Non-destructive entry first, always - and we re-key Schlage, Kwikset, and Baldwin locks on the spot while you watch
You get a price before we start. It does not change when we arrive. No surprises.
Why Franchisees Choose Preston Locksmith & Security
If you’ve been researching locksmith franchises, you already know the industry has a trust problem. Homeowners have heard the bait-and-switch stories. They’ve seen a $29 teaser turn into a $429 invoice at the door. That distrust is a headwind for every independent operator, and it’s the exact reason Preston Locksmith & Security exists. We built a brand around one promise: locked out or locking up, with the price up front. Franchisees join us because we’ve already solved the hardest problem in this trade: getting customers to pick up the phone without hesitation.
The Preston Locksmith & Security Advantage
1. A Brand Built on the 365-Day Done Right Promise
Every franchisee gets to trade on a guarantee that no independent shop can easily copy. If a repair isn’t done right, we make it right. In writing. On every job, no exceptions. That promise was built in 2008 and has been the backbone of the brand ever since. Customers don’t have to trust that you’re honest; they can see the guarantee stamped on the work order before you ever touch a lock.
2. The Relay Visibility Guarantee: A System, Not a Slogan
As a Preston franchisee, you’re part of the Relay Home Co. family, and that means every job runs through a five-point operational standard. Book in a tap, no phone tag. Give a live arrival time, not a four-hour window. Send photos of the work, before and after. Put the price in writing before we start. Text a digital invoice the customer can pay from the link. That’s The Relay Standard, and it’s not optional. It’s the operating system every location runs on, and it’s why our customers come back and refer their neighbors.
3. No-Hassle Upfront Pricing Wins on Google
This is the moat, plain and simple. In a market where competitors advertise “$19 service calls” and then pile on fees, we give every customer a written price before any work starts. The price on the estimate is the price on the invoice, period. Franchisees don’t have to invent sales scripts or learn high-pressure closing tactics. They just do honest work at the stated price, and the reviews and repeat business take care of themselves.
4. Brand Recognition on Premium Hardware
We’re trained and equipped to service Schlage, Kwikset, Medeco, Yale, Baldwin, Mul-T-Lock, Sargent, and Abloy hardware. That’s a shortlist of brands commercial property managers and high-end homeowners actually ask for by name. An independent locksmith often has to turn down a Medeco or Mul-T-Lock job because they lack the training or tooling. A Preston franchisee says yes. That brand recognition opens doors in commercial accounts that a one-person shop can’t touch in year one.
5. 24/7 Live Answering: The Phone Never Rings to Voicemail
As a franchisee, you don’t have to choose between taking a lunch break and losing a midnight lockout call. The Preston system includes live call answering, 24 hours a day, every day. No voicemail trees, no callback queues, no phone tag. When a prospective franchisee compares us to going independent, this is the one that tips the decision. Answering the phone around the clock is expensive and exhausting. We’ve built it into the fleet so individual owners don’t have to carry that burden alone.
6. Background-Checked, Uniformed Technicians: The Trust You Can’t Fake
Every customer gets told who is coming, what they look like, and when they will arrive, before the technician knocks. The technician shows up in uniform with a badge and a background check on file. That level of operational polish is hard to replicate as a solo operator working out of a van. For franchisees, it means fewer no-shows, fewer suspicious customers, and a level of professionalism that commands better pricing in any market.
Independent vs. Franchised
Let’s be honest about what going independent really looks like. You’re buying a van, a pinning kit, a key machine, and a website, then hoping your Yelp reviews outpace the scammers in your market. You’re answering the phone at 2 a.m. or losing those calls entirely. You’re competing against national lead-gen companies that spend six figures a month on Google Ads. You’re quoting jobs by gut feel and hoping the customer doesn’t argue when you show up.
Every independent locksmith we’ve met started with the same goal: do honest work and build a book of repeat customers. But the market punishes independents in ways it doesn’t punish brands. Customers default to whoever answers the phone fastest and can hold a live, trackable arrival time. A Preston franchisee gets a structured system for that from day one. You’re not building the plumbing of a business; you’re running one that already has its reputation, its processes, and its promise in place.
We also won’t pretend the franchise route is right for everyone. It’s not. If you want to set your own hours and keep the whole cut from every job, independence has a real upside. But if you want to enter the trade with a brand customers already recognize, a guarantee competitors can’t match, and an operational playbook that removes the guesswork from pricing, dispatch, and customer communication, Preston Locksmith & Security is the better road.
There’s no guesswork on what you’re getting into. You get the name, the promise, the systems, and the training. The rest is hard work, and every franchisee knows that going in.
Ready to Learn More?
We’re looking for operators who take the work seriously and the customer’s time even more seriously. Call (409) 405-4485 to talk to a real person about territory, training, and the path to opening day.
Written by Kevin Yoon, Owner at Preston Locksmith & Security, serving customers since 2008.