Because I had a positive experience with Pop-a-Lock 15 years ago, I called on them again to help me re-key my house. The experience was alarmingly poor. This is clearly not the same company it was in 2008.
When I called to make an appointment, a friendly lady asked me a few basic questions, then assured me I'd hear back from a rep in a day or so. But that call didn't come so I had to call again to nudge them to follow up.
After my second call, I received a text from "Locksmith Services" that a "locksmith pro" had accepted my job and would call shortly. A phone number was also provided. That locksmith, Uriel, did indeed call me and we scheduled the work. He texted me directly from his cell with his name, the day and time, and my address as confirmation.
Here's where things got strange -- and even scary. As I met Uriel onsite, he mentioned he'd seen another locksmith van near the house, and asked if I'd called someone else to do the work. Nope, I said, just Pop-a-Lock. "Who?" he asked. That's when I noticed his van had a different company's name on it. Ok, I thought, so Pop-a-Lock must have subcontracted with this guy's company to do the work and not bothered to tell either them or me.
Within minutes, I'd handed Uriel the two keys that he'd be replacing for 5 different locks around the house. He'd already dismantled the lock to the front door when I received a new text from "Locksmith Services" alerting me that Uriel was unable to complete the service, so they would match me with another "pro". This was followed by another text with a different locksmith's name who was now assigned to the job. (In hindsight, my guess is that was the other van Uriel saw outside when he approached my house.) Confused, I let Uriel know about this in case he needed to follow up, and I told him I'd be calling Pop-a-Lock to confirm that he was onsite and the service call was in-progress. "No need to call. This happens all the time. I'm working this job," he insisted.
I started thinking, "What if this isn't actually my Pop-a-Lock appointment?" Uriel was nice and all, but as my front door was wide open and he worked inside his van across the street, I began to worry for my personal safety and security. It was very strange that he didn't even recognize Pop-a-Lock's name.
So I did call Pop-a-Lock -- but since Uriel had insisted I not call, and because I was feeling a bit unsure about the whole situation, I tried to be discreet about it.
Fast-forward at least 90 minutes, I'd made multiple calls to Pop-a-Lock. Easily the majority of that time was spent on hold listening to their obnoxious self-promoting jingle. I'd spoken with several reps who either couldn't find my service record, or could find it but couldn't verify that either Uriel or the company name on his van was assigned to my job. One rep insisted that Pop-a-Lock never subcontracts to other companies, and that the service van would always be orange and white with their logo on it. This, of course, threw fuel at my fear that Uriel wasn't legit. Another rep explained that the job *might* have been subcontracted, but since I was in a different state as the rep I was speaking with, it would be impossible for them to see the details of my job. (That person gave me a supposedly local number to call, but when no one answered it I was routed back to the corporate call center.) I requested multiple times, with increasing frustration, that they send an actual Pop-a-Lock locksmith to clear up the confusion they'd created, and resolve any issues with Uriel directly, but they were repeatedly unwilling to do so.
Twice, from two different reps, I was advised "Ma'am, if I were you I'd hang up and call the police right now." All because Pop-a-Lock's systems don't talk to each other and their reps aren't trained properly on their subcontracting practices.
At some point, someone from "Locksmith Services" called. Wait, who? Oh, those texts I'd receiving about "locksmith pros" being assigned and un-assigned to my job. They turned out to be the missing link that could explain Uriel was associated with the Pop-a-Lock assignment, even while neither Uriel nor Pop-a-Lock could. The rep from Locksmith Services explained they're a third party dispatch company that connects subcontractors to Pop-a-Lock jobs. In other words, Pop-a-Lock sub-SUB-contracts their work, and in the process Pop-a-Lock loses any record of who's working on what.
Uriel did a fine job with my locks (see my glowing review of his company), and was professional throughout. I never shared with him that for much of the time during his visit, I was quietly scared and suspicious of him, and I'm glad he has no idea. Because, frankly, neither of us deserved to be placed in that situation.
Imagine the wasted time and public resources if I'd actually called the police?
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