Most glass companies still send someone out to look at every project before quoting it. That’s a truck, a tech, an hour of drive time, an hour of measuring — for every single quote. The customer waits. The company absorbs the cost. Everyone loses.
A few years ago, we stopped doing it that way. Here’s why we made the switch and how it changes the experience for our customers.
The Old Way: Schedule, Wait, Truck Roll
The traditional glass quote process looks like this. You call the company. Someone schedules an appointment, usually 2-5 business days out. You take time off work or wait around the house. A technician shows up, measures, and tells you they’ll “get back to you with a quote.” A day or two later (if you’re lucky), you get a quote.
That’s a week of your life for a project that might be a 200-dollar shower door or a 5,000-dollar frameless install. And for the glass company, every quote that doesn’t close is dead overhead — they paid a tech to drive across town for nothing.
The Photo Method
Modern phones take detailed photos. Most glass projects can be accurately quoted from a few clear shots: a wide photo of the space, a closer shot of the area where the glass goes, a photo of any existing hardware or fixtures, and a tape measure or other reference item if helpful.
Send those to us. We respond with what we’d need to finalize the quote — usually a specific measurement or two. You text those back. We sent the quote.
The whole process takes hours, not days. No appointment. No truck. No waiting around.
What This Means for You
A few real differences.
Speed. Quotes that used to take a week now happen the same day. If you texted us a photo this morning, you’ll likely have a number by this afternoon.
Cost. We don’t roll a truck for every quote — which means we don’t have to bake those costs into our pricing. The savings get passed along.
No pressure. You’re not stuck on a sales call with someone in your living room. You text. We quote. You decide on your own schedule.
More accurate quotes. Sounds counterintuitive, but it works. Field measurements after you accept the quote are how we confirm the final numbers anyway. The photo gets you to the right ballpark fast.
Got a glass project? Text a photo to (504) 368-8826 and see how it works. Same-day quotes most of the time.
When We Still Come Out
Some projects do need an in-person look. Complex commercial work, large multi-piece glazing jobs, anything with structural complications — historic storefronts in the French Quarter come to mind, where every detail matters. We’re glad to come out for those. But for the 80% of jobs that don’t need a site visit to quote — skip the appointment.
What If the Photo Isn’t Good Enough?
We’ll tell you. If we can’t quote from what you sent, we’ll ask for more photos or specific information. Worst case, we schedule a visit. But that’s the exception, not the rule.
Ready to Get Started?
Star Glass Inc. serves Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, and the greater New Orleans metro. Reach us any way that works best for you:
Call or text: (504) 368-8826 Email: glass@starglass.com
Visit us: 1000 Westbank Expy, Gretna, LA 70053