Q: Why is there a for lease sign out in front of your building. Are you going out of business?
A: No. We are not going out of business. We were forced to sell our building because of a bad partnership with the Glass Doctor Franchise. The new owner of the building decided to raise the rent . We chose to move our business work area to the building directly behind our office. By saving on rent we have been able to better stabilize our pricing.
Q: So, what happened to Glass Doctor?
A: Glass Doctor is a Franchise. They did not represent the integrity or the type of business model that we wanted to run. We terminated our contract with them because they breached their agreement with us. The result was a lot of debt and a really sour deal, not only for us, but approximately 125 other franchisees across the nation as well. They are still repeating the same system and many of the owners are bailing. This cycle will continue until someone has the money to put them to a stop. Justice is not free.
Q: I can still see my rock chip. How come?
A: Some rock chips do repair fantastically. Even to the point of virtually being invisible. Not all chips will do that well. Every break is different. Some shatter more than others. Location can make a difference too. Round breaks in the center part of the glass are a good example. We can repair them completely. Yet, when you get in the car and look you can still see a distortion even though is has completely repaired. The reason? The resins used in the repair have a different refraction value than glass. Remember. We do our best to repair the damage. What will be left when we are done is a resin filled skeleton of the damaged area. Our job is to stop the damaged area from spreading.
Another issue with glass repair is the outside surface of the glass. When a stone or rock initially hits the glass it knocks away the surface glass. When we do a repair we bring that missing glass or "pit" level with the glass surface. There will always be what we call a "bug spot" left where the resin was used to fill it in. This bug spot is permanent. It can be polished with toothpaste to clear it up but it will shortly become visible again.
Q: Can you fix a long crack?
A: Yes, as long as it is not on any part of the drivers side of the windshield and is under 12 inches long. It is also important for us to look at it first. We need to see the impact point where a rock initially started the break. If it is a star break It may not be repairable. Long cracks do have a higher failure rate even after a repair has been done. Remember though, we guarantee our work. Any money that you have spent to do a repair we apply that money towards a windshield replacement.
Q: What makes your shop different than just any old guy down the street or a mobile service.
A: We have been in business for about 20 years now and are a practicing AGRSS registered shop. The number one priority for our clientele, especially with auto glass is safety. You have to understand that literally anyone can install auto glass but not everyone does it right. (The industry nick name for these guys is "Joe's Lick 'em And Stick 'em" I can't use the other name.) Auto glass is considered as part of the safety restraint system of your car. Right now, today, even with all these called "good quality" services out there 70% of windshields are installed incorrectly. (please see our video section for a very scary revelation.) You may only have one chance to find out. Is it worth the risk? We strictly follow the AGRSS standards which exceed the federal guidelines for safe installs. We also refuse to do a one man installs. Not only are one man installs not acceptable to the basic federal standards but too many things can go wrong unless two people are used to install the glass. It will cost a little more but you're safe.
Q: My insurance company's phone claims representative recommend that we use another shop. Since they made the recommendation can I trust their referral?
A: No. This reply may sound cold and cruel. The only thing the insurance companies are interested in is the bottom line saving. Not you. Any glass company can be signed up on the glass referral networks as long as they agree to meet the pricing. That is it. There is not any regulations the follow, check up on or enforce of any sort nor is there any inspections or qualifications needed, followed up on, or checked out. As a consumer you have to really be careful. There are a lot of changes being made in the industry right now and all of them have been related to pressure and manipulation by the insurance industry. That's why we have chosen to register with AGRSS. It is literally the good housekeeping seal of our industry. As a consumer you have to do your homework or trust a good referral other than the recommendation from the referral professional you are talking to.
Q: My insurance company representative, on the claims call, told me you guys are not on their approved list of providers. How come?
A: We are on their list. They are lying to you. The company you are talking to is not your insurance company. It is a third party insurance claims network who owns their own glass repair services. (Safelite Auto Glass.) What they are doing is strategically eroding and causing doubt and sabotaging your trust and confidence in our service. We loose over 70% of our business because of that phone call. Community dollars ripped away by a greedy corporation. The tactic they are using has a name. It is called Steering. It is against the law in Washington State and punishable. Please report it to the States Attorney General right away.
Q: The insurance representative, on the claims call, said they can not verify my coverage at this time what do I do?
A: Call your agent immediately and report what is happening to you. This is an insurance network third party billing agency who own their own glass shops attempting to interrupt our service to you. (Safelite Auto Glass.) The tactic is to call you back later, tell you they have verified coverage and then send a service vehicle out right away. They then dispatch one of their own vehicle out to do the work. Not us. If this happens, call your agent and proceed to our shop for service. The tactic they are using has a name. It is called Steering. It is against the law in Washington State and punishable. Please report it to the States Attorney General right away.
Q: I'm being told that if I use you guys that I may have to pay additional out of pocket expenses. Is that true?
A: No it is not true. It is a carefully constructed lie. Why would they lie to you? Again it is a tactic to steel you away from being serviced by our company. This and other tactics are being used by the Third Party Billing agency who owns their own glass shops. (Safelite Auto Glass.) They take your claims call and do what they can, using their position of processing insurance claims, to steel business from independent businesses across the nation. The tactic they are using has a name. It is called Steering. It is against the law in Washington State and punishable. Please report it to the States Attorney General right away. You will not have to pay extr.
Q: I am being told I have to drive to Bremerton to have my work done? What is going on?
A: You are being misled by a company called Safelite Auto Glass. They are very heavily steering people to their own business. Call us immediately. Then call your agent and let them know that you want local choices of business to be honored. We would really like to have you fill out a complaint form. these are turned into our local state representatives and Safelite will be investigated by the State Attorney Generals office. What they are doing is called Steering and it is illegal. In Washington state your choice of repair service must be honored.
Q: While making an insurance claims all in your office the company I was talking to argued that I could not use your service stating that they had already assigned the claim to Safelite. Why is this happening?
A: Your car was assigned to Safelite by the person processing the insurance claim. Who proccessed your claim? Safelite. Safelite Auto Glass is using their position of processing insurance claims to drive business to themselves. You are the one in charge. You are in charge of who you want to have service your vehicle repairs. If your vehicle has been assigned to their shop or another shop you can have that claim reassigned any time, you decide, as long as the repair services have not already been completed.