Marc, Our Master Class Locksmith

Because he has been working for Cole Hardware for more than 20 years, you may already know Marc Estoque, our Master Class Locksmith. Marc, a native San Franciscan, has over 30 years experience installing and maintaining locks in the many Victorians and Edwardians in San Francisco. He takes pride in his work and offers unparalleled customer service in the Cole Hardware tradition. The new year is a great time to consider your home’s security and improve on any weaknesses.

Marc frequently gets calls to do a “rekey” (combination change) for customers who want their locks changed for any number of reasons. He also gets calls when customers are locked out of their house or car. In most cases, Marc can provide a fast 30-minute response time for lockouts.

Marc reminds us that we should take a few minutes to recall who might have copies of their property keys, such as a former housemate, dog walker, tradesperson, contractor, and so on. Many people in San Francisco live in shared housing. Locks and keys are rarely changed when a property is bought, sold, or rerented, which means former tenants and their friends, associates, and others might still have keys to your home. Marc suggests that in addition to rekeying locks, homeowners, business owners, and property managers should consider purchasing a lock system that will block unauthorized duplication of keys. This concept is called “key control.” Cole Hardware carries locks that operate with high security and patented keys. Marc advises his customers to consider master key systems as another option.

When asked what advice he could give to our customers, Marc said, “Customers should consider getting a security consultation if they have any doubts or concerns about the overall security of their property. Additionally, they should install quality locks such as Schlage or high-security locks like Medeco.” If a customer would like a security consultation, Marc can do a complete walk-through of the property. He will look for any security vulnerabilities and point out any substandard hardware (locks, windows, doors, and so on). He will then provide a written summary that will include suggestions as well as hardware recommendations. A standard security consultation is $199, which includes the service call and up to 1 hour of time. If customers choose Marc to upgrade their security, within 30 days of the original consultation, the return service call will be waived, a savings of $150.00

Marc is versed in the many different high-security locks and their installations, including commercial applications such as magnetic card readers, biometric (fingerprint reader) locks, and push-button entry systems.

Call (415) 760-5625 to reach Marc directly. (24/7 service available in San Francisco only.)