If there’s one message we’d like every consumer to remember, it’s this:
Know before you need.
Don’t wait until you’re locked out to look for a locksmith. Find one you trust now and save their number in your phone.
It’s a simple idea, but it could stop thousands of people falling victim to rogue locksmiths.
That message has recently reached a much wider audience through national coverage in The Guardian and ITV’s This Morning. Both highlighted the risks consumers face when searching for an emergency locksmith and encouraged people to use the MLA website to find an Approved Company before they ever need one.
We’re already seeing the difference.
More people are visiting the MLA website to search for an Approved Company. They’re planning ahead instead of making a rushed decision in an emergency, when they’re more likely to click the first advert they see.
That’s exactly the change we’ve been working towards.
Giving consumers confidence
Most customers don’t know whether a lock is the right one for the job.
They don’t know whether a repair has been carried out correctly or whether the advice they’ve been given is right.
What they do know is that they want someone they can trust in their home.
That’s what the MLA Approved Company scheme is there to provide.
Approved Companies have chosen to go through an independent approval process. They are vetted, regularly inspected and have a Qualified Master Locksmith within the business who has demonstrated the practical skills and technical knowledge needed to carry out locksmith work to a recognised standard.
Consumers don’t need to understand locksmith qualifications. What matters is knowing the company they choose has already demonstrated its commitment to doing the job properly.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t experienced and highly skilled locksmiths outside the scheme. There are.
The challenge is that consumers simply don’t know who those locksmiths are when they urgently need help.
The MLA gives them somewhere to start.
More searches. More opportunity.
The recent media coverage has created something positive for the industry.
More consumers are looking for Approved Companies than before.
In many parts of the UK they’re finding one.
In some areas, however, there are very few Approved Companies for consumers to choose from.
That’s something we’d like to change.
This isn’t about saying one locksmith is better than another or creating competition for the sake of it.
It’s about making sure more people, in more communities, can find a trusted locksmith when they need one.
If more professional locksmith businesses become Approved Companies, more consumers will be able to choose with confidence rather than taking a chance on an online advert.
Help us keep the pressure on
The recent media coverage is only one part of a much bigger campaign.
Over the last few months we’ve continued to work with journalists, government and regulators to highlight the harm caused by rogue locksmiths and misleading online advertising.
We’ve also launched a Parliamentary petition calling for greater transparency in emergency trade advertising and stronger action to stop rogue operators misleading consumers online.
The petition closes in September, so we have a limited window to show government just how important this issue is to both consumers and the locksmith industry.
If you haven’t already signed it, we’d encourage you to do so and share it with colleagues, customers, friends and family. Every signature helps strengthen the case for change.
We’d also ask you to encourage anyone who has had a bad experience with a rogue locksmith to report it through the MLA complaints process. Every complaint helps us identify trends, build evidence and continue making the case for better protection for consumers.
A chance to make a difference
The increased awareness we’ve seen this year presents a real opportunity.
Consumers are looking for trustworthy locksmiths. The media are directing them to the MLA website. More people are planning ahead instead of waiting until they’re locked out.
Now we need to make sure that, wherever they live, they can find a professional locksmith with confidence.
That’s good for consumers.
It’s good for professional locksmiths.
And it’s another step towards making it harder for rogue operators to profit from people when they’re at their most vulnerable.
How you can help
- Scan to sign and share the MLA petition before it closes in September.
- Encourage customers to “know before they need” by saving your number in their phone.
- Ask customers who’ve experienced rogue locksmiths to report it through the MLA complaints process.
- If you’re not already an Approved Company, consider joining the scheme and help give consumers more choice in your area. Scan to find out more
