Locksmithing: the stock that decides your day

A locksmith gets paid for attending and for fixing. A second trip doubles the attending and pays nothing extra for the fixing.

Almost every second trip comes down to one missing part, and that part is usually cheap and usually predictable.

Count what you fit, for one month

Most locksmiths stock by memory and by whatever ran out last. A month of counting replaces that with a list.

Write down every part you fit, on every job. At the end of the month you will see that a handful of lines cover most of your work.

Stock the top lines deeply and the rest thinly

Your top few parts deserve real depth in the van, because running out of one of those costs you a trip every time.

The long tail deserves one each, or none. A part you fit twice a year belongs at the supplier, and your quote to that customer can include the wait.

Restock on a rule, not on a feeling

A minimum per line turns restocking into a rule rather than a decision. The rule matters more than the number, because a rule survives a busy week.

The van count happens on the same day each week. A Friday count takes ten minutes and removes the Monday morning surprise.

Let the job tell you what came off the van

Parts written up on a Friday get forgotten. A forgotten part costs you twice: you never bill it, and your stock count now lies.

Parts go onto the job at the moment of fitting, while the van door is still open. A part recorded then is a part that reaches the invoice. Your invoice then bills what you used, and your stock figure stays honest.

Materials markup covers what your markup on those parts is really paying for, which is mostly the hours around them.

Emergency work needs its own kit

A lockout at eleven at night needs a different set of parts from a Tuesday rekey. That kit stays separate and complete.

A kit sharing a shelf with everything else never gets restocked properly. A separate box that you check after every callout stays ready.

Price the trip you avoided

Work out your cost of a second trip: the drive, the hour, and the job you pushed back to make room. Most locksmiths land on a number that shocks them.

Hold that number against the cost of stocking one more of a common part. The stock nearly always wins, and the sum makes the decision for you.

Blanks and profiles are their own stock problem

Key blanks behave differently from parts. They cost little, they take almost no room, and the wrong one stops the job completely.

Depth belongs on the profiles your area actually uses, which is a short list set by whatever the local builders fitted.

A month of recording tells you that list. Most locksmiths find four or five profiles cover the large majority of their cutting.

Your supplier can usually tell you what sells most in your postcode. That list and your own month of records rarely disagree, and together they settle the question.

What to change first

• Every part fitted gets recorded for one month, on every job
• The top lines carry real depth, and the long tail stays at the supplier
• A minimum per line, restocked below it, on a fixed day
• Parts reach the job at the moment of fitting, not at the end of the week
• A separate, complete kit waits for callouts
• A properly costed second trip settles the argument about holding more stock, line by line