Nwra $150.00 Whats It Good For/ Just Your Thoughts

[THEGLASSMANplus]

NEW MEMBER HERE. BEEN IN WSR FOR 9 YEARS I LIVE IN MARYLAND, I CAN DRIVE TO THE NWRA OFFICE 30 MILES, OR 45 MINUTES FROM HOME. MARYLAND STATE INSPECTIONS FOR AUTOMOBILES STILL DOES NOT LEGALLY RECONIZE WSR, PRETTY SAD. NWRA JUST SENT MY RENEWAL IN THE MAIL AND IT NOW IS $150.00 PER YEAR. ALSO :eusa_thin IS EVERYONE ELSE RUNNING INTO THE SAME PROBLEM AS ME , WITH MORE AND MORE BAD REPAIRS OUT ON THE STREET NOWDAYS. I THINK SOME OF THE GREEDY WSR MANUFACTURES SHOULD STOP MAKING THESE HARRY CAR OWNER DO IT YOUR SELF KITS. THEY DO NOT WORK AND JUST WASTE OUR TIME.

[THEGLASSMANplus]

come on guys 61 views and no replies . someone must have an opinion on

[THEGLASSMANplus]

come on guys 123 views and no replies . someone must have an opinion on this

[L8model]

I wish that I could contribute to your post, but I am just getting started in this business and really don't know what to tell you. I have been contemplating the idea of joining the NWRA and I would like to know if Delta Kits is still able to offer reduced membership rates. If so, I may join while I am at the Orlando training later this month...

[StarQuest]

GlassManplus,

No offense towards you personally but think everybody choose not to reply because your post may have came across as too negative or possibly they just weren't sure how to respond. My first impression was your a little frustrated and needed to vent some of your feelings. Which is cool, we all get that way during the winter months. With 9 years experience in repair I'm sure you also have something positive to share. That's what will get you posted reply's.

Not sure about other states but in Michigan we have no state regulated vehicle inspections covering personally owned auto's. We do have DOT inspections for carriers but they don't get sited for stone chips unless it interfers with drivers vision. Cracked windshields are the only thing I know of people getting ticketed for in my state and that's what I profit from. How? Simply by educating the customer towards preventative windshield maintenance.

NWRA membership? They actually offer some great benifits but it's up to the individual repair guy to decide whether or not it's cost effective for themselves.

WSR kit manufactures? Were you speaking off the $7.99 buy at Murray's or AutoZone "do it yourself kits" or something other? I wasn't quite clear on that one! We all see bad repairs in the field but that doesn't prevent us from making a living, does it? We just learn to work around these issues. Can't stop companies from marketing a product in a free enterprise society.

Not sure if this was the posted response you were looking for....just the best I could provide at the moment. But I did respond:)

[ARG]

A few years ago trying to find a good auto mechanic shop was difficult. Unless you knew of a shop it was hit or miss. Then came ASE; today many people looking for a shop look for the ASE symbol. I purchased a used car with extended warranty; the only requirement for service is the shop must be ASE certified. Is the system perfect no, but it improves your chance of getting good mechanical repairs, rather than old boy-just get it by.

How does this relate to the NWRA? First the NWRA is trying to educate people about what windshield repair is. I, like many on this forum, see daily, bad repairs and hear about how windshield repair doesn't work and so on. I spend alot of time proving what a good repair is and have been told countless times "your repair is much better then what I had done before". When their windshield is damaged again, guess who they call. The NWRA has come out with a certification program, like ASE. Is it perfect? No, but if it helps bring customers in to your business looking for a good repair, why not give it a chance. I see the day is coming that due to competition and /or just to survive that certified techs and resins will have an edge. Years ago I talked to a sales rep. for a leading oil company; their product was advertised on each bottle and case that it had Z7. I asked what Z7 was and was told it's an additive package, but I don't know anymore about it; however it makes customers run to the store and buy our oil. Z7 was the greatest oil additive, even though nobody knew what it did or if it was worth anything. In a 20/20 story about bad windshield replacement, it was stated that for the best replacement look for a shop that is NGA Certified.

There is no other group that will back us; the replacement companies will continue to attempt to bury us. As I have seen by news reports from Connecticut, we stand alone.

As for the cost, let's put it in perspective. To be a NGA member it costs alot more. Here to be a member of the chamber of commerce, try prices of several hundred dollars more. Yellow page ads can run $50 a month or more. Yet the cost to be a NWRA member is just 3 or 4 repairs a year.

And finally about the store $9.99 repair kits; which choice would the consumer make if he knew his insurance would pay for the repair? FREE is a clear winner over $9.99, not knowing what you're doing and having to spend time working on the car.

A united group dedicated to quality repairs appears to be a much better choice. Is this system perfect no; but given networks that steal work from us, glass shops that either don't know the truth or just plain lie about us, government agencies who wish to close us down, and groups that produce cheap unreliable auto glass repair kits for consumers, do we have a choice?

Just My Thoughts,

ARG

[cure4glass]

Great post ARG.

[THEGLASSMANplus]

hey i got some replies :eusa_clap thanks guys . ive found your thoughts to be very enlightening.I MIGHT EVEN SPEND THE $150.00 AND JION THE NWRA AGAIN THIS YEAR. thanks for the replies. i will be looking forward to the expo this month, I ENJOYED IT LAST YEAR. hope to meet some of you there. these where just my thoughts when i was sitting at my desk doing paperwork. THEGLASSMANplus

[Chips_Away_Windshield_Repair]

Another question. How many of our group are taking advantage of the NWRA certification?

[THEGLASSMANplus]

BALTIMORE MARYLAND, AND NONE OF THE COMPANIES THAT I RUN INTO HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED YET. THE MAJOR GLASS REPLACMENT COMPANIES ALL DO BAD REPAIRS SO THEY CAN GET TO REPLACE THE WS. BAIT AND SWITCH IF IVE EVER SEEN IT. IVE EVEN SEEN THEM BRING A WS JUST IN CASE THEY CANT REPAIR THE DAMAGE. HA HA . IT MOST LIKELY IS GOOD BUSINESS SENSE TO HAVE THE CERTIFIED PATCH ON YOUR SLEEVE OR ON THE TRUCK OR IN YOUR ADVERTISEMENT. DONT KNOW YET.
THEGLASSMANplus 9YRS WSR