Scratch Removal

[mhughe29]

Does anyone here think the ScratchPro - Scratch Removal Kit shown on youtube will work on windshields, It looks much easier and less mess than the IPS system?

[Chips be-gone]

It looks like it is producing a lot of heat also... That alone can crack the glass... I like the one gtglass has. The Scratch hog. It is water cooled..

[Frank EU]

We have tested many, many systems. This is because we a> have been involved in scratch removal for some ten years b> we want to work with the best c> we want to know at what level the competiotion is with their system -making sure that we remain to be ahead of them. I do not have the GG ScratchPro, but we do have very similar parts. Therefore it wouldn't be fair to be placing any direct comments here.

Scratch removal is a very viable service and a you should be able to generate pretty good reveneus. I don't want to make any system look bad, but you should be warry, there are many available and not all are doing what they promise. When you are looking to add scratch removal as a service, you should look for a proper system. Some systems are quicker or more messy than others, but hey, the one and only thing that should really matter is quality. Not the clean up time. You should also make sure that the system you are going to invest in does not remove glass stock fast, there is no need to remove glass stock in most situations. Any stock glass removed results in optical distortion, and it is very, very easy to be removing stock glass! I would also advice to be trained, in fact I would not invest in a system without any training (a DVD or manual is not good enough). Next, you should find out the level of knowledge as present in the suppliers' company, and openly ask whether the company has 'invented' the system they are selling or just are resellers. I can tell you that you should not be impressed or intimidated by 'patents', as many patents in this business are useless. Make sure to be dealing as direct as possible, go with the inventor and not with a copy cat. Some suppliers just repack the product, reshuffle the package, add some stuff, change a few things in the manual and than call it their own 'unique system'. Last but not least; look for proper support, what is the level of support given once your credit card has been charged and what are the hours you can reach the supplier -just in case you need support outside their business hours.

[Frank EU]

I want to add a couple of points.... If referrals are given, make sure it will be at least five. You do not want to place a call and talk with a friend, a relative or reselling customer (yes, that happens). Preferably the cusomers you are referred to are repair only guys, glass replacing shops may only be using the kit for their marketing purposes to generate even more replacements. Avoid referals like those. Last but ot least, do not go for slick sales pitches, ''if you order right now or today you are going to get an extra discount'' and other often used nonsense like that. Take all the time you are going to need, there is too much rubbish around.

[Crack_King]

how do you charge for scratch removal ?

[adam@gtglass]

There are two ways to charge for scratch removal. Keep in mind that these are not locked in figures, but the average scratch removal tech that I speak with charges somewhere in the neighborhood of $100-$125/hour. The second method is based on a percentage of the replacement cost.
The percentage of the replacement cost seems to hover around 50%: if you have a $5000 piece of glass that has enough scratches to justify charging a percentage, you can charge $2,500. However; if it's a small scratch on an expensive piece of glass, don't expect to charge by percentage; though that would be nice eh?

These are based on figures from the technicians that I speak with. I believe it to be an accurate average, but please chime in if your market is supporting something less or greater to give the original poster of this question an accurate idea.

[Frank EU]

I personally have never found it appropriate, nor very professional, to charge 50% of the (total) replacement cost. I apreciate the difference between the USA and the EU, but we rather charge a fixed hourly rate. We also charge a fixed start up fee to cover the mobile service, preparation time etc. When we deal with projects; we charge a day price. We do not, never, under sell this type of work. Indeed, times are slower due to the economy, but hey, I'd rather stay in the office or at home, doing absolutely nothing, than doing the work at a too low price.

[adam@gtglass]

I understand that a daily rate may be easier to calculate, as well as hourly. For the customer though, it's really contract work that we are talking about. I mean there are so many variables. I think daily rates are no more professional than a quote for the whole job, which at 1/2 the cost of replacing the glass, can be a VALUE to the customer.

Equipment, experience, and technique can all play a part in the speed of the work, and I believe that some consumers/clients may not wish to commit to a "daily" expense, when just like contracting, the time it takes to finish can be manipulated. What I feel is fair is for the technician and the customer to come to an agreement on a fair market price for the restoration; whether that's an hourly fee, a percentage of the replacement cost, or a daily charge for labor should be dependent on the situation at hand.

Charging on an hourly or daily rate, what's to prevent the tech for "overestimating" the time it will take to complete the job. These are some concerns that I know for a fact are on the minds of those wishing to find someone to complete the job.

For example, how do you estimate on a large project how many days it will take? What if you underestimate the time? Will the customer be happy with needing to pay for extra days? Are you, as a technician, obligated then to finish the repair?

I just think that depending on the job, there is nothing wrong with the "half the value of replacement approach." I want to be clear that it would not be appropriate to charge 1/2 the replacement value of an expensive piece of glass for an hours worth of work. Discretion must be used in quoting the job for your potential customer, just as it must be used in a flat hourly or daily rate.