My .02 of what this industry could use

Booms · August 18, 2015

That's cool. :cool

Just defending my choices. It's all good. :boogie

Tint Eastwood · August 18, 2015

I have seen you post on this many times Tom, glad to see a topic on it. :thumb

Coming up on almost ten years in the industry and I really don't know what to make of it. It has the potential to be so much bigger, but it also seems to contain this antimatter, so to speak, that could be even more threatening than what the economic landscape could hold.

My fears of the future do not lie in the glazing industry and their higher performing glass, they lie in a nearsighted stagnant industry that is simply not progressing and staying relevant with the times; as a whole. I think our own worst enemy is simply us. This is an easy in and easy out business, we've all seen it. Few hundred dollars and you are a window tinter, no experience necessary, just maybe some youtube videos. That will not always attract the best crowd, plain and simple. :dunno

You will always have a bunch of yahoos that are flowing in and out of the door. One thing is for sure, they leave the trash inside and there is nobody in charge of cleaning it up. So this "filth" or bad reputation becomes synonymous with those that choose to stay. Naturally it doesn't help there is almost no PR or publicity for our products. What we do have out there I would be willing to bet would be outdated, misrepresenting or very brand specific.

I remember a couple months back my wife showing me a discussion on a local FB group. There was a woman who had troubles with getting her car inspected due to tint. She was asking for advice on what to do next. Being a fairly popular group with about 17,000 followers there were a lot of replies to her problem and opinions on the tint industry as a whole. From what I saw the general consensus was that tint shops operate in the shadowy back alleys of the business world, Right down from the used car lots, check cashing joints and pawn shops. There was no validation that it was actually an industry rather then an impulse product offered by obscure businesses like; check cashing joints :lol , cell phone stores, budget/uhaul truck rental or just some guy camped in a parking lot. Many were also quick to point out that shady folks tend to run these establishments as well as their ignorance or lack of regard for the tint laws.

I'm not saying that is exactly what everyone thinks or that it represents our entire industry, but it sure was interesting to get a clue of what it's like looking from the outside-in. We have a lot of cleaning up to do if we expect to get the respect that is necessary to grow, evolve and stay relevant with the times. Maybe it's time to shed the "lowrider" image that has cloaked this industry and all manufacturers/distributors take the lead in this to validate what we do. Selling film off to anyone with a credit card may help their bottom line but I feel it has and will continue to lower the ceiling for all of us.

What does our industry need? My opinion would be the constant theme of this post: validation. Unfortunately, the only way I see that playing out is from the top down. I seriously doubt you will hear cries from dealers for more regulation, even if that's what we truly need. :twocents

jj · August 18, 2015

I have seen you post on this many times Tom, glad to see a topic on it.

Coming up on almost ten years in the industry and I really don't know what to make of it. It has the potential to be so much bigger, but it also seems to contain this antimatter, so to speak, that could be even more threatening than what the economic landscape could hold.

My fears of the future do not lie in the glazing industry and their higher performing glass, they lie in a nearsighted stagnant industry that is simply not progressing and staying relevant with the times; as a whole. I think our own worst enemy is simply us. This is an easy in and easy out business, we've all seen it. Few hundred dollars and you are a window tinter, no experience necessary, just maybe some youtube videos. That will not always attract the best crowd, plain and simple.

You will always have a bunch of yahoos that are flowing in and out of the door. One thing is for sure, they leave the trash inside and there is nobody in charge of cleaning it up. So this "filth" or bad reputation becomes synonymous with those that choose to stay. Naturally it doesn't help there is almost no PR or publicity for our products. What we do have out there I would be willing to bet would be outdated, misrepresenting or very brand specific.

I remember a couple months back my wife showing me a discussion on a local FB group. There was a woman who had troubles with getting her car inspected due to tint. She was asking for advice on what to do next. Being a fairly popular group with about 17,000 followers there were a lot of replies to her problem and opinions on the tint industry as a whole. From what I saw the general consensus was that tint shops operate in the shadowy back alleys of the business world, Right down from the used car lots, check cashing joints and pawn shops. There was no validation that it was actually an industry rather then an impulse product offered by obscure businesses like; check cashing joints , cell phone stores, budget/uhaul truck rental or just some guy camped in a parking lot. Many were also quick to point out that shady folks tend to run these establishments as well as their ignorance or lack of regard for the tint laws.

I'm not saying that is exactly what everyone thinks or that it represents our entire industry, but it sure was interesting to get a clue of what it's like looking from the outside-in. We have a lot of cleaning up to do if we expect to get the respect that is necessary to grow, evolve and stay relevant with the times. Maybe it's time to shed the "lowrider" image that has cloaked this industry and all manufacturers/distributors take the lead in this to validate what we do. Selling film off to anyone with a credit card may help their bottom line but I feel it has and will continue to lower the ceiling for all of us.

What does our industry need? My opinion would be the constant theme of this post: validation. Unfortunately, the only way I see that playing out is from the top down. I seriously doubt you will hear cries from dealers for more regulation, even if that's what we truly need.

Great post Eastwood!

TomTint · August 18, 2015

I have seen you post on this many times Tom, glad to see a topic on it.

Coming up on almost ten years in the industry and I really don't know what to make of it. It has the potential to be so much bigger, but it also seems to contain this antimatter, so to speak, that could be even more threatening than what the economic landscape could hold.

My fears of the future do not lie in the glazing industry and their higher performing glass, they lie in a nearsighted stagnant industry that is simply not progressing and staying relevant with the times; as a whole. I think our own worst enemy is simply us. This is an easy in and easy out business, we've all seen it. Few hundred dollars and you are a window tinter, no experience necessary, just maybe some youtube videos. That will not always attract the best crowd, plain and simple.

You will always have a bunch of yahoos that are flowing in and out of the door. One thing is for sure, they leave the trash inside and there is nobody in charge of cleaning it up. So this "filth" or bad reputation becomes synonymous with those that choose to stay. Naturally it doesn't help there is almost no PR or publicity for our products. What we do have out there I would be willing to bet would be outdated, misrepresenting or very brand specific.

I remember a couple months back my wife showing me a discussion on a local FB group. There was a woman who had troubles with getting her car inspected due to tint. She was asking for advice on what to do next. Being a fairly popular group with about 17,000 followers there were a lot of replies to her problem and opinions on the tint industry as a whole. From what I saw the general consensus was that tint shops operate in the shadowy back alleys of the business world, Right down from the used car lots, check cashing joints and pawn shops. There was no validation that it was actually an industry rather then an impulse product offered by obscure businesses like; check cashing joints , cell phone stores, budget/uhaul truck rental or just some guy camped in a parking lot. Many were also quick to point out that shady folks tend to run these establishments as well as their ignorance or lack of regard for the tint laws.

I'm not saying that is exactly what everyone thinks or that it represents our entire industry, but it sure was interesting to get a clue of what it's like looking from the outside-in. We have a lot of cleaning up to do if we expect to get the respect that is necessary to grow, evolve and stay relevant with the times. Maybe it's time to shed the "lowrider" image that has cloaked this industry and all manufacturers/distributors take the lead in this to validate what we do. Selling film off to anyone with a credit card may help their bottom line but I feel it has and will continue to lower the ceiling for all of us.

What does our industry need? My opinion would be the constant theme of this post: validation. Unfortunately, the only way I see that playing out is from the top down. I seriously doubt you will hear cries from dealers for more regulation, even if that's what we truly need.

IMO, that was a outstanding post TE. Although I have multiple thoughts floating around my head, I have always has a problem transferring them into dialog. Your post is much of what I could not figure out how to say.

WearTheFoxHat · August 19, 2015

:yeah

Booms · August 19, 2015

Great Post Eastwood. :cool

WearTheFoxHat · August 19, 2015

Give ole Eastwood a +1 down on the right

Tint Eastwood · August 19, 2015

I guess Fox is my "Rep Pimp." :lol :thumb

Booms · August 19, 2015

:spit

Tint Eastwood · August 20, 2015

I've had a couple glasses of wine.......so I'll ask the question... :spit

Who should police our industry.......Us (the dealers) or them (manufacturers/distributors) ??? What would it realistically take to clean up the image and promote the products, while they are still viable?