Auto Body World is named the Top Shop by the collision industry's leading trade magazine."
That's the headline that the inaugural winner of our Top Shops Contest should expect in its local newspaper, as well as on its local TV stations and radio stations. Winning this award is newsworthy and should be recognized throughout the Greater Phoenix area where Auto Body World operates. It's the kind of news that will make people stop and think about where they want to take their car to be repaired. Frankly, it's news that should spur business for our winner. And news coverage is just a bonus byproduct of our contest.
And then there's the national exposure that we are providing by dedicating this entire issue to the Top 10 Shops, one grand prize winner and nine finalists. All of the shops will receive handsome plaques to display in their businesses. Not only will they serve as a reminder for the employees of their accomplishments, but will also remind customers that they are dealing with the best shops in the country.
Obviously, we were looking for shops at the top of their game across all aspects of their businesses. To be considered, shops had to prove they had empathy for their customers who want and expect that their cars be repaired in such a way that no one can tell it was ever damaged. Of course, in order to deliver on this, shop owners not only have to encourage employee training and repair innovation, but also have to financially support them. Moreover, we expected our top shop candidates to show commitment to the industry in which they work, as well as to the communities they serve.
That kind of commitment put our candidates in the running for the finalists' slots. Auto Body World further distinguished itself by its innovative approach and commitment to lean processing. Focused on repairing vehicles correctly the first time, Auto Body World uses a clear 11-step process driven by self-managed teams.
Although there is a lot of prestige to be gained by winning our contest, our winners are modest about their achievement. It seems that they were not driven by the desire to "win something" or even to be recognized, but rather they were looking for self-satisfaction and self-aggrandizement. There is no higher standard for oneself.
For those of you who did not enter, you had numerous reasons for not doing so ranging from "I have nothing to prove" to "I don't have time ... I have a business to run." Of course, we can all relate to these reasons as well as others. But I have to admit, we look at it a little differently since everybody is in the same boat. Everybody is trying to eek out a living during the worst recession since the 1930s. Yet a good number of you took the time to enter our contest and all of you, whether you finished in the Top 10 or not, deserve credit for entering.
We didn't make it easy to enter because we didn't want to make it easy to win. After all, we were seeking the top shops, not the also-rans. Truly, our entry process separated the wheat from the chaff. The winners are of a different breed – a cut above the rest. The qualifications were demanding on purpose so that only the best would apply. And they did.
Interestingly, each of the winners was motivated to enter so that their employees could be recognized. They understand that they would not be where they are without the support and dedication they get from their employees every day. It is no stretch of the imagination to say that the winners have built working families that they rely on.
For those of you who did not enter this year, we invite you to do so next year. For those who were finalists, we invite you to enter again to see if you can win the Grand Prize. Believe me, you all had a chance this year because all of you in the Top 10 were neck and neck in the competition.
And for our Grand Prize winner – Auto Body World – we hope you enter again to see if you can repeat. I think it's a given we'll see your application again next year because I think you are driven by the old proverb, "When you reach the top, keep climbing."
