leading from the carport, into the kitchen. It only has a doorknob. It would have been much easier to get into. The backdoor also only has a knob, but it also has a metal grate that goes over it, secured by two deadbolts. You remember I did say the community hadn't been kind. Those grates only show up in places where break-ins are common.

To top it all off. The doorknob on the back door was so filled with age, rust and other gunk, I couldn't get the thing apart to rekey it. I informed the customer. And I told him what options I could see. 1. I have knobs in the van and can install one and also rekey it to match the others. But obviously that runs into more money. 2. You can run to Lowes or whatever, buy and install the knob yourself. It will cost less than half of what I would have to charge you, but you will have a separate key for the back door. 3. I'll just put the old knob back on the door. Since there is no key for it, nobody is going to be opening it anyway. He looked at me and asked,

"Will we still be able to lock it from the inside?"

I told him yes, they could because the only thing I had done was take the knob off the door. All I had to do was put it back. (It is also worth mentioning this is the door covered by the metal grate.) CUT to a quick and short call to the wife and, 'Just put that back on the door.'

I do wish these young folks well if they are thinking of flipping. But if you ask me, they chose the wrong neighborhood to get started in their new carrier.
 

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money? whats that?
It seems just when things are becoming routine, the curve ball comes out of nowhere. And just like in baseball, lighting makes a lot of difference.

Yesterday I was sent to a place with a simple job. Re-key six locks. Maybe an hour to an hour and a half's worth of work, assuming I have to take them completely apart to re-key. When I get there my hopes are raised. The front door has a brand-new smart key lock. If all of them are like this, I'm out of here in under half an hour. So, I compliment the lady on her choice of lock, given its higher level of security. When I said that, I saw something in her eyes. She took me to five other doors. Not one of them had a locking doorknob. Nothing but deadbolts. They are also standard deadbolts which will require disassembly. So much for hopes and dreams. Or maybe not. She starts asking more about the smart key locks. I answer her questions and I told her that I believe in the unpickability of these locks so much that when Dad passed away, I installed them on Mom's home.

That sold her. Now a simple re-key has just become an install. The difference? Re-key charges, service call $100. (She is way out of town.) actual re-key, $20 per lock plus tax. Total, $220 plus tax. Installing new locks charges, service call $100. Installing new locks and keying them all the same, $60 per lock plus tax. (Normally the price is $67, but bulk purchase and all that, the boss gave a discount.) The price just doubled. I showed her what we have in stock, she picked what she wanted and then everything started to spiral out of control. I had ONE of those locks on the van. I make calls. There are three of these locks in the shop. That makes four. The other van has two. I get one and I have my five, but we really need to order more of this color lock. I go back to the job, install the locks and re-key them and as I'm getting ready to settle up the wife tells me,

"They are the wrong color."

These locks are stainless. Her old ones that match the doorknobs are nickel. They looked the same color inside the house, but in the light you can see the difference. Call the boss. What to do? He says leave what we have where it is. He will overnight what the lady wants, and tomorrow (today) you can swap them out. Then the new locks you take back, go back into inventory. A pain in the butt and an embarrassment for me, but in the end the lady was happy. The boss was happy, just not as happy as he could have been. I had given the lady the bulk price before she rejected the color and the special order made. I couldn't go up on it now. BUT the first thing the boss does is double the cost of parts. He didn't lose money, just didn't make as much as he could have. Special orders cost more. And he can't really grip about me too much. Even if we didn't max out the profit, I doubled the sale. Ya can't win 'em all.
 

day late

money? whats that?
Let's see how good I am at predicting these things. Ian is headed for Florida. Looks like we will have a near miss. Lots of wind and rain, but not too much of either. Just constant. The weather will do nothing but get worse until Ian goes away. I'm kind of expecting a somewhat busy morning. People are going over supplies tonight. Tomorrow is the last minute run. When people get in a hurry, they leave the keys behind, one place or the other. But by afternoon, the wind is going to be picking up. People are going to hunker down. I expect to do nothing until after Ian is gone. The funny thing is, if it moves as slowly as they say it might, it won't leave until I go off duty.
 

day late

money? whats that?
I did so/so. Only three jobs, and two of those were before lunch. It's tomorrow that has my head turning right now. I have an appointment with an out of town post office, 45 minutes away, scheduled for 1/2 hour after I come on duty. Not only that but it is full protocol with masking and gloves, plus they want pictures of what I do. All of this comes at a price tag of over $400. So, what am I doing that is worth so much? They have a key broken off in a lock. According to the picture they sent me, the lock is already turned. That means, hopefully, that the door is unlocked. This is one of those locks you screw into the door and have to back off the set screw to get it out of the door. If it is unlocked once it is off the door, I just push a probe in from the backside and push the key out. There are a couple of ways this can go. However, considering the weather, I wonder if they will even be there in the morning. Guess we'll find out tomorrow.
 

day late

money? whats that?
That settles it. I got a text a little while ago. The boss says I have the day off due to weather, and the lady on dispatch told me the Post Office canceled the call since we can't get out there today. Can't say I'm disappointed. It isn't raining all that much where I am. But the wind gusts up to dangerous levels from time to time if you are driving something that will turn into a sail, like my van it could get interesting. And there are several long straight roads between me and there. Lots of pasture land as well. You can get a real strong blast of wind from either of those. Next thing you know, I'm upside down in the ditch. Best just to sit here and watch the storm on the tube.
 
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