NWRA apology

[desertstars]

I'd like to make it very clear that in spite of past posts I do not mean to denigrate the NWRA or their members or to disregard their past achievements in our regard.

Nor do I intend to suggest that others do not join. On the contrary.

I also know that the NWRA has accomplished much toward promoting and protecting our repair industry.

I'm quite aware that some NWRA members have at their own expense fought the latest Connecticut attempt by replacement companies to limit our repair areas and I have the utmost respect for them because of their dedication as well as past selfless endeavors.

And, within the next month or two (?) they will be returning to continue the battle.

Just because I have a personal agenda and vendetta against insurance companies and windshield manufacturer owned networks is not to imply or assume that the NWRA is not effective in other regards.

They are; they have been.

They deserve our support.

[Repair1]

I second that!

Come on guys lets all join the NWRA give them are support after all this is how you make a living.

Happy Repairing

Brian

[desertstars]

I'll do that for sure when I am convinced that one of their primary goals will be to redress the two most important problems facing the repair business today both of which are due to one entity.

Guess what that is.

I just wanted to make it clear that I appreciate what the NWRA has accomplished in the past and perhaps it is not necessary to throw the baby out with the bath water.

As stated earlier, Brian, if enough posters and readers of this forum decide to join with the express purpose of leveling the playing field and work diligently toward that goal, other periphery matters relating to our profession can also be addressed and dealt with in the meantime.

Right now, we seem to be concentrating on swatting mosquitoes in a helter-skelter fashion rather than pulling out the elephant gun and taking careful aim.

Kind of like not seeing the forest for the trees.

[Repair1]

if enough posters and readers of this forum decide to join

Does this mean you are going to Join Jim?

Are you one of the enough?

Happy Repairing

Brian

[desertstars]

No, Brian.

In spite of my continued respect for the NWRA and you and your opinions, I will not.

Not until the NWRA places in the forefront of their agenda and vigorously endeavors to eradicate what I consider to be the most dangerous, insidious and vicious threat to independent repair technicians that I have seen in 17 years of this business.

I will not compromise in that regard.

I'm not fighting this battle for me.

I'm semi-retired.

I'm fighting this battle for the new people in this business whether they recognize it or whether they don't.

And whether I win or lose isn't the point simply because I don't stand to win or lose anything myself.

I am an environmentalist and I know how much energy is saved everytime a windshield can be repaired rather than relegated to a garbage dump by anyone who could care less about our children and grand-children and steering and bait and switch by manufacture-owned networks is the cancer in our business as well as an affront and a slap in the face to my own personal philosophy.

When the NWRA returns to its roots and starts to concern itself with protecting against clear-cutting rather than being involved with protecting one tree here and one tree over there, I'll join the band wagon.

At times I feel like I am some lone voice in the wilderness.

But, I've never felt that I was the kid crying wolf or the kid sticking my finger in the dike.

There is a BIG picture out there.

One doesn't require a crystal ball to see what is and has been coming down the road.

It's just a matter of flying above and taking an overhead look at it.

I didn't mean for this to be a diatribe or as lengthy as it turned out to be.

But it should well explain the guts of my final conclusion.

I will NOT join an organization that will NOT consider the question of manufacturer owned networks as their number one consideration first and foremost and will not or cannot assure me that they will do so.

[gt_repair]

Is Paul Gross the one that started out owning R.O.N. ? (repair only network) Now working for Harmon. Is that him?

I was part of that network years ago....

[Brent Deines]

Desertstars,

I must have missed something. At every single NWRA conference I have been to, networks were always discussed at great length, and never did I hear the NWRA say that they thought manufacturer owned networks were a good thing. I have always thought the Lynx representatives were very brave to even attend those meetings as the crowd was sometimes quite hostile. In fact I once sat on a panel at a NWRA conference and was the only one that thought we needed to cooperate with the networks. Not agree, but cooperate while making our case against steering and price fixing. The other NWRA members on the panel all felt much as you do, and expressed those feelings quite verbally. The network issue is not their only concern, and right now, probably not even their primary concern, but a very real concern none the less.

I also think that the fact that the IGA is proposing a 600 hour apprenticeship for new repair technicians as a requirement for licensing in CT is pretty important. Maybe not so much for you, in fact you might actually benefit by having a bunch of apprentices working for you, but it would definitely discourage many new technicians.

You mentioned that your fight is for the future technicians. Does this not seem worth fighting for?

[desertstars]

Gee whiz, Brent.

I never suggested that the NWRA thinks manufacturer owned networks are a good thing.

Incidentally, does the NWRA have a public forum?

I know there have been many discussions.

But, what is being done?

What concrete suggestions have been put forth?

I'll give Lynx credit for showing up even though they are much less the sinner than that other one.

Where was the other one? I'm betting the other one was conspicuously absent.

(I don't even like to pronounce their name. Leaves a foul taste in my mouth.)

I laud the NWRA's efforts to fight off the ticks involved with an attempt to set standards for our business out in CT right now.

Please see my new forthcoming post.