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Guide

After-hours locksmith calls, without living on the phone.

Night and weekend lockouts pay well and come at the worst times. Here is how to decide who answers, how to price them so the quote holds at the door, and which calls are worth a 2 a.m. drive.
The six rulesThe AI receptionist
After hours
Surcharge on

Before 8 a.m. and from 6 p.m.

All day Sunday

House lockout at 11:48 pm

$95–$140 + $40

The caller is outside, it's dark, and you're asleep

Night callers are more urgent, expect to pay more, and hang up faster. You have fewer techs available, you're more tired, and proof of ownership matters more, not less.

Four ways shops handle night calls

  • 01

    You take every call

    Works when

    You're solo, nights are a big share of your income, and you don't mind the phone on the nightstand.

    Watch for

    Sleep. A 3 a.m. call you answer half awake is where quotes go wrong and tempers go short.

  • 02

    An on-call rotation

    Works when

    You have two or more techs and can pay or trade for nights fairly.

    Watch for

    The on-call tech is both the receptionist and the driver. Calls that come in while they're on a job still go unanswered.

  • 03

    Voicemail until morning

    Works when

    You've decided not to do night work at all and say so on your website and listings.

    Watch for

    Lockout callers don't wait. Almost every night message is a job that went to another shop.

  • 04

    An answering service or AI picks up

    Works when

    You want every call answered and only the jobs you choose sent to a tech.

    Watch for

    It is only as good as its instructions: your hours, your night prices, and what it should do with each kind of call.

Comparing answering services in detail? The locksmith answering service guide puts voicemail, a human service and an AI receptionist side by side.

Six rules for after-hours work

Write these down once and every person, or AI, that answers your phone follows the same plan. For the pricing part, see how to build a price book for phone quotes.

  1. Write down your hours, exactly

    “After hours” has to mean a time, like after 7 p.m. and before 7 a.m., plus weekends and the holidays you name. Whoever answers needs the same rule you use.

  2. Price the night as a surcharge

    Keep your base ranges the same and add a separate after-hours amount on top. It is easier to say on the phone and easier to change later.

  3. Say the full price on the call

    Base range plus the surcharge, every time. A caller who hears it at 2 a.m. and still books won't argue at the door.

  4. Decide which calls go out tonight

    Lockouts and broken locks after a break-in usually can't wait. A rekey after a move or a spare car key often can. Book those for the morning instead of sending a tech out.

  5. Know who is on shift

    Only send night jobs to techs who agreed to work nights. If nobody is free, the caller should hear that straight away so they can call someone else.

  6. Keep proof of ownership strict

    Night lockouts are where people are most likely to try to get in somewhere they shouldn't. Ask about ID on the phone and check it on site.

Your rules, followed at 2 a.m.

LockCommand turns that plan into settings. The AI receptionist follows them on every call, and the shop sees every job and call note in the morning.

  • Your greeting and hours

    The AI answers with your greeting and reads your hours to callers who ask.

  • Night prices, said out loud

    It quotes your price book ranges, plus your after-hours surcharge before 8 a.m., from 6 p.m. and all day Sunday.

  • Booked and sent

    It books the job. In dispatch shops, AI dispatch can offer it to the closest tech on shift by live drive time.

  • The caller hears back

    When a tech is assigned, the caller gets a text with the arrival time.

  • Safety first

    It reminds callers to have ID and proof ready, and tells them to call 911 if a child, a vulnerable person or a pet is locked in a car.

  • You when it matters

    Callers who ask for a person are transferred to your cell, and every call has notes in the morning.

Night calls, on a plan

AI minutes cost the same at any hour. Every plan answers nights and weekends.

Solo

One locksmith on the road, doing the calls and the work.

$149.99/ month

Billed monthly. Cancel any time.

Get early access
  • 200 AI minutes every month
  • Just you, one user
  • AI receptionist on your own local number
  • Texts, invoices, pay links and ID checks
  • Reports and QuickBooks Online sync

Dispatch 3

Most shops

A small shop with someone on the board and a couple of techs.

$349.99/ month

Billed monthly. Cancel any time.

Get early access
  • 800 AI minutes every month
  • Up to 3 users, any mix of roles
  • Live map and the dispatch board
  • AI dispatch: Suggest, Offer or Auto
  • Everything in Solo

Every plan, minute price and add-on is on the pricing page.

After-hours questions

How much should a locksmith charge after hours?
There is no single right number; it depends on your market and your costs. Whatever you charge, keep it as a separate surcharge on top of your normal ranges, set exact hours for it, and say the full price on the call. Check your state's rules on price disclosure.
Should I answer locksmith calls at night myself?
If nights pay well and you're solo, many locksmiths do. The cost is sleep and the calls you miss while you're already on a job. An answering service or AI receptionist can pick up, quote and book, and only send you the jobs you choose to take.
What if a child or pet is locked in a car?
Tell the caller to call 911 first. Then send the closest available tech if you can. Make sure whoever answers your phone at night knows to say this.
Does LockCommand charge more for calls at night?
No. AI minutes cost the same at any hour. The after-hours surcharge is yours: you set it per job in your price book, and the AI adds it before 8 a.m., from 6 p.m. and all day Sunday, in your shop's time zone.
Can LockCommand send night calls to my cell instead?
Yes. A caller who asks for a person is transferred to the cell number you choose, and you can turn the AI off whenever you'd rather answer yourself.

Keep reading

Sleep through the next lockout call.

LockCommand is opening to locksmiths now. Email us and we'll get your shop set up.

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