Making Lemonade from Lemons

Life is neither a bowl of cherries nor is it a box of chocolates. There are things that come at you in life that make you say “What the …” and I have had one of those weeks.

I do know that to get the most out of life you need to make the most of whatever life has to throw at you. It is important to know that you are in control of your destiny because you are in control of your decisions and actions as well as your reactions. You have probably heard people say that life is more about your reactions rather than your actions. You have the ability to throw a tantrum and get mad at yourself or someone else, possibly throw things or curse and swear to get the frustration out in your power. And you also have the ability to support, praise and thank those people who are making your world a better place to live. What some people do not understand, and I am probably singing to the choir, is that when you throw that tantrum and say those nasty things, you eventually have a much bigger mess to clean up. Or it could be that you have left a mess for others to clean up behind and you certainly do not make friends and influence people that way.

I relate this to the auto glass industry because we all have a choice. We can be part of the problem or we can be part of the solution. As far as I know no one has “THE” solution for the auto glass industry. We have AGRSS pushing their process and they are in the validation stage so that they can statistically state that AGRSS-registered shops are better companies with better employees and better processes. There are national companies, independent companies, local companies, everyone who has training and logos and recognition to show that one glass company is better than another.

I have decided that I too need to join in. I do not have the answers, but I do believe that if we can get enough of us working together then we can move forward. In the glass industry there is a huge giant in front of us called “The Insurance Company,” which many do not want to confront or they believe that they cannot make a difference. Being an AGRSS-registered shop I believe that my shop can provide the safest install with the best processes that ultimately protect my assets. I am part of associations like the IGA and NGA because they have the testing and training and the national recognition for which that insurance company is looking. I also am a member of the Michigan Glass Association mainly for two reasons; the first is so that I can help in the grass roots effort to making auto glass replacement a thing of importance rather than a thing of inconvenience. The second is so that I can be around other like-minded men and women that want to make the auto glass industry a great place to work and a great industry in which to be involved.

Ultimately AGRSS does not mean a thing to getting referrals until the insurance agents are educated as to what AGRSS does for its customers and it is my opinion that it will only get to the insurance agents and insurance company when AGRSS can statistically prove that AGRSS-registered shops are better. Some may call me naive for believing in and supporting AGRSS when it seems nothing else has worked, but it is my belief that there is no other organized effort to legitimatize our industry. Life is good, so let’s stick together.

Many blessings in your endeavors.