Nov/Dec 2008 - AGRR Magazine

immediately? Let’s not forget the threedifferent cleaning and priming productsthat were required for a proper installation,but never purchased. Howabout the employment of untrained,non-certified technicians, whose twomost popular tools are a hammer androll of duct tape? I cannot leave thissubject until I also mention the greatcost-saving method of installing usedor sub-standard glass parts. I’ll stophere, hoping you get the point. The answerto my question is, “NO!”The Ultimate GoalThe ultimate goal of the AGR industryneeds to be the creation of a businessenvironment in which only thoseglass companies that deliver installationscompleted in accordance with theAGRSS Standard are able to be industryparticipants. The attainment of thisgoal provides a level playing field ofcompetition. It is inappropriate andunacceptable to tolerate anything lessand this conclusion resonates not onlyamong of the AGR industry but allthose who participate as customers aswell, including the insurance industry.All too often I hear this question:“With all of these dangers that you’ve soeloquently outlined, how many windshieldswere installed last year and howmany people were killed due to faultyauto glass installation?”By percentage, the answer is very,very low. But I ask, “What number isneeded before we stand together andtake action?” While the Department ofTransportation (DOT) reported that2,600 people lost their lives in a fouryearperiod due to windshield ejection,does the number have to reach a certainpercentage before it makes senseto put preventative measures into playunilaterally?Jon Fransway would tell you that onedeath over the period of forever is toomany. Jon helps our AGRSS Council bysharing his testimony of what it’s like tohave a sister die in your arms at thehospital after being found 80 feet fromher vehicle, in a corn field, lying on topof the windshield. Remember, though,once every two weeks a car involved ina fatal accident has had its windshieldreplaced within the past 48 hours. Thefew deaths per year attributed to faultyauto glass installations are most likelybecause of the low frequencies of collisionsthat test auto glass retention. So,being that we do not crash very often,should we hide behind this low frequencyof incident and claim thateverything is okay?During a recent presentation, Iasked an audience of insurance companies,“How many children were killedin school zone cross walks this pastyear by drivers exceeding the speedlimit? How many children encounteredschool zone cross walks this year?”From the millions of children exposedto this risk, does such a low frequencyof death mean that speed limit signsshould not be enforced?Insurance ViewpointsThe insurance industry, for the mostpart, continues to view all glass shopsas being equal. After all, the 12,000 retailglass companies that make up ourindustry lay claim to being the best andfollowing the AGRSS Standard. Furthermore,most all retail glass companieshave signed the same Offer andAcceptance contracts guaranteeingtheir conformance to proper auto glassinstallation practices, along with complianceto all pricing and billing requirements.With no appreciablefrequency of complaint or catastrophe,there is no reason to think any differently.Being as objective as possible, it’seasy to understand why this point ofview can exist.The last element is a result of an AGRindustry that has operated for morethan 100 years having no benchmarksof business entry or maintenance. Thisis no one’s fault other than our own.This circumstance has afforded peoplethe opportunity to enter the retail autoglass installation arena at little cost,with no educational requirements, nora standard for performance requirements,no testing and a lack of commitment,etc. This equates to “comeone, come all and do as you will.” Operatingunder this long-term scenario,we ourselves have reinforced the notionthat all glass shops are equal.Keeping these three elements inmind, the answer to “how” we solvethis problem requires three steps. Thefirst step is to define AGR values. Thisstep has been completed in that theAGRSS Standard provides a Standardthat is exact, comprehensive and enforceable.We often refer to the AGRSSStandard as being the line in the sand,continued on page 38www.agrrmag.com November/December 2008 AGRR 37