Just got off phone 1/2 hour ago with a person needing w/s in '05 T-Blazer (DW1611 GTY). Quoted him 485.00, scheduled it (MOBIE), then got into discussion about using his comp. insurance thru St. Farm. I told him to check his deductible and call me back. He calls his agent, finds out his ded is $250.00, but his agent talks him out of filing a claim cause LYNX pays about $600.00 or so, and the agent tells him he can find it CHEAPER somewhere else. What a low life scum agent. Only cares about price and he isn't even buying it, the policy holder is. Dude wouldn't tell me his agent's name so as not to get him in trouble. Blind leading the blind. Also told him to call us back when they put a DW1446 in it. Thanks again St. Farm.

egadds glasssgod, I sure am glad I'm over here and not over there! You guys do have a tottaly different market. Our cash price for that shield installed with tax is about 675.00 the farms rate here is about 900.00. I guess I shall count thine blessings whilest I can. tnx thank you thank you thank you thank you.I need to do 1 or 2 a week of those!

WOW glass god, that is insaine. you know i am not on state farm, have not been for awhile, never really got any work and when i did it was somone who wanted me so why agree to there rates?

1.5 million people in our area so of course State Fart cuts everyone's throats here. My cash price was actually probably way higher than most would quote here. I am sure he'll find a glass shop to replace it for less than 300.00 - 350.00.

ouch,, that's sad

$579 SF price here thru LYNX.

Glassgod did you try sending a fax to all local sf agents alerting them to the fact that there is an 'accoustic' version of that windshield in order to help them 'protect' their customers from having the wrong windshield installed? Just an idea.

How can the agent get away with that, or better yet why would the insured allow the agent to. The issue is not which way is cheaper, the issue is his deductible is $250.00...bottom line that is all he should have to pay. What now it's the State Farm insured's job to worry about Lynx saving money, I don't get this someone help me. If he pay's his premiums based on a 250 comp deductible, and its a no fault claim NO ONE can tell him he can't use his insurance, UNFRIGGINBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Apparently the agent scared him into not filing a claim, and he should try to get it replaced CHEAPER. The hell with safety and proper adhesives. As far as notifying agents about the acoustics, I don't have any way to contact all of 'em, there are way too many and we do not solicit agents to begin with. All our biz is repeat, word of mouth, dealer recommendations, and reputation. Don't spend a penny on any sales staff.

I don't know where any of you guys are located, we are in the Good Ole'South. Here State Farm pricing is set by territory, and I assume it is the same everywhere. Must just be a huge difference in suburban and rural pricing, we get 12% over NAGS on SF, in 3 of the counties we service, and 10% off in 2 counties, we can make a nice profit off either price offer, if you watch out for NET part jobs.
The funny part is the ones that are -10% are the ones with the most drive time, and the jobs you can never get into the shop. Of couse this time last year it was +42%, too bad our operating cost hasn't dropped 30%. But hey I'm NOT I repeat NOT whining. Just sharing info.

All networks break down pricing by population..St Farm here is %10 off, 100.00 flat labor.

Hey XXX

You complain when the insurance companies lower our prices, but you post a message
showing that you charge cash jobs far less than the insurance company pays.

Real smart dude !

anon,I guess no matter what any of say there is always 1 person who wants to beat ya up with it! #1 the ins co's know exactly what we sell for, we get calls all the time for cash quotes. some of the network pricing is much lower than our cash quotes. st farm in our area is about the only pricing that has not changed since nags rebalance, we are at +42 120 flat labor, much less and they wouldn't get the work done around here because there are enough smart shops that won't work for peanuts, which is about the only fair and resonable pricing left out there. Plus we are not on metrix. In the entire scope of things our cash jobs are within 5%-15% of our fleet and ins work. It just so happens the one we are talking about here has a very high list by todays deflated standards so there in lies the difference, Oh but you must be so smart, you should be able to figure that out,, good grief guy, go lay down by your dish, get yourself a chill pill along the way Also,I have no problem justifying the difference from cash, in hand today, to waiting for tpa's that use our $$$ for a month or 2!Anon, if your having a bad day, go take it out on someone else ,,,please.

Had an interesting one today.

Customer (a third generation loyal family customer) calls us a month ago, and says he has a broken backglass in a 97 Ford Pickup. He has been told he has a $500 deduct with the Farm. He chooses a used OEM slider to replace.

A month goes by, and the customer, missing his appointment has not returned calls to reschedule. He came in today in a rain storm, now also with a broken door glass also, and a tarp draped over the truck.

He related to me that a company adjuster told him he had to wait for approval before he came to us, and he did specify us, even though the bill would be below his supposed deductible (used part). He cannot confirm at this time if he was speaking to the insurer or Lynx, but is going to check the phone numbers he called.

He has called the insurer back twice, asking for the go ahead to repair the truck backglass, with no answer. He found out today, after someone broke the door glass also, that he has a $250 deductible, not a $500.

Needless to say, he is not happy about being without his vehicle for a month, why he was told he had to wait for authorization to fix it, knows now that he didn't, wants the insurer to pay to have the dust and dirt cleaned from the interior that seeped past the tarp (professional detail), and wants the insurer to refund/release him from at least one deductible because he purchased a used part, and had coverage that would replace it with a new one, and the used part saved the insurer at least the amount of one deductible.

These are the basics, there's more, but you get the jist of it. I just can't believe this happened, and the agent, a really nice guy, is apologizing all over himself for what transpired, which he had NOTHING to do with. Poor guy had no idea any of this was taking place, after he referred his customer to the 800 # after the first call a month ago.

I can't wait to find out how this turns out. Customer has his truck back, both glass' installed, one well below (used) and one just within the Farms approved rates.

You can imagine how badly I want to document who told this customer he must have insurer approval before repairs took place at our business, and why.

THAT is a friggin nightmare for that poor guy. When you see what State Farm is doing to hurricane victims it falls right in line. They now must think they rule the world, policy holder by policy holder.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/08/state_farm_insi.html

Glassgod, I have t say it was your fault that you lost the job. You should know these insurance companies by now. With the customer on the phone the first time, when he mentioned going through insurance, you should have 3 wayed the call with Lynx and been done with it. You have got to know you never let the customer go to do any research on his own. They will just be steered.

In a way it's funny but not really.
I have Allstate Agents who have paid cash for their w/s replacements because they were intimidated by the Ins. company about making a glass claim.
These are not young people new to the agency. These are people who have been agents for a number of years.

Ya know, people, I have been in this industry for 22 years and thought I had heard and seen it all.. insurance companies have managed to convince the public that they must do and say whatever the insurance companies dictate. That the public has little or no choice regarding essentially anything. There is actual fear in the voices of some of the insureds when they find they must set up a claim for glass replacement. Understanding how the insurance companies can justify their apalling business practices is far beyond my comprehensive abilities..... The seems to be no one who feels able to take them on.... The sad truth of it is that no one with any power cares a fig about it anyway... It's the old "If it doesn't actually affect me, it affects no one" way of thinking.

And, since you all touched on the subject, the market that Glasssgod is a part of has become so polluted bottom feeders would find it disgusting......... It's becoming street walkers & pimps... insurance companies being the later..... Some of us don't want to walk the streets.

I think I've about had it.

John, apparently you do not know or are not aware of St. Farm's rules. The policy holder MUST inform the agent first, before calling the LYNX toll-free number. The guy didn't know his deductible, what else was I spose to do? In the end, his agent told him NOT to file a claim and call and find it CHEAPER. So if I lost a job where we were gonna put fiftt bucks in the bank, I am at fault. I don't want customers like that anyways.