Thinking about this business

[mrleclay]

GlassWeldTech, Thank you , I just visited the profile site and I have filled had already filled it out dont know why it dosent show, but thanks anyway.

[GlasWeldTech]

mrleclay,
If you wait on the phone to ring for insurance jobs you will starve. You have to get out and be your own salesman. I have been fulltime for 7 yers now and have good days, slow days, and GREAT DAYS. Lat week I had a $900 day, today was only $275. If it rains I take the day off and THE NEXT DAY. I service lots of fleet accounts plus do all the repairs for a local glass company. I do very little insurance. Hope this helps.
GWTech

[cazador]

OK, here I go : I'm born Dutch but Texan by choice , lived in Texas more than 20 years while managing my airconditioning business. Four years ago I retired and after that I killed time purchasing used motorcycles overhere and shipped them to Holland in order to sell them to bike dealers. Recently there is no market for used bikes anymore . In order to supply my pension with extra $$ , I got interested fixing chips and cracks , because from my past I'm familiar with the car business. I prefer to learn the in and outs first , befor purchasing a repair kit.
That's the easy part , cold calling I've no problem with either, have done that in the past to build-up my A/C and Im/Export business.Same way I'll build-up my windshield repair business, no doubt , it's just the paper work that worries me to get paid for the job done. In this field are so many companies that offer their knowledge , like ACT,Lynx,Safelight and Delta Kits started their own program recently called eDirectGlass . Any car owner with a chipped windschield prefers to get it fixed at the insurance expense, putting the monkey on their back and I don't blame them , only I like to get reimbursed for my time and parts, simple as that, but HOW to bill the insurance companies in order to get paid for my work, I don't believe in freebees.
I choose this business to make money and this can be done when I read all the numbers the repair kit companies is giving me.
Anyone that can help me on my way to succes , I'll thank him to get my feet wet.
Thanx , Ed Janssen

[Evo]

The most important aspect is to check out customer viability and the competition in your area as you might only end up with small change pocket money if the area you intend on covering is already saturated with repairers. As everyone will tell you make sure you practice LOTS at home not on customers vehicles, as your customer base will not grow if you get a bad reputation from simple mistakes that could have been avoided. That is unless you want a fly by night, quick dollar which those of us who are professionals frown upon as it tars us all with the same brush. As far as insurance goes we don't have insurance coverage for repairs so all my customers are trade or retail, no mess, no fuss - just an invoice and payment and that's just another thing I love about living in the land 'Down Under':eusa_danc

[cazador]

Hi EVO,
Thanks for your explanation.
You live down under, I down south, Texas, and in the States windshield damage is covered by the insured policyholder only he/she has comp or full coverage., otherwise it's cash $$.
Therefor all work has to be ok'd by the insurance company in order to get paid and that's a hasstle for sofar I know.
I just want to get educated how to take care of this.
And I will defenantly get some windshiels from the junk yard to train on, befor setting up my business and call on accounts.
Cherio, Ed.

[GlasWeldTech]

Ed,
I could fax you a list of insurance numbers if you have a fax but it is about 20 pages long. I haven't updated as I should have and some numbers have changed BUT it is still about 98% accurate. I do very little insurance work. Maybe 10 a month. Some pay $38 for 1st chip and then $8 each additional. Others pay $90 for 1st. I have only found this once and I think it was someone with insurance through Wal-Mart belive it or not she was a pharmacist. Most pay $50 for the 1st. Since state farm pulled out Most of my area is with them, my insurance jobs fell way off. State Farm only pays if they have a $0 deductible or if they have met their deductable. However there are power companies,cable trucks,post office, 18 wheeler fleets that I chase. Do your research as all equipment is NOT the same. A good tech can do a good repair with just about any equipment out there. Some are cheap some are pricey some are simple some are machine based. What I USE MY NOT BE WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU. I have 10 injectors and today had all 10 going. Do the research and you will get a good idea of what you need and get the training offered by whatever supplier you go with.

[cazador]

GlasWeldTech , thanks for your advise how to handle insurance claims and I 'm looking forward to receive the list you are talking about , my eMail address : cazadorquads@yahoo.com. I've spend several hours on my computer reading some of the ARCHIVE MESSAGES and these give me great information and sollutions on the questions I have . Plan to go through all of them in order to update my windshield repair knowledge to be well informed to counter any question from any prospect.
Cazador Windshield Repair.
Ed.

[cazador]

GlasWeld Windshield Repair Training .
I just learned that the training organized by GlasWeld in Dallas, Texas the 20-21 of April has been cancelled because of not enough subscribers.
Living in Texas is great, but in order to get any training we sure have to travel a lot of miles.
Are there any other facilities in Texas to get windshield repair training ?

[cazador]

GlasWeldTech,
Correction, sending the insurance list to my eMail address is not the way to handle.
Tomorrow I buy a Fax Machine and my Fax number is 936-588-3918 , only problem is I use this telephone line for my computer also , therefor I ask you for your patience when the line sounds busy.
I understand in order to send my invoices to the insurance companies this has to be done by fax.
I shouldn't have dumped my old fax machine, never thought to go back many steps in this computerized world.

[cazador]

Rockaway, thanks for your step by step explanation, you really have put me on ease attacking this problem .
Why me worry !
Ed