Windshield Repair Forum

O.K., here it is. Short and sweet. In detail, what's the best way to do this business full time so that you can make a good living?

That's a loaded question! I'd suggest taking the time to read these archives and than return with some specific questions.
Get your business up and running....try to average 30-40 repairs a week. You'll be making a pretty good living.

after training and business is set up and supplied..you just need to be MOTIVATED..this is where people fall apart..you need to get out and hustle. you need to get over rejection(turn down) and move on to the next account..after a few no's you will get a yes....and repeat the cycle..there is no magic formula...its all on you

Chip hit it on the nose
Keep a positive attitude and keep making those sales calls.
There are several good books out there that can help you learn to sell better and help keep you motivated feel free to PM me for a phone number if you need any help

For some it is a tent beside the road, or sitting at a busy car wash. For others it is calling only on fleets, cold calls to small and large business complexes, or working the car lots. Still others find they do very well by soliciting insurance work, and a lot of us end up doing a little of everything, which may be the hardest thing to do, but keeps you diversified so that if one part of your business cools off for awhile another side generally taking off.

That's one of the things that sets windshield repair apart from most other business opportunities. There really are a number of different avenues that will lead you to success, but it's very difficult to say which one will work best for you. There are a lot of factors that should be considered before deciding which avenue you should take, but the others are right, motivation is the key to your success, regardless of how you decide you want to run your business.

Yes Motivation is the key.....but what motivates motivation is passion, in other words you must ENJOY the work. If you enjoy it and your customers are happy you will succeed.

What are the best ways you all have found to solicit insurance companies?

I've been set-up with Data Tranz on the Lynx system for about 2 weeks, but so far I've just been innundated with faxes (lots of duplicates) stating that the price structures of various insurance companies has changed.

There aren't any other mobile glass repair vendors in my area that I have found, and I've discovered that most people go to one of the two glass replacement shops in town who tell them that they need new glass if a star break is larger than a dime, or that a crack stemming from any type of chip requires new glass.

I've talked to a few insurance agents who I know through BNI, church, etc., and they've put me in touch with a couple adjustors, but none have really seemed to be interested. I think these are qualified leads, but they don't even ask questions and barely acknowledge that I've been there. They just say 'thanks, I've got your card' and the meeting ends. I've had a lot of sales training... I ask open-ended questions and listen carefully.

I'm relatively new to the glass repair industry. I've done 75-100 practice repairs and 20-25 repairs for friends and customers. I'm ready to market the service heavily, but don't know where the best place to begin is.

I'm a MARS owner-operator with a retail shop, so I can go mobile for fleet service and/or service retail customers and other drop-ins. I really like doing glass repairs, and believe that they can grow to be the largest segment of my business, given the economic conditions in my area (SW Virginia).

If any of you can make any suggestions, or help me minimize wasted time in my marketing efforts I will greatly appreciate it!

You really cant count on the insurance buisness the best way to do buisness with them is to already have the customer and call to get a approval.

A.Martian..whats up? you own a MARS franchise and you are a fixed location? ins work is a very small part of this business..you have to go out and get it..its not coming to you....don't you pay royalty to MARS and have to generate a certain income to stay viable?...how long have you had MARS? sorry but it just sounded as if you were new at this game..enlighten us...

Mr. Chip,

No, I'm an owner-operator with no income requirements. I purchased a franchise and can operate my business, purchase my supplies, hire employees, etc., without interference from MARS. Put simply, my business is my business.

I had my first paying customer on Oct. 31st of last year. Somewhere in the May/June period of this year, however, my wholesale (dealership) business went from growing steadily to nothing -- literally overnight! I had a friend in the detailing business that had to relocate or shut down because his place was sold to the town at about the same time. We teamed up to split rent on a good retail location.

Once signs were up I had three back-to-back record weeks (for me). It's been steady since then, but not growing to my satisfaction. I've tested markets with very targeted advertising, but nothing has jumped out yet except for the lack of glass repair service in this area. That's when I ramped up my study on glass repair (I'm certified with the Glasweld Provac system) and found this forum. Wow... I had no idea that a person who cares about quality can actually earn a living at automotive glass repair only!

My professional background is in ISO/QS-9000 Quality Management for the high-tech electronics industry (medical imaging systems) and automotive manufacturing (hurting in the USA). Before that I was in large chain retail management, so I know and believe whole-heartedly in superior customer service.

So you were correct, I am pretty new at the windshield repair business. Until I opened my retail shop I had only performed one glass repair and fixed scratches on all the windows of a Ford Expedition. Since July I've done 20-25chip repairs and have a windshield in my shop today for scratch repair.

I do still service several dealerships, all but one of which bring the cars to me. The one that doesn't, I visit once or twice each month, and they are about 40 miles away. I was going to them at least once a week at $300-500per visit until last May. They didn't sell a car in May and only two in June. They literally liquidated every truck on their lot and lost about $200,000 to revamp their inventory at auctions with vehicles that would sell. They are on their way back now, but only want the worst damages fixed.

This is a strange area of the country. I'm constantly amazed by what I'm asked to do and the things that dealerships - and individuals - don't want done to repair their vehicles.

I got long-winded here, but that's my experience that you inquired about. I hustle for every sale, but have a steady stream on people coming in for detailing that I can sell to. What I need now is a few fleet accounts to round things out. If the indications are correct with windshield repair I'll concentrate in that and hire a technician to do the work at my dealers and in the shop.

This forum has loads of great info in it that I'm only beginning to get to... Thank you all sincerely for your past and future contributions to the knowledge base!:eusa_pray