When a late-night call-out ended in the national news, Hull auto locksmith Sam Kavanagh found himself at the centre of a debate about non-payment, intimidation and standing your ground as a sole trader.
We just had to cover this story and find out advice Sam’s advice to other locksmiths. Here’s Sam in his own words:
If You Don’t Pay, You Don’t Get the Service
I never expected one of my jobs to go national, but that’s exactly what happened when the BBC picked up the story from my social channels.
It all started with a late-night call from a man in Grimsby who had locked both his car and house keys in the boot of his Ford Fiesta. He rang me at 7:30pm. I quoted him £130, which was fair given he was 45 minutes away and, to be honest, cheap compared to what I charge locally. He said he’d ring around for other prices. At 11:30pm, he called back because he hadn’t found anyone cheaper. By that point, it was almost midnight. A late-night emergency call-out 30 miles away isn’t the same as an early evening job, so I told him it would now be £160 to which he agreed.
I drove out and then sat waiting for him for 20 minutes because he wasn’t there when I arrived. I’d already told him I was 45 minutes away. Time matters in this job, especially at that hour. When he finally turned up, I gained entry to his car in about five minutes. That’s what we train for, and that’s what customers are paying for: skill, experience, the ability to solve a problem quickly. But then he refused to pay, his argument being that “It only took 10 minutes.” That’s when things escalated.
Why Speed Doesn’t Equal Cheap
One of the biggest misconceptions in locksmithing especially auto work is that price should reflect time spent on the job. It doesn’t, it reflects:
- Years of training
- Thousands invested in tools and equipment
- Fuel and travel time
- Insurance
- The risk of working alone at night
- The convenience of an emergency response
If I’ve solved your problem in five minutes, that’s because I know what I’m doing! Not because it was “easy”.
When he point-blank refused to pay the agreed £160, I made a decision. If you’re not willing to pay for the service, you don’t receive the service. I secured the keys back in the boot, shut it, and the car locked.
We had a heated argument. I expected him to give in and say, “Alright, open it again and I’ll pay.” But that offer never came. The story went national after the BBC covered it, and opinions were split. But what many tradespeople told me privately was: “Good on you. I would have done exactly the same”.
Because non-payment is unfortunately becoming far too common.
It’s Not an Isolated Incident
That wasn’t the first time I’ve had issues with non-payment. On one job, I opened a vehicle and the customer asked for a spare key. As I was working, he jumped into the car (assuming the keys would still be in the ignition) and slammed the door shut, clearly intending to drive off without paying. What he didn’t realise was that I was still holding his original keys in my hand. He was frantically searching the ignition and footwell while I stood outside.
Another time, a group of four lads surrounded me while I was working on an Audi A5. The owner had lost his keys and, in my opinion, had no intention of paying. I stood my ground and made it clear I wasn’t leaving without payment. I’m ex-army you see and I’m used to high pressure situations, and I don’t scare easily. But not everyone in this trade has that background. Being surrounded at night, alone, can be intimidating. In the end, I got paid.
On another occasion, I gave a customer until the end of the day to pay. He missed the deadline. I gave him another 30 minutes and told him plainly: pay within half an hour or I’m seizing the vehicle. Within 10 minutes, the money arrived. Sometimes you have to stand firm.
Trust Nobody & Be Prepared
My advice to other auto locksmiths is that you cannot predict people. Over the phone, they can sound perfectly reasonable, police and grateful. Then you arrive, and the attitude changes completely.
Here’s my advice:
- Trust nobody. That sounds harsh, but you don’t know what you’re walking into.
- Ask detailed questions before attending. Who will be there? Is the vehicle theirs? What’s the exact situation?
- Don’t hand over keys until full payment is received. I now routinely retain control of keys until funds clear.
- Consider deposits, especially for expensive keys. If I’m cutting and programming a key that costs me £80 in parts, I’ll often take a deposit first.
- Have your wits about you. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
Deposits can be tricky. Some customers are wary of paying upfront because they don’t know you. It’s a balancing act, but protecting your business has to come first. Remember: you don’t know what you’re turning up to. I’ve dealt with everything from aggressive customers to a baby locked inside a car after pressing the button twice and deadlocking the doors. Every call is different and preparation matters.
The Bigger Picture
Non-payment isn’t just frustrating, it’s damaging. As a sole trader, one unpaid job can wipe out the profit from several others, especially when fuel and late-night hours are involved.
We work alone, we invest heavily in equipment, we respond at all hours, we solve problems most people can’t. All we ask in return is to be paid what was agreed. The job that made the headlines wasn’t about revenge; it was about principle. If we don’t stand up for ourselves, the problem only gets worse. At the end of the day, professionalism goes both ways.
www.unlockautolocksmith.co.uk
Tel: 07872 354130
unlock_autolocksmith@hotmail.com