How would you respond to this:

[Glassdoc]

Suppose a new car dealership called you up and wanted to start using your services.. (sounds great so far, right).. Ok, but if you are like me you want to inquire why they stopped using their previous windshield tech.. And they reply, "Well, he has worked for us for 11 years and although for the most part his work was excellent. But, last week he was doing a repair on a "new" delivery and actually caused the stone shot to spread to the point it needed to be replaced. The wanted him to pay for an $1100. windshield and he refused." (can't say I blame him)

So, I ask? Well what type of stone shot was it? (a star) How long had it been in the windshield? (3 weeks) Was it cold outside when he repaired it? (yes, but he had the car running) So, then I ask, was this the first time he ever had a repair spread or fail? (yes)..

I thought it over, and declined the opportunity. They wanted to know if it was a money issue. And I told them no.. I explained that no matter how long you've been in this industry, you cannot predict the outcome of every repair 100%. I explained that (we the repair techs) have no idea how long the break has been in the windshield, how many times it had been washed, or how many times the defroster had been used causing the glass to expand. And lastly if it will be 100% invisible or not.. We can only do what we are trained to do and glass is unpredictable at best. And I added, that if I were doing a repair for $75 and the shot cracked out, I would not be paying for an $1100 windshield either.. Told them, it does not work like that.. That if, I repaired a vehicle and they were not satisfied with the repair I would waive the cost of the repair or if it had been paid refund the price of the repair, but not... not buy a replacement..

What do you other folks think about this?

[Mr Bill]

I think you are exactly right.:eusa_clap

[harrellbenjamin]

Excellent response!!!I think that these dealerships should be educated in the repair reality.The w/shield is broken.You asked me to try to make it stable and keep it from further damage.Glass is Glass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Its not stable and sometimes the repair will not work.Its not our responsibility for a broken glass replacement as we did not break it in the 1st place.I would take the account and educate them.........and every time I repaired a w/shield would advise them that there is a possibilty of crack out and if it cracks on me its a good thing because it would just be a matter of time before it cracked out on your customer.$1100.00??? that is ridiculas.I can have a w/shield replaced for 150-175.00 on most vehicals.Take their money and dont worry about the account as they are not loyal to a tech anyway................

[Brent Deines]

I have found that dealerships are often times the most demanding and the least understanding, so you may be better off without them. On the other hand, sometimes it's a good thing to go the extra mile for an unreasonable customer. I look at it this way, $1100 over 11 years is only $2.83 per week. Is a good customer worth $2.83 per week? I often have very large customers make unreasonable requests, and the fact that I do everything I can to make them happy builds loyalty the the low ballers can't break.

I agree that it is unrealistic for the dealer to expect the technician to pay for the windshield, but who sets the expectations? Maybe the last repair service did not not address the possibility of the windshield cracking out like Glassdoc did. There is no excuse for that, but I know I got to a point where I rarely mentioned the possibility to new customers because the odds were in my favor, and I was willing to shell out whatever it took to pay for a windshield if necessary. However, if I was working on an expensive heated windshield with a HUD, you can bet I would be covering my butt before I started the job.

Don't get me wrong, just because I was lazy and perhaps a bit cocky doesn't mean I don't advocate explaining that "any" windshield repair attempt could result in the damage spreading. In fact, I had a statement at the bottom of my invoices to that effect, but again, out of laziness and cockiness I rarely asked customers to sign the invoice before I completed the job.

Anyone new to the windshield repair business should simply ignore everything I just said and go with the other advice offered in this thread previously, especially when working with dealerships. I know I could not have paid for an $1100 windshield even if I wanted to for several months after I started. Better safe than sorry when you are just getting started. However, for all you seasoned veterans out there, I think it is prudent to weigh the value of doing something extraordinary for a good customer. We all have our limits, and I have had to walk away from a few customers in my day, but very few to be sure.

My reasoning would be very different if I broke windshields on a regular basis, but it happened so seldom to me that I really didn't put much thought into what I would do when it happened.

[Glassdoc]

Brent, I agree, to a bit of your post.. However, I looked at the"loyalty" issue first. The previous tech had serviced them for 11 years. (although a competitor, I've seen his work on occasion and its better than most) So, 11 years of service, he saved them countless dollars on replacements thru the years and had a touch of bad luck on his side on this particular repair. It could have happened to any of us on any given day. For as many repairs as I do on a daily basis and have done over the past 15+ years, I've had 3 that have done the same thing. So, I cannot commit my service to a dealership that is ready to throw you to the wolves for one mishap. If there had been other problems, shabby work etc. I would have understood.

And although its speculation. One would say that on average this dealership has 1-2 windshields to repair per week. (base on sales of 160 units per month with 35 of those being used units). At $65 a repair, it would take 10 months for the tech to re-coup his loss.. Its not worth it in my book. And yes, if the tech was insured he could have filed a claim.. Again, I think that the dealership even asking for a replacement was out of line. I doubt the tech tallyed up what he saved them thru the 11 years and ask for 15% of the savings.. The dealership would have looked at him like he was crazy.. Maybe its just me.. But, I do not need the money that bad to be stabbed in the back for one mistake or one complaint.. 11 years of quality service thrown out the window for one that he couldn't repair. Does not make sense to me.. I'll talk to the tech in the next week or 2 and get his side of the story.. But, so far it sounds about right.

[jayjacque]

I like your attitude. I think you'll get respect for that both from the other w/r company and from the auto dealer. Good business doesn't always mean go to any lengths to get the jobs. Sometimes the low road is better because it will eventually lead to the top.

I passed on a sold unit just yesterday that I knew the customer was pointing out as the one thing they wanted fixed in order to buy the vehicle. But it had 2 big ugly chips that would've come out only 80% if I were lucky. More realistically 60 or 70%, and the customer wouldn't have been happy. When I told the dealer that I think he respected me for it. But it's true, sometimes dealers can be pretty stinky.

[Brent Deines]

You were there, not me, so I certainly won't challenge your decision. Like I said, once in awhile I have to walk away from customers too, sometimes big ones, and it almost always has to do with a disagreement about ethics.

I see $65-$3=$62 a week or $3000/year that I'm walking away from and you see 10 months of not making a profit to recoup your investment. They're the same numbers either way, just a different way of looking at it.

Sometimes no matter how well you treat a customer they will continue to take advantage of you, which may very well be the case here. It may also be that by you standing your ground and defending your competitor, this customer will learn something from the experience and be a better customer for the next person that services the account. Who knows, he may even call either you or your competitor back and admit he was wrong. Miracles do happen you know.

In any case, I may very well have done exactly what you did. How's that for a 180?

[GlassStarz]

So you work for them for several years until you crack one and someone else gets the account who cares? Thats how it works the day you stop taking accounts because the other guy lost it for whatever reason is the day you should go back to an hourly job.
Seriosly who cares why someone switchs to you? take the account and do the best you can to keep it.
I suppose if you found the girl you wanted and had been working hard to get dumped her ex because she thought he was cheating and you find out he didnt you wouldnt go out with her anymore?

[screenman]

This hurts to say this because seldom do GlassStarz and I agree but I do with him on this one. Also we have to take into account there may have been other issues. You may be surprised but not everybody in the motor trade tells the whole truth.

[JDBOILERMAN]

I had one one run on me back in 1989. It was a crack that I had told the used car manager I really didn't want to do(pressure break from the side with no impact point visable). He asked me to try it as a favor to him. I did and it ran. I offered to pay for it and luckily he declined stating it would have run anyway. $1100.00 is pretty steep, if they had been a good customer I might try to negotiate, offer $300.00 and tell them it would have gone anyway. I let all my customers know there is the possability any break could run while being worked on, and I only charge for work I'm willing to back up with a full refund.