Commercial work is considered the gravy in locksmithing.  The average commercial job pays several times as much as residential jobs even though the amount of work involved is usually less.  The reason is that commercial locks are a higher grade of lock due to the much higher usage and security requirements involved.  You can't just go buy new locks and parts from your local hardware store as you can for residential.  Hardware stores don't consider stocking expensive locks.  They usually don't even stock a reasonable residential lock such as Weiser.  They usually stock throw away brands such as Geo, Faultless, APO, Master (yes Master brand house locks are lousy) and a hundred other brands that are made in China, Taiwan or who knows where.  Of course, there are a lot of throw away brands for the commercial market.  I mostly find the throw aways on front doors at strip centers and small companies in recent construction.  Architects usually specify much better locks on bigger commercial buildings where a master key system is implemented.

    The biggest unneeded expense a company can have is having a safe opened.  If you have any problems opening your safe, DO NOT shut it before having a locksmith check it out.  Failure to do so can lead to a locked safe that has to be drilled open and repaired at several hundred dollars expense.  The cost of fixing a safe when the door is open is much much less.  Cleaning and adjustment is usually all that is needed and doesn't take much time.

    If you have a problem pulling your key out of the lock on a glass store front door, call a locksmith.  These locks are called mortice cylinders and can come apart.  The tail piece of the lock is what keeps the plug from coming out and is held on the back of the plug by two small short screws.  When these two screws work loose, the plug doesn't align which makes it hard for you to get your key out.  This is a warning sign that the tail piece is about to come off.  When it does, the plug will come out with your key and all the guts will go everywhere.  You will then either be locked out or unable to lock the door at a time when you want to go home.  You will then be stuck there waiting for a locksmith to come out, probably after usual business hours at a much higher expense.

    Keep your keys in your pocket.  Most commercial keysets (knobs) have a feature that when the outside knob is locked, the inside knob is not and you can easily lock yourself out of your office.  The lock button on the knob pushes in and turns.  If you just push it in until it clicks, the button will pop out and the keyset will unlock when you turn the inside knob.  If you push this button in and turn it, then it doesn't pop out unlocking the keyset when you turn the inside knob.  Thus the outside knob is still locked and you can lock yourself out.  I bet that has happened to you, hasn't it?