A QUICK SQUIRT AND BANG! (Autoglass)

Member Name: Richada

Product:	Autoglass
Date:	21/03/09 (420 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reliable. Quick. Polite. Efficient.

Disadvantages: Seen rather too much of them recently!

This, in a sense, is an odd consumer review; usually we choose who to buy products and services from - in this case, on three separate occasions, I actually had little or no say in the matter.

Under any circumstances I can only image glass replacement - especially on a car - as falling into the category of a "panic purchase". In that respect, this review may offer certain comfort for those, like I, who are placed into the hands of Autoglass through their insurance company, in our case that being via a fleet policy with Zurich.

As far as I understand the situation, you do not HAVE to deal with the glass replacement company that your insurer recommends, however, in not doing so you are considerably delaying the repair as authorisation is sought for payment from the insurers. Using their nominated repairer, in this case Autoglass, makes the whole process as stress free and quick as possible, I can only however hope that my experiences with this company are representative nationwide.


WHO ARE AUTOGLASS, WHAT DO THEY DO?

Not wishing to patronise at all here, and I suspect probably around 75% of you reading this will at least have heard of Autoglass, Autoglass are what it says on the side of their vans - a car glass repair and replacement outfit. They also carry out associated and glass connected tasks such as fitting sun roofs, this however is a very minor string to their bow.

According to their website: "Autoglass® is the UK's leading vehicle glass repair and replacement company, serving more than 1.5 million motorists each year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year".
This is a very well established company in the car replacement glass industry; there are 109 branches across the UK and a total number of 1200 mobile fitters. I am not quite sure how big "our area" (Brighton & Hove) actually is, but I was surprised when the fitter who dealt with my windscreen last week informed me that there were 8 fitters working in this area alone.

Rather than go into great further detail about this company, their fitters training (they operate the only UK automotive glass fitting National Skills centre), their glass quality (all OEM - original equipment manufacturers), I will refer you to their website at www.autoglass.co.uk.

Autoglass' philosophy towards glass replacement as far as I am concerned is spot on - they do not replace windscreens that can be repaired, their policy is always to repair first, which in my case was exactly the course of action taken.


WHAT BROUGHT ME INTO CONTACT WITH AUTOGLASS?

My experiences with Autoglass really actually only flesh out the paragraphs above, however, there is no substitute for personal experience......

......wind the clock back to September 2008.

Two days after collecting our new Subaru Legacy in September, we were driving on a main dual carriageway when there was a loud bang as a stone thrown up from another vehicle struck our windscreen just above the passenger side windscreen wiper.

Our brand new pride and joy, with less than 100 miles on the clock, had a nasty chip in its windscreen with two small cracks spreading from it. I called my insurance broker the following morning to ask who Zurich's nominated glass repairer was. He told me to contact Autoglass, providing me with their national contact number - 0844 875 2490. They would, he told me, take care of the whole claim and that I would not have to contact Zurich for authorisation on the claim.

Incidentally, Autoglass are authorised to carry out repairs up to the cost of £1000, beyond that insurance company authorisation is required.

I called Autoglass and made an appointment for a technician (I refer to them as fitters!) to visit my workplace in order to repair my windscreen. When booking the repair, the operator asks if the chip is bigger than the diameter of a 5p piece and / or if the chip is within 6cm of the edge of the windscreen. If the answer to either is yes then a repair is not possible - you require a full windscreen replacement.

The operator informed me that the "technician" would be there between 9.00am and midday. She also took both my work and mobile telephone numbers, in order that the fitter could call to confirm that the car was available, prior to attending. In the event he called me at 8.40 to ask if he could come a little early.


THE MAN WITH THE VAN AND SOME IMPRESSIVE TOOLS!

Another mobile call to inform me that he was on site and had found my car. I went out to the car park to discuss a mix-up with regards to the paperwork, in this case the VAT payment, I should explain......

......If you have this work done as a private individual, Auoglass will not take a penny from you for a chip repair. Neither will it affect your precious no-claims bonus. However if, like mine, your vehicle is owned by a VAT registered company, then you have to hand over payment for the VAT - the insurance company picking up the bill for the actual work.

In September this was more of a problem as the glass fitter himself had to take payment, then seek authorisation for the work - I am pleased to tell you that now all this is pre-authorised by credit card over the phone when you make the appointment - the fitter can turn up and simply get on with the job.

Back in September, apart from the phone calls, the chip replacement really was a very painless fifteen minute job.

Many years ago I had a similar repair done on a Vauxhall Cavalier. That was less than successful, a small lump was left on the screen and the chip was no less visible than before the repair was carried out. In short, I had wished that the screen had been replaced. The company that actually did that repair was Silver Shield, the Autoglass repair turned out to be altogether more satisfactory.


THE CHIP REPAIR

Before carrying out the work, the fitter explains that there is no guarantee that the chip will repair rather than actually cracking as resin is injected under pressure. He was confident that with the position of my chip this would not happen, but had to make me aware of the possibility of the screen cracking and requiring a full replacement.

This is a very simple process, the fitter cleans then grids out the chip, attaching, with a rubber sucker, a small mirror on the inside of the screen enabling him to see the chip clearly. Once satisfied that the chip is fully cleaned the impressive resin gun comes out. This is compressor driven - power being taken from the back of the van - not your socket - it injects resin under pressure into the chip. The resin also flows into any cracks spreading from the chip, effectively sealing them. The excess resin is then scraped off with a razor leaving the surface totally flush with the glass.

Even with the fitter still on site, I was impressed with the quality of the repair. I knew where to look for it, but anyone else getting into the car would never have spotted the chip that had now been repaired. He did tell me that over the coming three or four days the chip would actually become less visible as the resin set hard. That was entirely true and after a week I was even myself unaware of what had previously been a very visible scar on my windscreen.

The fitter was polite, good humoured and thoroughly professional. I did however comment that the cost of the chip repair seemed excessive, currently £69.95+VAT, for fifteen minutes work. His opinion was that the actual cost of doing this should be no more than about £20, but that the insurance companies were happy to pay it instead of the cost of a full windscreen replacement......

......read on, dear reader......


THE BIG BANG - I'LL SPARE YOU THE THEORY!

There we were last Monday, less than six months later, and splat! Driving down the A1M something hit the screen sounding like a large squashy fly rather than a stone. My wife and I were both amazed to see a large chip, with three small cracks radiating from it. This time it was above my head on the drivers' side, just to the right of the rear view mirror.

Now knowing the routine - and cursing my luck, only once in the previous twenty eight years and now twice in six months - I called Autoglass.

Same routine, different fitter, only this time a totally different outcome!

On this occasion I had an appointment for between 1.00 and 3.00pm. I was at home for lunch at 12.30 and the fitter rang to ask if he could do the job now, I had to delay him until my return to work at 1.00pm. When he arrived I told him that I had had a repair done six months ago: "oh well you know the routine then, I'll give you a call when I'm finished" he said.

Five minutes later my mobile rang; "I think you had better come out, there's a bit of a problem......"

There was now a huge crack from the top of the windscreen going more than half way down towards the passenger side. The fitter said that in all his years of doing these repairs he had never had a 'screen "explode" the way mine just had.


"YOU'LL BE NEEDING A NEW SCREEN IN THERE!"

"Yes, I will, and the sooner the better!" He did tell me that the car was safe enough to drive like this and that the screen (being laminated) would not "come in on me". Very reassuring, but I had a broken windscreen and my Legacy Saloon is a very rare car indeed.

Asking the fitter what would happen next, he told me that the local Autoglass branch (Brighton) would call me to make an appointment to have the replacement screen fitted. You may well imagine my surprise when a young lady called me five minutes later to say that they would be up to fit the new windscreen between 2.00 and 4.00pm the following afternoon.

Yes, I was impressed! I did have the presence of mind to enquire if they had the correct windscreen with a heater element in it, she reassured me that it was an original screen for my car.


A CRACKING GOOD SHOW! HOW DO THEY DO THAT?

Another day another Autoglass fitter. This time I am having 'the full monty', a new windscreen fitted!

This time the fitter rang to say that he was in the area and could he come at 11.00am rather than the appointed afternoon time. I was more than happy to get it done before lunch, knowing that the car could not be driven for an hour after the replacement anyway.

Before starting, the fitter has to inspect the car very carefully with the owner for any existing chips or damage. He was extremely thorough indeed; spotting two tiny stone chips which I was not aware were there. All paint chips or marks are noted on the order form which the fitter brought with him and I am requested to sign the form stating that I have inspected the vehicle with him and authorise the replacement to be done.

The fitter informed me that the job would take about an hour and I asked if he minded my watching him do this as I had never had a windscreen replacement carried out and was curious to see how it is done. It was a bright, sunny day and he actually seemed happy enough to have my company.

Unfortunately I did not have a proper camera with me, so progress was documented on my mobile phone camera - just this once it came in handy!

What followed was, for me at least, 90 minutes of sheer fascination, I simply had no idea that fitting windscreens was such a skilled, or technical job.


OUT WITH THE OLD......

.....well maybe not so old, but it certainly had a mighty big crack in it!

Before removing the windscreen quite a lot of stripping down has to take place under the bonnet and inside the car. The windscreen wiper arms have to be removed and then all of the plastic and rubber mouldings at the bottom of the screen. Once done, the rubber sealing strip around the screen is removed.

The windscreen is taken out by using a large cheese wire cutter in order to split the seal from the glass to the bodywork. This is not a fast process, large rubber suckers are attached to the inside of the screen, a flat knife put through the bottom of it enabling the cheese wire to be connected to winding gear both outside and inside the screen. The wire is then manually wound right the way around the screen until it is no longer bonded into the car. Traditional glazing suckers are then attached to the outside of the windscreen allowing it to be lifted clear of the car.

Further careful preparation takes place before the new screen can be offered up prior to fitting. All of the previous black sealing compound is carefully scraped away with a razor leaving a good bonding surface for the new windscreen.

......AND IN WITH THE NEW

With the damaged windscreen stowed in the back of the Autoglass van, the new one can now be fitted. Since arriving on site, it has been sitting face down on a trestle stand in front of the car - presumably to equalise the temperature. A coat of bonding material is applied both to the windscreen and frame on the car, this before a large electrically powered gun comes out to apply a good beading of the same material to the windscreen frame on the car. Before removing the screen from the trestle a new rubber trim seal is pressed into place around it, the old one having been discarded with the windscreen.

A large suction pad with an arm attached is placed on the passenger side door glass and a similar unit on the new screen. This allows the fitter to single-handedly swing the windscreen into position on the car. Once he has pressed it into place all the way around, ensuring a consistent fit, all the disassembled parts can be replaced onto the car - including, obviously, the rear view mirror from the old windscreen.

Once done the fitter asks me for the keys so that he can make sure that the windscreen wipers work properly, which they do. Finally I am asked to inspect the car to make sure that there is no damage at all and that everything works and fits as it should. I then have to sign the bottom of the form to say that the work has been carried out to my satisfaction.


AFTER THE SHOW IS OVER

A hanger is left over the rear view mirror with some important information. This refers to the setting of the adhesive. It states that:

1) the car should not be driven for an hour after the installation is completed, the fitter also writes in a time before which the car should not be driven.
2) After installation you should not press upon or push the windscreen.
3) You should not take the car through a car wash for at least 24 hours.

Before starting work the fitter had also handed me a customer satisfaction form, which I gladly filled in and handed back to him before he left.


THE COST

The work that I have had carried out by Autoglass, on both occasions, has been covered by our fleet insurance policy. However, a warning here to anyone who does not have glass cover included in their motor insurance policy - GET IT!

Windscreens in modern cars are very expensive! The total cost of the replacement screen on my 2009 model Subaru Legacy was £738.45 including VAT.


THANKS AUTOGLASS, I CAN SEE IT ALL CLEARLY NOW

Panic purchase or not, an expensive insurance claim or not, I can only say that in my three separated dealings with Autoglass over the last six months I have been very impressed with their level of service and professionalism. Compared to so many companies connected to the motor trade, in my experience at least, this appears to be one company who know how to treat their customers. They do what they say they will, when they say that they will do it. If all of our experiences in the motor trade were as painless as this, then running a car would be a more pleasurable experience all round.


CONTACT:

Telephone: 0844 875 2490

www.autoglass.co.uk

Richada / Dooyoo - March 2009

Summary: A fault free service, which hopefully you will not be paying for!