News
May 2009
Ray Sands Glass Continues Free Windshield Repair - For Pets
ROCHESTER, N.Y. This season Ray Sands Glass will continue our Free Chip Repair in exchange for charitable donations,benefiting PAWS and Lollypop Farm. Customers can come in and donate as little as five pounds of cat or dog food and get a free windshield repair at either of our Rochester area locations. You can view the specific Wish List of items needed at Lollypop Farm, or PAWS is accepting any type of pet food or litter.
We had such huge success with our winter donation program benefiting the Open Door Mission, and we would like to thank our community for their generosity. We sent over more than 10 truckloads of donations over the last few months, which does a lot to help charities that suffer during economic troubles.
Since our community has overwhelmed us with their kindness in bringing donations when they don't need a repair, we will still be providing a free application of Aquapel to those customers.
Thank you Rochester! We look forward to working together again to help out our furry friends!
February 2009
Ray Sands Glass Is Proud to be The People's Choice
ROCHESTER, N.Y. The local newspaper, Democrat and Chronicle, has held it's annual People's Choice Awards - where people from the community write in their favorites for dozens of categories.
And Ray Sands Glass was elected People's Choice for Glass Repair, for the seventh consecutive year! So we would like to thank all our loyal customers in Rochester and the surrounding communities. It is certainly and honor to be chosen year after year by the people we work hard to serve, and the city that we love.
The customer is always right...Right?
So Thank You Rochester!
November 2008
Families of Fallen Soldiers Host Concert to Benefit Veterans Outreach Center
ROCHESTER, N.Y.—The Gold Star Families of Rochester, those whose loved ones made
the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives for our country, are hosting
Rock Out for Vets, presented by Impact Technologies, a concert event that
will both honor their sons’ memories and raise money for Veterans Outreach
Center, Inc. (VOC), a non-profit organization that provides programs and
services free of charge to veterans and their family members. The concert,
featuring local headliner Uncle Plum, will be held Friday, November 7, 2008, at
Waterstreet Music Hall. This is the second year the Gold Star Families of
Rochester have put on a show of this kind for VOC, and this year promises to be
an even bigger event.
“It’s so wonderful that these Gold Star Families would do this for
us,” said Betsy Ross-Lombardo, Veterans Advocate at VOC. “It is such an
unselfish act—their sons are not returning home, and yet they’re putting this
concert on that will benefit those who do make it home.”
Doors open at 6pm, and the first act will begin around 7pm. There
will be a live auction in between acts, featuring guest auctioneer Brother Wease.
Tickets are $10 and are available at VOC’s STARS & STRIPES The Flag Store, as
well as ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations.
The concert is being sponsored by Impact Technologies, 95.1 The
Fox, Ray Sands Glass, and Rochester Red Wings.
Veterans Outreach Center, a not-for-profit charitable corporation,
has been helping local veterans and their families since 1973. It is the oldest,
community-based veteran outreach effort in the nation. Services include
mental-health and substance-abuse counseling, vocational training and housing
for homeless veterans. For more information about the agency and its programs,
please call 585.546.1081 or visit www.veteransoutreachcenter.org.
Meals on Wheels Sock Hop
The Meals on Wheels Sock Hop will be Saturday, November 15 from 7 pm to midnight. The event features musical entertainment, a dance contest, an auction, food and much more! Tickets are $50 and are available at Ray Sands. Click here for more details.
October 2008
Thanks to All Who Helped with "Strive to Survive"
Ray Sands Glass, and their employees would like to give special thanks and appreciation to all who helped with the STRIVE TO SURVIVE fundraiser for Thomas Hill. With the help of all who donated items for the auctions as well as the time that was donated by all, the fund raiser was a complete success.
Strive to Survive was able to raise 0ver $8000.00 for Tommy and his family, with donations still coming in. Again, this could not have happened if not for the help of our community, and the determination of all who helped.
Tommy will be traveling back and forth to Maryland to receive treatment to help him with his battle. The cancer has spread to his brain, but with much hope and determination Tommy and his family are willing to fight and beat the odds. With this in mind, please keep Tommy and his family in your prayers, and again thank you to all for all your help.
Ray Sands Glass Employees
September 2008
Ray Sands Glass Goes Green
Ray Sands has just installed an energy capacitor in their shop, which regulates all electricity coming in. It stops surges and energy spikes to the system, and will result in a savings of 10-20% a month on electricity. But even more important than the lower electric bill is the fact that it's a green technology. The energy capacitor will protect all electric equipment- computers, copiers, and printers, as well as A/C units and furnaces. Essentially anything with a motor in it will be regulated, and that will result in a longer lifespan for the equipment. Spikes of electricity naturally happen and most appliances can handle it, but with the new capacitor there will be less wear and tear and a longer life, resulting in getting better usage out of the equipment.
July 2008
New York State DMV Releases Tips for Avoiding Auto Repair Problems
ALBANY, New York (July, 2008) - The State of New York DMV released a brochure to inform consumers of their rights as well as some advice on avoiding dishonest repair shops.
By following their tips, many of the most common repair problems can be avoided:
- Deal only with a registered shop. Make sure there's a green and white "Registered State of New York Motor Vehicle Repair Shop" sign outside the shop and a valid New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) registration certificate inside.
- Ask your family, friends and co-workers for advice on reliable repair shops in your area, as well as those you should avoid.
- Keep all records, including estimates, invoices, work orders, receipts, guarantees and warranties. Besides their importance in case you file a repair complaint, these papers serve as your record of service, and could increase your vehicle's resale value.
- If you authorize repair work by phone, write down the date and time, the name of the person you spoke with, any estimated price quoted, and other pertinent details.
- Don't be afraid to ask questions. Management of a shop should take the time to explain required repairs and prices, discuss problems, and tell you about the training and experience of employees.
Unfortunately, people will still have problems with unreliable repair shops. When that happens, you can file a complaint against the shop with the DMV, as long as it is within 90 days or 3,000 miles of the repair - whichever comes first. The DMV then attempts, and often succeeds at, a negotiation between the shop and the consumer. When negotiations aren't successful the DMV send an investigator to resolve the complaint and decide whether or not the shop has violated the Repair Shop Act.
The best course of action to avoid these problems altogether is to follow the tips above and choose a shop carefully, keep your records and discuss all repairs thoroughly with management before consenting to repairs.
June 2008
Continuing Education for Insurers Proves Winning Formula for Ray Sands Glass
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (June 2, 2008) - The Continuing Education Program for PROSTARS and participant glass shops like Ray Sands Glass help to proved one of the most effective tools they have available to them is to help establish, maintain and grow valuable relationships with local insurance agents.
"We're not only keeping the program innovative," as Cheryl Senko, Manager of the CE Program for PPG explains, "we're creating courses that make a lasting impression on insurance agents. 2007 was a stellar year for our program. We saw a 50 percent increase over 2006 in the number of agents that we trained - nearly 10,000 agents enjoyed the benefits of our CE Program."
Twelve courses are now available in 48 states to PROSTARS retailers who are certified CE instructors. Topics include the cornerstone - and recently revised - Automotive Replacement and Repair, as well as Airbags and Safety Systems, Ethics, Hybrid Vehicles and Automotive Theft and Fraud. New course titles for 2008 include:
-Sticking to Safety, the Value of Adhesives in Windshield Safety
-Automotive Glass Replacement Safety Standards (AGRSSTM) for Insurers
-Consider Your Environment: Automotive Green Technologies.
"I welcome the new courses and extensive content," says Dave Burns, co-owner of Ray sands Glass and Certified CE Instructor. "It gives me a unique way to connect with my local insurance agents while I provide them continuing education credits to maintain their active license in the insurance industry."
"We're very excited to see the momentum
that the CE Program generated in 2007," says Jim Richardson, Director of
the Glass Alliance Program. "The value and importance of the CE Program
can be a critical piece in their success," adds
"Establishing and building these relationships can provide an opportunity for Ray Sands Glass to demonstrate expertise and knowledge in the areas of windshield installation and repair," says Burns. "Ultimately, these programs are about educating agents and adjusters. We show them how they can help save the lives of policy holder reducing injuries which keeps insurance costs down. While helping us build relationships and establishes trust in his marketplace."
Established in 1946, Ray Sands Glass is one of the largest
full-service glass replacement providers in
Ray Sands Glass offers complete glass replacement, service
and repairs to the automotive, residential and commercial markets. The company also offers complete window
tinting services for your home, business and automobile needs. Ray Sands Glass is one of the founding
members of PPG ProStars which is a nationwide organization of independent glass
shops guaranteed to provide superior workmanship and customer service backed by
a coast to coast warranty. PPG ProStars
is the largest of its kind in the
About PROSTARS
Introduced in 1999, PROSTARS was developed to help independent glass shop retailers better compete in the marketplace. PROSTARS participants have access to some of the most powerful sales, marketing and business development tools ever built for the auto glass industry. PROST ARS is a nationwide, independent alliance of professional auto glass professionals who back their work with a national warranty.
