About a dozen years ago in my windshield repair systems time, I encountered something interesting on one of my European trips. I always sent product ahead at least a month before my trip to make sure it could be demonstrated at the time of my arrival. Then I checked a week before my departure to make sure that the product was delivered and that it was still there. Taking samples on your business trips overseas never did make any sense and, especially now, as it is nearly impossible to bring them as hand luggage. You don’t want to check your samples either, because of fear your luggage does not arrive when you do.
When sending samples to customers or potential customers and at trade shows, always be sure that the product is in perfect condition. I often have heard the phrase, “Don’t waste good samples on trade shows.” Wrong! Send your best product and make sure that the person who demonstrates the product inspects it in the shipping department before sending it.
One of my stops was Switzerland, a reasonably modern country. We always asked beforehand if there was a vehicle with a chip in the windshield, as usually there are plenty of employees who like to have their windshields fixed for free—but Switzerland must be the exception. At that time, it was probably a shame to drive around with a chipped or cracked windshield. People there just replaced the glass immediately. (Likely this was the reason we were called in to demonstrate repair.)
I was assured, however, that they had a car available. They had secured a “total loss” vehicle and we could not find a square inch of the windshield that was not damaged. The only way to repairable crack was to take our rental car and do a lot of praying that we could first make a decent break and then do an excellent repair. Luckily I had a colleague with me who had done hundreds of repairs in the past.
When we opened the repair kit, we checked that all the parts were there. We nearly finished inspecting everything. I picked up the UV lamp for curing the resin and it felt pretty light. I opened the lamp and found no batteries in it. I personally had put the batteries in the kit and now they were gone.
Our customer saw my puzzled look and told us that he had taken the batteries to test them for a toy he had bought for his son for Christmas and had forgotten to bring them back. He explained that it was very hard to find batteries in Switzerland and that’s why he had borrowed them. Unfortunately, he lived an hour away from work, so picking them up was out of the question. Indeed, it was not easy to find batteries. It took us 45 minutes to find what we needed—after visits to a gas station, a farm equipment company and a hospital store. Of course, after all that, my colleague still completed a perfect repair.
The moral of the story is that it is always a good idea to travel with extra batteries abroad and double the amount during the Christmas season.
Posted in One of the great international events in the fall is the Automechanika in Frankfurt, Germany. It is the leading international event for the automotive sector. It also is the world’s biggest trade fair for the automotive aftermarket with many auto glass suppliers exhibiting. It truly is an event not to be missed.
If you are exhibiting at the event, please contact us with your thoughts and what you are showing. New and innovative product information is always welcome. Please send your e-mails to AGRR magazine editor Penny Stacey at pstacey@glass.com
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I have been traveling all over the world, both professionally and for pleasure. I also have had the privilege of living all over the globe, the last 38 years in the greatest country on earth, the United States of America. Nothing prepared me for what I saw at the Best of Belron in Paris on June 9 and 10. I have seen many competitions, conventions, shows, sporting events, concerts, etc., but nothing like what I saw in Paris. You must have been there to believe it.
The Best of Belron is not only a 27-ring circus; it is a happening “sans pareil.” Belron as we know it in the United States is the parent company of divisions such as Safelite, Auto Glass Specialists and Elite Auto Glass. Worldwide, Belron has a presence in 32 countries on five continents and has brands like Carglass, Auto Glass, Speedy Glass, O’Brien and many more. Belron has more than 24,000 employees, 12,000 of which are technicians. In 2009, 10.7 customers were serviced and every day more than 8,400 windshield are being repaired. The company has more than 1,800 service centers and 8,500 mobile units. The list goes on with incredible numbers, too many to mention. It is so impressive that I have to check my zeros. So far so good.
The company is headed by Gary Lubner. You can’t find a more gracious CEO and cheer leader in any company I know. Time after time, in public and in private conversations, Gary has mentioned that the success of the company is a global effort by everyone and especially by all the technicians. Many employees have been with the company for decades. They must do something right.
Belron now has a system for scheduling and appointment on line, 24/7. As much as possible, the company takes the hassle out of the hands of the customer. Belron also prides itself on Corporate Social Responsibilities and exceptional customer service.
The biannual Best of Belron event took place in La Grande Halle de la Villette, in a beautiful Park in the 19th district in Paris. This park also houses a building called La Géode, a 400-seat 3-D theatre. It is the only 12.1-sound theater in the world, whatever that means. I know that when I put on my 3D safety glasses, I had to duck because I thought that a rock came through my windshield and I was not even watching Avatar. La Géode is a sphere with a screen 36 meters in diameter. The movie we saw was named the “Science of Belron.” I hope this movie will be available in the United States, perhaps on a more modest screen, although the effects may be a little different. The most interesting fact was in my opinion that a bulls-eye or a star break WILL result in a crack sooner or later. Numerous scientists from universities and technical institutes all over the world were consulted. The most impressive was NASA.
In the Grande Halle one also could find an area called “Customer Journey,” a 17-part exhibition about what Belron customer service is about. I could have spent an entire day there, but the final part of the competition started and that was why I was there.
To see 27 identical Audi A4 vehicles with 27 technicians, coaches, judges and in access of 1,000 spectators is a miracle. My hat is off to the competitors who were judged on replacing a backlite, a sidelite and a windshield. They also had to do a repair and were judged on customer service. Each competitor was judged on an incredible 1027 points. What sets this competition apart from doing a job, day after day, is that the competitors had to do their work with people yelling, screaming and encouraging spectators from their own countries, including streamers, cowbells and other noise making gadgets. While watching the U.S. competitor, Mark Jackson from Safelite, who ended second in the competition, I saw someone with a camera leaning on the trunk of the car Mark was working on and snapping pictures. In the meantime there was music all over, people being interviewed on a giant screen and numerous other distractions. These 27 guys were the heroes of the competition. (By the way, bravo, Mark. You were one heck of a competitor and someone with the right attitude.)
Back to Belgium. The winner for the fourth time out of six competitions was from Belgium. The 2010 champion was Benoit Deckers. A good sign for competitors from other countries is that on June 13, elections were held in Belgium and the big winner was a political party wanting to separate the North of Belgium from the South. Although the chance of this happening is slim, maybe there will not be a Belgium any longer and Benoit may be the last competitor representing Belgium.
At the end of the competition, in announcing the winners, Gary Lubner said, “You are all champions. You are all winners. You are champions and you are among the best fitters and technicians in the world. You represent 12,000 technicians in Belron worldwide. You are 27, but there are 12,000 people like you.” (CLICK HERE for related story.)
I can’t see how something like this can be more successful, but I was told “Wait ’til 2012.” I also understand that in six months they will start working on that event.
Tags: Leave it to the Dutch to come up with interesting surveys. Like I do most evenings, before I retire, I read the European newspapers online. (Because of the time difference, I can read them after 11:30 p.m., as most people in Europe get up by that time and read them in the morning.)
One of the leading newspapers in the Netherlands, de Telegraaf, recently mentioned that a Dutch research firm, Marktplaats, surveyed 1,000 people about having sex in a vehicle. Three out of five people surveyed choose to do this in a BMW. The least favorite vehicle is a Toyota, and the people most inclined to participate in this activity live in the North of The Netherlands in Groningen and are males between 21 and 30.
Flirting while standing still in a traffic tie-up also is a popular activity. Twice as many men as women enjoy this hobby. Most of these people like to flirt around the city of Utrecht. Fifty percent of the people interviewed admitted sleeping in their cars once in a while. By far the most comfortable car for that is the Volvo.
I don’t know who paid for this study and what they are going to with it. My conclusion is that it can be advantageous to have a BMW and/or a Volvo depending on what you want to do, and to have a Toyota if you just want to drive around.
Don’t mention any of this if you plan to go to Holland this summer and you rent a car. Let’s keep this a secret.
