ex 3M dealer still a fan

TintJunkie · March 17, 2011

again doing a lot of extra stuff to try and steer them away from 3M. if you had it to begin with you could just say "i can do it for ______, and i have an appointment available as close as _____"
i sell 3M to a lot of clients who ask for it. those that dont normally make the choice of our other film strictly because of price and that the warranty of other films i feel is superior than 3M. if the warranty process was the same for 3M as other manu's id sell a lot more of it. but when poeple ask me about which one i would prefer i tell them the truth. but i dont ever bad mouth another dealer or another film. and this goes for auto and flat glass.

in every other type of business you would automatically think, "hey people like this brand, ill carry it" but for some reason idk why people here want to not sell it.

if you had a stereo shop would you sell pioneer and sony? even if you dont like the brands you should still at least carry it.

I may reconsider IF people were asking for it here. The market is already saturated with 3M. You have a good arguement, however, Im not doing anything "extra" to convince someone 3M is inferior to mine. Im also not bashing any dealers, nor am I bashing a film. I dont go up against 3M too often, but there are times when someone asks me to compare films...so I do.

My entire arguement has nothing to do with why Im not offering 3M. Im just asking for a 3M dealer to acknowledge the inconsistancies with the product. As all these threads go, that will never happen. Critcism doesnt have to be one way.

VIP tint + glass · March 17, 2011

all im really saying is why would you not want to offer it. residential is pretty tanked here. we rely mostly on auto anf commercial work. and on a lot of commercial work 3M is spec'd.

the general public knows 3M. so when they see all the others brand that they know they automatically ask about the 3M first. i would love it to be a different brand cuz i can slang other films for even more. i dont wanna use crystalline for certain reasons.

my argument will always be about just the brands. i dont like to get into the actual films because i believe there is a perfect film for every customer and it will always be a different line and brand almost every time. if a certain brand were completely crap, it will likely go out of business on its own regardless of what people on here say.

TintJunkie · March 17, 2011

Yes, 3M is spec'd for many commercial projects, and if that were the case, I would make sure I could get it if I were to bid, thats a no brainer. I wont use it for resi b/c I dont trust the longevity of the film, and I could convince someone looking for 3M to use something else...so there really isnt an issue there aside from possibly not getting a phone call. I dont like Suntek (although I do like the arch films, I just dont like how they will sell to anyone) but I will start selling it again as another option. Madico just doesnt have films people want anymore, and I dont think they ever will...they are falling behind.

Now, IF 3M changed certain things, I would reconsider. I cant consiously sell something I deem misleading.

VIP tint + glass · March 18, 2011

me, i draw a fine line between misleading and supplying. a lot of poeple just straight up want it. like you said if it were spec'd you'd sell it. hey if they ask for it i sell it. and a lot of people ask for it as soon as they see it. now if they ask me my opinion i give it to them. i can honestly tell you that i recommend it for auto. i have it on most of my own cars. but when it comes to res. id rather use my current brand because i dont like the way 3M handles their glass breakage claims. but i have a group of interior designers that tell their clients to call me specifically for it. i dont try and sway them in any direction. the person that has advised them to purchase over 50k in furniture has already closed the deal on 3M

PJF · March 18, 2011

In closing, I do not want to get into a back and forth on this topic, so this is my last post on this thread. I am just trying to get some people to not be so single minded regarding the 3M brand. I know that it is the popular thing to do to bash 3M on this forum, but I encourage you to talk to all legitimate manufacturers and make up your own mind on what product suits you. My advice that I have shared here before is to find a quality product backed by top shelf support and service. It is up to you to determine what product checks those boxes for you in your geographic area of the country.
Good luck everyone. Go out and crush it in 2011! Opportunity is all around us.

Your right, I should have kept my mouth shut. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid.

3MFAN · March 20, 2011

In closing, I do not want to get into a back and forth on this topic, so this is my last post on this thread. I am just trying to get some people to not be so single minded regarding the 3M brand. I know that it is the popular thing to do to bash 3M on this forum, but I encourage you to talk to all legitimate manufacturers and make up your own mind on what product suits you. My advice that I have shared here before is to find a quality product backed by top shelf support and service. It is up to you to determine what product checks those boxes for you in your geographic area of the country.
Good luck everyone. Go out and crush it in 2011! Opportunity is all around us.

Your right, I should have kept my mouth shut. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid.

I just :thumb had to raz you a bit.

EWF · March 21, 2011

I also feel that there is a total of 5 quality manufacturers in this industry.

Hi Patrick,

Very well said.

In fact, it's a testament to the sharing of raw material sources and supply chains. As the saying goes "a rising tide lifts all boats". Improvements to the basic components and raw materials incorporated into today's films have led to improvements and longevity for nearly all the majors.

I have no issues with 3M product quality. It's their marketing I can not figure out.

I repeatedly read on these boards and even on 3M dealer websites that they produce the base polyester incorporated in their films, yet I know if no person who has ever seen or has direct knowledge of the facility that produces this base window film PET. As someone who is well connected in that organization, can you confirm if those claims are true? Whenever I raise the issue on a thread - it goes dead. No person seems willing to speak up and set the record straight.

The other issue involves the "Ultra Film" which is said to be a patented construction incorporating hundreds of layers or "plys". Having visited more than 1 PET film plant, I am absolutely fascinated as to how that might be accomplished. I have searched exhaustively for that patent and still can not find it anywhere.

The patent (if it exists) would disclose how they do it and answer my question. Do you happen to know that patent number?

Regards,

Howard

PJF · March 21, 2011

I repeatedly read on these boards and even on 3M dealer websites that they produce the base polyester incorporated in their films, yet I know if no person who has ever seen or has direct knowledge of the facility that produces this base window film PET. As someone who is well connected in that organization, can you confirm if those claims are true? Whenever I raise the issue on a thread - it goes dead. No person seems willing to speak up and set the record straight.
The other issue involves the "Ultra Film" which is said to be a patented construction incorporating hundreds of layers or "plys". Having visited more than 1 PET film plant, I am absolutely fascinated as to how that might be accomplished. I have searched exhaustively for that patent and still can not find it anywhere.

The patent (if it exists) would disclose how they do it and answer my question. Do you happen to know that patent number?

Regards,

Howard

Howard,

I am not an employee of 3M, so I do not know that I should be the one addressing these issues. My understanding is that 3M does have a patent on the ultra technology and have the ability to produce this base polyester. I feel that I would be overstepping if I said any more than that. With your connections, I am sure that you can speak to someone directly at 3M to get your questions answered with regard to the particulars.

EWF · March 21, 2011

Howard,
I am not an employee of 3M, so I do not know that I should be the one addressing these issues. My understanding is that 3M does have a patent on the ultra technology and have the ability to produce this base polyester. I feel that I would be overstepping if I said any more than that. With your connections, I am sure that you can speak to someone directly at 3M to get your questions answered with regard to the particulars.

Hi Patric,

Thanks for your honest and candid answer. I thought some how you might know.

I have yet to come across anyone with these answers. I have written directly to 3M but to no avail.

I find it very noteworthy that every time I bring it up on these boards, not a single 3Mer chimes in and provides the answers. If this thread follows suit, it will just "go dead" without someone providing the location of the PET plant (those are kind of hard to hide) and the patent number for the Ultra film.

-Howard