Windshield Repair Forum

Hi there,

First let me say I have been lurking for a few days and am very excited by what I have learned on this forum. Thank you Delta! I just bought on ebay 1 delta kit almost complete and 1 liquid resin kit almost comlete. My brother and I will be operating our business full time. Coister you are on the money from everything I know in my former walks of life. These have included, 5 years waiter and bartender, 2 years correction officer, 10 years deputy, 1 year outside time warner cable residential sales (door to door), 1 year road runner b2b, 2 years infamous telecom b2b, and now 2 years of owning a rustic furniture business. I was blessed enough to start this business on the "side of the road". I started this business with a 5k loan from the bank, rental truck and 2 days every weekend. I was further blessed to find a location that was $20.00 a day and just happened to be next to a wsr specialist making well over 100k per year. Let me tell you I have made great money in the business I am in and continue to do so. I will never ever go back to work for someone else. I started my business with a promise to myself and my wife that I would only work it on the weekend and would continue to work my 40 hour per week job in telecom monday thru friday for a minimum of 4 weeks before making a decision to quit my fulltime job with benefits. I worked for 6 weeks 7 days a week before making a decision. It was the best decision I have ever made. I love working and consider myself a workaholic now. Working for other I found myself becoming very lazy.

Now my questions...Insurance, insurance, insurance! Damn when I read the post I have read it looks easy but when I go to there websites its seems confusing. Can someone who has recently or really is very knowleagable give some insight. I am not interested at this time in direct billing. No time at all to do so. At the same time I do not want to pay 15.00 to use ACT if not necessary. What about Lynx and Safelite. Give some details for Gawd Sakes!!! I have looked at previous post and still am confused. Please help in this area. Is it better to just use ACT for a year to get the hang of things? Or what? By the way I am going to be trained by the same guy I was setup next to 2 years ago. I look forward to being an active member of this forum and contributing any marketing, direct sales and knowledge I may have. Sorry for spelling or length but it is late and my mind is wondering.


Regard,

J.P. Segura
Aqui Imports Inc.
http://www.aqui-imports.com
jpsegura@aqui-imports.com
512-947-9466 mobile

everywhere I go I see your crack! LOL

JP,

I'll take a stab at this and am sure that others will certainly add/correct as they see fit;)

IMO, many "newbies" are confused as to what the term "Direct Billing" means/is. I will attempt to define, based upon my opinionated/biased views, so please take some comments with a grain of salt:)

1. "True" Direct Billing - Most insurance companies utilize networks to process their glass claims in order to reduce labor hours and other costs. While, in theory, this makes good sense and can save the insco's and consumer some money, many of these networks also own/operate (or are directly affiliated) their own repair/replacement shops. Some WSR's are of the opinion that this is a conflict of interest, as it has long been suggested that these networks, while communicating with your customer, will attempt to "steer" the job to one of their facilities (do a search on "steering" and you'll get the picture), which, in essence, is actually your competition.

Ergo, some WSR's verify their customer's coverage and then directly invoice the insurance company (not the network). at the rate they desire. Those that do things this way normally attach some sort of cover letter explaining that they do not wish to utilize the network as they would then be providing their competition with confidential business/marketing information (or something to that effect) and that payment is expected directly from the insco.

This method can be more profitable for a WSR, but it does require that one watches their receivables and is prepared to follow up with a collections procedure if the insco is not receptive to processing glass claims without their contracted networks involvement.

2. Direct Billing - Simple! You and your customer contact the glass claim number listed on their card (you will more than likely be speaking with a network employee). Coverage will be verified, you will provide them with you company details so that they can fax you with a "work order" and you will agree to complete the repair at their "standard" rate. The fax that you will receive will have all of the details required so that you can forward your invoice for payment.

Now, you do not have to have paid your fees and joined the network to bill them. But, in many cases, if you have not "joined," your customer will be told that you are not an "approved" business. Your best bet is to "prepare" your customer for this and advise that you warrant your work and are a viable business and this potential steering may occur prior to your initiating the phone call. Else, you can join the networks, will more than likely be considered an "approved" WSR, and you may even get a referral or two;)

3. ACT (the $15.00 service) - Again, simple! You call ACT's toll free number and provide them with some basic info., you start your repair and place your customer on the phone with ACT. ACT contacts the insco/network, negotiates everything, invoices for your services, follows up on "slow pays" and then deposits funds into your bank account (minus their fee;).

4. ACT (the $7.?? service) - Simple. If you and your customer contact the insco/network and obtain a claim/reference#, you can then contact ACT, provide them with those details, and they will invoice/follow up at half their regular rate since you have done half of the billing work already.



Hope this helps!

Hi there, and welcome!!! As far as Insurance goes-do a search for RLI ins. on here and they are by far the best priced and good coverage. My husband went through them and it was $150.00 a year. ( I could ask him for the # but he hasn't talked to me for 2 weeks, so sorry I'm no help there.. )Happy Repairing, Mepoozer

When you guys using ACT get your own dispatch/authorization number, does the network still tell the customer, "you are not approved, and that insur. co. can not provide a warranty?"

Hi all,

Thank you all for your responses I think I have a much clearer understanding of the process. Also Mepoozer, very sorry your husband is not speaking to you. I hope whatever has happened to your relationship is worked out for the best.

Regards,

J.P.

I have signed up with the 3 major networks and send my paperwork to GlassComp to handle the billing ($2.25 per invoice). Do I receive referrals from these Networks? Very few. But that's not why I joined them.
I've had very few problems with any of the Networks, and a simple phone call would solve any problem that came up!
When I receive a call from an Ins. customer I always instruct them to tell their agent or Network CSR that My company is their preferred business to do the repair and to make sure that the Network understands that it's a repair not a replacement that is needed.
Do I care that these Networks are owned and operated by major replacement and repair companies? Yes and no, this is my business and at this point and time I feel this is the smoothest and easiest way for me to operate. Until something happens that totally convinces me otherwise....

Hello everyone- I feel like an idiot! I was reading alot of insurance ?'s and thought in the original post it also had to do with liability insurance ?'s... I must have read to many at once.. Sorry for the out of interest post on the wrong insurance topic!! Happy Repairing, Mepoozer
Thank You for the kind words though!!!! Sorry to be off track...

I went to the network sites and yes it was very confusing, I sent in all the paperwork, faxed, and re-faxed, when all was said and done the networks all told me they had enough wsrs in the area and NO I can not be a part of the network... BUT...

once you do a repair for a safelite , lynx, or state farm, the operator will ask you for all your information, name, address, fax, and so on. you will then be in thier system. BUT NOT A PREFERRED MEMBER,, DO AS DAVE SAYS AND INFORM BEFORE THE CALL

once in the system call lynx and ask for your parent ID # OR go to their website lyxnservices.com I believe and e-mail them for it, if you have an invoice from them

I then called glass comp 309-263-8620 ask for nick or steve, 2.25 per invoice, they are no frills but do answer your questions and you do get paid in about 2 to 3 weeks. they will bill you once a month for the invoices you fax them.

when I grow up and do more than 20 ins billings per week I will consider doing the edi myself with software from mainstreet software at $25 per month and only around .45 cents per invoice. Initial cost is around $400 but if you calculate the amount of invoices (20) per week 52 weeks .45 plus the $25 and include the initial investment your still way ahead in keeping your hard ( ) earned money, just makes more CENTS as a business owner.. DO THE MATH AND CHOOSE WHAT BEST SUIETS YOU

Please forgive me if I'm wrong but I think it is Safelite that issues a parent ID#. This is a required by Glasscomp in order for them to edi for you.

I stand corrected,,,