I live and work in a medium sized town with 3 auto glass replacement shops within a 1 mile radius (plus SGC running in this area doing mobile), and 2 more shops within 5 miles. Competition is tough..But
I rufuse to give in to the other guy's pricing scheme.
Now that our two main suppliers have gone 'online'
for quick price checks, these other shops have stopped using NAGS list to quote customers, THEY quote customers their 'cost' from the vendors www site and add $130. I lost a job (several) to these other shops because they are doing this. Example part cost me (high dollar Escort ZX2 back glass) 500, i'll add mark up and labor and SOMETIMES kit. this other shop quotes the guy 630$. If I have pay 500$ for a part, i darn sure ain't gonna sell it for +130.
I still quote from Nags list with a discount. NOBODY else around here does anymore. And i make a fair profit (from the jobs i get). point being:
i'm trying to work smarter, not harder.
Does anyone here still price from Nags or 'cost plus'? Maybe i'm too old school. 20 years in biz.

Well, I hate to sound like a know it all but i have been pricing cost + for 6 + Years now I NEVER use nags to price anything, and have had online pricing for along time now.. best thing i ever did AND NO I do not use NAGS to calculate prices on the web.

bachman,

how do you bill the TPAs without NAGS?

all input is welcome... and NO, i don't think u r a know it all. Maybe i need to change and get with the program.... but would u do a $500 cost job for a 130 profit? (less employee salary and adhesive cost)?
i guess i'm trying to find a good 'mark up' sweet spot to be in.
I have my dedicated customers that will pay (almost) any price i present to them.. Which is a fair, honest price for quality workmanship and materials. i've never really worked too hard to get cash customer's because the market here is too competive. That also usually means the car is old enough to have dropped comp. insurance, and over the years they have had the w/s replaced before at some 'butcher' shop. And i don't wont to get involved in a 'rust bucket' replacement and 'liquid clips'.

Like Bachman we've used the websites for pricing for 2 years now, never used NAGS list. Used to use the calculator along with vendor discount off NAGS to get our cost or vendor supplied "contract" prices on like 500 most used parts, but vendors don't price that way anymore, no "contract pricing", no set multiplier off calculator, so neither can we. BUT one thing is for sure it's not cost plus $130, it's cost plus markup, kit and labor comes to quite a bit more than 130 on any job. We do have one competitor in our county who sell's what he calls new 1341's installed for $159.00, I'd like to strangle him, his marup can't even be 130, it's got to be around 100.00. We not playing the lowball game with him, when people quote his prices at me, I tell them they get what they pay for and just like a low rent auto repair shop, I'd want to see the part first, and no we can't match or beat that so good luck with your bargain basement windshield, if the customer seems intelligent enough to grasp the concept I attempt to explain the role of the w/s it's quality, and the quality of the install on the overall safety of their vehicle. Win some, lose some.

Say what,

What area are you are you in, do you know if they are a reputable shop???

We have done it both ways and we perfer cost + a mark up on all parts and then of course labor we do take nags hrs into consideration when pricing labor but we only use it as a guide.(We do not bill hourly we tried it for about a yr and had a few customers complain) ,of course bill the tpa by nags.

Until the restructuring took place, we were pricing off nags list, since then, it has been cost+. In this market, it's the only way you can compete. I know a lot of people in this industry and I don't know of ANYONE who still prices off nags. Except for TPA's, of course. Don't see that changing in our lifetime either, unless we stage a "Boston Tea Party". LOL!

Boston Tea party sounds like a great idea! When and where???

How about the 4th" of July, 9 am, at the harbor? LOL!!

Gale

Our shop is in the Southeast in a somewhat rural area, we service 5 county area. I'm not saying he isn't "reputable" but we have done a couple of installs behind a couple of his, and I can't repeat the words flying from the tech's mouths during preinspection of vehicle and throughout installation's. He runs a one man, mobile only operation at least that was the case until recently, I believe he has set up a shop in the past couple of months. We don't spend to much time worrying about the local competition, price wars...etc, etc.
We have a loyal customer base, we get a few agent referrals (all i've got to say on that ).
Every new customer hopefully will become a customer for life if we continue to do work based on quality, at a fair price not on who can go the lowest. It's Auto Glass not THE LIMBO right?

No sense throwing windshields into the water...its more satisfying to hear them break! We can do it from the top of some insurance agents office!!

To clarify what i said earlier I only billed cash and fleet cost + never billed TPA like that , with the exception of globe (now gerber) but that was per my contract, now who knows if it is really cost + flat
rate.

Hey magic, don't break your spell just because these other companys can't sell thier quality, don't be the norm. I personaly have been in the industry for 27 years & have seen these low ballers come & go. They have to sell the low price in-order to get the job......THAT'S PRETTY SAD. :( By the time they figure it out it's usually too late for them to do anything about saving thier company, unless they are big like safelite, then the feds will bail them out just to keep the employees off the unemployment line. Any who, just keep building your reputation & the rest will follow!

Well i have been pricing like this for 7 + years and am still fed, and just last week i got me a 19inch color tv to replace my black and white i think i am doing well