I left my apartment on a Saturday morning, and realized I didn't have my keys with me once I reached my car. Duh!
So, I called City Locksmith to get back in my apartment. It was about 10 AM. They said they would be here in about 25 to 30 minutes, though two guys finally showed up about 1 hour later. I had to go to the bathroom bad (though I didn't let them know that).
They charged $35 for the service call, and $125 for opening my lock (they charge between $100 and $150 depending on the type of lock). It took the guy several minutes (less than 5) to pick my lock and open the door. I ran into my apartment immediately after they opened my door to use the restroom. Whew!
They take credit card and cash, but not checks. I'm also surprised they didn't ask for something to verify that this was indeed my apartment (like a driver's license or envelope with my name on it). I asked them about this too, and they said they could tell from experience.
I can't really compare them to other locksmiths and have no idea about emergency situations (like at 1 AM in morning), but they got the job done and got it done in a reasonable amount of time.