What are you thoughts on the new Safelite Addendum?

Read more about the addendum at http://www.glassbytes.com/newsSafelite20120731.html

Thank you for "choosing" TPA, be advised there is no way of knowing if the shop you chose will send convicted felons to your house, or if they have insurance etc., etc.

You Network shops really are stinko.

You have led us down the path of surrender since your inception, why ask for opinion now? We will do as we have always done, baa baaa baaaaa.

Do you really think that feedback you solicit on an anomyous board is worthy of mention? How about giving them an email addy and asking those that want to give feedback to respond. At least you could vet some of the band of idiots that way. I'm pretty sure the same 10 people are the only ones that post here.

Why bother answering? You will censor it anyway!!!!!

So IF I did the crime and paid the time I can't install auto glass?
So Safethugs has marked me for life?
I paid my debt to society.
If I want to install windshields in a driveway, I will

Just a few more reasons to tell Safelite to go jump into the lake!

Since reacquiring the Allstate account, they have been unbearable.

They deserve to be taken down a peg or two, or three, or four...........

I think I am probably #2 or #3 along with FXS.

The insurance company`s are giving them the power by signing up "DO AS SAFELITE SAYS OR NO WORK FOR YOU!!!" I don`t think these insurance company`s care as long as their customers are happy and Safelite aint raking them over the coals in fee`s. At this rate Safelite will become a real Monopoly, if State Farm dumps Lynx and jumps on board with the SGC network, look out! No matter what, in a few more years being in this biz will become like working at that big b** st*re that gets on the news once in while (for the webbie). The auto glass techician job will be thought of as a menial job with low pay and lousey or no insurance benifits but the cars keep getting more techincal, It is slowly coming down around us! With this new tid-bit tossed out here in front of the indy`s its just one more click of the handcuffs and there getting tighter every year it seems here lately. Although I must take their side on the back ground check I mean who wants some child molester sizing up the customers son or daughter, but on the other hand a convicted felon who has kept their nose clean for sometime should`nt be penalized, he or she have paid their debt. GBG.

so who will be watching over them to make sure they follow the rules, this is why my business now is about 5% auto and the rest flat and new constuction, the industry was bullied so they could control everything. what a monopoly and why hasnt the government gotten involved

So, as I understand it, and remember I'm an lonely tech, not a shop owner. They get to dictate the quality of the part (ie, aftermarket v. oem regardless of what your customer wants), they can tell you who to hire and dispatch, and you have to carry insurance on them even though they are not doing the actual work. If I got that right, it's total crap.
It's my shop and I work for the customer, not the network. I'll hire the people I want and send them out as I deem fit to do. As for insuring them, HELL NO!

These people are worse than politicians. I would like to know who thinks this stuff up? Again, why would anyone participate in a network? What are the advantages? One or two more jobs a month?

I will leave anything I want, as I am not on the "network"! How can it be a monopoly when they have independent shops on their network?

So does this mean that their sales reps in Chicago are going to stop handing out baked goods, buying lunches and sponsoring purse and jewelry parties for agents and their staffs?

They're just like Congress. They make the rules but they don't have to live by them.

So what are they going to do about the felons that they have working for them right now? I bet nothing! I'm not a convicted felon but if I was because I made a mistake a long time ago and now just trying to be a model citizen then I woud still be kicked out. It doesnt take much to get a felony anymore but they arent making exceptions so if you got busted years and years ago for say a drug crime and now are totally clean you cant install a windshield because they are marking you for life. Doesn't seem right to me.

read my post in Wheres there Smoke and you will have the answer. Now it only takes time to get it done.

Cant take the question seriously since the ones asking have not entertained investigating the many issues brought up over the years concerning safelite. Pretending the elephant is not in the room is not journalism... I appreciate the forum and much of the information presented on line and in the mag, but my opinion on this subject is what it is...

Astounding the number of shops wanting to get in line at the trough!! Sounds like some want to fight to stay in line. What can it be other than an addiction?

Capt -

There are many things that you all can do collectively, best under a trade association. However, that being said, you can start a petition drive signed by your customers. You can start a letter writing campaign to your US Senators. You can get together with the shop owners in your state and meet with your US Senators (not State). I would do this immediately. Politicians from across the country have advised me that as long as they are not hearing from their constituents, they assume everything is okay. You all know that your customers are frustrated with the claims reporting process, including the steering and the violation of their right to choose a repair shop of choice. You have the ability to effect change but the ideas and the exchanges on this forum have to be exported into action....

Sglass,
I have to agree. If the owners aren't taking an active part with the associations, then complacency is to blame. Being a tech and not an owner I have no idea when these meetings take place otherwise, I'd try to make it to them. Living just a few miles from the state capital, we have easy access to both our local and national reps.

Its what I do not understand. Everyone **** and moans about how awful things are, yet continue to do the SAME things. I believe the definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior expecting different results. Well obviously the road you are taking is doing nothing to change the current climate of the industry. Sitting around talking about how things use to be and wishing how it went back to that obviously is not a sound solution to the problem.

As for the felon issue, it is the route most companies are taking these days. Extensive back round checks and drug testing. I do not really agree 100% with it, people make mistakes and it doesnt mean you are a bad person or employee forever. However I do understand where these companies are coming from. Possible liability and MANY MANY felons are not the people who made a few mistakes, but are multiple felons who continue the same behavior.

Mike, I think you've seen too may movies.
You keep advocating that the only way to "slay the dragon" is to write letters, call attorneys and get involved in associations...so in a sense you're trying to "build" a larger dragon to beat the existing one. Others have tried this..The Chicago Group, AGRSS, Cindy Rowe ect...and everytime they started making a difference, the dragon ate them and they became part of it. The only way to beat the dragon, and each one of us are able to do this individually, is to take away it's source of strength.

As much as eveyone bashes their tech's , managers and sales people, without them the dragon would not exist.

So GO AFTER the branch nearest to you and do
WHATEVER it takes to beat them. Lower prices in their accounts, hire their best workers, educate consumers on why you versus them. Get to know the local agents and their staffs and explain to them that the reason they spend so much money on advertising chip repairs is that they able to charge the same price as a windshield. (average cost per claim)

It won't be easy, but it's SOMETHING YOU COULD CONTROL VERSUS HOPING A SENATOR READ YOUR LETTER!

And once this source of strength deteriorates ,around the country ,the dragon will either wither away to nothing or have to spend more energy trying to protect it. Either way, we will have all won.

Here comes the "lower your price attitude". WRONG ANSWER! Some of what you say chicago may have some value, YES VALUE, WHAT SOMETHING IS TRUELY WORTH, but too many businessmen wanna bee's have that same stupid mentality, and can only sell or COMPETE by making their product or service "WORTH-LESS". As you do that you ruin an entire industry.

No one can compete with sgc on pricing because of the GAI and their control with the insurance industry.

The only way to compete with and beat sgc is with QUALITY, they CANNOT compete with REAL quality. To compete with pricing is sure suicide but they cannot compete with small indy QUALITY shops. they will lose every time!

And that is the "RIGHT ANSWER".

Yep, that's the right answer.

Chicago-

I have not seen too many movies. And I said nothing about calling attorneys. You need to pay visit to the offices. Letters alone will not work. I am no longer in the industry but I gained a lot of knowledge when I was. Your scenario will not work because you have folks out there willing to work for next to nothing. I cannot tell you how many calls I received when I was at the IGA asking where someone could get a repair kit, what repair kit to use, where can they learn to install a windshield, etc. And you will not beat Safelite at their game because they have all the bases covered. Those of you with legitimate shops and overhead will not survive on the current course. I don't mind being attacked...I have nothing to lose.

How do you guys enjoying the benefits of membership stay in business? It'll be a cold day before I work that cheap.

Unfortunately for every job you "steal" from them, they will steal 10 from you. All else being equal you would make a good point. So in the meantime, you will lose your businesses.

Mikey, are you conceding defeat ? No doubt it is hard to get from here to there, and we are a long way from Zion.
We need a map .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olam_Haba#.22The_World_to_Come.22

Hey Ohm,

Not at all. I'd like to help you all wherever I can. You have to consider that you guys have no idea how many jobs you lose through the networks, especially SGC. How many of your customers ask for your shop and get steered to Safelite? No one knows. I guarantee you that they are already out stealing you...

They took my last post down...You guys should be ashamed of yourselves for censoring opinions. Deb were you eaten by the dragon too?

i thought they might, think rephrase, cant blieve theyre still awake

You are correct. If they are not referring work to you then why should you insure them!I hope that you all see this before the delete this post also. They don't like the truth.

The forum does not allow personal attacks. When you call someone, by name, a snake, that does not meet our guidelines. If you would like to repost without that comment it would most likely meet the guidelines.

I'll try this again...hopefully it will meet the "guidelines" so that it will not be censored again.
...and I don't think I called any specific company or person a name??

If you want to beat "your largest competitor" and you agree with me that the letter writing to senators, joining associations, and sending under paid invoices to an attorney are not working, then I have a solution that can help all of us..

In my previous post, a few of you thought I said lower your prices to compete with "your largest competitor" What I said was in THEIR accounts only, do whatever it takes, even if it means that you break even, to steal a job. This is why:

If all of the 600 people who read this thread were able to "steal" one job per day ..for one year
(260 Monday-Fridays) then "your largest competitor will do 156,000 fewer units this year. If we assume the average price for these 156,000 units was $175 that would mean "your largest competitor" would lose
$27,300,000 in sales.

THIS WILL HURT "your largest competitor"!!

Since payroll is "your largest competitor's" biggest variable expense, this will force them to cut more
service staff and/or increase the prices to their largest customers on their network.

Either way..WE WIN!!

It's immediate!..and it SOMETHING WE CAN CONTROL!

So stop whining and start taking your business
back!!

Chicago,

I'm not in the industry any longer, just trying to share the insight that I have gained. The networks are already stealing from you. You have too many associates that are already on the networks. They will become more aggressive in diverting more jobs to their own shops. The numbers will not work. I'm not suggesting letter writing campaigns or contacting attorneys. What I am saying is that unless you get consumers involved in the process, you will continue to lose independent shops. Politicians do not care about your businesses. Maybe I'm missing your point but they control every angle of the insurance market, throwing independent network shops the crumbs.

Mike and Chicago

Chicago it was not you censored but me for I called it like it is. But I do not complain about it for that is the rules. Mike and you are both right. I no longer am in the trade but I really loved it when I was there. I never worked for anyone but safelite but had the pleasure of meeting plenty of independent techs. Safelite is now hiring the bottom of the barrel and everyone knows that. The good ones they run off or work them to death. Nuff said on that! Safelite without a doubt is deep in the pockets of this administration and the represenatives and senators. There is no doubt in my mind on that one. They do not care about you in Chicago or New York or me here in Virginia. What they care about is what kind of check they will be getting from the big dog. So for what it is worth you may just have to drop the price. Alot of the smaller glass companies buy their glass from safelite at wholesale market price. I got a glass for my jeep from a junkyart and up rolls a safelite truck with it from the new warehouse in chesapeake. I had heard also and can not verify it that they may be handling some chinese made glass also. The down side to the reduce pricing is that if you do buy your glass from them they will cut you off.

The Solution people could try the following: when contracts are renegotiated with the large insurers, the charges for services and merchandise are moved higher. How about it key account reps - move the industry toward a more profitable stance. Tell the folks that paying for all the background checks and e-mail campaigns costs mucho dinero. Prices go up, Columbus makes its promises come true ... the rest of the industry survives. Otherwise the dominance of one company will get noticed and legislated away

...had this thought today at about Broadway and 10th. This addendum will serve a couple of bigger purposes. First is to demonize the marketing to agents that involve the smaller goodies that sales reps use: baked goods, lunches, discounts and golf. All items that a certain, unnamed company has coincidentally, also eliminating from the toolbags of its sales staff. "just sell value". (probably with the exception of accounts that run through LYNX). Second is to give legal dept the ability to wield a more effective stick.

Take away the trinkets and what is left for field reps? The biggest co. has the following left: many visits in the door, CE classes, e-mails, promo pieces from their maxee ipads and a constant barrage of radio and TV ads. Who wins in the marketing battle if the small guy has to eliminate all their marketing in the agents office? Exactly, the big guy that has another way of marketing now (Saleforce.com techniques through their pads) and a legal doc to sue you with if they think you are marketing in the traditional ways to agents !! (just a reminder-their TPA activities give them the info to track all relevant info on every job. They know who is doing the work).

The addendum doc is theirs and they will have a perfect opening to litigate (or threaten to litigate) to get their competitors to stop effectively marketing. (remember they have shut down this type of marketing for their sales force). A prediction: soon a PR announcement will come out that trumpets how encouraged a group of Insurance Claims mgr's are that the agent marketing is now under control and the cost of auto insurance has been saved once again from windshield marketing bullies that have been roaming the agents offices for the last 2 decades. Disaster averted and we all have the addendum to thank.

Beware the lawyers.

If Safelite sued me for violating their affiliate agreement (haven't signed it) I would claim that I signed the agreement under duress because if I didn't sign it, Safelite would tell my customers that my shop was not on the "special" list of "approved" vendors and that they wouldn't be receiving Safelite's super duper warranty and that they may even have to pay out of pocket costs if they use my shop.