“You would not believe how good it felt to throw that insurance adjuster out into the street!” In complete disbelief, I continued listening to this shop owner describe his recent proclaimed victory. “If they won’t let me put new OEM parts on this lady’s Pontiac, they can take it to one of their damn “approved” shops for all I care!” I fully expected him to then raise a torch and pitchfork to continue his crusade against the insurance industry. He went on to say, “You know, Dave, you just can’t make money in this business anymore, there’s no future in it!”
Where you are – America, Canada, or Timbuktu – doesn’t matter. It is tough out there. If people want to take a stance on insurance direct repair programs, or any other political issue, I respect them. However, there is a big difference between an activist on a mission to create positive change and someone using the world’s challenges as an excuse for their own inability to succeed in life. If you truly believe something is hindering your ability to succeed in business, act! Just please stop complaining!
I have been in the collision repair business for many years and, I admit, there have been times I have been upset, much like our angry friend above. However, I learned years ago that there is a very large circle of concern in the world and a much smaller circle of influence within it. A part of life you can control and another you cannot. Sadly, many shop leaders don’t know the difference and waste a huge portion of their lives worrying about problems they have little to no influence over. They allow the uncontrollable aspects of their lives to take control, and try to justify their failures, citing all the external ‘reasons’ they are unable to find success. They have entered what I call the “victim zone!”
Misery loves company and victims tend to herd together. You can see them all over social media and meet them at industry gatherings. Is technology, consolidation, or the insurance industry killing our industry? Nope. The independent collision repairer is killing themselves by their refusal make the necessary changes within themselves and their businesses to adjust to an ever-changing industry!
People instinctively want to belong to a group and easily get drawn into a tribe mentality, which by itself is not necessarily bad, but the way it’s utilized, is. Peer groups should be used for good! People that want success need to choose to hang out with others who are successful.
With all the challenges our industry faces, I totally understand why minds and actions so easily drift into the victim zone, but we can overcome this urge in order to be successful and happy in life. The negativity experienced while in the victim zone sets up a vicious cycle leading to self-fulfilling prophecies where bad things keep happening. When bad things happen, people confirm and strengthen their faulty beliefs… which then causes them to stay in their comfortable victim zone… thereby causing them to avoid making the necessary changes to improve the situation… which then leads back to more bad things happening.
Take a look at the doom loop diagram:
