What should a customer do when filing an auto glass insurance claim?

Hey folks! This is Patrick from Chip Happens Auto Glass.

Welcome to another Q&A session where I answer questions from y'all on the internet.

Today's question is:

"What should a customer do when filing an auto glass insurance claim?"

Summary:

Patrick lays out the steps for filing an auto glass insurance claim, emphasizing that the process should begin with the shop rather than the insurer. First, the customer contacts their preferred glass shop to confirm it accepts their insurance and can perform the work under that insurer's terms. Next, the customer calls their insurance company and reports that they have an appointment with that shop. The insurer locates the shop in its database and sends an authorization form, which the glass company accepts. The customer then schedules the appointment and pays only their deductible. After that, the glass company bills the insurer directly for the remaining balance, so the customer's financial responsibility is limited to the deductible.

Answer:

As a customer filing an autoglass insurance claim, the first thing you'd want to do is reach out to the shop you have in mind and make sure they accept your insurance and are able to do the job under that insurance agency's terms. Then you'd call your insurance company and tell them you have an appointment with that shop. The insurer will find the shop in their database and send over an authorization form that the windshield company will accept. From there, you set your appointment and pay your deductible -- that's your part of the deal -- and then the glass company goes after your insurance for the rest of the amount owed. So the process really starts with the shop, not the insurer: confirm they take your coverage, then loop in your insurance so the authorization and billing are handled directly between the shop and the company, leaving you responsible only for the deductible.