IGA/NWRA Wrap Up

Inside LYNX Services: Attendees See Inner Workings of Call Centers

Attendees of the Independent Glass Association and National Windshield Repair Association (NWRA) in Fort Myers, Fla., began the event with a tour of LYNX Services' call center, where they received an inside look at the call center's inner workings. The tour was led by Chris Umble, vice president of strategic development, who spoke with attendees about the company's tiered service model released late last year in conjunction with Allstate.

NWRA Holds Informational ROLAGS Session

National Windshield Repair Association (NWRA) president Mike Boyle of Glass Mechanix and board member Keith Beveridge of Novus led an informational session about the Repair of Laminated Auto Glass (ROLAGS) Standard as the events got underway.
During the session, Boyle talked about the evolution of ROLAGS and the NWRA's goals. One major goal, he said, is marketing.

Insurance Panel Answers NWRA Conference Attendees� Burning Questions

Chris Umble, vice president of strategic initiatives for LYNX Services and Tony Douglas, affiliate manager for HSG, answered a number of questions related to glass claims during a panel held as part of the National Windshield Repair Association�s (NWRA) annual conference. Topics included falling deductibles, promoting windshield repair and how glass shops can make the claims process run more smoothly.

The Other Side: Autobody Veteran Wade Ebert Offers an Inside Look at a Parallel Industry

�Finding out what the industry thinks are legitimate practices can be a harsh reality,� said Wade Ebert, owner of American Auto Body in Springfield, Ill. The comments were made as part of a seminar given by Ebert on some of the things he sees in his auto body business and lessons he has learned both from his own experiences and those of his father, Bill Ebert, who started the business and once prevailed in a suit filed against State Farm alleging tortious interference, fraud and commercial disparagement.

Ten Ways to Market Your Business: From E-mail to Demos and More

AGRR magazine publisher Debra Levy offered attendees a look at ten innovative ways to market, from collecting e-mail addresses to offering demonstrations at local school events. Read on for an overview of these. 1. Attend both traditional and non-traditional events. Levy suggested auto glass shop owners consider attending both auto and insurance events where they might be able to market, but also less traditional events such as bridal shows, safety eventsts, antique car shows and environmental events (especially for windshield repair businesses) to tell people about their services.

Steering and Grass-Roots Initiatives: A How-To Guide

Rick Rosar of Rapid Glass and Bryan Yarborough of the Glass Doctor of Tampa joined together to offer a seminar officially called �Steering and Grass-Roots Initiatives,� but together they unofficially named it �how to secure a job while assisting your customers and getting a reimbursement that is fair and reasonable.� This session was part of the Independent Glass Association�s annual conference.

Online with Orth: Learning the Basics

Internet expert Scott Orth offered attendees of both the Independent Glass Association and National Windshield Repair Association annual conferences a look at the online world and items they should watch when setting up or re-designing their websites.

�Does design matter?� asked Orth. �It�s more about layout and ease of use.�

Inside Insurance Contracts: Lloyd Offers Tips

�The policy is what dictates what the insurance company is going to pay,� said Chuck Lloyd of Livgard and Lloyd during a session of the Independent Glass Association�s annual conference.

Lloyd�s session was designed to help auto glass businesses learn tips for working with insurers and getting paid what they feel they should be in an insurance transaction.

Lessons Learned from AGRSS Validations�From the Simple to the Complex

Dale Malcolm of Dow Automotive and Jeff Olive of Glasspro offered an informative session on some of the items that have been cited as non-conforming during the ongoing Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standards Council�s third-party validation review program.

Among these were a variety of common items, such as: Not shaking primer for as long as needed...

IGA Board Elects Epley President; Short to Join Board

The Independent Glass Association�s (IGA) board of directors elected Alan Epley of Southern Plastics and Glass in Columbia, S.C., as its new president during a board meeting held during the Independent Glass Association�s annual conference. He succeeds David Zoldowski of Auto One in Brighton, Mich., will now serve as past-president.