It’s Nice to be Back: Now Let’s Brainstorm
By Tara Taffera
My last trip for work took place in February, 2020. I didn’t travel again for business until this past month, when I flew to Orlando for Auto Glass Week 2021. So first, of all: wow, it was nice to be back among people again. Things were pretty much back to normal–besides a few more masks and a few less handshakes. Most importantly, the same industry camaraderie and desire to learn was there.
I was lucky enough to moderate several sessions during the event, and one thing really stood out to me that I want to share with you. And then, once you see what I mean, I want to brainstorm it together, and see what us smart professionals can come up with (email your thoughts to ttaffera@glass.com or call me at 540-602-3260).
I moderated a session with a panel of six experts in the ADAS community with first-hand knowledge of calibration. One theme emerged that needs some serious thought: How do we educate the entire spectrum of auto glass professionals about calibration? The consumers about the importance of calibration after a windshield replacement? The car dealerships? You get where I am going with this. We had hundreds of people in a room, wanting to learn more, but what about the tens of thousands who were back in their
homes and offices? What about the consumer who has no idea this is even necessary, through no fault of their own? There are no answers to that question yet there absolutely needs to be one! The answer could come down collectively to one word—education. If all the auto glass shops out there embarked on awareness campaigns, then consumers would come to be aware of its importance. Just because auto glass shops haven’t done this yet, isn’t their fault. In fact, when they are spending their weekends trying to file claims to get paid for insurance work, it doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to run a full-on public relations campaign.
The same can be true for any industry. Do homeowners know how putting window film on their house can help save on their energy bills? I venture the answer is no.
But, we are here to talk about auto glass, specifically the need for calibration for many vehicles after a windshield replacement. I was blown away by how the industry will continue to change in this regard. I would love to start a real conversation of what we can do as a collective industry. So, once again I ask: Are you in? I hope so: I’ll be waiting to hear from you.
To view the laid-in version of this article in our digital edition, CLICK HERE.
