(Serviced 03/05/13 TU @ 3pm): I'm not mon-keying around; I'm locked and loaded on this shack the next time a key is needed to be copied!
I've needed to make a copy of the key to the front gate door of my pad since I moved in over six months ago, so I finally went to my favorite OSH Hardware store in Burbank where I've had keys copied on numerous occasions. When I recently went in and they checked out my key, they didn't carry blanks for that type of key, only standard house doors and the like. But the gentleman suggested I needed to go to a locksmith, which was such a foreign concept to me.
Flash-forward to this eventful day while I ran errands during my lunch at the Valencia Promenade Shopping Center, I'd always seen this diminutive business situated at the corner of a four-way stop in the middle of this outdoor mall, but honestly never gave it a thought...until today. I thought, "what the fuck, it can't hurt to ask since I'm here." I walked up to the order window, peered inside and saw this young female who tried to get some lunch in while on her laptop. She greeted me as she finished a bite of her food (I didn't care because I'm chill like that!) and I showed her my key. I was about to take it off its ring when she said it wasn't necessary, so she took all of my keys, turned around, almost instantly found the correct blank like it was no big deal, and presto-chango, the key was made! I asked how much and I was amazed when she said, "$3.00." I was all too happy to give her my money. But the kicker was the cool conversation we had about Yelp and how she was a huge fan and used it for everything. I was shocked when I got back to my car that this place didn't have a Yelp page...so I created one for them on the spot.
The service was da bomb! The young woman who helped me out was chill, I didn't even need to take the key off it's ring which was usually mandatory (I tested it when I got home and worked perfectly), I swear the key was made in less than a minute!
Parking was ample since there were in an outdoor mall. Park anywhere and walk it.
Overall, Safeway Locksmith was a safe bet when I checked them out, but it still bothered me that they didn't have a Yelp business page...until I added them. I found very good value based on the prices, service and experience noted above (total bill was $3.00, no tip required), but honestly I would've paid at least $5.00, which was the same price I'd paid at an OSH in Burbank on a fancy Disney blank. The atmosphere/décor was literally a shack - even an outhouse - it was that small. One young female with four windows, a door, surrounded by keys and barely enough room for her laptop. The attire was totally casual, so if it weren't for work I'd be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. As far as I knew this place was cash only, so no credit cards accepted...which included AMEX! read more