Approximately 35 people from across the Northeast attended the session.
The Auto Glass Safety Council (AGSC) hosted an Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) recalibration event recently at Sullivan Tire and Auto Service, located in North Attleborough, Mass., of which attendees said was a hit. Roughly 35 people were in attendance from six states along the Northeast.
“It was a unique evening for those in the auto glass business. This was a great opportunity to get some of the folks who have questions on recalibration together to spread awareness not just about recalibration, but also the AGSC,” said Jeff Martineau, Clarity Sales Associates.
“It was good to see that many people come out to the event. It’s promising that this many people realize that they have to do something [about recalibration],” said Chuck Dowling, Mygrant Glass Northeast region account manager.
“We had a great turnout with lots of positive feedback. The attendance was a good mix of small and large independent shops, with owners and customer service representatives (CSR),” said Peter Brown, president of Tiny and Sons Auto Glass located in Pembroke, Mass.
Educational Need
“I think it was great for people to come out and see it [vehicle recalibration] being done in person that didn’t really know too much about it, but who were interested in learning,” Dowling said. “They’re definitely needed [events like this].”
“Right at the beginning it was clear that there was a lot of demand from people that are trying to figure out what it means to be an auto glass professional in the age of recalibration,” said Martineau.
Combating Myths
“There’s a lot of myths out there, like ‘if you don’t unplug it you’re fine’. Our event shared why it’s important to have the correct knowledge,” said Martineau.
“I think those who attended were very responsive to the information we were giving, and it was nice to see so many eager to learn,” said Jon Dickerman, Sullivan Tire and Auto Service mobile diagnostic technician. “Our standard operating procedure is we perform a pre-test drive and pre-scan of the vehicle, then perform the windshield replacement, and finish with a post-scan.”
Wise Investments
The importance of performing a pre-inspection of the vehicle prior to replacing its windshield was also stressed during the recalibration event. Dowling mentioned the need for investing in a tablet that allows technicians to perform pre-inspection scans, “especially if you’re not going to invest in all of the equipment at first.”
A pre-inspection was also demonstrated on a sedan, which resulted in 66 fault codes from the vehicle, according to Dowling. “What can happen is you replace a windshield for a customer and they come back to you saying their radio doesn’t work or something, because it always comes up. But having a tablet that shows you everything that’s wrong with their vehicle is crucial. You should show the customer, too, so they’re aware of what could be wrong with their vehicle prior to their [windshield] replacement,” Dowling added.
Final Thoughts
“I was super impressed with the glass industry as a whole, because they’re serious about learning and embracing what seems to be a pretty good curveball that’s being thrown at them with the ADAS recalibrations,” said Dickerman.
“As a member of the AGSC it couldn’t be more important for the small shops to attend an event like this. I find those with one or two-man shops are wearing a lot of hats. They’re busy doing the work every day and have to be responsible for knowing industry trends. But the AGSC allows additional members who will be on their team,” said Martineau.
“One of the big takeaways for me is that we need more grassroots’ open houses like this where small shops can see there’s an alternative,” said Brown.