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Archives : safety benefits of glass repair

Why choose windshield repair over replacement? There are many compelling reasons.

We have all experienced it. You’re driving down the road and all of a sudden a rock hits the windshield creating a chip in the glass. What most people don’t know is that the majority of these fractures can be repaired, if caught in time, keeping repair costs to a minimum and keeping glass out of our landfills. In addition, many insurance companies waive comprehensive deductible charges when the customer decides to repair the windshield instead of replacing it. Both parties win by spending less money on a repair.

Windshield repair is a permanent solution to an age-old problem. Chips happen and they can be easily repaired at a minimal cost and with a decent profit margin that can add to your bottom line. And in today’s tough economic environment, windshield repair is being recognized by many different industries, such as detailers, carwashes, lube shops, and auto dealerships as a way to positively impact their businesses with an additional service offering. Windshield repair is a great first choice over replacement for a variety of reasons.

Windshield repair:

• Saves money: Repair is a fraction of the cost of replacement.

• Saves time: Repair is fast, usually 15-20 minutes, whereas replacement can take hours.

• Saves glass: Repair keeps the damage from spreading and provides a great looking result.
  

  Windshield repair saves time, money and the environment.

• Saves the environment: Most people don’t know that laminated windshield glass is not recycled. When they choose repair first, it keeps their glass out of the landfill.

• Retains the original factory bond: Repair brings the windshield back to factory specifications and retains the original factory bond (if it has not been previously replaced), which means safety will not be compromised for drivers and their passengers. An improperly replaced windshield may create a safety risk whereby air bags could blow out a windshield and therefore not provide the intended safety.

A successful windshield repair will arrest the cracking of the glass. With the average replacement cost hovering around $350, your customer is usually happy to live with a barely noticeable repair, while paying a small fraction of replacement cost. And they may not pay anything out of pocket when utilizing their insurance coverage.

Windshield repair is not only a cost effective option for your customers, but also the environmentally sound option. By decreasing the amount of glass that goes into landfills, and reducing the need for new glass manufacturing and transportation we can all make a positive environmental impact.

Did you know:

• In the United States, 15 million windshields – the equivalent of about 600 million pounds of material – are replaced each year with most winding up in landfills. – The Boston Globe, 2010
  

  Glass takes more than one million years to decompose in our landfills, making windshield repair the best option whenever possible.

• The amount of energy needed to produce one windshield is equal to 10,000 repairs. – Sadechaf Technology, 2007

• By recycling vehicle windshields, the amount of automotive waste in landfills could be reduced by 3 percent; however, due to plastic laminates, windshields are one of the most difficult auto parts to recycle. – Earth911.com, 2011

• Glass takes more than 1 million years to decompose in our landfills. – California Department of Conservation

• Windshield glass is difficult to recycle because much of the glass is 2-ply laminated and contains a PVB layer that must be separated. Integrated heating elements or radio antenna are often embedded within the windshields and cannot be returned to the glass furnace for reworking. – British Glass, Glass Manufacture: A Mass Balance Study, 2005

• The transportation of glass, which is a relatively heavy product, throughout the supply chain results in high levels of transport-related CO2 emissions. – Advances in Glasses and Glass-Ceramics, Frost & Sullivan, 2006

• Glass manufacturing is a high-temperature, energy-intensive activity, resulting in the emission of combustion by-products (sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides) and the high-temperature oxidation of atmospheric nitrogen. – Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines for Glass Manufacturing, World Bank Group, 2007

• It takes 15.2 million BTUs of energy to produce one ton of glass. The manufacturing of one ton of glass can generate as much as 385 pounds of mining waste and 28 pounds of air pollutants. Like the production of other materials, glass manufacturing and usage has negative impacts on the environment. – The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation

The more that we all participate in reducing the use of raw materials and the energy needed to produce glass, the better off our environment will be, making glass repair the best option.

Windshield repair has been around for more than three decades and continues to grow and develop into a viable and profitable service. If you do your research, choose the right equipment and participate in comprehensive training, windshield repair can become a lasting addition to your revenue stream and your profits.

Marketing Your Glass Repair Business in a Down Economy

Tough economic periods are precisely the time when marketing plays a key role in the success of your business. Marketing is an ongoing conversation with your customers. If you cut it short, they will forget what you were saying. When you stop marketing your glass repair business, you lose touch. You stop understanding what is important to your customer base…and they will forget about you and the services you offer.

We all know that budgets are tight and times are tough for all businesses these days. So, what do you do in this tough economic climate? Let’s start with how you are currently marketing your business. Are you advertising? Is your message consistent? Do you have frequency with your audience? Are you leveraging relationships with your existing customers? If not, now is the time that you should be investing in marketing more than ever. Marketing should be viewed as an asset to your business not an expense. Many believe that customer service and marketing is more important in a recession than at any other time.

Marketing messages are processed by consumers based on frequency and reinforcement of the message. If you are not marketing your business, you are losing momentum with your audience. Our short-term memory activates long-term memory based on how frequent, how recent, and how well you elaborate your brand message. If you are not constantly building and reinforcing your brand with customers you will quickly become out of sight and out of mind.

This is very important to remember, considering that acquiring new customers can cost 5 times more than satisfying and retaining your current customers. Investing in retaining customers has the same effect on profitability as cutting your costs, and in the long run, will solidify your position and recognition in your marketplace.

If your competitors are slashing their budgets, you can gain an edge simply by maintaining spending, or minimizing your cutbacks. The key to success during a downturn is to keep your wits about you and focus on four things: your competition, your brand, your customers, and your communication. Take charge rather than calling a retreat. Now is the time to take the hill and charge forward with a plan to communicate with your audience on a consistent basis.

In the words of American Express CEO Ken Chenault, “In tough times your instinct is to hold back, but your competitors are going to be distracted. That’s the time to be aggressive and on the balls of your feet! …invest in your own success while others are afraid and burying their heads. As a result, your public relations program will stand out among your competitors … and give your organization a clear competitive advantage with sales, reputation growth and brand management.”

Another thing to keep in mind is that everyone in your company and every point of contact you have with your customers – from your voice mail message or receptionist to your website – says something about your business. Building your reputation and brand isn’t solely the job of public relations or marketing folks. It’s a company-wide effort, top to bottom.

Embrace new ways to connect with your audience and reinforce your brand with social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogs, etc.). This just gives you one more avenue to be visible and connect with your customers. However, keep in mind that social media does not replace good old fashioned advertising. It is a great public relations tool to help you connect with your customers and other audiences, but is to be used in addition to traditional marketing efforts.

Be visible. Get yourself and your company on the agenda for an upcoming panel discussion on windshield repair or glass scratch removal conducted by your local chamber of commerce, Rotary, or industry group. Get involved. Keep reminding yourself of the old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind,” to inspire you to stay visible. Believe in what you have to offer and present yourself as an expert in your field. Become a resource for your local media and associations on the importance of glass repair emphasizing the environmental benefits, economic benefits, safety benefits, etc.

Proactively marketing your glass repair business in a down economy will help you stay ahead of your competition and stay actively in the minds of your customers. Now enough of the pep talk troops…get out there, keep your head up, market yourself and see an increase your glass repair business!