What to Do When You’ve Lost Your Home or Car Keys

Dixie Safe & Lock Service Inc. • Sep 16, 2019

Man Fixing Door Lock — Houston, TX — Dixie Safe & Lock Service Inc.

Have you just walked up to your car in a Houston parking lot only to realize you don’t have your keys? There’s nothing quite as emotionally excruciating as that first minute of helpless panic. What can you possibly do to rectify the situation quickly?

1. Retrace your steps.

If you got somewhere using your car and now your keys are missing then they must be in one of two places – locked in your car or somewhere between where you’re standing and where you just were. If you were at work, go back and check on and around your desk. If you were in a restaurant or at a movie go back and try to search for your keys where you were sitting.

You may feel a pang of guilt or shame having to return to a business and admit that your keys have gone missing, but you really shouldn’t. Chances are the employee you’re talking to has found themselves in a similar situation before as well. People understand how awful losing your keys is, so you deserve and should expect some compassion for your predicament.

2. Call someone with a spare.

Do you have friends or family with a spare key for your vehicle? If you’ve been locked out of your car or home, now is the time to call in a favor. Unfortunately, factors like distance and time may make it difficult for someone to get a spare key out to you when you need it. It may end up being faster to just call a locksmith.

3. Call a locksmith.

If step one doesn’t work out or you look into your car and see your keys sitting on the passenger seat, then it’s likely time to call a locksmith. Thankfully, getting ahold of a qualified locksmith is much easier today than it was even 10 short years ago thanks to the smartphones we all carry around.

If you’re reading this in a parking lot right now just call (713) 643-5767 and a Dixie Safe & Lock Service Inc. representative will answer the phone and get someone dispatched out to your location right away. Regardless of where you are stranded in the Houston metro area, you can trust that we’re just a phone call away and will do our best to get to you as quickly as possible and get your vehicle opened so you can get in and go home.

Some types of insurance may even reimburse you for your auto locksmith services. After you’re back in your car, consider calling your insurance company to see if your coverage qualifies you for reimbursement.

4. Get roadside assistance out to help.

Depending on the type of insurance you have or your vehicle warranty, you may qualify for roadside assistance. Even some credit cards include roadside assistance. Auto clubs such as AAA also offer unlocking services, or they can at least tow you to a dealership where you can get your vehicle unlocked.

Whether or not this option is faster than calling out a skilled locksmith – who is likely already waiting on standby – is up for debate. Roadside assistance response time depends on factors such as schedule, bandwidth and time of day.

5. Unlock your door yourself.

Trying to break into your own car by cracking open the window and using a clothes hanger or just breaking the window is not advisable. Forcing down the window may damage the mechanism within the door and shattering a car window can be very dangerous and expensive to fix. Many cars today don’t have post locks, so you may not be able to accomplish anything even if you were able to get the window to roll down slightly so you could fit a shoelace or clothes hanger through.

The only time you may want to consider breaking the window is if it’s an emergency, like you’re in the middle of nowhere and your children are locked in a hot car. In nine out of 10 situations, it’s likely in your best interest to wait for a professional locksmith.

6. Only call law enforcement if you’re in danger.

Being locked out of your car doesn’t warrant a call to law enforcement or first responders. However, if you’re stuck in a parking lot and have reason to believe your safety is threatened, don’t hesitate to call 911.

If you call for emergency services when you’re simply inconvenienced, it’s likely the emergency dispatchers will be annoyed, dismissive and may even cite you for calling an emergency number for a non-emergency situation.

Suggestions for Ensuring You Don’t Get Locked Out of Your Car or Home in the Future

Make spare keys and give them to trusted friends/family or use a hidden key device. There are drawbacks to hidden keys though, since it could potentially be found by someone who wants to steal your vehicle or break into your house.
Keep an extra key in your office or your wallet/purse. Wallets and purses can be stolen or lost too, which can pose an additional risk, so be cautious.
Keep your keys on a lanyard attached to a belt loop so you can’t accidentally leave them somewhere.

Get Fast Locksmith Services in Houston

If you ever find yourself locked out of your home or vehicle in the Houston area, you can trust Dixie Safe & Lock Service Inc. to get to you fast and provide friendly, reliable locksmith services. Just call (713) 643-5767 and we’ll get someone dispatched out to you right away.

Number	First Name	Last Name	Email Address
1	Anne	Evans	anne.evans@mail.com
2	Bill	Fernandez	bill.fernandez@mail.com
3	Candice	Gates	candice.gates@mail.com
4	Dave	Hill	dave.hill@mail.com

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We had a great experience with Dixie Electronic! They arrived within 20 minutes and took care of the job promptly. Their employees are skillful and friendly. Overall, we recommend these guys.

– Carrie M.

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The service provided by this company was amazing. The guys who did the job were very professional and polite. These guys have earned my future business, would really thank you for helping me out in such a situation when I lost my car’s key.

– Karen K.

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