Area Safe & Lock Service

They were very courteous and professional and got a lot of the work done the same day they came for an estimate. They came back a few days later when a few parts came in. While it wasn't cheap I believe I got a fair price. I live in an older home and they had to customize what they did to a degree.

I called after 2pm and they said someone could be here within the next 2 hours. Someone arrived within 25 minutes! He was very nice and everything was completed within 15 minutes!

Punctual and professional. Great job.

Called ASL a couple of days ago to schedule the job. I was unable to provide the scheduler with the item number on the lock (my vision prevented this) he said no problem the locksmith's truck had a variety of locks. He quoted a $75 charge to get the van to the driveway and either $82 to "repair the existing lock" or "about $90-$95 for a new one." He did not know the name of the person who would be making the service call but that person would call me about a half hour prior to arriving. The service call was set for between 1-3PM on Tuesday, 23 July 13. Tuesday at 1:05P "Vince" called saying he would be there in a few minutes. Vince arrived at the door at 1:20P. He we friendly, personable, clean, firm handshake and direct eye contact. Asked to see the "job" and as I spun the key in the lock he said the office told him to just install a new lock. Fine. Vince removed the old lock and went to his truck to obtain a replacement. He returned after many minutes and that's when the little vexations for him began. After many attempts to get the NEW lock assembly to accept the NEW bolt, all of which ended unsuccessfully Vince held his cool and began to "talk" to me/himself to better see the problem. Many attempts failed. Vince asked to borrow my phone, his cell did not have reception out here (Vienna, VA next to Tysons, 342 feet elevation, no big buildings or magnetic influences aroound). He called the office and spoke to "the boss" who asked Vince if he, the boss, needed to come out and install the lock. Vince smiled as he recounted the other end of the conversation saying that with 27 years experience he did not need help, it just wasn't "working." Vince finally determined an incorrect bolt was in the new lock package and after returning again to the van for some time he discovered, apparently, many bolts were mis-boxed. He finally found a set that seemed matched and after a couple of attempts was able to make it work after redrilling the bolt hole in the door and wood chiseling the plate recess. He seemed bemused that it had taken almost two hours to do a twenty minute job. The lock works. The "surprise" was the cost. The ASL web site mentions a 15% senior's discount. Apparently that is ONLY on the parts, so the $80 lock only cost $68. The S&L (service and labor?) on the bolt install was $162, obviously I had either not heard the hourly charge when I called the office or it was not shared with me. I did receive an Angie's List $10 off as well. Total with tax was $233.20, about sixty dollars more than I visualized...especially when a bunch of his time was spent trying to find parts that had been improperly restocked (apparently) in his truck. The job was done, finally, and it appears to work. Vince said he intended to take the faulty lock and bolt and see if any of those at the office could make it work after they saw his time sheet. Well, I, too did not expect the job to take two hours either. There's a saying amongst those who work regarding others that they have "lost confidence" in someone when a routine event gets too messed up due to gremlins. Let's just say I've lost confidence in ASL.

This is an update to a review I posted several weeks ago. I have upgraded the rating from a D to a B after the owner personally called and discussed my experience. He read the review on Angie's List and called to find out more. I explained that the locksmith made my wife feel somewhat uncomfortable and was a little rude to her and I admitted that my first review was probably based more on emotion than it was a review of the actual service. The owner was very nice and understanding and even offered to rekey the house at his expense if we really did not feel comfortable with the service. At the end of the day Area Safe & Lock did the job they were paid to do and did it quite well. I stand by my assessment that their rates are much higher than others in the area so if you are just rekeying locks and not doing anything complicated I would go with another company.

I called Area Safe and Lock about rekeying a new doorknob with an existing Multilock account. Bob answered the phone and clearly didn't want to be bothered. He said, "I'd have to see it to know if we can do that". When asked how we could make that happen, he said, "We're open Monday-Friday, 8-5pm" For working professionals, this is inconvenient. Also, if you don't want to be in the customer service business, then Area Safe & Lock should find something else for Bob to do and someone else to answer their phones.

Juan was very nice. However, the guy who answered the phone must have been having a bad day. I told him that I needed a locksmith but that I would not be home for at least an hour (I was on the sub. He yelled at me -- something like -- "Do you need a locksmith or not?" Again I told him that I needed someone to be at my house in one hour. I gave him my address and hung up the phone. Within about 10 minutes, Juan called and said he was on his way to my house. I told him I wouldn't be there for at least 50 minutes. He said OK and was at my house when I arrived. All in all, it worked out fine and I would definitely use their services again.

I called in the am and the locksmiths were there that afternoon and had work done by the end of the day. From the initial phone all the personnel i worked with were helpful and professional. I was very pleased with the customer service, knowledge and work that was accomplished. Thanks!!

See above. Excellent - superior. I was given more information and advice than I expected or knew to ask. I certainly will return and gladly provide the company's name to other people.

Did not want any payment until the job was completely done. Would definitely use these guys again and recommend them. They came when they said they would.

I was tending a neighbor's pets while he was away on a trip. The old door lock began to give trouble one day and by the next day was completely frozen, refusing to open, no matter how the key was turned. In fact, the key finally jammed in the lock. I called Area Safe and Lock (recommended by another locksmith), and a locksmith came out within an hour. He worked with the key and a lubricant until he could get the lock open, then took the whole mechanism out, lubricated it, reassembled and reinstalled it. He explained the problem and made recommendations, should the problem reoccur. He resolved the problem in about 45 minutes. He was efficient, proficient, professional throughout.

JD (Jim Dunlap) came to our house at the appointed time and worked diligently on our front door lock. He was able to make it work as good as new. It took him quite a bit of time to get everything working properly but he persisted and was ultimately successful. I HIGHLY recommend this company. Based on our experience you won't be disappointed.

I had purchased a safe from Home Depot. I gave the product number to the scheduler however, the installer was not able to install the safe I had. In the future, I would purchase one of their products directly and have it installed.

The company was very professional from the initial call to the completion of the job. After calling a few companies, the conversation we had with Area Lock was the most informative. This gave us the confidence to go with them. The locksmith came quickly and was very friendly and professional. We were very pleased with all of the work.

I needed to open a safe left on my premisses by a former tenant for which I had been given an incorrect combination. I called Area Safe and Lock on Thursday, December 20 and spoke with a very pleasant woman who answered my questions regarding services and pricing and set up an appointment on the next day, Friday, December 21. I met their representative, Bob, at the property, and he succeeded in unlocking the safe by drilling a small hole next to the combination dial, peering inside with a special camera, and aligning the notches. I'm happy to report that the safe can still be used by plugging the hole and and finding the combination by opening the panel on the back of the door. While I have no other price to compare the charge to, I feel that the fact that the safe remains useable and that Bob was able to complete the work in less than an hour was well worth the price. I'm extremely satisfied with this company and would recommend them to anyone with a similar problem.

I spoke to the installer who came out and told him I wanted the best lock he would recommend. He recommended the Hercular Mul-t-lock. Took the old lock out and installed this new.one. Works great and have no problems opening this lock. Did an excellent job installing the lock and explaining why this was a good selection. Whould highly recommend.

There has been an increase in crime in my neighborhood, and I called Area to find out what I could do to deter and prevent break ins. They were very helpful over the phone - asking specific questions, giving me detailed options and pricing, etc. I set up an appointment to have a locksmith assess my home. The locksmith arrived on time, and after about 30 minutes helped me select new locks for each exterior door. The locksmith did not oversell me - he even told me that some of the security options I had read about would not be necessary. He ordered new locks to match my existing doorknobs. Several days later, after the locks were ready, he came back to install them. The installation took several hours. Now, my locks and keys are much more effective. I immediately recommended Area to my neighbors and family.

Went great, all the locks were rekeyed with new keys cut.

Responsive and professional

The key had stopped working in my front door lock, and I assumed that I would need a new lock. Actually, by phone, we had already ascertained that I would need a new lock because the old one was not made any more. However, when the technician arrived, he said he thought he could fix the old lock and I could go on using it (and the same keys). The lock now works like a new one - I'm a happy camper!! The technician couldn't have been nicer, and the office was very responsive. They had called me two hours before he was supposed to be here and told me he was running about an hour behind time. This allowed me to go out and do some errands rather than sitting home waiting for a technician to arrive. I would definitely call them again, and I highly recommend the company.

It went perfect. He was in the door and out in 30 minutes.

Work was completed when promised, within thirty minutes.

What made this company stand out for me was the help I received from the woman who took my call ... I originally wanted to replace the locks on the doors, but when she costed out the price, it was more than I was willing to spend (the house is a rental). However, she worked with me -- gave me numerous options and costed them out, and then gave me time to figure out what I wanted to do. It was most helpful. And a technician was available to come out the same day, which was also incredibly helpful since I was only in town for 2 days. So although I ended up spending a little more than I wanted (even with the Angie's List discount, which I think was only $10), all in all it was a good experience.

Called receptionist to set up appointment. She was very friendly and knowledgeable. Locksmith was professional and on time.

They were great to work with. The receptionist was friendly and capable. She was able to fit me in on the same day for non-emergency service and to work around my schedule. The locksmith was on time and did the work quickly, including a fix of the root cause (bad fit from bolt to strike). They didn't have part on hand for the broken lever, but were able to find a reasonable substitute for me to use while they ordered the part from the manufacturer. The receptionist followed up as soon as she had the part ordered. I would definitely use again. The cost was a little more than I was hoping for but the service was worth it.