A locksmith’s dependability, reliability, and honesty

A good locksmith uses a quality product. But a great locksmith encompasses much more than that: dependability, reliability, and honesty. Meet Jay Sofer, founder of New York City business Lockbusters. Jay knows that his reputation is everything, and his commitment to excellence is how he’s found so much success. His customers rely on him to solve their problems, and he relies on them to help build his status in the community. 

Our reviewer, Charlotte B., found herself in an unfortunate and unsafe situation after purchasing her home. The building superintendent had been coming and going from her apartment without permission, so she decided to take matters into her own hands and change the locks. 

Charlotte is just one example of the many situations that Jay finds his customers in. “People accidentally lose their keys, get locked out, kick out a crazy ex, have a creepy super walk in—you know, all the ebb and flow of what happens in the city. I see people in really volatile and vulnerable situations—sometimes after they’d been robbed, and in Charlotte’s case, it was illegally entering her apartment.” 

Because of this, Jay shows up for customers by fixing the actual lock problem at hand—but specifically in a way that matches his online reputation. “I need to come across as that person that lets them know, I’m here to help you. You hired me. You chose me because you read good things about me. There are literally a thousand other people you could have hired. And you also hired me because you read about what other people have written about me. So there’s an expectation there.”

Reputation is essential for every business owner, but the stakes are higher for businesses that are primarily built on trust. Building a positive reputation is hard, let alone building an exceptional one. You can’t fake it—you have to put in the hard work, and from there, the reputation will follow. As a business owner, regardless of industry, think about how people came to find your business. Was it a referral from a friend or family member? Was it through great Yelp reviews? However they found you, make sure you deliver on the expectations that brought them to your business in the first place.

Let’s take a quick look at some of the steps that Jay took to get where he is:

• Communication: Jay prioritizes personalized communication. He immediately jumped on the “texting” bandwagon as soon as people started communicating via SMS. Smartphone technology completely changed his business. He describes himself as being “lightning fast with email, and people respond really well to that.” In fact, Charlotte specifically looked to the Yelp feature that lets you know when a business “responds quickly.”
• Reliable price quotes: Jay prides himself on his ability to to stick to a quote. It’s something that customers can expect from him and something he knows many businesses—especially in his industry—don’t do. If and when there are unforeseen circumstances, Jay doesn’t charge additional fees. He instead asks that the additional cost be donated to a local animal shelter, as a way to give back to his community. 
• Reconcile the problems: Jay attributes his very few negative reviews to the fact that if there is a problem or a mistake is made, he has an open line of communication to hear about it, and he goes back to fix it. “I think people appreciate you coming back and fixing something—as much as they appreciate you getting it right the first time.”

Bonus footage: Check out Jay as he shares tips for finding a good locksmith, home security tricks, and more.

Interviews by Emily Washcovick; photos from Lockbusters

These lessons come from an episode of Behind the Review, Yelp & Entrepreneur Media’s weekly podcast. Listen below to hear from Jay and Charlotte, or visit the episode page to read more, subscribe to the show, and explore other episodes.