GREAT ARTICLE


http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-glaziers1028.artoct28,0,4898313,print.story

Yeah great article, scary concept. It's hard enough to find experienced glaziers, forget licensed. Thank goodness we operate in a state that has a reputation of staying out of the business of it's business' and it's residents. At least when compared to other states. I have a friend who lives one state over, can't get away with laying a 2 x 4 in his yard for more than a day, before the county comes calling.

They should take a poll of all the glass companies in the state. which ever side wins is what they should go with. I say licensing would be dead and it should be!

Shame on Kevin M and the CGDA for duping there members!

i wished the article talked more about the impact on auto glass installers. i kind of thought that autoglass had more impact on safety for the customer than flat glass, i haven't heard alot of mutli-million dollar lawsuits over flat glass.

It sounds like licensing may not be the answer i had previously believed it might be. Wish the writter would have been able to measure the quality of installs prior to licensing and after licensing took effect. i think it comes down to the individual, you can't legislate good installs, there is a certain amount of integrity required by installers and shop owners.

What good is a law that cannot quantify results or even be enforced? Sometimes i am thankful to be illiterate, there are to many words on paper already; and the whole thing would be forgotten if shops were not struggling to keep their heads above water.

Its a bunch of BS...just like licensing Real Estate agents. Just because someone has to be licensed doesn't mean they aren't a hack or idiot...just that they had to jump through more hoops to be a hack or idiot.

When our state began licensing "realtors" it was supposed to weed out the bad ones and the part timers and make the profession at least half way respectable again...all it did is create a sub-market for "real estate schools" and something else the state can charge fees for.

My understanding was this was to prevent as sglass would say, the "slop and drop guys". Looks like it bit them in the butt. Another example of getting Big Govt. involved where they don't belong.

As far as the auto glass side of this law, I (not being from that area or answerable to the law) understand the biggest mistake made was the "grandfathering" of glass shop/installers. It allowed all the "hacks" to remain in the system. What should have been done was a "temporary grandfather" clause that gave every installer/shop 1 year to meet the standards while allowing them to continue operating. If after the 1 year you had not met the standard your license was suspended or revoked.

However, as I mentioned it seems they allowed installers/shops already operating to be grandfathered in without need for meeting the licensing standards. Enforcement is an entirely different debate all together, as the "paying deductible" laws have proven.

Anyone in that area able to verify or further explain how that happened?

Another thought... I know you are all scared now ... but maybe the law should be changed to address more of the RECORDING of data like lot#, batch#, cert# and company/assoc. name that certified them (as ANYONE can say they are CERTIFIED, it means absolutely NOTHING), or things like that instead of the testing system that it sounds like was enacted. Maybe then being "certified" by certain companies/assoc. might actually mean something? This might take the burden of testing off the State, and the liability if they are planning to start conducting the testing.

AGRSS already requires "documenting" of certain data but does not define how or where to document it. But what if that data had to be PRINTED on every invoice so a consumer had it available, or a car dealer had it available if problems ocurred after the sale? Then perhaps we could get the states to start adding it to accident reports etc. and finally make the data usable and increase the safety of American driver's?? As I see it now it is incredibly difficult to prove fault unless that windshield was just installed. When you do a replacement for a car dealer little to no documentation is ever done, yet 90% of the replacements we are asked to re-do are from a used car that a dealer had the cheapest guy in the area replace.

Just an idea I had with no real idea of the funding needed to implement it.

Feedback?

i have come to believe the whole premise that government can solve our problems is flawed.

Government is simply a tool, and like most tools it can be used to help or hinder your business.

Gov't exists to form a framework for a nation. Its responsibility is to protect its people. It has no business in the private business world.

Furthermore, Gov'ts job is to protect its people from outside forces, not from themselves. Nobody can really protect us from ourselves.

Government may not have a right to the business world, but it is NECK DEEP in the thick of it!!! Point being, if a law or standard is created and the outcome is not what "business" had anticipated, try to change it and improve upon it. If that option simply does not exist, then admit the mistake and revoke the law or standard.

I agree CCC

NOTHING VENTURED NOTHING GAINED!!! I honestly believe this could work & work to our advantage. Think back to when you learned how to ride a two wheeler, did you quit or keep trying? Why are the company's that are "so busy" can't find help? because of the new law? or is it because they just don't want to spend the money for a good journey man. Let's think about this, because the way I see it is that if you hold a license for a PROFESSIONAL TRADE then that makes you a TRUE CRAFTSMAN & not just some kid looking to make a couple of bucks for the summer. I would think that as a "PROFESSIONAL" your worth would lie in your work & not who can do it the cheapest. Why don't we all start believing the INS. companys when they tell us our worth because some schumuck says they can do it for less. Honestly some of you sit & cry about what they get away with but yet you refuse to do anything about it! What if we turned this into what it really is A TRADE.!!!! There is no hidden agenda, the only thing I see is that most of you want your "fair share" but are willing to do squats about getting it. I have been in this industry for over 25 years & my skills are what allow me to live the the very comfortable life that I live! The INS companys & the networks can't touch my companys reputation in fact they call me to fix what the other companys can't! BOTTOM LINE IS IF YOU WANT THIS TO BE A TRADE FOR PROFESSIONALS THEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT A TRADE FOR PROFESSIONALS! WINNERS TRAIN, LOSERS COMPLAIN!