PHS Store Hours Changing

New store hours:

9am - 3pm M,T,Th,F

Closed (by appointment only) Wednesday

The last couple of years have been hard on everyone. Unfortunately, we are no exception. We have been short staffed since late last year and we haven't been able to add additional staff. This has resulted in us being stretched too thin, and we don't want to sacrifice the level of quality you have come to expect from us.

So, starting May 1, we're making a change to our store hours. Wednesday is going to be "By appointment only." This means we'll only be taking appointments for service calls on Wednesdays. The storefront will be closed to customers, but we will continue to answer the phones. The store will continue to be open to customers from 9am - 3pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Thankfully, the workload has been increasing, and for that we're extremely grateful.

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, and we hope the improved quality and service will offset it.

Bridge Phase COVID-19 Updates

This has been a rough year and a half. It seems like everyone has been impacted by this pandemic in some form. But, thankfully, things seem to be turning around. I’m glad to report that everyone at PHS has been able to remain healthy throughout this ordeal, and recently we’ve all been fully vaccinated! The number of COVID cases continue to drop, resulting in Illinois entering “Bridge Phase.” (Which hopefully means Phase 5 is not far away!) Even the CDC has started relaxing restrictions in specific circumstances.

Because of these changes, we’ve decided to review and update our COVID procedures and ease them where it makes sense. As I said in the last article, our mantra is “We protect lives and property.” Even though we’ve been vaccinated, not all of our customers have been yet. We will continue to do what we can to keep them safe until they’re able to get vaccinated.

• Starting today, we’re allowing 1 person (or family) in the store at a time! (We hope to increase this number in the near future, but this is what we’re comfortable with for now.)

• We continue to offer curbside service for those that prefer to remain outside, or if our occupancy limit has been reached.

• We are still requiring face coverings for all customers and our staff (we’ve provided our staff with KN95 masks and we wear them when interacting with customers).

• The store is only open to customers from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm Monday - Friday (closed Saturday and Sunday)

• We are available to answer the phones and schedule service calls from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Monday - Friday.

• Additional cleaning and sanitizing is conducted throughout the day and after the store closes.

• We’ve added MERV13 particle filters in the store as well as a UV filter on our HVAC system.

• The temporary plastic screens are still in place and hand sanitizer is available at checkout or by request.

Our service call procedures have also been re-evaluated.

• Our locksmiths have been given KN95 masks, and they will be worn when they arrive.

• We are requesting customers to also wear face covering/maintain social distancing from the locksmith while they are there. (Sometimes they need to momentarily remove their mask to see better, which is why we’re still requesting the social distancing.)

Hopefully these new/relaxed procedures will continue to keep our customers safe, and yet allow us to start figuring out what the new normal is going to look like.

Autumn COVID-19 Updates and New Hours

Ever since my mom started this business in 1982, our mantra has been “We protect lives and property.” This has served as a reminder that not only are we helping our customers protect their belongings; but, more importantly, our actions aid in the protection of our customers themselves. As the cases of COVID-19 have continued to rise, we’ve been experimenting with new ways to keep our customers and staff safe.

All of the protections from our last update continue to stay in place; masks, social distancing, sanitation, etc. These new procedures are in addition to these.

1. Our store is performing curb-side service only. No customers will be allowed in the store until we feel it’s safe to do so again. You can either knock on our door or call from your car. In either case, we’ll come out to meet with you. (With masks and maintaining social distancing of course.)

2. We’re extending our hours starting Monday November 23. We are going to be performing curbside service from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm Monday through Friday. We’re not going back to our full hours yet as there’s still extra sanitizing that needs to be done to ensure your safety.

3. We are still performing service calls, but when you schedule a call with us we’re now asking additional COVID questions. (Has anybody tested positive for COVID, traveled outside Illinois, etc.) If any of the criteria is met for quarantine, we’ll schedule the call for after the quarantine period (14 days).

As you can see, we’re going to great efforts to try and make sure you stay safe. We ask that you do your part to keep our staff safe by wearing a mask and maintaining social distance when you visit our store or when our technician comes out to do work at your home or business.

COVID-19 Updates and Procedures

This is the first chance we’ve had to update you on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our business. As an essential business, we’ve been busy working to keep our customers and their property safe as usual; but with the additional complication of keeping you and ourselves safe from this virus.

Our procedures have been evolving over time, but we’ve continued to follow CDC guidelines and surpass them where possible.

First, the changes we’ve made to the store:

• Obviously, face coverings are required for all customers and staff

• The store is only open to customers: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, Monday - Friday (closed Saturday and Sunday).

  • If you do not wish to enter the store, during these hours you may call for Curbside Service when you arrive. We will come out to you wearing a face mask, a face shield, and gloves.

• However, we are available to answer phones and scheduling service calls: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday (voicemail only Saturday and Sunday)

• The store is limited to 4 customers at a time, and social distancing signs and markings are present.

• Additional cleaning and sanitizing is conducted throughout the day, after the store closes, and prior to opening.

• Temporary plastic screens have been installed around the store to protect our customers and ourselves from the virus.

• Hand sanitizer is available at checkout or by request.

• All locks that are brought in for service will be wiped down with disinfectant before being worked on.

  • We will not accept any bags your locks are in. Please empty the bags into the provided trays/bins.

• Any products that are shown to customers are wiped down with disinfectant before being placed back on the shelves.

Second, our service call procedures have also changed:

• Face coverings and protective gear will be worn by the locksmiths when they arrive on the scene.

• We are requiring customers to either wear face coverings or maintain social distancing from the locksmith while they are there. (We’re doing what we can to keep you safe, all we’re asking is that you do the same to keep us safe.)

• The locksmith will wipe down the locks and immediate work surface with disinfectant before work is performed.

• The locksmith will also wipe down the locks and immediate work surface with disinfectant after the work is completed.

• After leaving the work site, the locksmith will wipe down any tools and equipment as necessary.

Hopefully these procedures will help keep all of us safe. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding during this difficult time.

The Real PHS Locksmiths

Above are the the real PHS Locksmiths. These are the only Locksmiths you will see at your door when you call us. NO ONE ELSE!  We do NOT and never have used subcontractors. Our locksmiths will have, and can present either a Locksmith license or a Permanent Employee Registration Card (PERC) issued by the State of Illinois Dept. of Professional Regulation.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU LOOK FOR US ON THE INTERNET!

We provide to all customers an itemized invoice imprinted with our information:

PHS Locksmiths
6810 Roosevelt Rd. Oak Park
708-386-3334
Locksmith License number 192-0122

We do NOT list any other phone numbers or addresses online or in any marketing material.

If you think you've been a victim of this scam, you can file a complaint with your state's Attorney General's Office. (Illinois Attorney's General Office) In Illinois, you can also file a complaint with the Illinois Dept. of Finance and Professional Regulation. In Chicago you can also file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Agency.