Drying out repairs in the cold

[vinyl-4ever]

This is almost as long as a Headlight Restoration post. Thanks thought for all of the input. I have learned alot from this forum. I am new to the forum but not windshield repair. I have been on and off since 1998. This time it is full ahead.

[Glassdoc]

While i appreciate your kindness. I'm sure that a 'few" of the peeps on this forum feels that I am out of line. Stepping on toes, so to speak. Understand this.. I serviced at one time 147 car dealerships on a weekly basis, 43 major insurance companies, 12 fleet accounts, and sub-contracted for S.Lite Auto Glass.. I worked my butt off to build my business. And in my "years" I too have seen repairs that make you scratch your head and ask "You paid for that"? I've seen used car managers swayed to a "lower price" only to be calling me back in a couple of months asking if I would return and start doing their repairs again. I politely tell them "sure, but not at the price "we" had in the past.. Because now you know, what my services are worth, and must agree I am worth more". I have dropped dealerships due to their lack of loyalty and their compromise to be happy with half ass work... I have learned, who I would trust to purchase a car/truck from and who I would steer clear of.. Yeah, I'm harsh.. I'm old school.. But, I am still at it everyday.. I'm not a "web-repair" expert.. When I started, I worked/trained for 3 months with no pay.. Then for the next year, I gave up 50% of everything I made to earn my title "Independant Repair Shop".. I don't bow to the Insurance companies and I do not settle for what they want to pay.. I bill them $65 a shot if fairly local, and more if travel exceeds 30 minutes. You guys and gals who settle for Geico's $45 and Lynx's $50 should be ashamed.. Do you tell them what you will pay for your car insurance.. I learned a long long time ago, you don't eat at a restaurant and pay what you feel is "ok"'.. you pay what they say its worth, or you pay the judge. I am fine with competition. As long as they are a worthy advesary.. Don't come out here and lowball to get your foot in the door and have crap repairs.. Its a waste of everybody's time. And if you are any good at it, then charge accordingly.. A new windshield goes on average for just under $200. A good repair is worth a third of that very minute of the day. Why sell yourself short.. Doctors don't, Attorney's don't. Plumbers, Electricians, Locksmiths, and Auto Mechanics don't.. Why should a good, qualified windshield repair tech? I stay busy enough without trying to have to re-repair a botched job someone else did. I'd love to get my hands on the guys at the auto auctions that do the $10 repairs.. Anyways, I think my point has been made, hopefully..

[SGT]

Glassdoc,

Give me a hell yeah!!!!

Fellow tech's, you have to respect a straight shooter.

[GlasWeldTech]

Ditto whut he said!!!!!!!!!!

[SGT]

Glass Weld Tech,

Without at doubt Eddie, In my old school, good ole boy mentality, you fall into the catagory of a straight shooter as well my friend. Thanks.

[GlasWeldTech]

Well Thank ya Brian, That means a lot to me coming from someone like yourself as well.

[AGSS]

16 years, I have done repairs.. And you read in a magazine somewhere that you can make 100k and said "WOW!".. I am truly glad to read your posts and see your mistakes... It tells me that you won't last long in this business. And that is the truth.. There is no room for almost repaired.. Its either repaired or it isn't.. No in between, no middle ground.. Maybe, you should have invested some of your website money into training.. Sound harsh??? Well excuse me.. But your in my neighborhood now, and I don't like wanna be repair techs.. I've seen them come and go, and you with the antics like "the alcohol" are on your way out..

:eusa_thin 16 years and you are still worried about competition?

You see, I owned a glass replacement shop here in savannah, ga. for over ten years. I decided to sell and move on to windshield repair only. I decided to sell not because of competition, in fact I send my competition (What competition I still have) lots of work!

I decided to sell for two reasons, first, replacements are becoming too liablis, too technical and just wait for 2 years and see what windshields will have in them! second, there is no more fun in the chase! i loved it 5 or 6 years ago when there was lots of competition here and every fleet dealer had replacement companies there every morning with breakfast, donuts and whatever trying to win over their business. Planning, marketing and takeing these accounts was my goal!

I was always just a little higher priced than my competition. Even now. I had a client a few weeks back that told me another w/s repair guy stopped in and did a free first repair. The repair was horrible! but the best part is the free repair guy charged almost the same price as me. Guess what, my price went up!

To me most of this is for fun, don't get me wrong, I do understand the technical aspect of safe repairs and i like getting paid, but the 'chase' is what keeps me going. If there was no competiton here, just doing repairs would be boring and I would probably move on to something else.

I love winning and keeping accounts from other repair companies! that is what I do! and yes I have to do very good repairs for them while i am there.

I have no hobbies, Marketing and Negotiating oh and w/s repair is what I do!

So in short we or at least I need competition to keep me interested, and to keep my brain working.

- Chris

[screenman]

This seems to have gone way of the original post some how. Anyway to any one who wants to listen my torch has a heat control, its called do not get it to close to the screen straight away. That way I can heat up a smaller area than some others might and regardless of what others may say the smaller the area you warm up the quicker it will cool down. One of the major things affecting the rate at which it cools is the heat of the surrounding glass. Hence the larger area or volume you heat the longer it will take to cool.

Competition I did not know there was any, as far as I see they are all people having a bite of the same cake and there is plenty to go around.

[Nomad]

Well, I think you all have missed the point entirely. What GLASSDOC proposed in his first post was that anyone that didn

[StarQuest]

Well Nomad,

Glad you got that of your chest! Aside from your posted feelings, do you have anything else to share that might pertain to "Drying out repairs in the cold?

I totally understand how Glassdoc feels because in Michigan the same thing is taking place. My area has became flooded with cut throat video trained WSR techs the last few years. They offer low price and low quality which will only kill the market if things continue on this path. Tent set up people are the worst!

As far as Glassdoc's technical advice? Listen to him because it might help improve your business and it's free information!