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Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

I may have hit a nerve. My point is: after completing the AGU course would anyone feel comfortable sending that person out to do installs? In my opinion the AGU course is more an introduction to auto glass replacement then a real training program. He questions my training abilities. I would like to point out many of my ex-employees have opened & maintained successful businesses of their own. (I encourage this) One of my people went on to be a member of the top 12 people Safelite sent to China to train people there.
We are all entitled to our opinions. What is yours?

Re: Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

You're not certified or recognized.
Bob is.

Re: Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

Sglass
I may have hit a nerve. My point is: after completing the AGU course would anyone feel comfortable sending that person out to do installs? In my opinion the AGU course is more an introduction to auto glass replacement then a real training program. He questions my training abilities. I would like to point out many of my ex-employees have opened & maintained successful businesses of their own. (I encourage this) One of my people went on to be a member of the top 12 people Safelite sent to China to train people there.
We are all entitled to our opinions. What is yours?


Sglass – I’m not questioning you (or your ex-employees’) abilities, I’m making a point about training. If a tech wants to become proficient as an auto glass installer as quickly as possible, that person needs to have a framework to start on. Without a curriculum that covers the basic principles of safe installation, it will take far longer to acquire proficiency and important points may be missed along the way.

As to your comments above, almost 60% of the students who went through AGU last year are entrepreneurs who run, (or are starting) their own companies. They can and do go home and complete successful installs after training. Don’t get me wrong, our graduates will certainly get faster and more efficient over time. However, they have the information needed to begin a career, and they will know where to go to get the answers to future questions.

A successful, productive, revenue producing technician can be trained in a lot less time than six months. The secret is in the instructor, method of training and the curriculum followed, not the amount of time expended.

Re: Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

Sglass, I'm with you. The idea of sending someone on the road after a short training session is absurd. I know a number of larger glass companies who I will not name, that have done that for years. We've all seen what they do to customers cars. We have always sent new installers with seasoned installers until we knew they could do installs properly. We always use two installers, so our rookies have plenty of time to learn how to install properly, and our call back rate is practically zero.
I won't name names, but I watched the owner of an auto glass university install a windshield in a Honda Civic at a trade show a number of years ago. Instead of using a gty part he put a moulding on a gtn part. The moulding was coming off as he set the glass (alone) What a mess!!! So much for teaching.

Re: Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

I agree, there appears to a be a self serving agenda here. It's being forced/suggested upon technicians here in Australia too,

It's being pushed from the position that insurance groups only want to work with "qualified auto glass repairers". However, since the insurance groups currently work with unqualified/under tooled network repairers, this statement makes them look not only foolish, but unethical and untrue to their word.

Quality is not something that you learn at school, it's a personal choice. It's about integrity and pride in your work. I know many experienced techs that deliberately take short cuts and refuse to be corrected. A piece of paper does not fix this problem.

We all know what the problem is. It's insurance groups constantly driving the price down. This forces the network repairers on contracts to be more productive. Short cuts must be taken to make ends meet. There you have it in one sentence.

To be fair, even if we all got paid the correct rates, there will always be techs who will take short cuts. They have no pride, and again you can't teach this idea to old dogs that are long in the tooth.

In the end I have no problem with new intakes being enrolled in fundaments courses. It's just after 25 years im not going to sit the same class.

http://www.service8.com.au/certificate-in-auto-glass/

Re: Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

Bob - take a note from our friend Glen Moses. Never wrestle with a pig. You both get muddy and besides - the pig enjoys it.

Re: Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

I feel that I was very lucky in that when our shop decided to start offering auto glass replacement there was a publication that offered OEM shop manual procedures on how the glass should be replaced. I learned everything I needed at that time from those publications. Nobody every trained me. It wasn't until many years later and being involved with the Ford Carlite Class that I found myself a great mentor for how quality and professionalism should work. Thank you Len Stolk.

Well structured instructions are good but having the DESIRE to learn is essential to being successful. With desire you will find the opportunities to grow your knowledge whether it is reading procedures put out by the car manufacturer or by hands on, either in a structured class or in the field applying your newly gained knowledge from reading manuals.

The desire to do more, do it better and serve your customers with this knowledge should be the driving force behind every successful technician and shop owner.

Knowing how the OEM expects their part to be replaced will provide you with the knowledge to know when being trained if the instructor is following OEM recommendations or if they are teaching "real world" techniques which to me are the shortcuts to a diminished quality of professionalism.

Re: Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

Exactly right Rick. Which is why I still can't believe AGRR quit publishing the Manufacturer's guidelines after they bought Auto Glass and Flat Journal. What a disservice. And still no explanation.

Re: Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

I believe they stopped about the time when the manufacturers started copyrighting the instructions so no one else could publish them. Now the OEs sell them. They will sell anything

Re: Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

Seattle Glass
Bob - take a note from our friend Glen Moses. Never wrestle with a pig. You both get muddy and besides - the pig enjoys it.

🤔 if you can't beat them with your brains, baffle them with your b.s. 😂
Are you aware Glen participated in the AGRSS guidelines process. But his organization, to my knowledge has never joined?

Re: Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

Rick
I believe they stopped about the time when the manufacturers started copyrighting the instructions so no one else could publish them. Now the OEs sell them. They will sell anything


I don't believe that's the case. If it were I'm sure AGRR would say so, right Deb?

Re: Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

Rick:
Where can you buy OE installation guides? I haven't been able to find anything online.

Re: Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

http://workshop-manuals.com/

Re: Bob Quoted Me in His Blog

Thanks Rick.

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