Steering Of Work

[johnnyone]

Most of the insurance jobs are given to safelite when the phone call came in. We independents are left to find our own work. I have heard the scripts from the Safe lite operator to the insured and they still try to steer it away.

[mafsu]

Big Welshman that's called pirating and a case of that was the straw that broke the camel's back with me. I Immediately called and cancelled my agreement.

[Coitster]

When I used to do insurance work even though I was on the approved list with safelite at the time I would still have the customer wait to call the insurance company until I was there. Even being on the list every once and a while they would try and steal a job. This is one of the problems that forced the whole Diamond Triumph vs. Safelite. Safelite is winning to because of all the money they have.

This is one of the reasons I left the insurance networks. Also many people do not know this but when you call Safelite and give them the customer info they use that information against you when they go and re-up with the insurance companies.

Thats right guys, they use your own info against you. This is unacceptable. Besides one other bit of info, when you do a job for a customer and go through the Safelite network they send your customer a letter from safelite so that next time they need a repair they will call them first. They have done it to my own customers. So for future referance they have the money and the power to cause you lots of problems. I decided to just not deal with them anymore.

Remember you can always have the customer pay you first and then give them a envelope addressed to the insurance company and put a copy of their invoice in it so that they will be reinbursed right away. That way you can charge more and they will pay your customer whatever you charged them.
David
Coitster

[maxryde]

Safelite, has stolen many jobs from us. We ask our customers to allow us to help them with the insurance paper work but many will contact the TPA on their own before we get there and viola, ripped off again!!!! By saferip!!!! Their tech's are somewhat qualified to perform the repair but they turn over tech's quickly as their rate in the past was 50% to the tech and the remainder in their pocket. Around my neck of the woods that means the tech gets a few hundred a week and has to provide vehicle, insurance, fuel, etc...
(Safelite) requires the tech to sign an agreement NOT to compete with them effectively stopping the tech from getting any side work, without clueing (Safelite) in and giving (Safelite, has stolen many jobs from us. We ask our customers to allow us to help them with the insurance paper work but many will contact the TPA on their own before we get there and viola, ripped off again!!!! By saferip!!!! Their tech's are somewhat qualified to perform the repair but they turn over techs quickly as their rate in the past was 50% to the tech and the remainder in their pocket. Around my neck of the woods that means the tech gets a few hundred a week and has to provide vehicle, insurance, fuel, etc...
(Safelite) requires the tech to sign an agreement NOT to compete with them effectively stopping the tech from getting any side work, without clueing (Safelite) in and giving (Safelite, has stolen many jobs from us. We ask our customers to allow us to help them with the insurance paper work but many will contact the TPA on their own before we get there and viola, ripped off again!!!! By saferip!!!! Their tech's are somewhat qualified to perform the repair but they turn over techs quickly as their rate in the past was 50% to the tech and the remainder in their pocket. Around my neck of the woods that means the tech gets a few hundred a week and has to provide vehicle, insurance, fuel, etc...
(Safelite) requires the tech to sign an agreement NOT to compete with them effectively stopping the tech from getting any side work, without clueing (Safelite) in and giving (V) their cut so... Bottom line they have no integrity, (Safelite) They have a conflict of interest there and they (Safelite) have no concern for the well being of the insured or the other providers, it's all about their wallet, PERIOD. They also do allot of up selling to replacement for repairable damage, then the replacement is sub par too. (IMO) There is a way around submitting claims through the tpa's so if you have had enough,? then just bill direct, explain in a side letter that you are obliged to keep your records confidential and that they, the "tpa" or in some cases (Safelite) being a competitor is not to have this information.
The insurance company will break the law if they do not comply so...
We have done this many times with out problems and I will do whatever it takes to keep the thieves out of my hard-earned revenues.) their cut so... Bottom line they have no integrity, (Safelite) They have a conflict of interest there and they (Safelite) have no concern for the well being of the insured or the other providers, it's all about their wallet, PERIOD. They also do allot of up selling to replacement for repairable damage, then the replacement is sub par too. (IMO) There is a way around submitting claims through the tpa's so if you have had enough,? then just bill direct, explain in a side letter that you are obliged to keep your records confidential and that they, the "tpa" or in some cases (Safelite) being a compeditor is not to have this information.
The insurance company will break the law if they do not comply so...
We have done this many times with out problems and I will do whatever it takes to keep the thieves out of my hard-earned revenues.) their cut so... Bottom line they have no integrity, (Safelite) They have a conflict of interest there and they (Safelite) have no concern for the well being of the insured or the other providers, it

[GlassStarz]

I think things are different with safelite then the others like lynx. Lynx and others are networks contracted to handle the paperwork Safelite is a Glass company contracted to do the work because of the size of the country and the inability to put a Safelite guy in every imagiable location they have had to create thier own network to provide service to the areas where they are not covered well. Also repair is such a small $ amount they often will send the work to someone else and keep thier guys doing replacements I look at it this way everything I can take of thier plate is a bonus and hopefully they dont put a million guys on the road its alot like if you owned a small auto service garage and the big one down the street sent some of thier little jobs to you so they can take care on the bigger ones dont get mad be grateful and keep on truckin

[mafsu]

Safelite is not contracted with the insurance companies to do the work. In most states it is illegal for the insurance company to tell you where you must get the work done. Therefore a contract with a glass company would be the insurance companies breaking the law. Safelite set up SGC network as a separate entity to act as a claims provider for the insurance companies (a very smart move on their part). The problem is that by law as an agent of the insurance company Safelite is not allowed to recommend or steer a customer toward any particular shop either.

So it's more like if everyone in town had to call the big shop to get there car fixed and on top of that you had to get the big shop's permission before you could work on anyone's car. This is why most conventional advertising doesn't work for windshield repair.

State Farm has provided us with the best way to fix this situation. All insurance companies stop paying for windshield repair.

[Shepard]

When folks make an appointment with me & then call SAFELITE for a referral number; they are always pushed toward using a SAFELITE technician. When my clients finally give up and agree to use SAFELITE (as I have directed them to do), the operator punches up my town and says, "I am sorry to inform you that SAFELITE does not have a technician in your area, but Windshield Doctor (me) is a preferred provider in that area."

If SAFELITE had a local technician, I would really be hurt by them. As it is, it is kinda humorous watching big bureaucracies stumble over their ineptitude...

[mrchip]

as i am typing this i am waiting for safelite to call me with a job order...the lady called me this morning from my phone book ad and wanted to go thru ins..in my moment of mental lapse i told her to call and ask for me thinking it was a lynx job ..wrong it was safelite..i waited a while and called the lady back and confirmed to me that they wanted to use their own tech...lady insisted she wanted to use me..and now i am waiting for reply..NEVER AGAIN

[mrchip]

this afternoon i called the lady back and safelite already did the job..i am #%^&*&&^^^^@##$$#%% it just galls me that they took my job....ahhhh..i feel better know ..a lesson learned...engage brain before mouth

[mafsu]

For the new guys and gals that are going through this, search the archives. There are pages upon pages of info about this here. I know, I have ranted on here a lot about it. Not saying I don't want to hear your stories just letting you know there are some educational and entertaining threads about this. If you find the one with the SGC operator declaring how upstanding his company is you may get a few laughs.