This week, I had the pleasure of receiving a note from a loyal reader. His letter voiced a concern that one particular article in a previous issue was too one-sided against insurance companies.
This particular reader is well-versed in our industry. He attended two years of auto body school. He has been a body tech, painter, estimator and general manager at two of the consolidated body shop companies. He has taken I-CAR training and is ASE- and AWS-certified. Plus, he has a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA). No matter how you look at it, he’s a well-versed and educated member of our industry. When I get a letter of this nature, I take it seriously. Our readers and our objectivity are taken very seriously here at BodyShop Business.
The insurance companies versus the body shops is a battle that is only rivaled by the Hatfields and McCoys. I’m not sure it will ever be solved. The reader’s point was that there are always two sides to any story. I completely agree with that statement. Jason, Josh and the entire staff here know that it’s our job to provide you, the reader, with accurate, clear and concise stories that help you navigate the collision repair waters. When you read something in BodyShop Business or any Babcox publication, you can be assured that it has been researched and checked for accurate reporting. We do not speculate or infer things that are not substantiated. Whenever possible, we solicit information from both sides of a particular issue.
Of course, when a particular article is on one side of the issue, it’s confusing to the reader to report or cite countering ideas in that article. However, that’s where the editorial staff steps in and makes sure we cover the other side in an ensuing article. It is that balanced approach overall that makes a publication a good one. Our goal is to be the information source for the collision industry. That is what we’ve done since 1982, and what we plan on doing for a long time to come.
You, our readers, are very valuable to us, and our job is to provide you with the most complete, unbiased information available. You have our commitment to do just that. Thanks for reading and writing.
