I am sooooo confused. Why would companys cut my prices by 75 to 100 dollars for cash customers? It makes everyone loose money, including YOU. Don't you all check prices with your competition. Let the China hacks, stuffers, loball the market. Beat them with quality and service. EVERYONE WHO CARES ABOUT THIS INDUSTRY START CHARGING LIST, PLUS LABOR, PLUS URETHANE. Our wonderful insurance industry knows what we will let glass go for. NAGS "FIXED" OUR PRICES SO LETS USE THE PRICES THE INDUSTRY FIXED FOR US TO USE. Call every glass owner, installer, wholesaler, csr, anybody in the industry and lets start making profit again. NOW START CHARGING FOR WHAT WE DO CORRECTLY! NOW! We combined can do anything, separate we will go under. TO THE INSURANCE COMPANIES WATCHING THIS KISS OFF, YOU ARE DESTROYING THE INDUSTRY. The companys who care about your clients, their customers will always do a perfect job, because there name is on each job. We are AGRSS certified, NGA certified, quality concerned people who care more about our customer than the PROFIT on the job. You insurance companys are so concerned with profit just look at the cost of a windshield tht comes out in a accident, and someone gets KILLED or if they are lucky just injured. That said we live in a free country and we should not be told what we should charge. Nags FIXED PRICING DOES NOT REFLECT WHOLESALE PRICING. THANKS FOR THE 10% MARKUP, YEA RIGHT, WAKE UP AND SMELL THE BULL YOU ARE DISHING OUT.

They do it because they don't fully understand that they are eroding their own market. Some just don't care as long as they can clear a couple of hundred a day, with no overhead. Others have a much grander plan which involves complete market control by low pricing and getting the quantity to make the difference. It's all bad, I can't say we make every sale at NAGS list, but we are certainly not lowballing, if we were I wouldn't have to hear "_#$%&^@!@ beat your price by $50., $75., $100.00" 10-15 times per day, as you must be since you began this thread. Just know you're not alone in your frustration, and if there is a god all of these single employee, single vehicle, non-insured, lowballing, low quality installers will open a shop in the next couple of years..........then they might realize the damage they have done when one year later they can't stay in the black, and they are up against the very tactics they used to get their doors open.

Go Louis

I thought you were the one congratulating Proud Owner the other day for opening his mobile business up. Your real frustration should be with your supplier that sold to the guy at your prices his first day in business!

well in Texas we have to be careful when checking prices with other shops (price fixing laws) also as far as calling other shops and trying to get them to start charging list plus labor will be real difficult . The last time some one did this here they ended up in some big trouble. read http://www.glasslinks.com/newsinfo/doja1.htm
they eventually ended up closing down this past year because of the deal and they had bad techs. So I would kindly suggest you research state laws in your areas before contacting other shops other wise you could end up like the guys in the article.

does that dept of justice thing sound familiar,,,,i have heard something along those lines earlier.


drop glass prices and raise labor rates, oh wait a minute, i think networks do the same thing? Funny, i don't see the dept of justice worrying about price shifting either.

i think it is time to get our own anti-trust exemption . ha ha.

Yes I was congratulating Proud Owner, because I know from talking with him on the forum he isn't going to be a lowballing, drop and slop installer. Being forced to do that kind of work was his motivation to become independent. He is going after fleet and dealer work, and he is staying on top of the industry and knows the ramifications of his actions if he were to choose that "business model". Matter of fact he isn't even going to contribute to our eroding market by signing network contracts....so good for him, he is Auto Glass , and he's one of my forum friends

Go Louise......... DITTO !! DITTO !! DITTO !!

We are not price fixing we are charging the industry standard, set up by NAGS. All companys should charge NAGS list what ever part of the the country they are from, plus labor plus urethane. I quoted a cash job yesterday for 615.42, Another Denver glass co. will install the glass for 310.00. Why give up 250 to 300 profit, not very smart. My cost was a little over 400. I worked a deal with my salesperson and got the job back. My profit is not a good but I will be keeping this customer.

Wow! Thanks for sticking up for me!

I sure don't want to do sloppy work that is why I am going independent. I can control my own work load and take my time on quality instead of quantity.

Go Louis

You should re-read my post again, First of all I was surprised at you knocking one man shows in your post and second of all I did not say one negative word about AGN as you sugested. You should read the second part of MY post again and think about it.

I am not a trouble maker and I only participate as a concerned independent like you.

Being in this business for 35 succesful years and seeing wholesalers treat thier customers like they do now and totally disregard thier loyalties to the long term companies that kept them in business for years.....Well I Hope you get my point.

And for your your information, I have offered to help AGN with some private tips about getting started up.

Have a great evening!

The Denver glass co was Elite BELRON. I thought they were smarter than that. Be competitive don't destroy the industry, as well loose that much profit.

OMG: pardon me, but it sounded as if you were insinuating that I was wrong to congratulate Proud Owner if my feelings about moble slop and drops is as stated in the above post (#2 I believe). So I merely meant to clarify that AGN was not going to be one of the installers I referenced in the above post. I don't believe I insinuated that you had "knocked" AGN in any way, or that you were not helpful to him. I believe we both agree that a person can run a mobile AG businesss and still adhere to quality standards, and not lowball prices.
So let's agree that we have no disagreement, and that we just had a misunderstanding. I have never attempted to "start" trouble on the forum, I enjoy it way too much. I have however in the past been known to stand up for myself or a friend if they were under attack or treated with disrespect, and that is not directed at you sir, it is in reference to past threads. Have a nice day

And another thing in hindsight, I did not knock "one man shows". I was referring only to the ones who go out and install $65.00 to $90.00 parts for $150.00 which includes urethane and labor, and install as many as they can in a day. So I was not "knocking" all one man shows, or single installer mobile business'. Only the type stated if you would reread my post, I think you would see that.

It is not the one man shops. The problem is with the large shops that can only get work from price, because their rep is so bad. The small shop that does not understand how to run a business. Quality shops will survive and thrive even in this mess.

Louise do you work for a dog and pony show? Thats what alot of people do nothing wrong with that, sometimes working for a circus is just too much to handle... just ask my daughter she works for sgc..

ATTN: TOMMY B....1st, sorry everyone for bring back a dead thread. But I was going back and reading some old stuff, because the new stuff was boring me LOL, just kidding. When I saw [TommyB's] post. What the hell is a dog & pony show? What exactly are you trying to ask or say Mr. Tommy B? I work for a small independent glass business, we do any and all things glass or glass related ie; awnings, canopies, screens, etc.. We began as AG only, but my boss was smart enough to see the trend that was coming in AG and diversify into FG, residential & commercial. So I answered your question, and if you were attempting to insult me with your dog & pony remark, just hit my email and we'll talk about my opnion's on what you and your pony can do. If your not insulting me, then just explain what the hell your statement meant, please.

TommyB--does your daughter read and/or post on this forum?
What does she go for SGC?

I meant what does she DO for SGC?! my bad

Go Louise ,

Here is the wikepedia definiton

Dog and pony show
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Dog-and-pony show)
Jump to: navigation, search
Dog and pony show was a colloquial term used in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to refer to small traveling circuses that toured through small towns and rural areas. The name derives from the typical use of performing dogs and ponies as the main attractions of the events.

Performances were typically held in open-air arenas, such as race tracks or municipal parks, and in localities that were too small or remote to attract bigtop performances. In the latter part of the 20th century, the original meaning of the term has largely been lost.

The term has come to mean any type of presentation or display that is:

somewhat pathetically contrived or overly intricate or
put on for purposes of gaining approval for a program, policy, etc.
Example of the slang usage: Work done at OTG is all dog and pony show, there is no substance and things don't work right.

So there is your lesson of the day ladies and gentlemen :)

liljohn as I am just starting out I feel your pain, but try and look at it from a WalMart business plan. Give Them More For Less. Walmart gets their vendors to sell to them for less and pass the savings on PEOPLE REMEBER VENDORS WORK FOR US NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. If I can get a part for less somewhere else that is where I get it from. Also the other companies may have less overhead to add to the job I would love to charge $6oo.oo dollars for something but I know that they will go somewhere else. I was once told by a former manager that if the customer would not pay our price then, then they were not G!***PHD customers I couldn't believe my ears that we would lose job over a few doolars REMEBER DON'T STEP OVER DOLLARS TO PICK UP DIMES

TOMMY B: Gee thanks for the TMI response, the "what the hell is a dog & pony show?" question was really rhetorical. The main point or question was, and let me be perfectly clear so you do not have to copy and paste any definitions from other sources, the question is for you...sir?
Why did you ask me if I work for a dog & pony show?
Simple enough? Now can I get a straight answer please?

I would be interested in hearing the answer to that question also. Since both of our business are structured basically the same, I guess that would make my business a "dog & pony show" also.

Perhaps TommyB, would like to share with us what type of business he runs? Maybe if his isn't a "dog & pony" show, his daughter would prefer to come work for Dad as opposed to SGC. Just a thought.

GoLouise,
I get the distinct impression that this guy is fishing or just looking to get some S$*#@ stirred up.

GlassLady, yeah he didn't take me up on the offer to hit my email for further suggestions as to what he can do with his "dog & pony" either. So you are probably right, just fishing or

As i started this thread, I'm so confused. How did you all get started with dogs and ponys? Thanks for your all your info, sorry for the opportunity for the abuse. I always wondered when ins. jobs would be cheaper than cash jobs. Today we did a door glass 1.19 cheaper than a cash job. What a great deal now I get to wait for my money. Woo hoo.

Liljohn; we (most of us anyway) feel your pain!