Dozens of Auto Glass Safety Council™ (AGSC) members filled a conference room yesterday to kick off this year’s Auto Glass Week™ in San Antonio.
Wednesday’s AGSC meeting, led by Peter Brown of Tiny & Sons Glass in Pembroke, Mass., highlighted advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) standards, social media followings and new changes ahead for AGRSS™ Standard audits. Brown is a member of the AGSC board of directors and chairs the AGSC’s marketing committee.
“There’s so much info when it comes to ADAS it feels like we’re getting bombarded,” Brown said.
Standards for static and dynamic calibrations do not currently have ample documentation, according to some AGSC members.
One thing everyone in the room seemed to agree on was spending more time educating customers on the technology in their vehicles.
“It’s not uncommon for a customer to walk in and need his vehicle recalibrated and not have the slightest clue on what systems he has or the time it takes to complete it the right way. That’s when we as business owners and technicians need to step in,” Brown said.
Jeff Martineau, an auto glass industry sales representative with Clarity Sales Associates and member of the marketing committee, agreed on having customer education at the forefront.
“We need to do a better job of letting customers know why and when they’re required to have a recalibration,” Martineau said.
Several members noted that the AGSC is moving from its “infancy” stage to adolescence, where the base and verbiage are already established and the focus is now on getting the word out to the public.
Alicia Maples, owner of Fix a Crack, gave a presentation on the importance of knowing a company’s customer base. She highlighted how positive online reviews directly translate into increased business.
“First we must understand where our customers live online. Is it Yelp, Facebook or even Google? No matter the social media outlet we need to do our best to tailor the experience toward them,” Maples said.
She, along with many in attendance, agreed that most customers can leave a review online based on the company’s service and their comments can sway others to or away from the particular business.
AGSC audits were also a key focal point during the meeting. Topics emphasized during the meeting were:
- Businesses know of their audits in advance;
- There are both opening and closing meetings during each audit;
- Some technicians will be observed; and
- The audit follows the entire AGRSS™ Standard.
Following the meeting association members continued exploring San Antonio, gearing up for the rest of the week.
This year there are several new things Auto Glass Week attendees can look forward to, including new competition pairings. This year there will be two spouses competing as well as a father and daughter who are also competing.
Stay tuned to glassBYTEs.com™ for the latest from the event.
Auto Glass Week was inspiring. So many like minded folks trying to improve their business and do it right.
Proud to be part of the Auto Glass Safety Council team