The Commercials are BACK........

[Frank EU]

Well, it is a scam. It stinks. And it really needs (at least) to be discussed in a fair and open manner.
I am with Just Chippen Away on this and indeed I would welcome a proper discussion.

[Layne]

What I saw a few years ago was that the local insurance agency's employees were doing was shopping around for the best price for car repairs...be it windshields or collision damages. I even witnessed one agent tell a local repair shop what they were willing to pay for a certain repair ..if he could match the quote then he would be considered.

I surmise that this change in insurance attitudes may be due to this young college execs thinking that they have a better plan for increasing the bottom line and are getting away from the concern for their policy holders...much like the health insurance execs. And the so callrd regulators (Congress) may be a deeply imbedded problem as well. After the upcoming elections, we may see some changes regarding the attitudes throughout our country. There may be hope further down the road.

[Brent Deines]

Well Brent, in all fairness and with all respect: I personally don't see the point any longer. You did not ask my opinion, but here it is -and I keep it short.

Most of us, in this trade, simply agree that the networks suck, and I repeat: they just suck. There should be no place for any networks. They play an obsolete and extremely questionable role in our trade. In fact: they need to go or, at least, dramatically beter the way they operate. How? For a start by discussing the way they operate. In public. All they do is steal, steal, steal, and that has been the situation for too long. And many of us knew that the larger companies, such as Safelite, are heavily involved here, and indeed, in bed with the insurance industry. And I regret to say that the insurers look the other way, pretending not to know anything about what's happening out there, how ethical! NOT!
The smaller vendors in our trade are being abused, big time. In fact it is a SCAM.
And this will never stop, unless we can at least openly discuss the situation. Let's not call that bashing please.
The situation in our trade is extremely unfair, very unbalanced, it needs to change.
Our trade organizations suck, what did they do for our trade lately? Can anybody please tell me? Right! Nothing, zero. That needs to change.

If we, the repair guys (and girls) cannot even discuss the problems, other than technical and operational, nothing will ever happen.
It is even worse: this forum will become a dead place.
Correct me if I am wrong, but your company doesn't do any business with Belron, networks or insurance companies (except repairs), so what would possibly be harming your business? Why not an open discussion about the situation, let's do it Brent. JMHO

Frank,

I understand the frustration with the networks. I too have to deal with the steering issues, etc., and I hope those issues will be continued to be discussed openly here on the windshield repair forum and on every other industry forum. However, we do have rules about not bashing the competition on this forum. Those rules are designed to protect everyone in the industry from slanderous accusations and I would like to think we can have open discussions without calling our competitors "pimps and hoes". Justchippinaway crossed that line with one of his comments. If someone said that about his business, with or without proof, he would throw a fit.

Your hatred for Belron is duly noted, but let’s stick to the facts. The fact is that when you call Safelite they quote a high price for repairs. Now if you have proof that the insurance companies are paying them more than they pay you for the same job, then by all means, show us the documentation to prove it. However, if they are advertising a high cash price but accept the same price that the rest of us get for repairs, what is the harm in that? Several technicians on this forum have stated that the Safelite ads have driven business there way, and the fact that when you call them they quote the highest price in town, helps even more because as we all know consumers price shop. I would much prefer to have my competitors quoting high prices than low balling me all the time. In fact, if everyone in the industry quoted higher cash prices we might just be able to get the insurance companies to pay us a fairer price for our services.

If I allow competition bashing on this forum it will hurt my business, because my company has a reputation for treating everyone with fairness. Heck, Belron could afford to have 100 full time employees bashing on your company every day if I opened this up to that kind of nonsense. I'm not saying that they would, but they certainly could. Then you would be complaining about me allowing that to happen.

So you see I just have to run this forum the way I believe it should be run, and I choose to keep this forum on the positive side. You agreed to the rules coming in, so I don't understand why we are even having this conversation. There are plenty of other forums who "claim" to allow anything to be said, so I guess you are welcome to bash anyone you want on those and throw f bombs all day long if you want, but it's not going to happen here.

I agree that forums sometimes grow because of controversy, but I have been told for years that the windshield repair forum will wither up and die if I don't change the way I moderate, and yet this is still the largest and fastest growing windshield repair forum on the Internet. Apparently there are quite a few windshield repair technicians that see the value in setting some simple rules to follow to keep things civil.

[Frank EU]

Nice reply. I wasn't promoting and/or supporting to burn the competitor. And no, I do not hate Belron, that should be a misunderstading. The way they promote their business is very professional, it is just the way they conduct business with the insurance industry. That part I don't like, in fact it should be under investigation by your authorities. In the mean time: we should discuss the various problems in our trade.

[paulrsf]

I am finding that Safelite's ads are having a positive effect on my own business. I often hear from customers that until they saw one of Safelite's ads, they had no idea that a windshield could even be repaired. They thought that once they had a rock chip or small crack, it was either live with it or replace the windshield. Also, many customers tell me that they do not remember the ads being specifically "safelite" as much as remembering that they are about WSR. Granted, I live in an area that has a large population, (SF Bay Area) so there is room for competition, unlike some of the smaller locations where too many WSR technicians cut into each others business. In my opinion, more awareness = more business. I'm not defending Safelite. I just don't think it is worth the energy to be overly concerned about them.

Paul

[Brent Deines]

Nice reply. I wasn't promoting and/or supporting to burn the competitor. And no, I do not hate Belron, that should be a misunderstading. The way they promote their business is very professional, it is just the way they conduct business with the insurance industry. That part I don't like, in fact it should be under investigation by your authorities. In the mean time: we should discuss the various problems in our trade.

Sorry if I misunderstood Frank.

[D2D]

In regards to those who have experienced positive results from the commercial raising awareness of "rock chip repair",
Brent said in a post a few months back on this same subject, "a rising tide raises all boats".

The relationship between the insurance companies and the networks, as TPA"S (third party administrators) is a form of outsourcing which one poster here accurately described but in a negative context.

There is nothing illegal or unethical about this business model. Including the FACT that the network retains a percentage of the amount paid by the insurer.

For me, the only thing wrong with it is I didn't think of it first!

[just chippen away]

Brent
Go ahead and remove the whole comment on pimp and hoe's. At least eye's are now opening up and we may be able to talk about OUR feelings on how the network works and runs.
The new tech can see the changes sense we been around.

I will get copies from the Ins. agents as soon as I can to back up the price difference.
What I am trying to get across is that we can not even summit our invoices direct to the insurance and get paid from the insurance company with out Lynx of Safelite having there fingers in our piece of pie. It would be different is they got us the job, but we got the job on our own and they get a cut of the job by sending in the work order ad a higher fee and then tell us "Thank you for working with the network name" I did not ask to work with them, It is the only want to work now days unless you are working for cash or Very small insurance companies...

The organization need to help find a way to cut the cord from the network, But I really do not see what the organizations are doing for us independents.. Safelite is ready to make or change all the rules and we have to work with it.

[D2D]

Just Chippen Away says,

Brent
Go ahead and remove the whole comment on pimp and hoe's. At least eye's are now opening up and we may be able to talk about OUR feelings on how the network works and runs.
The new tech can see the changes sense we been around.

I will get copies from the Ins. agents as soon as I can to back up the price difference.
What I am trying to get across is that we can not even summit our invoices direct to the insurance and get paid from the insurance company with out Lynx of Safelite having there fingers in our piece of pie. It would be different is they got us the job, but we got the job on our own and they get a cut of the job by sending in the work order ad a higher fee and then tell us "Thank you for working with the network name" I did not ask to work with them, It is the only want to work now days unless you are working for cash or Very small insurance companies...

The organization need to help find a way to cut the cord from the network, But I really do not see what the organizations are doing for us independents.. Safelite is ready to make or change all the rules and we have to work with it.


You say, "I did not ask to work with them"? Then who's signature is on the contract that your company agreed to that makes you a network member?

You say, "The organization needs to find a way to cut the cord from the network"?

It' so simple and right under your/our noses.

Here's what you/we do:

Notify the networks that you are cancelling your contract(s)

Start doing cash only business.


I consider the networks to be my business partners.

I agreed to and signed contracts knowing what I was signing up for. Much has been discussed and considered including the fact that the TPA "marks up" their product to the insurance company that is their client.
My only issue is the fact that I must agree to accept their arbitrary price setting but at this time, I have no valid reason to limit my business or deprive my customers of this payment option.

AT THIS TIME

[Frank EU]

Dear D2D: May I ask you a quick question?
How long are you in this business for?