Lockout service
A car lockout service website that puts the phone first
Last updated
The short answer
A car lockout service website should lead with a tap-to-call number and a short request form, because the person searching is standing next to a locked car. TowSitePros gives lockout its own page and service choice, and each request becomes a job with a quote, an arrival time and a tracking link.
What someone standing next to a locked car needs to see
They need a phone number they can tap, a plain yes that you do lockouts, and an honest arrival time when you answer. Most are outside the car on a phone that is running low, in a parking lot, a driveway or a roadside they would rather not be standing on, and they are reading your page with one thumb.
Put the number at the top of every page, and keep the lockout page short. Say that you handle car lockouts, which kinds of situations you cover and what you will ask when they call. The situations are worth naming, because each one is a different search: keys inside a locked car, a fob left in the trunk, a push-button start with the fob out of range, or a car that is still running with the keys in it.
The safety line every lockout page needs
If a child or a pet is locked inside, or anyone is in danger, tell people to call emergency services first. That line belongs near the top of the page, above the phone number, because a lockout company is not the right first call in that situation and a hot or cold car changes things fast.
Add a second line for a car that is running. If the engine is on in a closed garage, the person should get fresh air and tell your dispatcher immediately. Beyond that, keep the tone practical and calm, so the person feels the call is going to be handled.
Proving the car is theirs is your policy, so state it
A stranger asking you to open a car is a situation every lockout company has to think about. Decide your own policy for checking that the person owns or may use the vehicle, and say what you ask for on the page: usually photo identification and something that links them to the car, such as a registration or an insurance card.
Then say what happens when those papers are locked inside, because that is the most common version of the problem. That is your business rule, and the site is the place to state it before anyone calls, so the customer is not surprised when the driver arrives.
What to ask on the request
Lockout is its own service on the request form, and it asks for the vehicle details and pickup location. Ask people to add what you need in the notes.
- Which doors, or whether it is the trunk
- Whether the keys or the fob are inside, and whether the engine is running
- Whether the car has a push-button start
- Year, make and model, and exactly where the car is parked
- Whether the customer will be standing with the car
When the customer got in another way, or has gone
A lockout job ends early more often than most. A spare key arrives, a friend brings the fob, or the customer gives up and leaves. The driver job page has a Customer not here button for the case where nobody is at the car, and the customer can cancel from their tracking page until the truck is on scene, and say why.
Both are recorded on the job timeline, so a wasted trip shows up in your numbers instead of vanishing, and you can see how often it happens before you decide whether to change how you quote.
Step by step
Answer, and check for danger first
Ask whether anyone or any animal is inside the car or in danger. If so, tell them to call emergency services before anything else.
Confirm the car and the spot
Get the vehicle, the exact location and a number you can call back, and read the number back.
Give a quote and an arrival time
Put both on the job, so the customer and your office see the same figures.
Assign a unit with the right tools
Any truck that carries lockout tools can take it, and the driver gets the job as a text link.
Check ownership on arrival
Follow the policy you published, and note anything unusual on the job.
Close the job or record the wasted trip
Mark it done, or tap Customer not here if nobody is at the car.
Frequently asked questions
Can I promise no damage on a lockout page?
That is your call to make, and only make a promise you can keep on every job. The site publishes whatever you write. A plain, modest description of how you work is safer than a blanket promise.
Does the site show which cars I can open?
Only if you write it. The request form collects the vehicle year, make and model so you can decide before rolling. Your lockout page can say which vehicles you handle.
Can lockout and towing share one site?
Yes. Each service has its own page, and every request, whether lockout or tow, lands in the same job queue on the same dispatch board.
What if the customer does not answer when I arrive?
The driver taps Customer not here on the job page. It stamps the job, and the timeline keeps the record. The customer can be told by text if they agreed to them.
See what your towing website would look like
TowSitePros is $99 a month. 7-day free trial: your card is set up when you start, nothing is charged until the trial ends, and cancelling before then costs you nothing.
See your siteSee pricingNo contract. No setup fee. You keep your domain.