I’m not busting out the old soap box picture again. Instead, I’ll quote an article I found on line the other day.
“…following are the steps you need to follow for starting a rock chip repair business. First, you need to carefully select the company from which you will purchase the windshield repair kit. This is the basic thing you require to start this business. Second, you need to acquire a business license and have liability insurance. After this you should first start practicing on a used windshield. Carefully read the instructions printed on the manual you receive with your windshield repair kit.”
Does this scare you, even a little? If you’re considering having a rock chip fixed, it might…
I know it gives me a little bit of concern, but then I remember that Michelle Chalmers is all over this. She’s so picky! We get emails all the time from glass shops asking to be connected to our Web site. Most of them don’t make the grade.
Part of it is our advanced technology. If you’re “booking an appointment” on one of our competitors’ sites, chances are you’re really just sending a request. What’s the difference? We used advanced connectivity to our glass shop partners, so we only offer appointments that are available. This is the difference between being placed in the calendar to have the work done and sending someone an e-mail asking if they’ll get around to putting you in the calendar. It’s a small detail, but we think it makes a big difference.
Because we’re so enthusiastic about this connectivity, the glass shops we do business with have to have a commitment to the technology, too. Many glass shops do not meet our minimum requirements, and therefore cannot join.
Sometimes that means a glass shop we really like is ineligible to be on our site. We’ll still do business with them (we book thousands of repairs every month), just not as part of the on-line experience that you enjoy here.
But that’s not all Michelle checks. She’s looking for shops that have been in the business for a while. Not just someone who read a two page article on the web about how to start a chip repair business. To pass her test, you have to commit to specific safety and quality standards. You have to be experienced. You have to have an established space in your business community.
She’s tough!
It makes me feel safe. It makes me comfortable booking with TeleGlass, because I know that she did all the hard work picking out a shop for me. Thanks, Michelle!
Read more from
Blog Admin.
The Blog Administrator of Seeing Clearly. More of a collective intelligence than an actual person, the personification of a company that facilitates twentyfive thousand glass repairs every year. Find TeleGlass on
Twitpic or on Twitter:
@TeleGlass.
Tagged as:
Repair,
Windshield
I found this question on Yahoo!’s Answers:
My car windshield has a 5-inch horizontal crack starting at the very edge and going toward the center. When I run my hand over it from either the outside or inside of the car, I can’t “feel” the scratch. Why is that?
P.S. I would like to get this repaired before the crack spreads. I dropped by an autoglass repair garage and they told me I had to replace the whole windshield. Is there a way to just repair the crack itself…like the process they use for rock chips? I feel like the mechanic is just trying to take my money.
This is a great two part question.
First, if you can’t feel the crack, it’s because of how the windshield is made. The two layers of glass with a layer of safety laminate in between is designed to keep it’s shape, including holding the layers of glass together after a crack. It’s doing such a good job that you can’t feel the crack (or cut your hand trying to feel it!).
Second, YES. You absolutely can repair a windshield’s crack! The best candidate is a crack that is small enough to be covered by a dollar bill and is not directly in the driver’s vision. A crack repair will fill the crack with a special resin that returns the windshield to its full strength. It will make the crack nearly invisible, but under certain circumstances, you may catch the sun reflecting off the crack. That’s why we do not advise repairing cracks directly in front of the driver.
There are times when a shop might recommend you have the windshield replaced even if it falls under those two criteria. It’s important to ask the shop why, because engaging the repair technician in a dialog will give you the information you need to make a good decision.
Read more from
James Lee.
In 2009 he joined
TGSC Group as the managing director of product development. James brings expertise in customer satisfaction and service delivery to the team. He guest blogs for TeleGlass and is an
amateur photographer. Find him on Twitter:
@jronaldlee.
Tagged as:
Repair,
Windshield Cracks
This winter at TeleGlass we wanted to take the time to remind you that a little caution can go along way to help avoid freak car accidents and damaged auto glass. Freak car accidents can happen anytime, anywhere. Many times, you turn on the news and say to yourself, that could never happen to me. These types of situations can happen to anyone. And they often can happen when you are not buckled in because you are on a short errand or you are close to home.
First we want to take the time to remind you to always wear your seat belts even if you are close to home. If you’ve ever been in accident, the sound of smashing automobile glass stays in your head for quite a long time. You drive slowly and carefully, but then the memory fades and you’re back to speedy and careless driving.
There have been many freak accidents that involve windshields. For example, many years ago a New Jersey man was driving behind a truck full of tools. One fell off, crashed through the windshield and hit him square in the eyes. The man lost sight in both eyes forever. In a more recent occurrence just outside of Chicago, a man named Peter Morano was driving to work in early January 2010 when ice and snow slid off a semi-truck and smashed into his windshield. Auto glass and blood was everywhere. Morano suffered serious facial injuries, yet the most harrowing is that he might not see out of his left eye again.
Other accidents include driving through store front windows. This often happens when the driver thinks s/he has the car in reverse and steps on the gas. The driver zooms forward instead, jumping the sidewalk and crashing through the storefront window. There also have been instances of drivers having medical conditions, such as epilepsy, and having a sudden seizure while driving and hitting other vehicles or passerby. Drivers have been known to have strokes or heart attacks while behind the wheel as well. A freak accident is something you simply cannot predict, and many times, the driver may not be at fault.
At TeleGlass, safety comes first with us. Always wear your seat belts and always be saftey concious. This is how we approach each and every auto glass repair or install. We want to ensure that any windshield repair or other type of glass repair is done properly. With any auto glass repair or replacement glass, we adhere to the highest safety standards. Please set up an appointment at TeleGlass.com today so we can put safety first for you.
Read more from
Blog Admin.
The Blog Administrator of Seeing Clearly. More of a collective intelligence than an actual person, the personification of a company that facilitates twentyfive thousand glass repairs every year. Find TeleGlass on
Twitpic or on Twitter:
@TeleGlass.
Tagged as:
Auto Glass,
Repair,
Safety,
Windshield
When you are driving, it is important to keep your windshield clean and free of debris. Windshields need to be taken care of in order to maintain safe driving habits on the road. You can start to maintain your automobile glass by refilling windshield wiper fluid when it is low. Wiper fluid comes in a few forms; for example, you can buy it as a liquid, in crystal form to be diluted with water or a mixture of fluid and antifreeze. Once poured into your vehicle, there is a control in the steering wheel area that pumps the fluid onto the auto glass. The windshield wipers are then used to wipe the glass clean. Many vehicles nowadays have this feature on the back windshield as well.
Antifreeze is a good component to mix with wiper fluid. In colder climates, ice or frost can accumulate on the windshield, causing the driver to scrape the glass. However, antifreeze can eliminate this time-consuming process by squirting the fluid onto the windshield and de-icing it. Your windshield should always be free of snow and ice, otherwise it can crack, causing you an auto glass repair. If the crack is not immediately fixed, it could spread into a larger crevice and full replacement glass may be the next step.
If you are in need of a windshield repair or any other type of auto glass repair, please contact us here at TeleGlass.com. We are happy to send our one of our mobile service vans to your home to fix your vehicle right on the spot. Our highly trained technicians are usually able to repair glass in less than one hour, right in the convenience of your driveway. Please fill out the online form on our homepage or call us at 1-888-479-9590.
Read more from
Blog Admin.
The Blog Administrator of Seeing Clearly. More of a collective intelligence than an actual person, the personification of a company that facilitates twentyfive thousand glass repairs every year. Find TeleGlass on
Twitpic or on Twitter:
@TeleGlass.
Tagged as:
Antifreeze,
Repair,
Winter
What is safe drive away time? It is a phrase you must understand when choosing an auto glass shop to replace your windshield. Safe Drive Away Time (SDAT) is the amount of time an adhesive requires to reach the level of strength necessary to safely hold a windshield in place in the event of a crash. The adhesive is the bonding agent auto glass companies use to seal your new windshield to your vehicle. There are many different adhesives a glass company can use and specific instructions they should follow for it to work correctly on your vehicle. Sika (a manufacturer of windshield adhesives) pioneered the concept of SDAT to the AGR industry in the early 1990’s, so I decided to include their web-site that has a great video that explains this concept.
http://www.noshortcuttosafety.com
Remember, there are no mandatory standards for auto glass replacement in the United States.
At TeleGlass, we want you to be informed through every step of your auto glass repair . The technician will inform you of what s/he is doing and usually in writing, including how long your car will need to sit for the correct SDAT. If you have any questions about your auto glass repair, feel free to speak with your technician. Our highly trained staff is friendly and more than happy to answer your questions.
Read more from
Michelle Chalmers.
As the Director of Member Relations, I find the "best of the best" auto glass companies to become members of TeleGlass.com. Our goal is to provide swift, quality service for all windshield replacements or repairs and it takes a keen eye to find the best.
Tagged as:
Auto Glass,
Auto Glass Repair,
Repair,
Replacement,
Safety,
SDAT,
Windshield
If when you think of bulletproof automobile glass, and the images that come to mind are the president, or other important political figures, military personnel, police, rappers, movie stars, etc. Then you would be correct. Bulletproof auto glass is hard to come by because it is custom-made and not easily replaceable like a normal windshield.
Bulletproof windshields are designed to stop one or many rounds of bullets whereas bullets will penetrate through regular glass and shatter upon impact. However, the strength of bulletproof glass depends on its thickness. It is laminated, just like regular glass, but the two pieces of glass that hold together an inner layer of polycarbonate is specialized. The glass pieces are thicker and the polycarbonate is designed with more advanced technology, and it is actually the polycarbonate that stops a bullet if it goes through the first layer of glass.
It is possible to order a full equipped, custom-made bulletproof car. Beside the glass, the car’s panel system is a combination of high tech resistant materials for the roof, front, rear and all sides, thus giving you one hundred percent coverage. In fact, in the 1920’s famous gangster Al Capone had two of his own bulletproof cars. Nowadays, a vehicle with such extensive protection could cost you around $100,000 and up. Being extra safe comes with a price.
Replacement glass or windshield repair for bulletproof auto glass is custom-made and is subject to strict regulations by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). At TeleGlass, we also comply with FMVSS for even the simplest auto glass repair. If you have any questions about specialized auto glass repair or windshield repair, we’d be happy to answer them here at TeleGlass.com.
Read more from
Blog Admin.
The Blog Administrator of Seeing Clearly. More of a collective intelligence than an actual person, the personification of a company that facilitates twentyfive thousand glass repairs every year. Find TeleGlass on
Twitpic or on Twitter:
@TeleGlass.
Tagged as:
Auto Glass,
bulletproof Auto Glass,
Repair,
Replacement,
Safety,
Windshield
This scenario has happened to many drivers. You’re to rushing work, a few minutes late already, and are about to hop in your car when you notice something is wrong. Auto glass is strewn on the sidewalk, sticking to the soles of your shoes. You then realize it’s your car and your automobile glass.
Car vandalism is a serious crime; therefore, make sure to call the police immediately and have an officer come to the scene to make a report. The next step is to call your insurance company so you can have the incident on record. Whether it’s a broken windshield or window, do not touch it, since the glass’s jagged edges may seriously injure your hand. Perhaps the most important rule, which many people forget, is to stay calm. There is no need for panic, unfortunately the crime is done and over and the only thing you can do now is follow the appropriate steps.
If you have been vandalized, most likely you’ll be in need of a windshield repair or other auto glass repair. The next step is to find a trusted glass repair company, such as TeleGlass. We provide additional assistance by working with the insurance company on your behalf by filing claims and handling paperwork. We can also save you a lot of hassle by sending out our mobile service van. Our highly trained technicians will come to your home and fix anything from cracks in windshields to installing full replacement glass. Often times, it takes thirty minutes or less for us to service your car, and depending on the time, you can make an auto glass appointment as early as the very same day.
Read more from
Blog Admin.
The Blog Administrator of Seeing Clearly. More of a collective intelligence than an actual person, the personification of a company that facilitates twentyfive thousand glass repairs every year. Find TeleGlass on
Twitpic or on Twitter:
@TeleGlass.
Tagged as:
Repair,
Replacement,
Safety,
Vandalism,
Windshield
Imagine a scene straight out of an early twentieth century novel. Mostly horses and carts one would presume. The appearance of “horseless carriages” came onto the scene right about that time: automobiles. In those days, motorists were forced to wear goggles to keep debris and weather elements from flying into their eyes. However, in 1919 Henry Ford changed all that by creating the modern day windshield.
Windshields before Ford’s invention were poorly designed, often allowing debris to still obstruct the driver’s view. Even worse, the auto glass used for windshields was made of regular plate glass, so in the case of an accident, the windshields would break into large pieces, possibly seriously injuring or stabbing the motorist or passengers. Also with this type of glass, a windshield repair was virtually impossible and a full replacement glass, comprised of the same material, would have the same problems.
Ford found a solution by using laminated glass. At the time it was an innovative technology in which windshields now had two layers of glass held together by a cellulose inner layer. And since then the windshield industry changed forever, creating ever more advanced forms of automobile glass. Today your windshield might support a heads up display (HUD), rain sensor, GPS, and more.
Today, we are able to fix a simple chip or ding or an extensive auto glass or windshield repair. With the click of a mouse, you can set up an appointment today right here at your trusted glass repair source, TeleGlass.com.
Read more from
Blog Admin.
The Blog Administrator of Seeing Clearly. More of a collective intelligence than an actual person, the personification of a company that facilitates twentyfive thousand glass repairs every year. Find TeleGlass on
Twitpic or on Twitter:
@TeleGlass.
Tagged as:
Auto Glass,
Repair,
Windshield
You’ve taken all the right steps, had that nagging windshield repair or auto glass repair finally fixed. Or maybe bought new tires. Either way, you are ready to sell your car. Maybe you want to display your beloved automobile out on your front lawn so drivers and pedestrians alike can see. Then you realize that you need to advertise the price and who to call. What did those other sellers use to write on their auto glass?
An old-fashioned method is to use shoe polish, or soap – the latter not the best alternative in a rain shower or snow. Instead, nowadays, the popular method of choice for writing on your windshield is window chalk (or sometimes called glass chalk). The window chalk resembles a fat marker pen and is often used on glass storefronts as well as auto glass. It is washable and tends not to stain clothes or fabrics, and you can easily find a nontoxic brand. By squeezing out a little bit, you can control the amount as you write. Additionally, there is virtually no preparation and to clean your automobile glass, simply wash with soap and water. To purchase window chalk, go to the crayon aisle of your nearest super store, or buy online.
At TeleGlass we are happy to provide tips to keep your glass clean and free of any cracks that may result in full replacement auto glass. But if you do experience any damage, feel free to check out our auto glass repair services at TeleGlass.com.
Read more from
Blog Admin.
The Blog Administrator of Seeing Clearly. More of a collective intelligence than an actual person, the personification of a company that facilitates twentyfive thousand glass repairs every year. Find TeleGlass on
Twitpic or on Twitter:
@TeleGlass.
Tagged as:
Auto Glass,
Repair,
Replacement
Fuzzy dice, all the rage in the seventies and early eighties, were once the pinnacle of the rearview mirror decoration. Dangling right in front of your windshield, rearview mirror décor may be an obstruction of automobile safety, according to some. In fact, in many states, you will receive either a fine or ticket for them.
Still, the decorations remain popular to this day, evolving from the fuzzy dice to all types of ornaments. The younger generation seems to favor graduation tassels, necklaces and pendants to small ethnic flags and silver and gold crosses. To make their windshields more unique, others prefer Native American dream catchers and crystals to the more pragmatic choices for auto glass decoration: parking permits and air fresheners. It seems that whatever is hanging in front of your automobile glass makes a statement about you.
We want you to know that TeleGlass is here for you. Especially in those cases where your ornaments have been separated from the rearview mirror – due to a broken windshield. No matter who you are, here at TeleGlass we embrace all ornaments and are happy to do any kind of windshield repair or auto glass repair. We provide top notch services whether you are a recent graduate or crystal-loving earth mother. Our glass repair services, including replacement glass, are available to you with just the click of a mouse at TeleGlass.com.
Photo credit: twodolla/ on Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Read more from
Blog Admin.
The Blog Administrator of Seeing Clearly. More of a collective intelligence than an actual person, the personification of a company that facilitates twentyfive thousand glass repairs every year. Find TeleGlass on
Twitpic or on Twitter:
@TeleGlass.
Tagged as:
Auto Glass,
Repair,
Replacement
