- Record identification type, ownership document, work done and time, for every opening.
- Bitting records and combinations are the most sensitive data you hold. Encrypt them.
- Hand key records over and delete your copy when a customer relationship ends.
- Report your own damage before the customer notices it.
The job record
For every opening record the date and time, the address or vehicle, the identification you were shown and its type, the document tying the person to the property, the work performed, who else was present and what you charged.
Many licensing states require exactly this and set a retention period. Keep the records that long even where nothing requires it.
Store them securely. A file of addresses, entry methods and key information is sensitive material and it belongs behind a password, not in a notebook on the van seat.
Bitting records and customer data
Key codes, master key charts and safe combinations are the crown jewels. Anybody holding them can produce a working key without ever touching the building.
Store them encrypted, hold them separately from the customer contact list, never send them by plain email, and delete them when a customer relationship ends unless the customer asks you to retain them.
When a customer sells a building, hand the records over and delete your copy. Retaining the key data for a property you no longer serve is a liability with no upside.
Damage, mistakes and insurance
Things get damaged. A frame splits, a paint chip appears, a cylinder that was already failing gives up in your hands. What matters is what happens next.
Say it immediately, before the customer notices. Photograph it, explain it, and make it right. A locksmith who reports their own damage is a locksmith people call again. A locksmith who leaves quietly is a review and sometimes a claim.
That is what general liability insurance exists for. Carry it, and know your excess so you can decide in the moment whether to pay for a small repair directly rather than claim.
Common Questions
What should I record on an opening job?
Who you opened for, what identification you saw, the address, the time and what you did. A photograph of the identification alongside the door is enough and it has saved people.
How long should records be kept?
Longer than you think you need. Disputes about an opening surface months later, and a dated record is the only thing that answers them.
Can I be liable for a lock I fitted that failed?
Yes, if the fitting was wrong or the hardware was unsuitable for the door. Fitting uncertified hardware to a rated fire door is the clearest example.