Haha, been there... my smart lock once decided my fingerprint wasn't mine anymore. Had to climb through a window—neighbors got a good laugh. Tech's great, but yeah, backups save the day.
Haha, classic! Had a client once who called me panicking because his smart lock decided he was an intruder at 11 pm. Here's my go-to advice: always have a hidden physical key somewhere discreet (fake rock, anyone?). Also, set up a secondary code or app access—fingerprints can get glitchy if your hands are wet or dusty from yard work. Tech is awesome till it locks you out... backups are definitely your best friend.
Fake rocks are a bit obvious these days... had a neighbor whose spare key got swiped that way. Maybe consider leaving a spare with a trusted neighbor instead? Tech backups are great, but sometimes old-school trust beats gadgets.
Totally agree, fake rocks are basically a neon sign saying "hey, here's my key." I've been there—locked myself out more than I'd care to admit. Here's what worked for me: first, pick a neighbor who actually remembers your name (bonus points if they bake cookies). Second, swap spare keys—mutual trust goes a long way. Finally, have a backup plan for when they're not home...like stashing an emergency key in your wallet or glovebox. Saved me from awkward window-climbing more than once.
I've done the neighbor thing too, but honestly, my neighbor's memory is worse than mine—last time I knocked, he looked at me like we'd never met. Now I just keep a spare key taped inside my mailbox. It's not foolproof, but at least it's not screaming "hidden key here!" like those fake rocks. And yeah, window climbing...been there, done that, got the bruises to prove it. Smart locks are great until they're smarter than you are.