Do you say FREE?

[StarQuest]

I personally never use the word "free". I simply explain to customer that their insurance is waiving deductible on repair to save from possible future higher replacement cost. If asked by customer what charges are, I always tell them what rate insurance is billed at. Why lie about it! The repair is not "free". There not stupid! They know somebody is paying for the service.

[Coitster]

I use the word Free all the time. Its a very powerfull marketing tool and besides its all subjective. For the customer it is free. Also think about it this way if the insurance company didn't want you to get your chip fixed they wouldn't offer the service to their customers. For people that have issues with this I only have one thing to say to it...... GET OVER IT. If you won't like the way some people do business then go do it your own way and don't wine and complain about it. I can run my business any way I want to. The people who give this biz a bad name are the ones that are doing little pits that arn't chips and then chargeing the insurance companies for it or the hoosers that are doing substandard work. Why is it that so many people just don't give a crap about their work. I don't think the free word is an issue, the issue is those pukes who just don't give a darn. Those are the people that need to be delt with. Anyway thats my two cents worth. Take it or leave it.
David
Coitster

[crackhead]

I choose to shoot straight with my customers from start to finish. No gimmicks to draw them in. Quality work, first rate service, honesty......it has a way of doing wonders.

[Coitster]

Well lets use some common sence here. I always explain to my customer right after I tell them its free how it works. I explain to them that the insuance company will cover it for them because they arn't stupid. They would rather pay for a little repair then to have to pay for a replacement down the road. And lets just not get into the safety factors involved with windshield replacements and the over 8,000 people every year injured in auto accidents because someone installed a windshield the wrong way. So yes you have to explain it to them, and besides Free is a good buz word to get someones attention.
David
Coitster

[StarQuest]

Coitster,

Sorry to differ with your opinion but for 8 years replacement facilities here in Michigan have been using those words "free windshield replacement" by offering to pay customers $100-$200 deductible on glass. Today you no longer see these advertisements around here but unforturnately customers remember that word "free" and can't understand why glass shops can no longer waive their deductible. I my opinion "free" is the wrong word to use. What is to happen some day in the future when insurance requires insured to pay for part of his repair or not totally waive it? When that happens are you still going to use the word "free"?

Seems to me we should find a better word to use than "Free" Simply because we don't do free repairs and do charge their insurance company.

[Jeremiahswindshieldrepair]

Before I got into the windshield business I got a phone call and the guy offered me a free windshield replacement if my deductible was low enough to be covered and waived. It happened to be low enough and I told my wife that we were getting a free windshield put in 2 days from now. Why did I say it was free? Was I lying to my wife? did I really think the insurance company wasn't going to pay this person? did I think that the glass shop was just benevolent and giving me a reward for being smart enough to get a low deductible? obviously none of those things is why I said free .. I said free because anyone with basic common sense can see that there is no charge to me and therefore it is free. If I sign up for a credit card I get a $25 gift certificate free ... is it free? Of course it is but everyone knows there are prerequisites, the prerequisite for a free windshield repair is giving me your insurance info and having comp coverage. Regardless of how you skew it, it is still free because the person does not pay for it...... ok so you say they have already paid for it with their policy ... whatever ... ok let's take another example. I have AAA towing coverage ... I break down ... I call for a tow and I ask them on the phone how much the tow will cost ... they ask if I have AAA .. I say yes.... they say it is free ... so I naturally think they are philanthropists and are rewarding me for having the foresite to buy the quality AAA towing coverage .... OF COURSE NOT PEOPLE!!! Obviously I paid for it ahead of time when I purchased my coverage, but the tow itsself is FREE, plain and simple FREE. I pay for my insurance and am given an entire book on what all is covered in my policy. In the book it states my windshield will be covered for no cost repairs if chipped and getting it fixed. If I go to use my coverage and I ask a guy how much it will cost me and he says free how is that incorrect??

Please think about this before putting a judgement on those who know how to market and discouraging people from using an honest and effective marketing tool for increasing their business honestly.

[Coitster]

I agree Jeremiah, however you where nicer in the way you put it then I was. Anyway, I was reffering to repairing a windshield, not replacing it StarQuest. I am not the one who tells the insurance companies how to offer their programs. In most states now it is illigal to waive a deductable for a replacement, but not for a repair. When I call insurance companies with the customer with me, my customers in many instances ask the insurance company (NOT ME) if this is a free service. The INSURANCE companies (Again not me) tell the customer that its free. So if the insurance companies and mind you insurance agents tell their own customers that the service is free I feel no guilt or wrong doing in telling the customer its a free service as long as they have coverage. Remember the difference here, the insurance companies are waiving the deductable, not the glass company. This is the major differance then what you where talking about before in compairing those companies who waive deductables for replacement.
David
Coitster

[Dave M]

I inform my customer that if they carry comprehensive insurance their deductible will be waived and they will have no out of pocket expenses for the cost of the repair. I also tell them I will handle all the insurance paperwork and the insurance company will send me a check for payment of the repair.

I never mention the word "free".

[mafsu]

Good post Jeremiah, I almost peed myself at the philanthropist part.

[Dave M]

Does this ever happen to anyone else?

You are talking to a potential customer who says he has full insurance coverage. He asks "what do you charge for the repair?" Do you immediately say it's free or I charge $X but your insurance company will waive your deductible?