Jobs you still have or used to have before windshield repair

[Windshield911]

Just wanted to know what some of you did before you got into windshield repair. Or maybe if you do windshield repair on the side, what do you do now for a living?

[Windshield911]

Sorry I guess I should say what I did. I worked for Lowe's for 7 years and currently work for fire department in Ruston,La. We work 24 on 48 off so I get plenty of time to do repairs, and if I need off its usually not hard to get someone to do swap time for me. I've been employed there for 7 years.

[scrubs147]

Drove tractor trailer (all lower 48 states) for the past 4 years until the economy took a slide down hill and I did more sitting than driving. Jumped ship in 2009 and started detailing cars/RVs and shortly after residential pressure washing, HLR & WSR.

[Hubcity ws repair]

i m new to the show, iam doing wsr on the side until I am in a better spot to do it full time. I currently work in the banking industry. I repair atm machines, alarm and video systems, vaults and safes and pnuematic drive up systems. Been doing that for 10 years. I like service work but getting tired of jumping through hoops because salemen and managers make promises about things they don't have a clue about.

[screenman]

Test pilot for Airfix and then a hod carrier for Lego, then got a bit big for those jobs and ended up being a used car dealer for 14 years, decided that employing people was not my thing so started WSR.

[Chips_Away_Windshield_Repair]

Screenman we all certainly look forward to your wisdom and experience in the windscreen repair business.
In my previous life I was sales rep and sales manager of Houston branch for Selig Chemical Industries in Atlanta Georgia for 32 years. Retired in '98 cause just burned out, long time customers dying and retiring, new group of new buyers coming in just out of college not dry behind the ears yet and some just plain stupid.
Looking back however, at the time unknown to me I had sleep apnia, restless leg syndrom and periodic limb movement which was not letting me get a good nights sleep and there for walking around half asleep during the day. Had I known the problem behind my fatigue and taken care of it I might still be working. The game plan was when we started travelling in the motorhome to take just four samples with me and open accounts in virgin territories. Didn't happen but for two summers I drove 15 passanger vans carrying Boy Scouts from Denver, Colorado Springs and Albaqurque airports to a large Boy Scount Camp in New Mexico. Truly fun gig. In '01 on our trip to Alaska we picked up five rock chips at one time on motorhome $3000.00 replacement costs. Got to thinking about how that might work out doing repairs on motorhomes as we travel. Good move to say the least. You kow we are able to deduct all travel expenses as we do repairs in capgrounds and RV Rallies.
Until '09 we were on the road about seven months a year, Alaska trip lasted 11 months and 22 days. What a trip! On the way home we stopped in Branson Missouri to see The Radio City Rocketts perform opening night for six week engagement, went to work next day as tour bus greeters. Two shows daily so two groups of maybe 30 to 50 busses coming in so we just hopped on and welcomed the folks to Branson and the show, showing local pay stub we saw about $1500.00 in shows including Andy Williams whose theater was next to ours. with discounts at restaurants and other attractions, main thing it was truly much fun!
Also before w/s business became so good I drove executive limos when we came home for short times.
Enough about me, how about screenman's life?

[screenman]

Nothing exciting in my past, 32 jobs in the first 4 years after leaving school at 15, mechanic, driving, scaffolding, steel erecting, printed circuit making and the list goes on and on. All the while buying and selling cars, I had my first small used car site at 19 and built this business up adding another site to it, ended up buying and selling in excess of 500 cars a year and hated every moment of the last 5 years of it. I got an extremely good living from car dealing but I did not enjoy the trade very much, being called a crook from most people does not fit well when you are not one.

For the past 23 years I have enjoyed repairing glass and hopefully helping other to do the same, I have also added many other skill over the years such as painting and PDR.

In 2008 your MT News magazine over there did a front page about me, at the time that I received the Windshield Repair Person of the Year Award, I would say that was the best thing that happened to me in nearly 37 years of self employment.

The pleasure of the job is far greater award than pure financial value. I know my posts are often taken out of the context I mean them to be but, I honestly want everybody to enjoy work as much as I do. One question I get asked is when do I intend to retire, I feel like I did the day I started WSR, is it not said that the day you find a job you really enjoy is the last day to go to work, well my work is like an extremely well paid hobby, dealing with nice customer and nice suppliers make that even better.

The LEGO and Airfix post was a joke, I wondered if anyone over there would get it.

[groofop]

McDonalds WOOHOO!

[Dr.Chipster]

Groofop, Your McDonalds days are over.

[Dr.Chipster]

Previous job before going full-time in my business was restaurant maintenance.