Windshield Repair Forum

Glassdoc;29429 wrote:Aw come-on... With all the jobs they send your way, you can afford to drive 30 minutes, do the repair, drive 30 minutes back for ummm $35.00 before they 1099 you on it... LOL Lets see 32% of $35, yep.. You are officially doing $26.57 repairs.. Congrats.. I think I will stick with my $65 cash only policy... Oh, and you may just want to brushup on explaining to the customer what a repair looks like say 2 years down the road.. Just in case you have to drive back out there to look at it because the customer thought it no longer looked as great as it did.. I mean for $26.57, can you afford to go back out and tell them its ok when there is nothing wrong with it..

I have to tell you Doc, I am onboard with your philosophy 100% and in fact that is how I did things as well including direct billing for most years. BUT I no longer follow that path. I decided to drink the cool aid. Not for the referral train that really never pulls in, at least in my case but rather avoid the headaches of direct billing and to provide the customer who just can't afford to pay out of pocket for the service or even if they can, the option without loosing a sale. I always push for the cash job and would rather be more flexible with a cash price as I know it is a payment on the spot.

There are certainly some draw backs that one should weigh when signing on and it seems with one the drawbacks keep growing. I do not know how much longer I will continue with some of the networks myself. Time will tell, but I will say that signing on does not eliminate all that much grief, it just presents new issues to deal with and perhaps that is just business.

I got my notice by fax today. Since I use edirect I don't think that I will have to pay the additional fee. I also signed up with EFT, so no extra paperwork for them.

Brian, while I can fully understand your desires to "help" a customer that may not be able to afford the repair (up front). I prefer to say I look out for the customer and myself. The insurance companies will not deny a paying insured reimbursement for the repair. In fact in most cases the insured has payment in as little as 3 days to never longer than 2 weeks. I guess maybe I "got calloused" when I was a sales manager years ago for a dealership. But, in order to sleep at nights you can't dwell on the fact that you sold them a car/truck at 18% interest.. You have to realize "you had no part" in their lack of credit, bad credit or not enough money.
Sure, they may have to be out of pocket for 14 days. But, it beats me waiting for 30-45 days and getting all the little deductions that come along with it, at a price that I did not set.. I only wish "life" was as simple as the networks think it is.. I'd go to the fanciest restaurant, order the biggest feast on the menu, and then tell them it was only worth 1/3 of what they were asking and thats all I am going to pay.. Unfortunately, life does not work that way for any of us.. But, it does for the networks.. As long as you let it. Anyways, I won't preach or take a soap box.. But, do realize, they've (the networks) have only just begun..

Just glad your in the minority glassdoc because if everyone thought like you do about what your worth then hotdogs would be $75.00

While you are thinking hotdogs, I'll be eating steak.. Seriously though.
Have you considered that Lynx now feels they are worth more money to handle the claims end of the repair.. And we all know that besides the $50 you are allowed to charge companies like Allstate are also kicking in a percentage on every repair.. So, why is it, after all these years with rising fuel costs, increased vehicle maintenence costs, and even higher insurance premiums. Why is it that Lynx still does not recognize your need to have a cost of living increase? Hmmmm........ Ponder on that for a while.. $50 has been their standard for what 10-12 years.. See some people will never enjoy a delicious steak when all they reach for is hot dogs..

I just don't follow what the big issue is. I'm a network member and always have been. It's never been a hassle or a problem for me. I still see it as a very worthwhile part of my business. I get a lot of referal work and warranty bill backs have never been an issue. Also with EFT and my EDI billing program I'm only getting knocked down $0.75 per invoice. The industry average is only $50 but that works ok for me. That's not a far cry from my non-insurance rate of $55. But hey, I also have a local alien bozo cranking out $30parking lot repairs. I have more of a beef with the lowballing idiots than I do with the insurance industry. The guys doing dirt cheap repairs are hurting all of us!

Also, if you have enough volume, plan ahead, group up repairs by area, etc., you can overcome some of the expenses associated with fuel costs. It still puts more $$ in my pocket than if I didn't get all of the referals that I do.

The only way to get around fuel costs is to get a fixed location which me and a buddy are taking a shot at once weather hits around 60 here in michigan. I also group my jobs the best I can and it works pretty good usually. I understand what glassdoc is saying but the retail market and dealer work here in michigan is not the greatest. People love free. Many businesses work like this business with insurance referrals. A doctor can bill the insurance what he wants and feels he is worth but will only get what insurance pays them. I agree it will be crazy if they take $15.00 out of every job and there is no way to justify it. I never did get the e-mail but another friend in michigan did. The e-mail actually did not make much sense at all, not sure if they were talking about repair or replace. I know we are set up as repair only but that would not stop a possible wrong e-mail coming to us.

Ok, people love free.. And, some of you are very use to giving it.. But in all reality.. FREE is soon to be a thing of the past.. Insurance companies make money by writing policies. If the home sales market is in a slump, bank foreclosures at an all time high. You can make bet, they are not writing policies or renewing very many.. Car sales in a major slump world wide. The US big 3 are in a hurt, laying off and paying off.. Again, sales slow. No new policies being written.. Insurance companies can try to ride it out as long as no major catastrophe hits requiring huge pay outs.. But, take heed they are already looking at ways to save themselves a few pennies and cutting out repairs or free repairs will be an easy target. It takes about 30 seconds to learn, "no sir/m'aam that will be cash and I will give you a receipt/invoice YOU can send to your insurance company/agent for reimbursement.. If they choose to give it.."

Do I hear an echo again? lol

Just like the one before.

And the one before that.

and so on and so on........

Say what???!!!!!!!!!!