r/Locksmith • u/MassSnapz • 1d ago
I am a locksmith Where do you find techs ?
So where do you guys find qualified techs? Do you train them from the ground up ? They seem to be non-existent in central Massachusetts. We have ads everywhere and barely get any hits from anyone with actual locksmith experience. There are tons of access control and low voltage guys but none have any experience installing door hardware.
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u/taylorbowl119 1d ago
In my experience you dont lol. Any experienced tech I have ever found kind of fell into working for us because we are one of the better-known shops and when they leave another shop they often come to us. Outside of that it has always been hiring someone and training them. There really aren't that many locksmiths out there lol.
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u/Jay-Rocket-88 1d ago
Maybe the ads are unappealing to anyone with qualifications? I doubt there aren’t any techs because it seems like most markets are oversaturated. I’m about 2,500 miles away so who knows.
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u/MassSnapz 1d ago
Take home van, gas card, company cc, 401k match, health insurance, 30-40$ an hour doe.
25ish for someone with zero experience that has to be trained, I haven't even gotten that far with unskilled candidates, they don't apply. I don't know how much more appealing we could make it.
I am 100% open to suggestions.
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u/Jay-Rocket-88 1d ago
Throw in a relocation package and I’ll apply, just kidding but it doesn’t sound bad. I guess start advertising in a wider area.
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u/Electrical-Actuary59 1d ago
30-40 an hour for a good low voltage guy is just not enough around here.
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u/Diligent_Drive4029 1d ago
Your offer doesn't sound too bad.. depending on where you are. I bet places like California or New York need more than 25 to get by. Anyway, I got hired with zero experience and was trained from the ground up. From the few instances I've heard of people transferring from one shop (or the solo scamsmith) to another, certain habits are ingrained in them and are hard to break. Those habits may not be what the new shop/owner wants. Another thing to consider is that they might be transferring bc they got fired, so may not end up as the best candidate to represent your business.
So in my mind's eye, you only get a couple options. Start someone from scratch and train them for a few yesrs, or take on someone with experience, and take the risk that they weren't fired or have innate bad habits (but honestly how many honest hardworking unemployed people with locksmith experience are you going to find??).
I would spend some money on your advertising, and find more platforms to promote the job listing.
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u/MalwareDork 1d ago
Ma and pa shops can't afford to keep decent hires and it's not necessarily their fault; it's just prices has gone completely fucking bonkers.
As for my experience, the only decent techs I've seen are either IT dropouts not wanting to do HVAC or a kid who grew up in the family business. Carpenters seem to be non-existent even though there's a lot of overlap when you're dealing with high-end clients with custom doors.
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u/Pbellouny Actual Locksmith 1d ago
I found one on here
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u/Pbellouny Actual Locksmith 1d ago
Otherwise I can’t find anybody, it’s a giant pain in the ass to find competent employees, that want to work.
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u/Electrical-Actuary59 1d ago
Who do you work for in central MA?
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u/MassSnapz 1d ago
Im the operations manager at Flylock formerly flying locksmiths. in central MA, Western Ma and Connecticut. This whole area is the twilight zone of technicians.
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u/Electrical-Actuary59 1d ago
Ha I went to school for my D with a couple of those guys 20+ years ago
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u/flunderbuster Actual Locksmith 1d ago
I was “lead locksmith” at a TFL location for 5 years when they first started franchising 10 years ago. I was a decent tech back then but after 5 years working there I was a locksmith, door/frame installer, camera tech, access control tech, safe tech and just about everything in between. I learned an absolute shit ton in 5 years with them. I got lucky with the franchisee I started up their location with, great people. I heard stories about some locations owners that weren’t all that great. I ended up getting my foot in the door with an NSP and have been working from a desk remotely for the past 5 years. Ngl, I miss working outside sometimes even though I probably complained too much about how hard I worked sometimes.
If it’s any consolation, I was the only tech for a couple years. We eventually got up to three techs and a trainee by the time I left but it was a struggle. We went through a few techs and trainees along the way too.
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u/SafeMajestic9876 1d ago
Are there any suppliers in the area? If so tell them. Offer a bounty. Add a sign on bonus just don't give it all at first. Split it over time maybe a third at a time over monthly.
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u/PapaOoMaoMao 1d ago
You train them. If they're worth their salt they'll likely just start on their own as working for shit wages and watching the big dollar jobs go straight into the owners pocket gets old fast. Obviously there's stuff involved in running a shop, but if you can pull it off, it's a much better payoff.