Booking a locksmith for someone you look out for when you can’t be there? Your mum and dad, a grandparent, a disabled relative, a son or daughter at uni, a tenant? You should be able to watch the job, and they should be able to read the price. On a Sunday lockout in SO17, Southampton, the son watched on a video call and his parents had the quote in Cantonese.
The job in short
A son rang me on a Sunday because his mum and dad were locked out in SO17. Their Yale-type night latch had failed inside, and they speak Cantonese, not much English. I printed the quote in both languages in the van, got them in without damage, and fitted a new latch on the same key while he watched on a video call.
- Where
- SO17 (Highfield, Portswood, St Denys), Southampton
- What I did
- Got them in without damage, new night latch body and keep, same key
- Time
- About 40 minutes to the door on a Sunday, in within 5, about an hour on the new latch
- Prices
- Lock-out from £80, no call-out fee, price agreed before I set off
Let me be straight with you about what you’re reading. This is one real job, written up with the family’s say-so and without their names. I’m a locksmith, not a writer. On this one, the person who rang wasn’t the person at the door, and the people at the door couldn’t read an English quote. So here’s what I’d want my own mum to know, and what I’d want you to expect if you ever ring a locksmith for somebody who depends on you.
Locked out on a Sunday in Southampton: what happened?
Sunday, my phone goes. It’s a man whose mum and dad are stuck outside their house in SO17. He isn’t there. He’s ringing for them, because they speak Cantonese and not much English, and he didn’t want them trying to explain a broken lock to a stranger on the phone.
The key went in their night latch and turned, but the door wouldn’t open. I was there about 40 minutes after he rang. They were back inside within five minutes, with no damage to the door. Then I sorted out why it had happened.
Can I book a locksmith for someone else if I’m not there?
Yes. If you can’t be there, ring me for them. It might be your parents or grandparents, a relative with a disability or dementia, an adult son or daughter who struggles on the phone, a student, or a tenant if you’re the landlord or letting agent. Whoever it is, you shouldn’t have to take it on trust. Here’s what I did on this one, and what I’ll do for you:
- Price first. I give you a price on the phone before I set off.
- Watch it live. I’ll stay on a video call with you while I work, if you want me to. On this job the son stayed on the call while I worked. He could see what I was doing and talk to his mum and dad in their own language.
- Paper before tools. Before I start, the person at the door, or you if you’re there, signs a written quote. One of the boxes they tick says they live there, or have the owner’s or tenant’s permission for me to get them in. I don’t open a door for anyone who can’t say that.
- A copy each. They keep their copy, and I take a photo of it for my records.
The same goes if you’re overseas and your son or daughter is at university in Southampton and locked out of their rented house or flat. I’ve got a page for student lockouts in Southampton too. Ring me, and you can watch from wherever you are.
If the person at the door finds it hard to follow what’s going on, because of their age, their health, their hearing or their English, I’ll slow down, keep you on the call, and explain each step to you both before I do it. Nobody gets rushed into signing anything. If you look after someone who often struggles with keys, a key safe for carers and family can stop the next lockout before it starts.
Can a locksmith help if the person locked out doesn’t speak English?
Yes, and the paperwork should still make sense to them. Before I started, I printed the quote in the van twice: once in English, once in Cantonese. The Cantonese copy is a full translation of both sides, price and terms, done with a translation app I trust. It isn’t a certified translation and it doesn’t pretend to be. It’s there so they know what they’re signing, instead of signing blind, and it says at the top that the signed English quote is the contract. They read it, their son talked it through with them on the call, and they signed.
I’ve blurred their details, the prices and the signatures in that photo. Their business is their business.
Cantonese was what this family needed. I can print a full translated copy in Polish too, both sides, and other languages on request. Tell me which when you ring and I’ll have it printed before I knock.
Why bother? Because I’d rather they understood what they were signing. If somebody’s going to sign something on their own doorstep, they should know what it says, what it costs, and what their rights are. That’s the whole point of the paperwork.
Can a locksmith get in without damaging the door?
Most of the time, yes. Here it took under five minutes. I won’t go into how. That’s not information I put on the internet. What matters to you is that nothing was drilled or broken, so there was no damage to pay to put right. Drilling is my last resort, and if it ever comes to that, I’ll tell you why before I do it. If you’re stood outside right now, read what to do the moment you realise you’re locked out. My non-destructive entry page explains how I work.
Why won’t my Yale lock open when the key turns?
Usually because the latch has worn out inside. What most people call a Yale lock is a night latch: the rim lock on the inside of the door, with the little snib and the latch that springs shut when you pull the door to. Inside the case are small moving parts that have to line up for the key to draw the latch back. On this one they’d worn and stopped lining up, so the key turned but the latch didn’t draw back. The door stayed shut with them on the wrong side of it.
Warning signs your Yale lock is about to fail
A night latch rarely dies without warning. This one will have been telling them for a while. Here’s what I’d want you to look and listen for, on your own door and on the door of anyone you look out for:
- The key needs a wiggle. It goes in, but you have to jiggle it, or turn it twice, before the latch comes back.
- You have to pull or push the door to turn the key. That usually means the door has dropped on its hinges or the keep has moved, and the latch is under strain every time you use it.
- The latch is slow to spring back. Push the latch in with your finger and let go. It should snap straight out. If it creeps out, or stops halfway, the spring or the parts inside are going.
- The door doesn’t catch first time. You pull it to and it bounces back open. That can be the latch, the keep, or the door dropping, and all three are worth sorting.
- The snib is stiff, or sticks halfway.
- Something rattles inside the case, or you can hear a click that wasn’t there before.
- The cylinder moves. The round bit on the outside of the door shifts or turns in the door when you turn the key. The fixings behind it have worked loose.
- The key is worn or bent. Look at it next to a spare. If the cuts have gone soft and rounded, it will start missing.
Any one of those is your lock asking for a look. Cold weather makes all of them worse, which is why more people get locked out in winter. A latch that’s going is a planned job, on a day that suits you. A latch that’s gone is a lockout, and lockouts don’t pick a convenient day. This one picked a Sunday.
How do I look after a Yale lock or night latch?
Ten minutes, twice a year. That’s all most locks need:
- Lubricate it. Use GT85 or a silicone-based spray on the latch and the moving parts. Graphite powder is good in the keyway. No oil at all: not 3-in-1, not WD-40. Do it at least every six months. Every three months is better.
- Tighten the screws. Check the screws on the latch case inside, and on the keep on the frame. If they turn and never tighten, the holes have worn, and that’s one for me.
- Check the door shuts sweetly. It should close and catch without a slam or a shove. If it doesn’t, get it looked at before it wears the latch out.
- Use a good key. Cut copies from the original key, not from a copy of a copy. Each copy drifts a little further from the real thing.
- Go easy on the keyring. A heavy bunch hanging off the key wears the cylinder every time the door’s opened.
- Leave a spare. Give one to a neighbour or family member nearby. It’s the cheapest lockout insurance there is. Just not under the mat: here’s where not to hide a spare key, and how many spares you actually need.
If something feels stiff and you’re not sure what it is, WhatsApp me a photo or a short video of it working. I’ll tell you if it can wait. Or book my free home security check and I’ll look over every lock in the house. If a lock freezes this winter, here’s the right way to thaw it.
Can a broken night latch be replaced on the same key?
Often, yes, and it was here. The keys work the cylinder, which is the round bit on the outside of the door. That was fine. What had failed was the latch body on the inside. So I kept their cylinder and fitted a new latch body and a new keep, the part on the frame that the latch shuts into. Same keys, nothing new to hand out round the family.
It wasn’t quite a straight swap. The connecting bar between the key cylinder and the latch needed cutting down to suit their door. It was a hollow door too, so the screws had nothing solid to bite into. I packed the fixings so the new latch is held firm, then made a few adjustments until it shut and opened cleanly. That took about an hour. If the cylinder had been worn or you’d lost keys, I’d change that too: see my lock change prices.
How much does an emergency locksmith cost in Southampton?
As an emergency locksmith in Southampton, my lock-out price starts from £80, with no call-out fee. “From” is where the price starts. The day, the time and the door can all move it, and between 10pm and 7am there’s a night rate on the work. I’ll give you a price on the phone before I set off. Then it goes on the written quote, and you sign it before I start, never after. If I can’t help, or you decide not to go ahead, you pay nothing.
The new latch was a line of its own on the quote, so they could see what the part cost. All my prices are on the prices page, and I’ve written about what an emergency locksmith really costs and whether it’s cheaper to wait till morning. The main points of my terms and your right to cancel are on the back of the quote. If you want an independent view, Citizens Advice has a plain guide to cancelling a service you’ve arranged, including what happens when you’ve asked for the work to start straight away. If anything ever goes wrong with any trader, their consumer helpline is 0808 223 1133.
How do I know a locksmith is genuine before they turn up?
Especially when you’re booking for someone else, ask these on the phone. A good locksmith will be happy to answer these:
- What’s your name, and are you the one coming? I answer my own phone, and the man you speak to is the man who turns up.
- What will it cost, roughly, before you set off? If they won’t give you a figure until they’re in the hallway, ring someone else.
- Is there a call-out fee? Mine is none.
- Will I get a written quote before you start? Your parents should have something to sign, and something to keep.
- Can I watch on a video call? I’m happy for you to.
Then look at their Google reviews, and check the reviews talk about real jobs in real places. I’ve written more about spotting a real local locksmith from a call centre.
Who came out?
Me. I’m Donald Edwards, Bugsy to everyone, and KeyWise 24hr Locksmiths is my own business. I’m a mobile locksmith based on the Waterside, I hold the NCFE Advanced Certificate in Locksmithing at Level 4, and I’m DBS checked. You can read more about me here.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be there if I’m booking a locksmith for someone else?
No. Ring me, tell me who’ll be at the door, and I’ll give you a price there and then. I can stay on a video call with you while I work so you see it all.
Can I pay for a locksmith for someone else?
Yes. Tell me when you ring. You can pay by bank transfer, and the payee name to use is Keywise.
Can you print a locksmith quote in Chinese or another language?
Yes. This job was Cantonese. I can do Polish too, and other languages on request. I use a translation app I trust, and the copy is there so they understand what they’re signing. It isn’t a certified translation. The English quote they sign is the contract, and the translation says so.
Do you come out on Sundays?
Yes. This job was a Sunday. I’ll give you the price on the phone before I set off, whatever the day.
How long does a lockout take?
Here it was about 40 minutes to the door and under five minutes to get them in. Replacing the failed latch took about an hour, because the connecting bar needed cutting to fit and the door was hollow.
My Yale key turns but the door won’t open. What do I do?
Don’t force it. Ring me. Most of the time I can get you in without damage and replace just the part that’s failed.
How often should I lubricate a Yale lock?
At least every six months, and every three months is better. Use GT85 or a silicone-based spray, or graphite powder in the keyway. Never oil, 3-in-1 or WD-40.
Do you cover SO17?
Yes. I cover Highfield, Portswood, St Denys and the rest of Southampton. Have a look at my Portswood locksmith page, my Bassett page or the central Southampton page, or read about the French doors I sorted in St Denys.
One last thing.
If someone who depends on you lives on their own, whether that’s a parent, a grandparent, a relative with a disability or a student in their first house, do two things this week. Give a spare key to a neighbour or a family member nearby. And save my number in their phone and yours, so whoever’s nearest can ring.
If something about their lock doesn’t feel right, WhatsApp me a photo on 07453 327708 and I’ll tell you what it probably is before you book anything. If it’s not something I can help with, I’ll point you to someone honest who can.
Bugsy, KeyWise 24hr Locksmiths, Hythe, Southampton.
Be wise, phone Keywise.
