A business that gets locked out twice usually gets locked out a third time. Consequently the useful question is not how to get back in, but which of three causes is actually driving it.
Cause one: key control
Keys go out and never come back, and nobody records who holds what. Consequently the same shared cylinder ends up with an unknown number of copies, and one missing set strands everyone. Therefore a master key system with numbered, logged keys fixes it permanently. Moreover a departing employee then becomes a retired key rather than a building rekey.
Cause two: electrical hardware
Electric strikes stick, maglocks drop on power loss, and controllers occasionally lose their programming. Consequently a lockout that follows a power blip is not a lock problem at all. Furthermore, intermittent faults usually trace to the power supply or the wiring rather than the lock. Therefore replacing the hardware often fixes nothing.
The clue to look for
If it happens after a storm or a power cut, the cause is electrical. Consequently the fix is upstream of the door.
Cause three: a dropped door
Commercial doors pivot and take heavy use, so they sag over years. Consequently the latch stops meeting the keeper and the lock appears to fail. However, replacing the cylinder changes nothing, because the alignment is the fault. Therefore a worn pivot or a misadjusted closer is frequently the whole problem.
Working out which one you have
Keep a short note each time it happens: the date, the weather, who was on shift and which door. Consequently a pattern appears quickly. Additionally that note lets a locksmith diagnose from the phone rather than the doorstep. Above all, three lockouts with three different causes is far less likely than three with one.
Questions we get about this
We get locked out every few months. Why?
Usually key control, electrical hardware, or a dropped door.
Does a master key system stop this?
It stops the key-control cause, which is the most common.
Our lockouts follow power cuts.
Then the cause is electrical. Consequently the fix is the supply or the controller.
Can a door really cause a lockout?
Yes. A sagged door stops the latch meeting the keeper.
Can you work outside trading hours?
Yes, at the same rate.
