Got a message from someone who says his company, does dealership windshield repairs. " Looking for a company to partner up with,to refer the cracked windshield replacements and looking for quotes." This is not the first time for this sort of thing. Several times I have been at a dealership and a chip person will say, I'll hand out your cards for $10.00 a referral. Why would I do that? I already have the account for replacements? Another one wanted " Body Shop Pricing."

No way am I going to carry the insurance and liability, give quotes and let them bill the insurance on my work or profit from my work.

How many of my fellow shop owners, are getting this call?

You're absolutely right.

Isn't it interesting though, that this is pretty much exactly how the average glass network arrangement works, albeit few seem to be as offended by it?

JMHNLO

This is an example of what an executive type might call synergy, or collaboration. I prefer your way of thinking, why pay a middle man,
although some would consider it a form of advertising or a spiff.

Maybe I am missing something here.
Is the chip guy asking for a $10 referral fee for jobs he would refer to you, only from the dealer, or from jobs he would refer to you from his other customers, outside the dealership? If the first is the case, I agree. But if it is the second, why not? Are you going to starve to death if you give him $10 off the top of your replacement price, that you would NEVER have a shot at doing?
Here is the second scenario, he partners with someone else and he gives the referral jobs to the OTHER guy, at both the dealership and for his outside customers.
Here is the third scenario, he gets a set of tools and goes into the replacement business as well and when a chip can not be repaired he does the replacement, because he already has the glass in his truck.
As far as body shop pricing goes: it sounds like you do indeed do body shops, correct? If yes, I would hope you make your pricing schedule as profitable as you could so you would not be giving it away. Now that leads me to this question: Would you turn down more body shop work? Why not just look at him as "another body shop"? Just a question, because he too will be in the replacement business ASAP.
Remember, the hardest part of any job, is getting the job, you can do the best work in town, but if they call someone else, you make squat.
Ooops...

The first case is the one. Hand out cards inside the dealership for 10/referral.

Yep, we do Body Shops and yes we know how to bill. They assumed there was some SPECIAL BILLING FORMULA, wrong

Not interested on any level.

Someone else will to do it. If done properly, all good, if not they end up back at the dealership.

In no way is it, for my business, smart to tie my shop to the name of the chip company.

One thing you can be guaranteed, the chip guy will find someone else, or like I said, do it himself and you will become the enemy. What is worse, by the way, tying up with a chip company or doing work for Safelite?? And don\'t not fool yourself. Every customer of yours that is billed through Safelite, is a potential ex-customer, because you gave them or they already have, all of your customers personal information. I think that billing auto glass insurance claims on a direct basis should be a major crusade, rather than not wanting to part with a \$10 finders fee. And I do not think the chip guy is looking to eliminate you or he would not even talk to you. One thing you failed to mention, is the chip guy a bottom feeder or an up front top shelf guy? If he is abootom feeder you did not need any responses.
I will tell you one thing though, I have seen more companies go out of business in 30+ years, for not TRYING new ideas and processes, than I have seen succeed, when they would not try anything new.
Ooops...

I have embraced the new way of business. I don't bill safelite they do. I simply wait for them to get paid then I get paid. I pay my statement for referrals to the repair person.

New way of doing business you are correct Ooops.

Where is this happening ?

start doing repairs!