Apac services- steering

[rp4]

For those of you in michigan, or other WRS in other states that AAA is in.

Recently Apac service, AKA, Harmon Glass, now requires the policy holder to call in the claim or be on the line. In reference to the announcement made by Jeff Higgins, Jan 18 04.

1. Can someone tell me, if there is a way to by pass Apac and bill direct to AAA. and what that method is.

2. Recently a potential customer I cold called wanted to check with his agent to make sure that his deductible would be waived and that is rates wouldn't go up... the agent transfered him to their glass program- Apac service, the rep proceeded to tell him that he had to use harmon auto glass to have the work done. Because he thought he was talking to his insurance, he went with what they said. and I was out. Is this legal?
Has anyone had similar situations, and what have you done?

[mafsu]

I have billed AAA directly and had no problem getting paid. Then again on the flip side I have also had APAC refer AAA jobs to me.

[GlassStarz]

The secret to them is start the repair then put the customer on the line if they object tell em the repair is free if everything I just told you isnt true. Easy sell really, mr customer let me start the process to maximize both our time while im doing the repair we will call you agency if they dont cover the repair and pay me direct you wont be charged a thing thats how sure I am of what you insurance companys policys are. Result They tell the network I just had it repaired and need the authorization number. rather hard to steer now isnt it? Several days a week I work out of a car wash I sell the customers in line with the its free sales pitch and a nice brochure I get from LR I use it everyday. Sir if your insurance company doesnt pay me you wont ever get a bill from me its a power close and hard to say no to. I average 4-5 insurance claims a day while im there I get there around 11am and am gone by 3 most days. I only stay to 4 if I need to get one more to make my 4 minimum. this sales pitch also eliminates the steering problem. I start the phone call with my cell phone I call in for approval starting the conversation with I just did a repair on one of your customers vehicles and will put him online for the approval # hey if they arnt covered what do I care i spent a few minutes and less than 50 cents in material for good faith and a great referal and trust me when its free they tell all thier friends what a nice guy you are and that you did exactly what you said you would do. thats why I jump up and down on my soap box telling people they need to be salespeople FIRST anyone can do a repair but if you cant sell then you go home hungry. As just about every decent sales mgr I ever had would say come to me and tell me and others the objections you overcame not the sob storys they are basicly an excuse for failure. Coit is great at that he tells you the obsticle he ran across and how he overcame it and in doing so shared the knowledge so others can do the same. Positive Mental Attitude!!! PMA or go away is the secret to sucess in any buisness.

[rp4]

Masfu.

Could you be a little more specific, I bill AAA direct to, but in order to do so, the only way I can is I must use apac to get a referral #. Now I must have the customer on the line. My Question is, have you found a you not to use Apac and skip the need for the policy holder to be on the line?


Thank you
Rp4

[mafsu]

Call the agent to verify full coverage insurance, send the bill to the agent.

[desertstars]

By golly. Holy cow.

Mafsu stole my thunderous KISS principle!

Can I possibly make it any clearer?

I'm going to write a manual and then sell it.

It will be available in a couple of months for those who wish.

Verify coverage with the agent first as Matsu said.

Then, after determining the customer is covered, bill the job to the network(s) if you belong because you have no choice otherwise.

Or bill the agent or the insurance company national glass desk and include two letters if you don't belong.

One letter signed by the customer requesting and demanding that the reimbursement be sent to you with no other cosigs and another explaining why you do NOT use networks who are really your competition.

Don't assume a seamless payment even following that simple procedure.

Insurance companies are notoriously arrogant until you shove them up against the wall and demand your rights.

NONE of this third-party nonsense existed existed 17 years ago when I entered this business.

One did a job with the approval of the agent and then one transmitted the bill to the agent.

I blame myself and others like me who had our heads pointed in another direction while the replacement industry crawled up into our business like a pair of cheap shorts promising free leads while in reality practicing a professional magician's sleight-of-hand, illusion or misdirection.

Glas-weld was the arguable leader in the network movement for a short time and both them and the NWRA missed the boat as far as my humble opinion is concerned.

I await the defensive argument of either of them either in this forum or aside from same.

The other existing major networks other than Safelite aren't as blatantly obvious but there is no guarantee that steer toward either replacement as well as toward network-owned shops aren't a part of their future agenda.

Just stop thinking that you can have the cake and eat it to. The only leads you will receive from Safelite will be work they either don't want or that are not within their perimeter.

Understand that much at least.

They, particularly, steer much more business away FROM you than you can ever expect will be steered TOWARD you.

And, never EVER allow YOUR potential customer to call ANY network without your inclusion in a conference call to assure that there is absolutely no danger of steering.

I await the decison of the courts regarding the Diamond T lawsuit against Safelite in that regard.

And, quite frankly and in spite of the willingless for Delta to host this forum and at the expense of being accused of biting the hand that feeds me in this case.

The very networks that I'm talking about here buy their repair equipment that they use to steer the uniformed from repairs to replacement or steer our customers to their shops for repairs are buying that equipment from the major suppliers in OUR primary business.

At least until the networks start manufacturing their own for their own shops.

Which makes me wonder whether or not the primary suppliers in our business have the foresight to see beyond the bottom line as well as the foresight to catch a glimpse of the storm clouds looming over the horizon.

I could apologize for the length of this post but I won't.

I could ignore the future of this business because I am semi-retired but I won't do that either.

This is a good business because it is an asset to our environment and until recently, an opportunity without a crap-house full of third-party encumbrances against the comman man to build a business and to either fail or succeed based on his or her ability.

I still remember the day when the IRS had no specific designation to identify our business and I found the necessity to figure out what slot I was supposed to fit into.

I kind of liked not being categorized then and wish it were still the case.