—
What’s the key to finding a good car locksmith? We recently interviewed tech entrepreneur Al Lijee, founder of Auto Locksmiths, to get more information on his new platform and why he thinks it’s the best and most reliable way to find an automotive locksmith in the United States.
What are Auto Locksmiths and why did you start it?
Auto Locksmiths is an online platform where vehicle owners can find reputable automotive locksmiths across the United States. I created Auto Locksmiths to meet the growing demand for reliable automotive locksmithing services in the United States. It’s a little bit like how Uber connects customers with drivers, except we don’t take a cut of the commissions and instead let our member locksmiths operate as independent businesses.
Personally, I have received very poor service in 2011 when I had a cracked windshield and needed it repaired. I thought to myself “there’s got to be a better way,” and created myWindscreen just a few years later in 2014, a platform connecting drivers with independent auto glass shops in the UK. It turns out that myWindscreen has become quite a success story, so branching out into locksmithing with a similar type of platform was a natural fit.
What’s the USP of Auto Locksmiths?
So, one of the big things about calling an automotive locksmith in the United States is that there is often plenty of choice, but it might not seem that way if you’re in a tight bind and need service right away. Most drivers will naturally get their phone and call AAA or their insurance provider to ask for help, perhaps not knowing that there are more affordable solutions in their town or city.
The problem then isn’t that there is a lack of choice, but rather that a lot of alternative choices just aren’t getting much attention. Independent automotive locksmiths often offer much better prices than AAA or your local towing company, but finding them can be a challenge. That’s why we built Auto Locksmiths. We want to make the whole process of finding a reputable automotive locksmith quick and easy while also ensuring that every member is genuine and trustworthy.
Can any automotive locksmith become a member?
No, we are quite selective when it comes to accepting new member partners on our platform. One of the most important steps in ensuring the consistent quality of our member partners is to make sure that every applicant is committed to providing excellent customer service, reliable services, and is willing to provide a free quote without any obligations to their customers.
This separates a lot of the good, honest automotive locksmiths from individuals that may be known for price gouging or not showing up to service a customer’s vehicle when they say so. Unfortunately, this still does happen quite a bit in the US, so we are careful to only work with vetted and approved locksmiths so that our customers can have some peace of mind.
What is the benefit of Auto Locksmiths for drivers?
Nowadays it isn’t too hard to find a locksmith online with a simple Google search, but it can be time-consuming and sometimes frustrating to go through the results one-by-one to find a reputable locksmith. Auto Locksmiths makes this process simple and hassle-free, and customers benefit by only seeing results for locksmiths that operate within their ZIP code, that have been vetted and approved, and that can offer a free quote before coming down to service their vehicle.
Whether you simply need to replacement car key or have your key fob or transponder reprogrammed, or if you’ve been locked out of your vehicle and you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere, the member locksmiths of Auto Locksmiths are just a quick call away.
What’s in the works for Auto Locksmiths now and in the future?
Right now, we’re working hard to build up our network by onboarding more quality members from all across the United States. The more members we add and the more customers we get visiting our website, the more everyone benefits in the end.
In the future, I hope to see Auto Locksmiths become the number one choice for drivers in the United States. I also believe that if I can help connect even just one driver with a genuine locksmith instead of some rogue locksmith looking to price gouge, it’s a success. Good business gets rewarded, and another driver is back on the road safely.
—
This content is brought to you by Andrea Mario.
Photo provided by the author with written permission from owner Coltan Barter.
