Installer Insurance?

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NowYaKnow

Gold - Posts: 1,217

Joined: December 18, 2002

Posted: May 20, 2003 at 5:02 AM / IP Logged

Hey guys. Not sure how many owners we have here, just wondering how you guys handle damages done by installers. Obviously noone purposely messes anything up, but lets face it things happen. For you other installers, does your boss cover you or hand you the bill? Anybody know of any third party installer insurance? Thanks for any info,

esmith69

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Joined: November 26, 2002

Location: United States

Posted: May 20, 2003 at 2:41 PM / IP Logged

I'm at Best Buy and my supervisor usually lets us handle any damage claim, although the company will pay for anything you damage. However, if you do that then you get written up and get a PCR. If you have a lot of damage claims on your record, eventually they will terminate you when you break something again. That's why I have always handled things i've damaged on my own, and gotten the part and done the install/replacement off the clock. But I'v only broken small inexpensive things like plastic dash trim pieces and buttons, etc.; I've never broken something that I wouldn't have been able to pay for out of my own pocket.

Most places, including big chain stores like best buy, have automatic termination rules for severe damages like drilling through basically anything important in the car (gas tank, fuel/brake line). However in those instances they will still pay for the bill, you just lose your job on the spot.

I know some of the local shops make you pay for stuff you break no matter what, even if it's something really expensive that you obviously can't even afford to pay for. They expect you to figure out how to pay for it. I don't think all the local places have insurance, but i could be wrong about that. Jeff and some of the other owners on here should be able to tell you a lil more about that though.

Ethan

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Blazermedic

Copper - Posts: 128

Joined: February 06, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: May 20, 2003 at 5:36 PM / IP Logged

Like esmith, I too work at the Big Blue machine. We handle things in pretty much the same way, except handling small broken parts outside the shop. If we break anything small (like dash clips or door fasteners), we write it up and handle it in the shop only so we are covered by Best Buy's insurance. That's pretty much the only difference between esmith's BB and mine. (Except he has WAY more competition than I do!!)

The things that esmith listed like gas tanks are grounds for immediate termination, like on the spot right then, but the installers rarely have to pay for it out of their own pockets at chain stores.

The private shops I know vary as far as their damage claims go. One shop I know from Chicago will not make their installers pay for any damage they cause, but that is an incredibly profitable store in an affluent suburb. Another store I know of in my state of Iowa will make installers split the cost 50/50 on any repairs. But, if you're repairing a new gas tank, that can still be expensive. Hopefully Jeff, copcarguy, bberman1 and Sean can help us out with a few more business details on how other stores run their insurance.

Cary

IronCy

Copper - Posts: 93

Joined: February 16, 2003

Posted: May 24, 2003 at 4:33 PM / IP Logged

Our shop has installers pay for damages. Installers get paid commission on the type of job they complete, any damages incurred are kicked back to the employee. The shop will pay for the parts but each installer has a damage account, in which the shop deducts a weekly amount to pay towards the balance if there is one. Kinda sucks, but our shop seems to keep busy year round, unlike other retail chains in the area. Guess you gotta take the good with the bad.

-Cy

Pimpin93Cougar

Member - Posts: 11

Joined: May 26, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: May 26, 2003 at 11:50 PM / IP Logged

I was installing a cd changer in an Acura Vigor, and I was friggin' tired. I already had Physics at 9:00, and then Calc. 3 later on, so I wasn't in the right mind. So I was checking wires with a wire tester, and the heat was on, and I accidentally pushed a wire into the a/c controls trying to find an acc. wire. Well, the heat shuts off. I figure, no prob., just turned it off. Well, get it all back together, and it doesn't work. It wasn't a fuse or anything either. At least he was selling the car in a couple months. It was for a friend, so I don't think he was gonna sue me, or anything. I didn't fix it, for just a $150 cd changer that I was installing for free for another friend that was selling it.

Those classes should come with an advisory: "Do not opperate heavy machinery after falling asleep in this class."

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NowYaKnow

Gold - Posts: 1,217

Joined: December 18, 2002

Posted: May 27, 2003 at 9:10 PM / IP Logged

Thanks for all the input on this. I guess I should be happy that my boss is understanding and doesn't have an automatic termination rule. (As long as he likes you..)Guess I'll just get my wallet out and live with it for now!

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Installer Insurance?

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