Windshield Repair Forum

There is a trucking company that I have been in to see several times since August but the man who I needed to talk to had had bypass surgery & was never in when I stopped by. I finally got up enough guts to stop in again on Friday & finally got to meet with him. He told me that he has sent 2 mechanics to WR school but they no longer repair their WS because it's cheaper for him to replace them! Almost all of his Pete's (over 500) have flat glass and he gets them for 35.00 a piece & keeps 10 lefts & 10 rights in stock at all times; his mechanics install them. They do all west coast runs & the sand in the southern states really glaze the shields & it isn't cost effective to repair them. He's also fazing out all of his single glass trucks because they are very prone to stress cracking... I guess the single glass WS can't handle the rocking & rolling of the truck. I now know why some of the companies I've been to keep telling me 'no' but this is the first man to explain the 'why' and now I will no longer bother people who have trucks with just flat glass! I'll keep working the ones who have the rounded edges because they are 3 times as expensive and the singles are a great deal more. Just an FYI!

This is a Great Business & I love this forum!

Gwen

Gwen,

From my experience very few trucking companies replace their own glass, even if it's simple rope ins. Yes, most flat laminated glass is inexpensive to buy
especially if purchased in bulk.

Mobile replacement guys in my area will get between $145-$175 for a flat glass install. That's still $100 more than cost of repair. What I'm trying to say.... is don't rely on information from one company to benchmark your provided services! Get out there and start hitting more places. You may only get work from 2 out of every 10 visted but that's how to grow your business. Within a year you should be in the position to pick and choose which accounts "you" want to service. That when repair becomes fun!

I agree with StarQwest which is unusual for us. I have been told things like this over and over again and I let it go right over my head. This firm may not be worth spending time with, they have only one person to make decisions and when he goes off the firm nearly shuts. If you really want the contract go well above his head, better still get him out of your head and find another customer.
You do not need to build up courage to go see a customer, you are helping them cure a problem, they need you although most do not yet realise it.
Out there right now are customers that really need and want your service, they just do not know where you are.

Best of luck