Lock Services LLC

We just purchased a new home and Earl Boutell was the recommended locksmith of our realtor. I called him in the afternoon and he was able to come out that evening. Earl was very professional, personable, and well priced. Every one of the 5 doors had a different brand of lock sets and Earl was able to get them all to two separate keys. The final lock (from an interior door) was troublesome, so Earl offered to take it with him and have returned and reinstalled the next day at no charge, since it was getting late. He was very honest upfront about what work would be needed and what the cost would be. I will use him again if I need a locksmith.

It was the first really cold night of the winter (11 degrees) when my key refused to turn in the lock of my front door at about 8pm. Using WD40 and warming the key didn't help, so I stayed with a friend overnight. I called several locksmiths the next Saturday morning. One wasn't open on Saturdays and the second said he couldn't come out until afternoon. Ed told me he was retired, but then asked for more information. When I explained the situation, he said he was actually "semi-retired" and could be at my house in 20 minutes. He was there as promised and tried all the same things I'd tried the night before. I had gotten a little overzealous in weather proofing my back door and couldn't get it open, but he was able to put his weight into it and break it open. He was able to unlock the front door from the inside and made an adjustment. He said the lock was okay but the mechanism had failed, and his adjustments would probably only be temporary. He said I had the original lock for my old home in Waldo, and it was probably manufactured in 1927. Ed suggested I call Brandt to rebuild the lock since they do a lot of work for older homes in my neighborhood (they were the locksmith that wasn't open on Saturdays). I was pleasantly surprised when he only charged me $40 on a Saturday. He was a very sweet older gentleman and I was very grateful to get back into my home on a cold day without being overcharged!

3pm came and went, and about 4:15pm I called to see if he was coming since I had an appointment at 5pm. He apologized and said that he got busy and wouldn't be able to come by, but I could call again and set up another time. Rather than take time off for someone to stand me up, I think I'll call someone else.

Earl was prompt, efficient, and tidy in his work and appearance. He gave me all the knowledge on how long the "job" would take, and the details of it, along with an estimate. Since I had to go back to work, he finished the "job" with me not being present. He asked how many extra keys were needed and made them right "on the spot". There were also problems with some of the locks being tight and hard to turn - He also fixed those problems thru adjusting them and lubricating them for me.

Everything turned out good. The honesty of the owner and the price was very good. The timeliness and the friendliness of the person that came out was also good.

He didn't come out to see me. I didn't spend anything because he never followed back up on the job. He was supposed to be checking about getting some parts so he could fix the deadbolt. He was first looking through them. I had to call him five or six times. He never called me back or did anything with it after our initial discussion. He kept telling me he would check into that and would have an answer for me in a day or two. He did that for about three or four times and just never did anything. I was not happy with him at all. The price was part of what I was waiting for him to get back to me on. He never gave me anything.

The locksmith was really good. I don?t remember the price, but it wasn?t that much. He was really nice and knowledgeable in the whole area. He was on some board of locksmiths.

Mr. Boutell (Lock Service, LLC) just installed a new deadbolt lock and a new locking door knob on two different doors for me. When I called him, he gave me an estimate of the cost based on the information I gave him and his charges were exactly the same within a couple of dollars, even considering the hardware store's charges for the locks. He came to help me right away and just did a fantastic job. He even gave me some good advice, at no charge, for another problem lock I had. He didn't tell me it needed to be replaced, as you might expect, but that I should use WD40 on specific places that he showed me. He also answered another security question that I had which was extremely helpful. He was very, very helpful, and obviously very knowledgeable. He is definitely the one I will call with any future problems involving security. (I didn't ask about a senior discount, he suggested it! He mentioned that he also gives a discount to veterans! That tells you a lot about the kind of individual he is!)

He is alway on time when he tells you when he will be there. On one occasion, a couple that was parked by my home , accidently locked themselves out of their car. Mr. Boutell opened the car at no charge for the couple. To make matters worse, after gaining access to the car, the battery was depleted. Again Mr. Boutell had the jumper cables to start the couples car. I can tell you from years of experience owing several homes in Kansas City over the years, that professionals such as Mr. Boutell are few and far between experiences. Mr. Boutell will make sure the you are satisfied with the job. Integrity is number one with his work. Don't bother with anyone else out of the yellow pages, I will never use anyone else again.