I am curious.
What is the relationship between AGRR and AGRSS?
I am not looking for negatives. Just trying to understand how they interact with each other.

AGRR is published by Key Communications Inc. which is owned by Ms. Debra Levy (my boss) who is the AGRSS Marketing Committee Chair and was instrumental in getting AGRSS off the ground and getting ANSI to recognize the standard. We (Key Communications) developed, host and maintain the AGRSS and SafeWindshields websites, manage the AGRSS conference and do countless other things for AGRSS throughout the year - all without compensation. Ms. Levy believes in the efforts and goals of AGRSS and is dedicated to their cause so we around here take a little personally when people find it easier to espouse negativity about the organization rather than step up and ask what they can do to help. There's a difference between constructive criticism and bashing but to criticise without participating is like not voting in an election and then complaining about the elected officials.

Bryan...Sglass specifically said he didn't want any negativity....boy RU sensitive today?! And as American citizens each of us has the Constitutional right to complain about elected officials whether we vote or not...as long as the government forcibly removes payroll taxes from our paychecks any of us can complain all we want, and should! You know how to tell when a politician is lying, right?.......When he/she speaks.
If someone has an opinion that may not be all glowing and /or positive about AGRSS they should be able to express it, as long as it does not insult personally.

i would think that AGRSS would want to hear the negatives, so they can adjust their program.

Not being sensitive. Just answering his question which I believed to be related to why the other thread was removed. Criticising AGRSS is fine if it makes you (not you specifically) able to sleep better at night. Seeing first hand the efforts put forth by the folks involved with AGRSS, the dedication and commitment, admittedly I get a little defensive in regards to negative comments. I just can't help but feel that there is a large sector of this industry that is waiting for AGRSS, CAGG, the IGA, et al, to come along, wave a magic wand and pat them on the head and tell them everything is all better now, which is fine. But when its not, don't sit back and criticise the efforts of those who are making an effort to do something when you're (not you specifically) not willing to get involved.

I respect everyone of you who post in this forum. I imagine that if I met you in person that I'd like the vast majority of you and would quite enjoy sitting down and sharing a cocktail or two with you. Patrick says he might ship me off to a show next year so maybe we'll get that chance. But - (I love analogies) if you're gonna come over to my house and tell me my kids are ugly and my wife smells bad, I'm gonna ask you to leave.

But, if you've stuck with me this far, I'm not the one in most cases that decides if a thread is taken down. That tool that posted all that stuff about laboratory glass and crap the other day, well, that kind of stuff I take down.

For what its worth - my wife doesn't smell bad and my kids are adorable.

It's true what you say about your wife & kids Brian but, your dog is a whole other story.

If I complain about AGRSS it is out of frustration and impatience. I have participated in the AGRSS process. I have made the trips to Albany to get legislation passed regarding safe w/s installations. I have spoken to my local legislators and had the County pass some resolutions regarding AGR safety. I have witnessed organizations start out on the path of righteousness and wind up in sin ally. I have no clue where AGRSS is headed. Good or Bad only time will tell.

I have to agree with glasssgod here. I believe we should be able to speak freely here, so long as we don't directly hurt some ONE. I have been out here from the begining of this forum, and have been quoted many times. I have agreed and disagreed with the best and worst of us out here, but it does bother me that someone feels they must pull some threads because of NEGATIVITY! I greatly appreciate all who have worked so hard for AGRSS. This has been a wonderful STEP for auto glass. But IMHO AGRSS has some real problems and I have some problems with some of what they promote. Looking at the list of registered shops, there are MANY real quality shops there, but I have seen first hand most of the big chain shops bragging they follow agrss and watched them first hand be far far far from following ANY SAFE guidelines. Now I know, that does not mean agrss is failing but if they have no way to see if the shops registered are following the RIGHT guidelines then they are a dog with no teeth and or BARK! I have always tried to be a do-er, not one to sit back and complain and do nothing. At any rate I hope you don't pull my post because I'm speaking the truth from my own shoes, and I hope I do not become a bit disappointed in this forum because of a few decisions made by someone feeling a bit defensive. One of the best things about this forum has been,, we can ALL speak our minds. I hope this continues to be so,, for all our sake! Thanks for letting me AIR! And as always Bryon Thank you I do appreciate all you do. We can appreciate others without agreeing all the time!

Does anyone have any ideas as to how compliance could feesibly be monitored on an international level? You have to remember - currently AGRSS is manned by a relatively small group of volunteers and there are registered shops in the U.S., Canada and Australia. I can't see how misrepresenting yourself to AGRSS would benefit you business wise. Ask 10 random people on the street if they've ever heard of AGRSS or better yet, if they knew that the windshield of their automobile played a key role in the event of a rollover accident. I would be willing to bet that none of the "average joes" that you would ask would be aware of this at all and that is where AGRSS' work currently lies - educating the public (imho).

Those storms that wreaked havoc in the south yesterday are moving through here today. I expect that we may experience power outtages and/or loss of internet access so you guys behave yourselves today.

There's the tough part webster! Maybe if there was a way to report known cases of not following the guide lines. Like, watching some registard shop putting in a w/s while it's snowing or raining, or when you replace a w/s after you know from the customer xyz shop who says they follow agrss, and you find no primers where used and rust is running rampant. I don't know, it's the tough part to police. As far as your statement you can't see how misrepresenting themselves would benefit,,,by looking at Safew/s.com it's great, tells the public what to look for, then refers heavily to AGRSS, so customers will think these people are the best, that does benifit companies who are doing the best. But as I look at the list I thought,,, WHAT? you have got to be kiding,,,, there are some on there I have seen over and over who do not care about anything but,, cheap, fast, and do as many as they can get their hands on. so at any rate this leaves me not being to confident in the agrss standards. I have looked into it several times and it seems if you just answer the questions right and pay the $$$$ you are good to go, hmmm I might be missing something, but that's what I saw.
And yes Bryon, I will try to behave,,, today!
keep your head low and run for cover if it gets bad!

Question for anyone; When I began work here I looked into the possibility of our shop becoming an AGRSS registered shop, I downloaded the information regarding the requirements and all relevant info on meeting the standard to become an AGRSS shop. After all that reading, and a little skimming of the documents I was left with the impression that after a transfer of your shops forms used prior to and after the install, to document the materials used and the VIN and vehicle info, and info regarding your tech's certifications and qualifications to AGRSS, that you would then have a representative of AGRSS visit your shop and verify that you have represented your standards and practices honestly. Is that not correct?
I am not arguring either side of this discussion, I know anyone can clean up to go out, but that doesn't represent their everyday look. So I'm just seeking knowledge about how AGRSS determines a particular shop's worthiness to become a registered member shop. Did I incorrectly interpret the requirements? Is it all done on paper, or does a rep visit the shop? If so is that the only time a shop is inspected by a rep of AGRSS?

i don't think they visit i have been AGRSS registered for two years and the only time i hear from them is to re-up, which this year i didn't because i meet their standard and i don't want to pay someone when i know my quality.

Go Louise, I would reccommend you email AGRSS directly with your question.

However, I do not believe at this time, any AGRSS rep visits any physical locations. They do call and verify your documented certifications (SIKA,DOW,NGA,etc.) that you present I understand.

I understand the goal at this time is to have members join, then conduct a self-audit in order to allow those members to have time to meet the standard if they do not currently, understand the credentials and documentation needed currently and in the future. But I do believe a "spot-check" type audit may be in the future, and I think it is something i think most involved would like to see, even if it was very random and very infrequent. Our owner mentioned that it was mentioned at the recent AGRSS convention that more and more attention will now be paid to make sure all members do complete self-audits and that those audits are verfied. Sounds to me like that "grace-period" that allowed everyone to join up might be coming to an end, and that very soon every member will have to at least completed the self-audit.

Knowing some of the parties involved in AGRSS I firmly believe they are going to make every effort to make the AGRSS membership worth all of our time, efforts, and money.

CCC, thanks for the info as well as your opinions, or rather educated guesses with regard to future requirements to become a member shop. I thought I had understood the requirements regarding documentation of installs, including the products and procedures followed to install said product, and the quailfications of the installer, don't know why I thought that the end result after your shop had fulfilled AGRSS' requirements regarding documentation and procedures that a rep would visit and verify the info you had presented.

bqa, thank you as well for your info and opinion. I understand what you mean, we have come to feel that way about all certifications and registrations. It's $$$$$ out the door for a product, or service that isn't recognized by the gen public, or the powers that be...which unfortunately right now are the TPA's who have the power to steer all of your jobs away no matter how much you spend on training, or certifications/ and or registrations.

Actually had a SGC CSR calling in mobile repair today for Alfa insured, he TOLD me that he had tried to dispatch it to Safelite but it was to far away for them, "BS if it had been a replacement they would have come and done that, right?" I asked him this and he said YES, God I wish we had recorders on our phones. SO the insured is going to sign a letter for me, expressing that she requested our shop and the repair was then called into Safelite first going totally against her "expressed" wishes. Then file it with the rest of my letters and documentation of the screwing we are taking here by them! Until the day comes, ah sweet dreams....their day is coming!