Panic Time

[Talbert]

First the good news and a question. Hit the streets this afternoon to drum up some business. Didn't take long to find an ins job and things went smooth. I got a referal # from Farmers glass desk, did the job (turned out great) and had a fax waiting for me when I got home. I am not a member of any networks yet. The fax has an address to send the invoice to but no fax number Do some networks require mailing instead of a fax #? This one is SGC with a bill to: Farmer insurance group.

Went down the street and found a job on a company van. Three chips and a cash job, turned out terrific and the customer was happy. One of the employees asked me to do his truck. Okay, big combo star near the bottom of the windshield. After getting set up I released the spring loaded injector and then went back to check out the van. When I came back, 8 inch crack Panic set in, then I regrouped, drilled the end of the crack and proceeded to fix the window. I managed to save it, and explained to the customer what happened. He wasn't very happy, but after I had finished, he started to hand me the $40 bucks we agreed on. I told him no, I didn't want to take it, as I cracked the window and I felt bad. I didn't have him sign a waiver, and I didn't explain to him the possibilty of the window cracking before hand. How do you others handle such a situation?

[mafsu]

I would have handled it pretty much just as you did. Fix the crack and not charge the customer.

[DaveC]

Talbert,

So, you're on a roll, two great repairs in a row!!!! Feeling kinda "cocky" and can do no wrong \:D/ .

While this has "never" happened to me :^o , I have actually learned, the hard way, not to cut corners in either customer education or my repair technique.

While my waiver states that there will be no charge for the repair if the customer's windshield "cracks out" during the repair process. My personal "rule of thumb" is, that if by my fault, I screw something up, causing further damage (i.e. too much injector pressure, abuse of probe, not paying close attention to the repair, etc. . .) to the area, I do not charge the customer unless the repair is 95% or better. As well, if a leg of a star or a crack more than doubles in length during my repair process and the repair is not 95% or better, I will not charge my customer, even if it didn't crack out to the edge of the windshield.

In other words, like yourself, I won't charge a customer if I feel that I have not done the best possible job that I could have done, given the circumstances.

[gold star wsr]

I do explain the risk before I begin a repair, so that if it takes off the client already knows it was a possibility. Even so, I hate when that happens, andd there is no charge for what I consider a failed attempt, even though I repair the crack that ran. I usually begin my client orientation by saying "A properly finished repair will prevent further damage from occurring. However, you need to understand that I am working on glass that is already broken, and until the repair is complete, the possibility for it to crack out exists. " Then I ask them to sign the waiver that says essentially the same thing , but also that there will be no charge in the event of a failed attempt. It also explains my warrantee, and says that in no event will Gold Star replace their windshield.
Often I make a joke about the waiver ... I say " this just explains that if the patient dies during surgery, the doctor is not responsible" ... we both laugh, and the client signs the paper before I start working.

This brings up another related question:

When you are doing repairs for repeat clients, do you have them sign a new waiver each time, or do you remind them of the risk, and that you already have their waiver on file? I usually do the latter. So far, there hasnt been a problem with the way I have been doing it, but I wonder if perhaps it might be better to have them sign a new one each time?

[Julie]

If you don't have the client sign a waiver before hand have them sign the invoice when it is done, just like you would normally. Just put 0.00 or no charge. This way they shouldn't be able to come back and say you broke their window and they want a new one because they signed for the completed work.

We have repeat customers sign the waiver any time we start new work on a window.

[thedentdude]

I am new to windshield repair and am wondering what your wavier says.

[mafsu]

Typically something like this:

By signing below you acknowledge the the windshield on the above listed vehicle was damaged at the time x company attempted to perform a repair. You also acknowledge that you will not hold x company liable if that damage should spread or increase in size during the attempted repair.

[GlassStarz]

Also if you had stayed and monitored the injector you might have caught it when it started creaping