Safety: A Textbook Definition

Safety—the dictionary definition says it all:

1.     freedom from danger;

2.     lack of danger;

3.     safe place;

4.     being unharmed or undamaged; or

5.     device preventing unintentional operation.

Reading through recent headlines on glassBYTEs.com™, I noticed yet another “Woman in Critical Condition After Wreck” headline that caught my eye. There sure seem to be a lot of these stories lately! The story starts off with this paragraph.

“A Salisbury woman is in critical condition after her Ford Explorer rolled over several times and hit a telephone pole, throwing her through her windshield Friday morning on Old Mocksville Road”.

According to the report, this young lady was not wearing her seat belt, and was ejected through the windshield and suffered head injuries. She is a college student, and received emergency surgery, as her father put it, “to save her life.” I hope you will keep her in your thoughts as you go about your day. I know I will, as I have a daughter about the same age.

What really stunned me is that in the comments below the story someone posted a few statistics. “More than 90 percent of all motorists believe safety belts are good idea, but less than 14 percent actually use them.” And this statistic: “Motorists are 25 times are more likely to be killed or seriously injured when they are ‘thrown clear’ than when they remain inside their vehicles.”

This leads me to reconsider my opinion on all those warning labels you see on ladders, power tools, and almost everything you touch these days. I used to think they were unnecessary, but now I realize that the public really does need help having all five of the definitions above delivered to them to the best of the manufacturer’s ability; they just might not realize it.

The next time you have a customer that is convincing you that he/she really just wants a cheap price and safety doesn’t matter, think about Julie Keels, the young lady that was in the accident—and think about why you choose to be part of AGRSS.

Dan Mock

Business Development Director

AGRSS

254.498.8520 cell

254.304.0554 office

dmock@agrss.org

 

Benefits of Membership

One of the recurring questions I have been getting is “What does AGRSS do for me?”

Great question and one which may take several articles, but I will start to answer today.  Lets start off with organization. Every shop big or small needs organization for the work to flow smoothly.  Without organization there is confusion and stress on everyone. Customer service suffers, and service levels go down.

Organization

The AGRSS standard addresses organization by giving you a standard operating procedure to be followed.  Starting with pre-inspection for damage that saves you money and customer complaints.  Documentation of lot numbers and DOT numbers for any product recall or issues related to the products you used make finding and rectifying any defects a breeze.  The adhesive manufacturers, most of which are AGRSS affiliate members provide you with instructions, procedures, and technician training for their products to meet the standard. Most include easy to use stickers and even pre-inspection forms for your convenience.

Sales and Marketing

Nothing happens unless someone sells something!  AGRSS members enjoy several sales and marketing aids.  Hang tags, brochures, window and vehicle logos are just a few.  The new Validation video is an awesome tool when calling on your local Insurance Agencies.  If you haven’t seen the video please visit www.AGRSS.org

Click on the “For Insurers” tab and the video will play.  13 minutes of well-spent time that will help an insurer understand the importance of the Standard. Copies of the video are available to AGRSS members for only $1.00 each! 

How do you introduce the customer to the AGRSS standard?  During the pause between getting the customers basic information and pulling up the parts and pricing on your computer just add in the following statement to the conversation…

•       Ms. Smith we feel it is important for you to know that the windshield of your car is an important part its structure in case of an accident.  Your safety and your family’s safety are important to our company. WHAT THAT MEANS TO YOU IS …It is critical you make a good decision when choosing who replaces your windshield. As an AGRSS registered company we take pride in providing our customers with a SAFE trouble free installation. AGRSS stands for Automotive Glass Replacement Safety Standards. The ONLY WINDSHIELD INSTALLATION SAFETY STANDARD in the country. We make sure your car’s windshield is installed properly.  Did you know that according to some reports 70% of all windshields replaced today are installed incorrectly?

Another fact is 85% of all Glass Shops in the United States are NOT AGRSS registered companies. So the consumer has only a 15% chance someone like you will install his or her windshield!  Someone who cares about the safety of each of your customers! Remember safety sells!

AGRSS has also developed several programs to promote the Standard to the Insurance industry.  From Consumer awareness programs that can be held in your market to direct marketing to insurers and TPA’s by me! It is great to have an organization pushing the AGRSS standard at every opportunity on your behalf, and working with you to promote it in your market.

Having a Plan

You may be interested in something I am currently working on. It is a detailed marketing budget worksheet format that AGRSS registered companies may use.  This will provide a month-by-month plan for you to use as a roadmap to properly market your business.  This sheet helps you plan out all of your marketing expenses including yellow pages, Internet, outside sales, etc.

Sleep better at night

Having done the absolute best installations for your customer will ensure a better nights sleep.  No need to buy that sleep number bed, sobakawa pillow, or take any pills!  The procedures followed by you and your technicians will help give you piece of mind, less warrantee work, and safe happy customers! You can rest easy knowing you’ve provided the absolute best.

Other Benefits

Web site. The www.safewindshields.com site will be redesigned soon with additional emphasis on getting the consumer to call you!  The web site has started generating customer leads and these jobs are sent directly to AGRSS registered companies at no charge.

Your ability to promote your status as an AGRSS registered company in press releases and local press has never been better.  Shops that have been validated are even able to get a generic press release to customize.  This just confirms to your customer that they are making the best choice of companies when they choose you.

I am also currently working to increase the benefits of AGRSS Membership for you by improving AGRSS so that it is irresistible to the Insurers, consumers, and TPA’s alike.  I have several projects that I am working on that I feel will be fantastic benefits to you and your business.  Stay tuned as I begin to roll these out.

I will say that I can’t do this without support from you.  I need your help NOW to grow the footprint of AGRSS registered companies to ensure that if an insurer or customer needs a job done in Timbuktu TN or Wewoka WA, I can assure them that we can take care of it with an AGRSS registered company.

Please call or email me with questions or comments!

Dan Mock

Business Development Director

254-304-0554 office

254-498-8520 cell

dmock@agrss.org

Week Two

Included in my activities this week was reaching out to several AGRSS registered companies. Receiving positive feedback from everyone I spoke to, and getting great feedback and recommendations from each of them.  But…I still want more feedback!  If you haven’t yet please email me or give me a call!  I want and need your feedback.

I also planned a trip to speak to existing and prospective Registered Companies in Ames Iowa February 19th! It should be exhilarating (cold) there this time of year, but I am flattered to have been asked to speak! If you are in within driving distance of Ames you are welcome to join us! Send me an email and I’ll get you the meeting information.

In this weeks message I wanted to talk just a little about commitment.  I think it is something every AGRSS Registered Company has in common. So I thought you would enjoy a story I read awhile back that has really stuck in my mind about commitment from one of my favorite coaches.

Football coach Lou Holtz addresses commitment through the following story.  At practice one day he noticed the left guard was just going through the motions, not really giving it his best effort.  Coach Holtz removed him from the offensive line during a scrimmage and told him to sit on the sidelines.  He then began running the plays without his left guard.  The offensive team only had ten players against the defensive teams eleven players. Coach Holtz instructed the running back to run the football to the area where the left guard normally played.  Because there was no on to block for the running back, he was tackled each time.

After this happened several times, the offensive players came back to the huddle grumbling and complaining.  When Coach Holtz asked why, they told him they would get beat if they did not have a left guard to block.  Holtz taught the entire team a great lesson when he replied, “I would rather walk into a football stadium with ten committed players and lose a game than I would with someone on the team who is not committed.”

Now the left guard had looked like a football player that day in practice.  He had put his uniform on like a football player.  He talked like a football player.  He even ran like a football player.  Yet he’d never made a commitment to be a football player.

I’d like to challenge each of you to make the commitment to be an active part of AGRSS and the evolution of the Glass Industry. We want you on the team!

Dan Mock

Week One

Last Friday I wrapped up my first week as Business Development Director for AGRSS.  It was a fantastic week filled with a lot of support from many, many AGRSS shops and people.  I really did hit the ground running and aside from a few technology glitches everything went very smooth.

Speaking of technology…I was talking with Jeff Bull (Bull Associates) who has headed up the membership committee for AGRSS for quite awhile now.  Jeff mentioned that he had finally purchased an Apple computer!  Jeff knew that I have been an Apple fan for a few years now, and Jeff went on to explain that he was having an issue making the switch. It seems Jeff was still thinking the way he used to think when using his PC.  For those who have never used an Apple, this is very common, and I experienced it myself just a couple of years ago. The key to an Apple is…thinking about what you want to accomplish, and then just do it.  A great example is moving files. No right click, copy, paste.  You just click and drag.  Simple right?

Talking with Jeff brought to my mind a comparison between the Personal Computer auto glass industry today, and what could be the Apple auto glass industry of the future.

If you look at Apple today it has a much smaller audience than Microsoft but…

Apple users are fanatical about the brand

Apple delivers quality products that are the leading edge in the market place

The Apple product is simple to use

There are no viruses to worry about

All of their products connect to one another.

Their marketing to the public is phenomenal

The Apple brand is growing at an amazing rate

Now let’s compare the non-AGRSS auto glass industry to the AGRSS auto glass industry of the future

If you look at AGRSS today, it also has a much smaller audience than non-AGRSS but…

AGRSS Members are fanatical about the brand

AGRSS members deliver quality products that are the leading edge in the market place

The AGRSS process is simple to use

There are fewer installation issues to worry about

All of their members connect to one another.

The AGRSS marketing to the public is phenomenal

The AGRSS brand is growing at an amazing rate

I know a dream right?   Maybe, but together we need to try to get the pendulum swinging the right way, the way Apple has swung the pendulum.  Admittedly I’m no Steve Jobs, but together as group I know we can get that pendulum swinging!

Stay tuned…exciting news is coming!

Hi.  My Name is Dan Mock, and as you may have recently heard I am now the Business Development Director for AGRSS. First I want to say that this is a huge honor for me to take on this role.

I feel it is important for you to understand my background for you to understand my position on automotive glass replacement…

I cut my first piece of glass when I was twelve in my stepfather’s glass shop in Kalamazoo MI.  His shop was a full service glass shop (auto and flat) and an auto glass distributor for several manufacturers. His philosophy was if you have kids…work them.  So everyday after school and Saturdays were spent cleaning up, installing, building, and once I had my driver’s license, delivering windshields and tempered parts to other shops, and to the bus station for shipment (anybody remember shipping parts by bus?). Unfortunately my stepfather and I didn’t see eye to eye, and eventually (after a stint in the US Army) I pursued a career with another glass shop. In addition to being an auto glass technician I also served in an apprentice program to become a Journeyman Glazier.  In the early 80’s Michigan’s economy was once again in the dumps, and I had met my bride to be. We decided that once we were married we would move to Dallas TX to be part of that booming City. We tied the knot in Dearborn MI, and the very next day we moved to Dallas.

Fast forward to 2011.  Over these years I had the pleasure to have been part of several great companies…Harmon Glass, Harding Glass Industries, Binswanger Glass, and of course Glass Doctor. I know what you are thinking…all large companies. True, but each of them always allowed me to act as if the shop(s) were my own.  I installed, owned, started-up, project managed, managed, coached, and lead several fantastic teams of people over the years.

A little over three years ago I became involved with AGRSS. This really opened my eyes to the progress the AGRSS Board had made over the previous years and the plans they had developed for the future of the standard. It has been my pleasure to work with the Board of Directors, and to get to know this group of FANTASTIC volunteers.

Now that you know a little about me...It is your turn.  I truly want and need your feedback. I want to get to know you! Please contact me with your ideas on how we can make the AGRSS standard an asset for your company. How can I help you?  How can I influence the industry to make it better? Please email me, or call me and give me your thoughts.

I promise I'll keep you informed on what I am working on!

Thank you,

Daniel E. Mock

Business Development Director

AGRSS

254-304-0554 Office

254-498-8520 Cell

Dmock@agrss.org