My wife managed to secure tickets to the musical “Hamilton” last month—not being New Yorkers we had to wait with the rest of flyover country for the show to come around on tour. It’s been before but the luster must’ve finally worn off enough for patrons of our stature to afford seats without having to apply for a second mortgage at the door.
My wife has been dying to see the show and thus I’d already been exposed to the score and seen the film of the production. If you know the show you know one of the standout numbers is, “The Room Where It Happens,” about Aaron Burr’s envious desire that he—and the American public writ large—have more agency in governmental decisions that affect their daily lives. These decisions normally happen behind closed doors.
The song made me think of an experience I had weeks earlier while attending a trade show. I sat in on a panel discussion about strategies for success in a challenging industry. It may not have been the room where the decisions are made, but it was a place of some great discussion.
I of course speak with a lot of shop owners. But I don’t often get to hear them discuss industry issues amongst themselves, and I found it incredibly enlightening. The topic at one point turned to how shops can ease the burden on themselves when dealing with insurance company. Some panelists suggested that in certain cases, it isn’t the shop’s responsibility to fight with the insurance company refusing to pay, it’s the customer’s. They chose the insurer, after all.
The topic was controversial. One shop owner spoke up, asking how he was supposed to tell his loyal customers that they would have to take it up with the insurance company themselves. And I could see both sides. This was an issue I was familiar with but seeing what shop owners thought really brought it to life.
There is a lot of value in discussing things out in the open. You might even learn more if you disagree. I know I’ll be seeking out more opportunities for discussion and debate.
As far as discussion of the ink-and-paper kind, we’ve got plenty of that for you in this month’s issue. Our feature story is about mentorship, and what it means to two shop owners who grew up in the industry. In our profile you’ll learn about the “Collisionista” Petra Schroeder and how her volunteerism is helping grow the next generation of collision repair professionals. And in our strategy section you’ll learn about optimizing your shop’s workflow.
Thank you for your continued support of FenderBender.
