Advancements in windshield repair technology

In the windshield repair industry there are many new techniques and developments that have allowed quality solutions to be passed to the consumer, adding more value to car care businesses that in-corporate these new techniques.

Carwash establishments, detail shops, oil lube facilities and many other automotive businesses have added these additional services to their core business, increasing their profit margins and adding more value to their facility.

The windshield repair service has been one of those successful services.

There are many new windshield repair products that will not only facilitate a great repair for your customer, but also reduce your repair time to help you keep up with your fast-paced environment.

Giving the dry vacuum a try
Many windshield repair manufacturers are redeveloping their equipment to allow technicians to extract the air from the windshield break without allowing the resin to touch the glass. It is called a dry vacuum process.

This innovation will allow you to repair a windshield break faster (approximately five to six minutes) with very little effort.

In addition to being very effective, this technology is very affordable.

I foresee this technology becoming the process of choice for all carwash and oil lube facilities and any other fast-paced automotive business establishment.

Problem: Insurance procedures
Currently the windshield repair service is widely accepted and covered by most insurance providers in the industry.

Insurance providers normally wave the deductible to their policyholders for windshield repair regardless of their coverage — this essentially means this is a free service to your customers without any out-of-pocket expense.

The biggest question I get from business owners who have incorporated this service is: “How do I register and bill the insurance providers on behalf of my client?” and, secondly, “How can I get an approval while my customer is waiting?”

Traditionally, this information and approval was generated by calling the insurance provider, who then issued a dispatch approval number. The business used this number as a purchase order to bill the insurance provider by fax.

Other traditional methods allowed for a company to process its claims through a third party, which handled the complications of billing the insurance company. Of course, this came with an expensive price per claim which limited the profit margins to the service providers.

This method caused a lot of headaches for business establishments because of the time lost during the approval process and the inconvenience to the customer, as well as the expense.

Solution: Web-based interface
Realizing that insurance claim processing can be difficult, time consuming and expensive, some manufacturers have eliminated this problem by adding a web-based interface system.

This solution is one of the biggest benefits to the industry in the last 10 years.

Business owners can now work through some of the windshield repair manufacturers to get registered to use their web-based interface billing program for instant approval on claims through electronic data interchange.

No more waiting for an approval over the phone; no more hassle for the customer. You can effectively process insurance claims with the touch of your computer mouse and a couple of details from the customer.

Many businesses have also asked me if there were mobile capabilities to use this web-based software. The answer is yes!

Initially, since this is a completely web-driven interface, you can access your account from any web-capable hub. All PDAs, as well as web-phone interfaces, are compatible. Your windshield repair supplier may have a mobile interface to supply you directly.

The best part about this process is it’s FREE! No longer do you need to hassle with direct billing to save money. This service is free for each transaction and claim you process. You pay only a small flat monthly fee.

A rising value
If you are currently offering windshield repair as a service, these improvements will increase your current customer satisfaction dramatically.

What makes a great service foremost is your ability to deliver an effective result and for it to be an experience the customer will use again down the road.

These recent advancements in windshield repair technology have dramatically increased the effectiveness of the windshield repair service and can dramatically increase the effectiveness and capabilities of your car care business.