Locksmithgonestraight
Middleboro,#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Tue, April 15, 2014
I worked for runlocal for about a year, and it was a horrible experience. I typically made 35% of what was charged, paid for my own gas and tools as well as stock. We were also in charge of our own insurance. THe company itself is basically a call center. They operate like a pyramid scheme, the company hiring a local smith who then subcontracts to newer or underworked smiths.
The advertising they do often reflects services and training not available to the smiths they have. Example; When I was new I knew nothing of ignitions and they attempted to send me to the jobs, I typically refused anything of the nature. I was often berrated for taking my time and picking a difficult lock that could be drilled in 5 minutes. I was also yelled at for charging too low, which regularly screwed me over.
To put it in perspective for us "techs" and I use quotes because a lot of these guys had no knowledge of locks, we'll do a quick math problem. If a tech goes to a job and charges $65 at a 35% commision and drove 25 miles there and 25 back, he made 22.50 minus what he had to chew up in gas in a van. In reviewing the websites for run local, and they're abundant and typically names your towns name + locksmith, the vast majority of information on the pages is false, including;
Prices- (the words and up are used way to god damned much)
Services available- (The call center has no idea what the smiths have the equipment or knowhow for)
Time / Availability- (The call center would schedule jobs at impossible times and places, and were dishonest in response time)
Products available- (Like above with services, the call center would gaurantee the smiths would have an abundance of stock we didn't.
RUNLOCAL is a call center. They provided volume of calls and nothing else.
I couldn't suceed with this company because I wasn't "ruthless" enough. Those are words from smiths I worked with. I've since left the company and started my own fledgling company, I'm much happier with being able to charge honest rates and help people.
If you're looking for a locksmith one tip to help weed out runlocal and other crap companies of the same like (captainlocksmith comes to mind) is to make sure the online ads have a legal street address in the area, at least the state, listed. Even my tiny company can use my home office as an address to establish legitimacy.