Delta HLR forum

Discuss all aspects of headlight restoration, including marketing, technical, and business advice.
Old Blue 66
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Delta HLR forum

Post by Old Blue 66 »

I really like this forum but its been so dead you could hear crickets which concerns me.

My question is this - is it because of lack of interest in performing HLR or is it just because of the lack of interest in posting in the forum?

Its been fairly consistent here in northern IL so no lack of interest here.
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Re: Delta HLR forum

Post by Brent Deines »

Wow, hearing crickets is right. The entire board has been pretty slow lately but especially the headlight restoration forum. The funny thing is that there are some headlight restoration business owners, you being one of them, who have found some very lucrative niche's. The service side of our headlight restoration business has been flat this year but I think that is primarily due to the fact that we really can't advertise or offer special deals regardless of the size of fleet or possible dollar volume. In fact, we really can't solicit business locally at all since we also sell products locally. It just wouldn't be fair to our product customers even though I think there is a great deal of business that is being overlooked in our area. I see lots of individual vehicles and an increasing number of fleet vehicles locally that need their headlights restored.

Re-supply orders for headlight supplies is on the increase this year so obviously there are some headlight restoration professionals that are staying busy. Maybe too busy to post on the forum? That would be a good thing I suppose.

I know you have shared some of your business strategy with me in the past and some of your ideas are darn good ones. Those are the kind of things that I would think other headlight restoration technicians, especially the new ones, would be excited to hear about. It's a little disappointing that many choose not to share some of their own success stories these days.

Another reason the board might be slower than it once was is that some of our more vocal members choose not to share anymore. They don't like following the forum guidelines and their contributions were often less than helpful but but I have to admit they had a way of keeping things lively.
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Re: Delta HLR forum

Post by Old Blue 66 »

Brent - What do you mean by "service side has been flat". Im not sure I understand that.
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Re: Delta HLR forum

Post by Brent Deines »

Our primary business is selling products but we do still offer windshield repair and headlight restoration services as well. The "service side" of our business is actually performing repairs and restorations.
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Re: Delta HLR forum

Post by Old Blue 66 »

Brent, maybe work with whom ever your selling locally. The school bus business is so easy to get and the numbers can be huge!
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Re: Delta HLR forum

Post by Brent Deines »

I'll talk with some of the local Delta Kits users that I suspect do the glass work for the school districts and school bus leasing companies. Even a lot of the glass repair and replacement companies who offer windshield repair forget to market that service to their fleet customers and are in some cases missing the boat.

Thanks!
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Old Blue 66
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Re: Delta HLR forum

Post by Old Blue 66 »

Just a quick thing to think about- and to anyone who is reading this. In the transportation industry regarding school buses, you have basically three customers.

School District #1 Leases all their buses - not a good candidate for HLR as the turnover is generally three to four years.

School District #2 subs out to a transportation company - It is possible to get into these companies but its much harder. The payoff could be life changing though.

School District #3 owns their fleet - BINGO! The typical life expectancy for a single bus in a fleet could be anywhere from 10 - 15 years. The school district has their own repair facility and the shop foreman knows of this issue. 9 times out of 10 they dont know what to do about HL's in bad condition and they dont want to spend $500 for a set (which is the typical cost of an International HL). So they let them be. Typically I see that half their fleet needs help.

When you present #3 with a solution at $150 per bus and slap a 5 year warranty on HLR service with a double coat of Delta's Infinity and a bi annual inspection, you've got a customer for life. Its a win-win for both parties.

If you are serious about HLR, have decent selling skills and your restoration technique is down pat, Id be happy to share my experience with a little bit of coaching. Theres money to be made out there.

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Re: Delta HLR forum

Post by Aussie lights »

What's are headlights techs thoughts between 1 or 2 coats of infinity 4.1? I feel more comfortable putting 2 coats on , gives it the extra shine and it helps with any parts overlooked in the first coat.

I have also found out if you do have an annoying bar in the way if the light you can use the cross hatching sanding technique using the same grits of paper and get similar results.
I totally agree that infinity is a more superior product than off the shelf ones. I think I tried them all.
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Re: Delta HLR forum

Post by kevinsoupy »

Hey Guys. I am brand new to HLR and I have my Delta Kit now. I have started fulltime and have noticed it is harder than I originally thought. The kits are really good and I am getting better. I have read posts on this forum many times and it has helped me a lot. I have a long way to go but I do hope to expand my business so I will definitely be reaching out more and more for tips and advice.
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Re: Delta HLR forum

Post by Brent Deines »

Which part is harder than you thought it would be? The process of restoring the headlights or selling the service?
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