CRACKING THE CODE

WHEN IT COMES TO GLASS, TRANSPARENCY IS EVERYTHING

It’s clear that bringing auto glass repair and replacement services into a collision business is no easy task. The question remaining is: is it worth it?

Even among those businesses that have invested in glass replacement services, the service itself is often considered to be a loss-leader—a service offered purely to bring in customers, not to generate profit. Still, the majority of cutting-edge repair facilities now provide glass replacement services, while many smaller facilities rely on third-party providers.

Over the years, however, OEMs have been making a push for more repairer involvement in the auto glass sector—especially when it comes to work being done on ADASequipped vehicles—which now makes up 15 percent of the vehicles on Canada’s roads. In these vehicles, the installation of auto glass can have an impact on the position of sensors—something third-party providers are not necessarily equipped to prevent. Only a small percentage of Canadian drivers are aware of the risks posed by careless auto glass replacements, but that number is quickly growing thanks to several high-profile incidents on highways.

As more lane assist technology arrives on roads, more stories are likely to appear. Whether the business case for offering inhouse glass services appears transparent or not, a look through the products and services offered in the next section should help you shatter your preconceptions.