We just finished doing several jobs after a hail storm. Lady stopped to have us look at a windshield she had put in the day before by a storm chaser. It was leaking (top was Loose), car was scratched, and job had been shortcuted (trim was off the metal). Any insurance company people reading this, these are the kind of jobs you promote with your constant price cutting and cheap way of conducting business. Your customers should be worth more than this.

Unforunately, the insurance usually does not have to worry about this.
Instead it puts a black eye on the glass industry. Everytime we open in a new market that seems to be the hardest thing to overcome. People will put off replacing their glass because either they have had bad experiences or have seen cars that have had bad glass replacments. We did a job for a customer that was in town visting their realtives and the windshield got broke to bad for the drive home. They came to us we put it in and they drove home over 300 miles in the rain. They called us when they got home and could not believe it did not leak. A week later they called agian wondering how many jobs it would take to get us to come there for their other vehicle. We told them 15 windshields and an extra $100 each. We ended up doing 22 that trip and 14 two weeks later. Looked in the yellow pages while we were there. 37 Auto Glass shops were listed. You can not believe the horror stories we heard from all these vehicle owners. Almost all of them had been driving with broken windshields for several months or more.

kudos!!!here,here.

We use poor installation documentation as a way to build, strengthen, and hold customer base. We have educated customers with information, including photos, of exactly what we find in/on their cars, and why there are extra charges to clean up someone else's mess.

We have found that the customer knows who put the previous glass in about 50% of the time. One tip: NEVER ask who put it in and if they offer to tell you, stop them from doing so until you have offered your expert opinion about the job that was done. In the customer's eyes, you may be speaking of your own work, because you didn't ask and didn't want to know. Builds credibility very quickly. Of course, you'd better be doing excellent installations, because you may actually be offering an opinion of one of your own, in that case; the knife cuts both ways. Another reason it builds credibility with your customer.

Amusingly, even when the customer knows, the insurer NEVER wants to see the documentation/photos. Many times, the insurer sent the customer to that shop. They usually pay the bill and want it swept under the rug.

Now, with AGRSS, ICAR, NGA, Adhesive mfgs all providing detailed instructions and requirements regarding poor installations, (rather the resulting conditions of), it cannot be denied by anyone that procedures, and of course, charges for those procedures, to restore the bonding surface to promote a safe and proper installation are necessary and proper and NORMAL parts of "an auto glass installation".

When someone tells you, in the quest for "fair and reasonable" that "XYZ Glass does not charge for that", your reply is "Then they obviously aren't doing it.". If they say they are, ask for proof that they are doing work for free, and if you actually get it, ask why they expect you to pursue bankrupt business practices just because someone else does. You will have the documented paper trail that you perform the required procedures as a normal business practice, and I think I can guarantee you that XYZ glass does not, has not, and will not. Do you think that will set you apart from your competitors?

Game, Set, and Match: the result of years of effort by several individuals who ARE doing something. It's up to you to use it.

JMHO

EXACTLY!!!!!!! YOU ARE SOOOO RIGHT ON! GREAT POST!!!

Well Said!!

Thanks, XXX.

Wanted to add:

Metryx can kiss my grits.

Thank you also Sglass.

Just wanted to add we did not and will not give into METRIX. we are doing fine without them. Lynx, metrix, PPG, SGC, can ALL kiss my grits!