Lock Up Not Cock Up (Clements Locksmiths)

Member Name: SWSt

Product:	Clements Locksmiths
Date:	21/04/09 (119 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Friendly, efficient, honest, reliable service

Disadvantages: A little expensive

One of the external doors to my house recently developed a problem whereby it wouldn't lock. It had always been a little awkward to use, but one day the lock just broke completely, effectively leaving it unlocked to anyone who cared to try it. Clearly, this was not a situation which could be allowed to continue so a repair was in order.

Here's where the problems started. Because it was a self-contained UPVC door with built-in locking mechanism, no-one was interested in trying to fix it as it is a fiddly job and they were more interested in trying to sell a complete new door. I sent emails to a number of locksmiths advertised on yell.co.uk and none of them even bothered replying. I also phoned a few up: many gave a flat out "no" to a repair, others told me there would be a minimum call-out fee of £60 (plus VAT) just to look at it. If it couldn't be fixed, I would be sixty quid worse off and still have an unlocked door.

I went back to Yell and tried some of the firms I hadn't contacted previously. One of them was Clements Locksmiths.

Clements have an excellent website: it's bright, colourful and clearly laid out. It's immediately obvious where to go and, best of all, their contact information is very obvious. This is something I always find frustrating on website for local services - trying to find a damn number or email address to use. With Clements, the telephone number is across the top of every page. Better still, it's a freephone number, which in these days of 0845 and 0890 numbers makes a very refreshing change. Alternatively, you can fill in the on-line form and they will get back to you. Their website also makes a number of promises on the level of service you can expect (quick response, no call centre, friendly staff etc.) and I have to say they delivered on all those, and more.

The same day I contacted them, an email popped into my inbox asking for clarification on the type of door and to arrange an appointment for them to come and look at it. I was assured that there would be no call-out fee: he would simply come out and look at the door. If he could fix it, he would give me a price; if he couldn't, he would walk away and I wouldn't be charged a penny.

The time of the appointment arrived and, to my shock, the doorbell rang. I'm so used to having to wait for tradesman to turn up whenever they feel like it that I just kind of assumed they would be at least an hour late. He had warned me he might be late (he does a lot of work for the police, so can suddenly get called out on an emergency, which obviously, takes priority), but promised he would ring if this happened. I found this quite reassuring - after all, if the police trust him to do their emergency work, he must be good.

He came in, spent about 20 minutes examining the door and the lock. From the way he acted and spoke, it was clear that he was highly skilled and obviously knew what he was doing. Sadly, he was less than optimistic about his chances of being able to repair it, as he said that the lock needed replacing completely and it was difficult to get replacement parts. Even if he could get the part, there was a chance that the door was damaged beyond repair.

At this point, most locksmiths would simply have said the job was too hard and left or tried to persuade you to buy a new door from them. Not Clements. He promised to go off and make some enquiries and get back to me in a few days. He gave me a price for what the repair would cost if he could get the part (about a quarter of the cost of a new door), and again assured me that if he couldn't fix it, he wouldn't charge a penny. Throughout, he was totally honest with us about the chances of success, which I really appreciated: it's better to know where you stand than have someone string you along only to let you down. Most of all, he was willing to give it a go, even though he didn't rate his chances of success. Clearly, this was a locksmith who prided himself on a professional service which put the customer first.

A few days later, he confirmed that he's managed to get the part and to made an appointment to come and fix it. Again, the appointment time arrived, and he was bang on time, this time with a colleague who was an expert in this type of door. Less than an hour later, the door was fixed and working perfectly.

The high level of service didn't end there. Without being asked, he went around and looked at the rest of the locks in my house. Again, this is normally a precursor to pursed lips and a pained expression which you know is going to be mean something expensive. Not so. He just went around and did a little work on any which needed lubricating or tightening or making more secure - all at no extra cost. Again, this added to the feeling that you were getting top-class professional service.

Of course, it wasn't cheap, but these things never are, and it was still significantly cheaper than paying for a new door. It was worth it though for the efficient service I received and for the peace of mind in knowing that the job had been done

The other thing that impressed me was the fact that they prioritise their work. Each time he made an appointment, he explained to me that if he was called by the police, this would take priority as it represented an emergency. I found this reassuring. After all, if I was locked out of my house or had experienced a burglary, I would want the situation resolved as quickly as possible too. However, he also promised that he would call me if this happened to let me know he wouldn't be coming, which most people wouldn't bother to do. This was just another example of putting the customer first.

Throughout my dealings with Clements, they were highly professional and courteous, punctual and efficient, honest and friendly. They are a firm who set high standards and actually do everything they can do make sure they leave a satisfied customer behind. If you live in the Coventry, Nuneaton, Bedworth, Rugby, Kenilworth, Leamington Spa, Warwick or Stratford area and have a problem with a lock, don't bother looking anywhere else. Go straight to these guys and you can be assured of top quality service.

Basic Information
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Clements Locksmiths
Tel: 0800 021 7846
Email: Sales@clementslocksmiths.co.uk
http://www.clementslocksmiths.co.uk/index2.htm

© Copyright SWSt 2009

Summary: Don't even bother trying anyone else. You won't find better service in the Midlands.