Anybody promoting anything besides WSR day to day?

[scratchy]

As this business is evolving I am finding that people are asking me to refer them to other businesses for all kinds of stuff and I am not sure how to capitalize on it just yet. This is the list of what people are asking for so far:
PDR, body shop, auto repair, window tint, alarms, stereos, auto detail, windshield replacement and related autoglass, auto insurance, sign shop ....
Right now an alarm/tint shop is giving me a personal discount and a body shop did a job for me at cost, also two insurance guys are handing out my cards to their clients. Are any of you all finding this as a day to day occurance and what are you doing with it?

[screenman]

I do most other smart repairs such as pdr, trim repair, paintwork, touch ups etc. i started with screen repair after selling my used car lots 16 years ago and have just added the extras over the years to keep my interest up.
If you look in the pdr section of this forum you will see a list of how I rate the extras in terms of profit potential.

[maxryde]

I got into the biz after high school when I worked as a lot man at a ford dealer. I was wanting more than the wages I recieved and the venders seemed to be doing good. It was a while before I could find a Vinyl repair tech that would give me a shot but it wasn't long before I was out there on my own!! After alot of trial and error, I was lucky enough to make a living with the vinyl gig but not before alot of rough times.

The wsr arena is a great deal simpler due to the lack of color involved. I love to set up my tent and work the road as well as the cold call or "coitster". I find that just talking with people even if they have no damage will get you work. I had a call from a customer the other day who came into the hardware where I have a regular saturday gig and he collected my information last year and held onto it untill he got a chip and then called for a repair. I was surprised!! You never know how you impact people untill things like that happen to you. You just gotta put yourself out there and things will happen if you persist!! I get to go fishing this week with a good friend and I'll miss the forum while I am gone but I know I'll have a good time workin on some "strange" glass while I'm gone. As far as looking to do many things other than chip repair scratchy it is better to stay focused than to spread yourself thin, easy does it, and if in time you can develop other avenues of work fine, just don't take on too much too fast. Good luck Scott:~)

[Coitster]

Personaly I sell PDR in addition to WSR. However I don't go looking for PDR business by itself. I sell it to existing WSR customers.
David
Coitster

[Glass Medic]

I think what scratchy was asking referred to giving and getting referrals with other companies, not expanding his services. I remember seeing that topic covered elsewhere on this forum. It was probably by coister. If you search his posts you'll probably find something on it. I think he has an agreement with some local shops where he gets a referral bonus. I'm sure if you find some entreprenuers in your area you can exchange cards and give eachother referral bonuses or something. Just think of it as advertising fees.
Doug

[Mark]

":work the road as well as the cold call or "coitster".

so now we have a new word....Coitstering... cold calling as a way of increasing your profits...

mark

[TheTuna]

Coistering - The act or process of presenting a service to one or more people at their present location during normal business hours.

For those out there that don't feel confident enough to Coister, just understand that Coistering, in and of itself, is simply a numbers game. In a given 8 hour work day, the more people you Coister, the higher your probability of someone saying yes. Sure, as you become an experienced Coisterer, more and more people will say "yes".

And remember, if they ask a question, its a GOOD thing. When an individual being Coistered asks a question, it's their way of saying, "please tell me more about why I need your service!".

And if they say no, don't let that push you out the door just yet... they said no because they are conditioned to say no. It's habbit. They probably don't even know at this point what you really have to offer...

Any qualified Coisterer will know that it often takes several no's to get to the yes...

Hat's off to Coister for bringing this to everyone's attention.

Heck, I bet you could go to walmarty and buy a bag of peanut butter cups, put them in a box and go around and Coister them for a buck each if you wanted to practice! lol

[drfixachip]

I just recently added a new service...

For years people have asked me if I tint windows... now I hate
tinting windows mind you... So I said no way. I used to tint
for friends and family a long time ago.

Then recently I said "Why on earth have I been turning down
that higher dollar sale?!?"

Since I already knew how to tint, I added tinting. I still don't
like it very much... but it is in that same profit/hour range as
WSR.

Not to mention tinting is a WANT... WSR is a need. People come
out of the woodwork for things they want. They already want tint...
EZ extra $$$ if ya know how to do it. The only thing is that
doing mobile tint is quite challenging and has the same limitations
as mobile WSR as far as weather and such.

I also do some headlight restoration using Janvils solutions. Not
much though... that stuff isn't reliable enough. Works great
on most lexus headlights though... and those lexus owners will pay a little
more than the cost of a WSR to make their lexus look better.

[Mikedoby]

I have thought about adding vinyl and fabric repair to my wsr business. The kits are about the same cost as getting started in the wsr industry. I already do some headlight and taillight repair but not that much. I also do an ocassional plate glass repair at a McDonald's or strip mall created from a BB gun or rock thrown by a lawn mower. The additional work and opportunity is out there if we are willing to make the investment and time to get it started.

[Scott Tyner]

Mike,

Make sure to do your research before purchasing a vinyl/fabric repair kit. I have talked to quite a few people involved with this and they all say that it is a great business if you're wanting to service car lots, but that it isn't something you want to do if you're wanting to service individuals.

They say that the repairs will not hold up long term, which the car lots don't mind.

There might be a company that offers a more permanent solution out there.

The owner of "Top-Of-The-Line" is very knowledgeable and might can help you decide if this is something you would want to add. Here is there website:

http://www.topoftheline.com

Scott