Zurich bites the dust

[Glass Doctors UK]

Another insurance company ruined for everyone by the car park cowboys!When are those monkeys gonna learn? We now get our customers to submit their pay and reclaim bills with a declaration stating that they have not been induced into having their windscreen repaired in a DIY centre car park. Im getting sick of it. Looking at other peoples badly repaired rubbish is now getting an epidemic too. Anyone want to buy a windscreen repair company?...

[screenman]

I have not lost Zurich due to the fact I offer replacement as well.

[Glass Doctors UK]

how interesting... they wrote to us saying that they were not using "repair only companies" a Ms Gittus. I have written back to them and await their reply with interest maybe you would consider the same but bring to their attention the catch 22 nature of their reasoning...

[screenman]

Could you not tell them you are connected with Novus who are owned by TCGI who are certainly a big replacement related company. Funny how everyone knocks the replacement guys who have no interest in repair yet TCGI own one of the big names in repair. Surely a conflict of interests for them. Maybe they can even control the amount of repairs carried out in some markets?

[splitpit]

Novus will not sell a repair only franchise anymore. They will only sell those that do both. They even changed their name to Novus Glass, instead of Novus windshield repair. So if they are screwing their own shops out of windshield repair claims, they must not care. I've heard that they are more interested in the replacement business now than they are repair. I'm sure it's all about getting more franchise revenue from people and that's why I think being independent is best.

[screenman]

Splitpit it stands to reason if you make and fit glass then repairing will cost you money. I would say that TCGI at a guess is not that interested in the UK market as it is quite small and with Belron and Arriva already having a major share it would be costly to get into. Mind you they did totaly mess up a very good operation in the nineties over here. I am sure Glass Doctor will challenge me on this one.

[Glass Doctors UK]

Originally Posted by screenman

Could you not tell them you are connected with Novus who are owned by TCGI who are certainly a big replacement related company. Funny how everyone knocks the replacement guys who have no interest in repair yet TCGI own one of the big names in repair. Surely a conflict of interests for them. Maybe they can even control the amount of repairs carried out in some markets?

I will try that actually, a very good point.

Saying TCGI are purposely stifling the market assumes in the first place that they have a dominant influence in that market which i do not think that they do anymore. Its like saying the american government planned 11th sept, nice theory, but they arent that clever or powerful.

[Glass Doctors UK]

Originally Posted by screenman

Splitpit it stands to reason if you make and fit glass then repairing will cost you money. I would say that TCGI at a guess is not that interested in the UK market as it is quite small and with Belron and Arriva already having a major share it would be costly to get into. Mind you they did totaly mess up a very good operation in the nineties over here. I am sure Glass Doctor will challenge me on this one.

No i pretty much agree to a point, but again i think you assume too much market dominance. I think you should maybe think of it as a 2 pronged sales attack that gives them a USP. Your market position is stronger if you are a major player who does both.