I am posting this experience as this is a result of a multi-visit issue stemming from pure incompetence. We have used this company previously before and were reaching out due to a lock pad spindle that was not engaging when we used our keypad. Cothrons' response time is great, however the person they sent to represent their company, Kevin, not so much. I told him we wanted to fix the issue and make it long term. After this company did the install 3 years previous, Kevin said it was done improperly and caused the spindle to wear out which will continue to do so in the future if we didn't replace our high end push bar. I told him if he was confident on what the issue was to proceed. He made mention of working on 100's of these so he "Sounded" confident. fast forward the next three visits he came to start and stop because he ran into an "issue" (i.e. the spindle doesn't fit, the bar is a cheap bar and have to fabricate an end piece, to our common commercial door size not being a common door size) Even though price shouldn't have been a factor as we never requested a cheap fix, I dismissed his claims as outrageous to justify mediocre service. With that said, he made mention that he would not charge us for his trips because he came to do nothing and left. finally on his last visit ( yesterday) he was able to complete the install of a new push bar that would allegedly "fix the issue" and he attempted to extort the pricing by raising the hours to 4 hours. I asked him for an itemization of this or how he came to that figure and he said it was due to the time to fabricate. I told him he was there for less than 2 hours so to round up, 2 hours for his time was fair plus the spindle that had to be "fabricated" was previously prepaid and had explained to him that we shouldn't have to pay for a part twice due to the incompetence of the work. I let him know that if there was an issue, I would gladly speak with management over the issue to fix the pricing and instead, accepted to two hours and adjusted the price. The worst problem was the lack of professionalism shown after the transaction. I was out of the office when this occurred and spoke with him over the phone while he worked on our front door at the office. I had to follow up with our staff about how rude and inappropriate he was for having to accept less. I am not in the business to stiff professionals, however, if you are calling a company to fix a commercial grade entry/exit device that combined cost over $3,000; I expect the courtesy to send a professional to the job site who is competent and has knowledge of these systems. This was completely unacceptable and will likely never use this company again based on this experience

These guys are really amazing. I had been having issues with an older Suburban that I'd recently purchased. Long story short, I replaced the ignition cylinder and rekeyed it myself to match the original factory key. This was important to me, because although I could have gotten a new cylinder with a matching set of keys, I wanted to retain the use of the same key for the ignition and the outside doors. Unfortunately, after doing so, I was still stuck having to jiggle the key for a while before it would engage and turn over. Looking at the key itself, it became apparent that the key too was worn out and not working as it should, causing me to essentially have to rake the tumblers to get it to work. So I brought the key into Cothrans and the guy looked at it and within five minutes and for less than $10, I had a new key that works perfectly in my vehicle. Not only that, but when I informed him that I had my family and dogs in the vehicle and it was my only key, he was able to quickly capture an image of the key so that I could put it back in the ignition and get the AC going again and in a few minutes he handed me a brand new key. I am rarely blown away by good service, but these guys are really something special. Thanks, Cothrans! My wife very much appreciates no longer having to rake the key to get it to work and I appreciate the speed , price and accuracy of the results and the fact that it could all be done with my family not burning up outside was icing on the cake.

Took my ignition cylinder with ignition switch to them today so that they could simply replace the pins that had fallen out of the ignition cylinder. About 20 minutes after I left, Jeremy called and told me that he thought I needed to buy a new ignition switch because he "thought" there was a clip missing. The ignition switch had nothing to do with replacing the pins in the ignition cylinder. Not to mention, there was no clip missing from the switch, as I removed it from the vehicle myself and there is no C clip on the part. So, I told him to just put the pins back in the ignition cylinder as previously requested. When I arrived to pick it up, the ignition switch was broken in two places and Jeremy swore that it was broken when I gave it to him. The switch also had wet glue still on it from them trying to glue the plastic pieces back on. I told Jeremy that the switch was not broken when I brought it in and he said that it was, because he was the one that worked on it and then he walked away and hid behind the counter leaving a manager to tell me that the he thought the switch would still be able to be plugged in even though it was broken. The switch only costs $20 but instead of offering to replace it, Jeremy decided to lie to my face and tell me that it was broken when I brought it in. No integrity. No professionalism. I would recommend going elsewhere.

I have been to this location of Cothron's Safe and Lock many times for different reasons since I moved into the nearby subdivision of Crestview in 1998. I have always received good service and advise. Today I brought in my Chevy Truck because a key had broken off inside the Ignition Lock Cylinder. I was able to fish it out even though it was really recessed inside the lock cylinder. I took my Truck over to Cothran's to have them make a duplicate programable Key. At Cothron's my Lock cylinder started giving the technician trouble after he inserted the duplicate replacement key into the ignition lock cylinder. He couldn't make the ignition lock turn the new or my alternate key. I believe that my wafer Tumbler pins were about to be worn out and that's why the key was broken off in the lock to begin with last night. The Locksmith technician, Garret was great. He offered me options as to how to repair my disabled Truck. He was able to finally remove the Lock Cylinder and rebuilt the damaged Tumbler pins with all new ones. He worked diligently at it until it was all working well. Both my original and the new replacement key they programed for my Truck work really well without any resistance. Thank you for your work Garrett.

Cothron's is probably the best place for key copying in Austin. They can copy keys no one else can and they can do so not just in their brick and mortar store but also in their vans. When I locked my keys in my house I called Pop-a-lock up and they couldn't pick it. They tried to jimmy it but couldn't. They offered to drill holes in the knobs to take them off but then were unable to do so because their drill wasn't working. I then called Cothron's up and just took the door off of it's hinges and got me in in no time. And they were able to copy the keys I had in their van too. They can also copy keys that other places can't. For example, I've copied keys at Cothron's (the brick and mortar store) which the kiosks at Wal-Mart and Home Depot's couldn't do. The one bad thing I'd have to say about them is that their location isn't so great if you're going down Steck. Honestly, if you're going down Steck, you'd probably be better off just parking at the nearby public library and just walking across the street at the light. It is also unclear to me whether or not they can do laser cut car keys or duplicate keys with immobilizers. I'd wager to guess that they can but I really have no clue.

I am a disabled Vietnam era Special Forces vet. I recently purchased an outside lift device for my car to carry my power wheelchair. Shortly after I installed it a small part of its key lock fell off and was lost. When I contacted Harmar, the manufacturer, I was told that they would not replace the lost part, but instead would have to send me a whole new lock for $72 plus shipping. In desperation I went to Cothron's on Burnet Road, where I had previously received excellent lock service. After parking in front of the store I started towards the front door using my walker, but before I could reach the door Marlin (an employee or the owner, I do not know which) rushed onto the sidewalk to help me. Within 10 minutes he had found and installed a substitute for the my missing part. Marlin then refused to accept any payment, saying only that he was glad to have been able to help me. Never have I been treated with greater care and respect, nor have I experienced more competent work. I hope everyone who reads this review will go to Cothron's and ask for Marlin when they need help.

Wow, they give you their all. First I locked my broken key in my car. Dan Moreno from their mobile service on Ben White, came and opened the car door for me. When I got in, he waited to see if it would start. It did not and the horn kept honking and died. While he was explaining their laser key cut service, I was hooking the battery to a charger. He calmly repeated 5 times that just charging the battery might not be enough and that I should take the whole battery in to be checked. I ignored him 5 times, Only later to find out he was right. Then when I took the old key in to the Burnet road store to have a replacement made. Garrett, working on the broken key, found it difficult to get all the chip mechanics to work..lock-unlock-horn, etc. He kept at it until he finally had to reprogram it from their computer to get everything working perfectly. He really worked hard to get it all working just right. Cothrans saved me $200 from having to go back to the dealership and have a whole new key made. Thank you both so much and to Cothrans for being there.

I recently had some keys made at the Burnet road store. These were keys for a set of SmartLocks I have on my rental property. I also had two cylinders to rekey, one an old entry door lock, and the other a SmartLock I thought I had miskeyed. Turns out that SmartLock was broken. Even though that was not Cothron's fault, the locksmith made me a few extra keys as he wanted me to have value for my money (I had prepaid). Well, I definitely got value for my money and appreciate the great service I received there. I'm sorry I can't recall the fellas name, but he is a hispanic gentleman, maybe around mid-30s. Really great! I actually always get great service at Cothron's. Quick, pleasant, and professional. I have been a customer since buying my first mountain bike at the Ben White store in the mid-80s. It was a Diamondback Ascent that I used for over 25 years. Yep, they used to sell bicycles. I look forward to doing continued business with Cothron's and highly recommend them. Thanks Cothron's!

Good Samaritans stepping up in our communities. I want to shine a light on Xavier-Tony with Cothron's Safe and Lock who have made a difference this week. We will talk about this winter storm for the rest of our lives. It has been quite historic We are over on Felicity lane where we lost power Monday morning, my neighbor who is on oxygen and only had couple hours left on battery was in a panic. As my roomate and I where trying to figure how to run power from my truck into the house to charge and keep her oxygen machine running Xavier-Tony pulled his Cothron’s work van I front of the house and ran power for 72hrs to keep enough power for her to keep oxygen flowing. After all the divisions this country has been going through it’s is a blessing to see us all pulling together. But until the ice melts we’ll see Good Samaritans. Giving us hope in humanity through the storm. #texasstrong

I have used Cothron's multiple times over 30 years of Austin residency - They are excellent in knowledge, key inventory, the best place for whatever your safe or key issue might be....Yes I too over multiple visits may have found the staff on rare occasion to be a little 'short' in attitude....but they are often quite busy and I too often get impatient with 'customers' that don't know what they are talking about...And so what - they always get the job done and I have always left paying less than I expected the price might be (I am talking in-store service - never used them for out-of-store service). Sure - Home Depot key 'kiosk' might get your job dome done cheaper...but most likely NOT...and you end up at Cothron's anyhow after wasted trip to HD or other key makers...

My daughter had an issue with her apartment door lock (wouldn't open) and called Cothron's as directed by the afterhours message upon calling the apartment office number. When she finally got someone via phone, she was told that he couldn't help her. After stating that she had no way to get inside and that she would discuss this with the apartment management, he said he didn't care and hung up on her. What has our society become when someone threats a minor in this way? Very sad.... This occurred Sunday (11-6-22) around 10am. It's good to know that management has a concern about this. I changed my review from 1 star to 2.

I broke a key off in a cable lock and took it into Cothron's to see if they could extract the key and make a new one. Unfortunately I did not ask for an estimate of cost and that is my fault. They did successfully extract the broken key while I waited, however, they charged me more than it would have cost to purchase a new one at Lowe's. Again, I acknowlege that I am to blame because I did not ask what the charge would be, but I feel they should have offered me at least an estimate of cost before they did the work. I will not go back to this store again, and can not recommend it to others.

This shop looks pretty professional, they can do car keys, normal keys, security related things, a lot. Thought my car key lost programming, I went there, there're couple of very professional guys helped me with very much patience, finally turned out it was my mistake, they solved my problem and didn't charge for their time. I did go to my dealer before and was requested to leave my car with them for 3 weeks. Highly appreciate Cothron's help, hope your business better and better.

There are a lot of businesses out there right now claiming to be locksmiths that are just scaming people. Cothron's is a real locksmith company with trained locksmiths. I highly recommend using them over others you find on Google. I tried someone else. The guy just showed up with a screw driver and told me my lock couldn't be rekeyed and tried to charge me $95 service fee. I told him to leave before I called the cops. I called Cothron's and they rejeyed it in 5 minutes.

I had an absolutely fantastic experience with Jeff to fix several complicated issues in my older home with foundation shifting. I needed to reschedule last minute and they were super kind and understanding and we rescheduled for later. Jeff went above and beyond and fixed everything I needed and more. I felt so safe after with such secure locks, and measures taken to prevent a probable future lockout on one door. Jeff is such a hard worker and deserves ALL the praise!!

A+++++ - I am attending a work conference in Austin, Texas - Car key splits in half (2 pieces) and now it's an issue. I am on a serious time schedule at my conference. I called and talked to Fidel at the Ben White Store and he pulled my key and was standing at the door when I arrived and literally had me out the door within 2 minutes. I mean this is above and beyond and I was very impressed. This is customer service that is hard to find. Way to go Fidel and Cothron's.

Read reviews on Yelp for these guys and several others -- wow there's a lot of scamming going on out there... True to form, these folks were fantastic. Prompt, effective, courteous, and charged what they said they would. Also, since this was the 3rd time I locked myself out of my car, they made an extra key for me on the spot for $30 -- and it was a key with an embedded chip (he even tested it on the doors and starting the car before he left). five stars!

Excellent service and professionalism. These guys are good and don't give you the run around; they're straight up and tell you exactly what the problem is and what needs to be done to fix it. I was locked out of my motorcycle gas tank and they managed to save me hundreds of dollars by making a new key and force tapping it open. No other locksmith in town was even willing to attempt it. I highly recommend these guys for any security / lock related needs.

We drove all the way from kyle after we called the store and verified they have a kwickset 4 key. Kwickset 1 do NOT work in our locks. Kevin yelled at me in the store in front of other customers and gave k1s. I drove all the way from Kyle to get a key they said they carry and in return i am yelled at and levyured2 about my keysize. If you want to be treated like dirt and yelled at go to the burnet location and ask for kevin. He is a rude animal part.

Bought a nice safe from these guys about a year ago and the unlocking mechanism was working intermittently. Cothron sent a tech who in less than a minute explained that the lock simply needed to be turned all the way left before using the keypad. I asked why didn’t they simply tell me that over the phone? He shrugged his shoulders and charged me $100 and was here under 5 minutes. Left me with a bad feeling about this company.

Called and asked if they could program a car key fob I had purchased online. They asked for specifics and said they could program for $50. Went to have it programmed and was told since it was bought online they could not guarantee work and that if it failed, car would have to be towed to a dealership. Also would cost $99 plus $6.95 to cut key. Why didn’t they mention this when I called and quote me the correct price?

Reliable Austin lock company since 1948. Services include 24/7 lockout service (home), installation of door locks, hardware, doors and frames, sale and instalation of home and business safes. Highly knowledgeable sales staff and locksmiths with a friendly, quiet, no-nonsense attitude. No BS, no upselling, no excuses. Bonded and trained to do it right the first time. Multiple locations in the Austin area.

*UPDATE: Lakewood HOA* Cothrons has installed the key fob entry system at our HOA's pool so non residents do not come in. So far, the lock system has been failing half the time we use it. They came back about 4 months ago and installed new handles so you could get out, but the lock system still fails when you get in. Would not reccomend to anyone looking for a pool/tennis court lock system!

If you’re looking for a locksmith, this is the place to go! Don’t waste your time else where. Jeff went above and beyond working on our schedule to get the job done. Cothorns has easily the best prices out there and their service is incredible. Jeff was extremely friendly and worked efficiently while we met with other customers. Couldn’t recommend more!

This was an awful experience. I needed to work with Amie Jester to get work done. She clearly has bad leadership since she was rude and hated her job. Wasted hours of my time having me get documents she asked for and then rejecting them over and over. Then insisting that I wouldn't be able to get service until the day after. Terrible.

Local locksmith with hundreds of key options. Got replacement/backup keys made for my RV here since lowes could not copy two of the three keys needed for the RV. Also they sell the door scope, the best way to check who's at the door without getting all squinty. It's price and requires a bigger hole in the door but is SO worth it!

They only had 1 key of the size I needed the first time but the first guy messed it up but when I brought it back when they got more they were amazing and they made me an extra at no additional cost. I've used these guys many times and always treated me right. always reasonable prices. highly recommend

Just left this Cothron's very pleased! A few days ago my car key broke off in the door lock. Not only was I able to get 2 replacement keys for my car, Garret extracted the broken key from my door lock at no extra charge! Head to this store if you want friendly, quick, and efficient locksmith service.

Charli from dispatch was VERY helpful in assisting us to expedite a lock change for our bar. We have always used Cothron's for many years and this is exactly why. Charli was polite and helpful in sourcing us a tech who came out on a Sunday to change our locks. Thanks so much Charli! You are awesome.

Well...definitely not good experience...i bought a lock cylinder from them for double price than they sold it to my co-worker but i didn't know that till he told me how much he paid for it a week before...i think they're making up their prices however they want...

I needed to get two keys duplicated and thought I would swing by Cothron's on a way to a meeting. I got caught in Austin's grid-locked 5 o'clock traffic and knew Cothron's closed at 5:30. At 5:35 they were still open, happily cut my keys and all was better.

If you want keys that work, or need anything locking diagnosed or repaired, skip the amateurs at Home Depot or Lowe's. Cothron's work is done by professional locksmiths, and has been in business for decades. Doesn't cost any more to have it done right.

Great service friendly staff assisted me over the phone with prices and services and got me in and out with a new key for less than 1/2 what I was estimated at other local locksmiths and even the dealership. Thanks to Chris and Sam for the help.

Talked to three locksmiths hoping to do business locally but none called to set up appointment. I knew I could count on Cothron and they came through, coming the same day. Laine did an excellent job. He was pleasant and prompt. Great service.

They worked us in quickly after our attempted break-in. They were efficient and helpful, answering all our questions patiently. He made an extra trip back the next day to finish the job. We will be calling them again in the future if needed.

Great job. The technician arrived within the agreed-upon service window, and managed to re-key 12 tumblers and fix my door latch in less than two hours. I felt the price was reasonable given the prompt, professional service. Thank you!

Max the locksmith came to help with our front door lock problems. He offered us choices, and then did an excellent job of fixing things. Prompt and professional. I would definitely use this service again.

The professionalism and abilities of Cothron's greatly exceeded my expectations. The high level of their customer service is a rare experience. I am extremely impressed and strongly recommend Cothron's.

I've always loved this place for household keys. Driving by today sign out front said they do car remote and vehicle keys. Their costumer service is above and beyond. Fixed my vehicle remote and key!

I use alot of service companies in my work. I would highly reccomend Cothron''s. Everyone was professional and their tech Tommy was VERY patient. Will absolutely use again if the need should arise.

The level of service that I received at Cothron’s was amazing. They went above and beyond to help me solve my lock issues with my truck. You should use cothron’s for your key and security needs.

Ray A. Went above and beyond expectations in customer service.I am very happy with the service he provided.I definitely recommend Cothron's and Ray A. thanks guys! My new lock works GREAT!

Very helpful, I was out of the country and they came and changed the battery on my Yale lock and dripped the faucets for me. Helpful manner on the phone from the office and the technician

Haven't used them recently but when I did as busy as they were they solved my problem rapidly. They're the only brick and mortar locksmith I have found in Austin and surrounding areas

I brought a lock in that was giving me fits and they took the time to look at it right away. They were nice and helpful and I loved being able to walk into an actual shop . …

I typically don’t do reviews, but man this was terrible. I brought a key in had problems called back and he hung up in my face. Just go anywhere but here

Awesome experience with Cothron’s! I purchased two replacement keys for my 2009 Ford Focus, and they were able to program and cut them in 20 minutes!

Extremely friendly! I had trouble with unlocking my luggage. They helped me open the luggage without charging me any fee! 5 star recommendation!

Great service and good price! I don't write a lot of reviews, but as a first time customer I was very impressed with how they got the job done.

Kevin in commercial is a genius. He went above and beyond and found my parts. Thank you Cothron’s and Kevin for your help and expertise.

Great quality and fast service. I love seeing the same faces every time with the same care for my needs. Cothron's is my go-to for keys.

These guys are a gem in Austin. Super knowledgeable, down to business guys, with a bit of wit, and big hearts. I won't go anywhere else.

Kevin came, fixed my new locks.and offered to return to help me wit installing a RING for my front door....will get it done next week.

My Vehicle remote cracked in half so I came in to get a replacement. Service was quick and Cothorns has a very friendly environment !

Service is decent but their knowledge is why they continue to earn my business. They have helped me solve some very complex issues

Brandy was professional, quick, and got my car rekeyed perfectly. These guys have been in business for a long time for a reason.

I will go to this Cothron's now on. Real security professionals, keys all worked smoothly, wide range of security solutions.

Friendly, local and helpful locksmith. Upfront pricing that is reasonable. Will do business with them again.

worst customer service. individual at the front was very rude at the front when asked for help.

They were incredibly fast. I was in and out in less than 5 minutes for my motorcycle key copy.

Always get your keys made here! Locally owned and the copies always work unlike Home Depot

Absolutely excellent service. Got a key cut, it took no time and was done perfectly

This is a real locksmith. Thank you guys for being here and the great work you do.

They were able to help me fit a small key to a unique lock that no others could!

Locksmith Chris repaired my stormdoor lock in less than 15 min replaced part

They really know what they're doing. Hard to find keys are no problem here.

They have good prices and know what they’re doing. Very professional.

They are a shadow of the once great locksmith business they use to be

Dave at the burnet store was a huge help saturday, key worked great

High prices and employee lied about competition's prices

Kind and quick service for a duplication of three keys

Friendly and quick service for duplicating keys.

Always taken care of quickly and professionally

Always prompt, always happy with their work.

Great folks with excellent prompt service!

It's take me tow weeks to got my order

Helpful staff, fast and precise work

Professionals, fast ,expert service.

Didn't have what I was looking for.

Unhelpful, poor customer service

Great job of rekeying my locks

Bad experience Very expensive

Real people, quick service.

Friendly and efficient.

They get you results.

These guys do it all!

The best locksmirh.

closed on saturdays

Help full and fast

Awesome as always!

Great Service!

Great service!

Great service

Recommend!