When we’re locked out, the entire situation can be a roller coaster of emotions. But did you know that there’s a process that most everyone goes through when you find yourself locked out of your home or car?

Here are the five stages of locked-out grief.

1. Denial

You’ll be sure that you’re just not opening the door correctly. Next you’ll go around your house or vehicle checking the other doors, convinced one of them MUST be unlocked. They’re not.

2. Anger

You will be furious! You’ll blame yourself or blame the person you are with who was running a little late. You’ll rage about the appointment you’re about to miss. This is the last thing you want to deal with.

3. Bargaining

You’ll try to remember who might have an extra key. You’ll panic and call around while you dig around your bags hoping that the keys might be in a spare pocket, kicking yourself that you should’ve hidden a spare key. (This is the phase when most call a locksmith!)

4. Depression

You’ll be bummed out that your keys might be lost, sad you won’t make it to your hair appointment, or worried about how long the locksmith is going to be. You’re also going to worry if you’ll be able to gain access again without too much of a haste. (Try not to be too worried, you will!!)

5. Acceptance

This can also be considered the deep breath. Whether your keys were found, new ones had to be made, appointments had to be rescheduled, or whatever your day included, you’re no longer locked out and now have a new experience for what to do (and not do) to prevent an occurrence like it from happening again.

If you find yourself in a locked-out situation from your vehicle, home, or place of business, give us a call!

A simple “thank you” really means a lot. While we always love a great online review, a handwritten note like this is always an unexpected and pleasant surprise!

To all of our customers, we send a truly sincere “THANK YOU!” for all of the many ways you’ve reached out, online or otherwise, to let us know how much you’ve appreciated our services! They seriously mean a lot to us!

If you had heard the phrase “smart home” a few years ago, someone might have thought you meant a household full of A+ students.

Nowadays, a smart home is basically a home equipped with electronics, heat, lighting that can be remotely controlled by phone, computer, or smart devices.

While it might be fun to say, ”Alexa, turn on my crockpot,” the safety of your home can be vastly improved with the addition of a few or even many smart devices. The numerous applications to these smart devices and being able to control them without having to be next to them can be a real game-changer.

For starters, many devices require an app to control them while also still working in their traditional ways. A smart lock won’t just lock and unlock with a normal key, but it can also be used with a simple tap of a button in its specific app on your phone.

If you’re someone who is always afraid you’ve left your flat iron on, a smart plug can assure you that if you did, a quick check on the app can make sure it’s taken care of.

Smart plugs work great for lights as well! Whether you just forgot to turn off the porch light right after you got snuggly in bed, want to use your google home to verbally turn off the lights on your first floor, or you’re on vacation and need to turn the front yard Christmas lights on and off, the uses are practically endless. So if you know you’ll be gone a few day’s, a constant rotation of interior lights gives a better impression you’re actually home.

Another type of smart home tools are smart alarms and cameras. Want to see what time your Amazon package was delivered, or check exactly what times the front door was opened and closed? These products not only can be viewed in real time, but they log their info into a database you can access anywhere.

Lastly, a huge item that should be considered is a smart smoke detector. These don’t just act as a traditional detector to warn the occupants of smoke, but they can also inform an alarm company, fire department, and you, if you are away from the residence.