Nov/Dec 2008 - AGRR Magazine

usionExperience the fusion of three...leading youtoagreenerbottom line!got to be done. If you leave it out there,you’ll lose the job.”In addition, Zoldowski has had mostof his CSRs participate in a CSR trainingcourse held a company called MolloyLLC, which encourages CSRs to form arelationship with customers when theycall in, in an effort to encourage loyalty—alongwith repeat business andreferrals, (see sidebar on page 33).Russo has made strides in selling hiscompany’s focus on safety and thewindshield’s structural importance tothe car. But he takes this a step furtheras well.“We also tell [customers] we are veryexperienced in dealing with glassclaims,” Russo says. “We try to getthem to come to our shop and makephone call together. If they come to ourshop or call us first, we’ll guide themthrough the claims process.”Even after all of that, a glass shop canstill lose the job if the customer has anissue and calls the TPA. “We have [thecustomer] call us if they have an issuesor changes,” Zoldowski says. “A lot of thetime, a customer will call [the glassclaims] number, though, and Safelitecomes out and takes a job away from us.”At a certain point, most shops willhave to deal with one central question:Do they tell the customer the full extentof the steering problem? By tellingthem, they’re often putting themselvesat odds with the insurers (or those actingas agents of the insurers). Thatcould be a problem.“The insurance companies have alot of credibility,” Heinauer warns.Because of this, Heinauer has hisCSRs focus on a positive message.Others will fully educate the customerabout steering, even if that messageis critical of the insurer.Weatherford’s CSRs will say, “There arecontracts with insurance companiesand a national glass company that willtry to influence you to use someoneother than our shop.”Russo even takes it a step further. Moveyourbusinessto a new level withGlasWeld. lCallnow orgo onlinetoseewhatthe “fusionofthree”can doforyou.ReflectingExcellence inGlass Repair“We tell them [the customer] that thecall usually ends up at a call centerwhere a CSR is trying to talk you intogoing to preferred shops,” he says.The FutureWhile methods such as brand-building,offering 24/7 communication andcontrolling your customers’ interactionwith a TPA do exist, some think thepractice of steering—or barring accessto the market—is here to stay.“What it comes down to is fair accessto the marketplace,” Russo says.“The customer goes out and buys insurance.The customer with the brokenwindshield should be entitled to makethat decision unencumbered aboutwhere they take the vehicle to get it repaired.Insurance companies are thereto pay the bill.”■www.agrrmag.com November/December 2008 AGRR 35◗800.321.2597www.glasweld.com/fusionPLATINUM SPONSOR OF THE 2008 WINDSHIELD REPAIR OLYMPICSPL ATINUMSPONSORLes Shaver is a contributing editor forAGRR magazine.