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Buyer's guide

Locksmith dispatch software: what to look for.

Eight things that decide whether dispatch software helps a locksmith shop or gets in the way, how the common approaches compare, and how LockCommand handles each one.
Job #2063
Ranking

    Who can take it

  1. 12techs in the shop
  2. 7on shift and taking offers
  3. 5with the car keys skill
  4. 4inside your service area

Ranked by live drive time

1Ana P.Lighter day than the team11 min
2Mike R.Busy day, ranked a little lower12 min
3Sam W.19 min
4Dev K.Location 14 min old24 min

Eight things to check before you switch

  1. It ranks techs by drive time, not distance

    A tech two miles away across a river can be further than one six miles down the highway. Straight-line distance sends the wrong person at rush hour.

    In LockCommandLive traffic-aware drive times for the closest ten techs. If drive times can't be fetched, it estimates from distance until they're back.

  2. It knows who is working and what they can do

    Offering a car key job to a tech who doesn't program keys, or to someone off shift, wastes the minutes that matter.

    In LockCommandOnly techs on shift, able to take offers, with the right skill and inside your service area are considered. A tech finishing a job in the next 20 minutes still counts.

  3. Offers have a timer and a fallback

    A job offer that sits unanswered on one phone is a customer waiting outside. Something has to move it on.

    In LockCommandOffers count down (one minute by default, 30 seconds to 3 minutes). No answer moves to the next tech, up to three techs or three minutes, then a dispatcher gets a push alert.

  4. Callers hear an honest arrival time

    An ETA pulled out of the air is worse than none. It should come from where your techs actually are.

    In LockCommandIn AI dispatch modes, the AI receptionist gives the caller an estimate from live drive times. The customer gets a text with the arrival time when a tech is assigned.

  5. Location is shared only while techs are working

    Techs push back on being tracked at home, and they're right to. Good software stops at the end of the shift.

    In LockCommandLocation is shared only on shift or on a job. Going off shift deletes the shared location and withdraws open offers.

  6. Calls arrive as booked jobs

    If the phone and the dispatch board are separate systems, someone retypes every job. That's where addresses and car models get lost.

    In LockCommandThe AI receptionist books the job with the address, the car and the quoted range, and it lands on the board ready to dispatch.

  7. Proof of ownership is part of the job

    A locksmith shop needs to show why a door was opened. A notes field isn't enough.

    In LockCommandID and proof photos, the name on the ID, a signature, the time and the place on every job. Turn on the rule in Shop details and no job closes without them.

  8. You choose how much is automatic

    Some shops want a suggestion, some want the job gone before they look up. You should be able to change your mind.

    In LockCommandFour modes for the whole shop: Manual, Suggest, Offer and Auto. Manual is the default.

Three ways shops dispatch today

General patterns, not any one product. General field service apps differ a lot, so test the points above with any you try.
Locksmith dispatch approaches compared
QuestionPhone, whiteboard and group textGeneral field service appLockCommandLocksmith dispatch software
Who's closestWhoever answers the group text firstOften a map of pins; drive time ranking variesRanked by live traffic drive time, skills and workload
Lockout urgencyUp to the dispatcherUsually a priority flagEmergencies go to the fastest arrival, ignoring workload
Unanswered offersYou call aroundVaries; often a person reassignsMoves on by itself, then alerts a dispatcher
Phone callsSomeone has to answerSeparate service or noneAI receptionist books the job onto the board
Prices on the phoneFrom memoryGeneric price listsYour locksmith price book, with after-hours surcharges
Proof of ownershipPhotos on someone's phoneGeneric photo or form fieldsID, proof, signature, time and place on the job
Who it's built forAnyoneMany trades at onceLocksmiths only

The dispatch feature page shows every setting and limit. For a whole day on the board, see LockCommand for dispatch shops.

Dispatch comes with the team plans

The live map, drive time ranking and AI dispatch modes are on every Dispatch plan. Most shops start on Dispatch 3.

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

Dispatch 6

A shop with a dispatcher, an office and a full crew of techs.

$649.99/ month

Billed monthly. Cancel any time.

Get early access
  • 1,400 AI minutes every month
  • Up to 6 users, any mix of roles
  • Live map and the dispatch board
  • AI dispatch: Suggest, Offer or Auto
  • Everything in Solo

Dispatch 10

Busy shops running several vans and an office.

$949.99/ month

Billed monthly. Cancel any time.

Get early access
  • 2,200 AI minutes every month
  • Up to 10 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.

Dispatch software questions

What is locksmith dispatch software?
Software that takes incoming jobs and decides which tech goes, then tracks the job until it's paid. For locksmiths it also has to handle urgent lockouts, quotes by vehicle and lock, and proof of ownership.
Do I need dispatch software with only two or three techs?
Not always. A group text can work at two techs. It starts to break when calls overlap, techs are spread out, or nobody is free to answer the phone. That's usually when shops look for drive time ranking and timed offers.
Does dispatch software track my techs all the time?
Some apps do. LockCommand shares a tech's location only while they're on shift or on a job, and deletes the shared location when they go off shift.
How much does LockCommand dispatch cost?
Dispatch comes with the Dispatch plans. Dispatch 3 is $349.99 a month for 3 users with 800 AI minutes included. Bigger team plans are on the pricing page.

Let the AI pick up.
You pick the lock.

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