This is a story about what happens when a body shop does the right thing. It’s a story about good triumphing over evil. And it’s a story about the power of social media.
On June 13, a customer pulled into Collision Masters body shop in Buffalo, N.Y. Owner Frank Todaro continues the story in a Facebook post.
“Customer pulls into the shop today and literally hear crickets when all the air tools and employees stopped and shook their head in disgust on what they saw,” Todaro says in his Facebook post. “This unfortunate customer had racist remarks with spray paint all over the vehicle.”
When Todaro saw the racist remarks on the truck, he told the driver: “You are not leaving until I fix this.”
“Literally my guys dropped everything and attacked this truck like a pit crew and got the job done,” Todaro explains. “I told the owner of the vehicle this one’s on me, and I wanted him to know that Buffalonians will never stand for this! Great job and many thanks to the team at Collision Masters.”
The story doesn’t end there.
As of today, Todaro’s Facebook post has received 209,000 “likes,” more than 65,000 shares and more than 10,000 comments. Among the comments:
- “Not only did you repair the vehicle damages … you and your team repaired the truck owner’s spirit.” – Tamara Lalande
- “Great job by the owner and his employees. Shows that after something so despicable, there are great people in this world!” – Erick Stott
- “God bless you and may your business prosper.” – Veronica Walden
Since the incident, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown visited Collision Masters – declaring June 15 as Collision Masters “Neighbors Standing Together Day” – and numerous local and national media outlets have covered the story.
It’s safe to say that the staff at Collision Masters wasn’t looking for publicity when the driver brought in his graffiti-damaged vehicle. But the body shop made the best of a bad situation, and has used it to spread a positive message that’s been embraced nationwide.
