A Repair of Laminated Auto Glass Standards (ROLAGS™) Committee meeting was held at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina during Auto Glass Week today in Tampa, Fla. Members of the committee met to discuss both subcommittees and old and new business, focusing on marketing efforts.
To start, the committee voted to accept three new members. The motion was seconded and was passed unanimously.
The committee then discussed creating marketing pieces for members, as well as what would be the best way to go about creating and disseminating those materials.
The primary concern was how to effectively showcase the value of the program and how it distinguishes technicians.
According to Keith Beveridge, chair of the ROLAGS Committee, LYNX Services could be an unlikely ally for marketing the standard; the third-party administrator is “talking up” ROLAGS, he said.
Refining the evolving standard’s marketability was another point of concern.
“Whether we like it or not, repair and replacement is joined now,” said Beveridge. “It’s apples and oranges, the difference between the risks for replacement and repair.”
Debra Levy, executive director of the National Windshield Repair Association, which administers the ROLAGS Standard, pointed out that the testing for the program is meant to help improve the quality of technicians, and therefore make them more trusted.
The committee also considered the idea of having a marketing program that touts the reliability of certified technicians who have received a background check and have no felonies.
As a result of the conversation, a motion was passed to try and brand a Trusted Tech program, as well as get a website.
The committee then moved on to news related to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which oversees the process by which the ROLAGS Standard was developed and is maintained.
“We submitted our eighth BS form,” said Levy. “The 45-day comment period has passed with no comments. We now have to submit the ninth BS form and that means we are done on our part with forms to submit.”
Levy added that an audit of policies and procedures may follow.
Modifications submitted with the standard include adjustments to one test, creation of a new test and the addition of a diagram comparing a good repair versus a bad repair.
As for old business, the committee revisited the discussion of adding headlight restoration. Members may receive a survey to decide how effective an add-on/accessories program would be.
The next meeting will be held in February.
Stay tuned to www.glassBYTEs.com™ for the latest coverage from Auto Glass Week 2013 in Tampa.
