It happens fast. You step out to grab something from your car, the wind catches the door, and you hear the click. It’s 11:30 at night, your keys are inside, and your phone is at 14%. What now?
We get this call a lot — multiple times a week, all over the Westbank. Here’s exactly what to do, in order.
1. Take a breath. Then check the obvious things.
Is the back door unlocked? A side window cracked from earlier in the day? A spare hidden somewhere with a neighbor or family member? Walk the perimeter of your home once before you make any other decisions. You’d be surprised how often the answer is sitting right there.
2. Don’t try to force your way in.
Every credit-card-in-the-jamb trick on YouTube either doesn’t work on a modern deadbolt, or it works in a way that wrecks the lock, the door, or both. A $50 lockout call is dramatically cheaper than a $400 door repair, plus a new lock, plus your time off work to wait for both.
3. Get somewhere safe and well-lit.
If you’re locked out at night, don’t pace around your dark driveway. A 24-hour business (gas station, urgent care, fast-food drive-through) or a neighbor’s porch is fine. Charge your phone if you can.
4. Call a real local locksmith, not a 1-800 number from a Google ad.
This is the part most people don’t know. The top three or four “locksmith near me” ads in any city are usually national dispatch services that route your call to a sub-contractor you’ve never heard of, then bill three to five times the local rate when they arrive. They quote $19, the technician shows up, “assesses,” and the bill becomes $349.
A real local locksmith will:
- Answer the phone with the business name, not “locksmith.”
- Have a real address you can look up on Google Maps.
- Quote you the full price on the phone, in advance.
- Show up in a marked vehicle, with photo ID.
5. Have ID ready.
When we arrive, we’ll ask to see a photo ID matching the address. It protects you as much as it protects us. If we couldn’t be locked out of letting just anyone in, the service wouldn’t be worth much.
6. After the lockout: rekey if a key is missing.
If you lost a key (didn’t just leave it inside), a rekey is the only way to be sure the lost key won’t open your door tomorrow. It takes 15–20 minutes, is much cheaper than replacing the locks, and gives you a fresh set of keys.
One last thing: hide a spare next time.
Not under the mat. Not in a fake rock. Give one to a trusted neighbor or family member who lives nearby, or invest in a small key safe (combination lock-box) anchored to the wall in an inconspicuous spot. You’ll thank yourself the next time the wind catches the door.
Locked out right now? Call NolaKey at 504-220-1552. We answer 24/7 and we’re usually anywhere on the Westbank in 20–30 minutes.