We were one of the 2016 Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics winners last week. We were excited and humbled to receive this award, especially as an automotive repair business. We are honored that someone felt strongly enough about our business to nominate it for this award. Automotive repair has had a reputation of not being honest or fair to its customers. It was probably deserved at times. I think that most repair shops will agree that it is an uphill battle at times when you are dealing with a customer that has a preconceived idea of your type of business. We take it as an opportunity to educate them about their car repairs and hopefully have them walk away feeling comfortable with the repairs or maintenance we’ve performed. Our goal is to express a value system that shows respect for the customer and their car. It’s an honor to be recognized for our commitment to ethics and we are thankful that the West Michigan Better Business Bureau gives the opportunity for businesses to earn this award. One of the bonuses of the award is the application you are required to fill out. It is very in-depth and it pushes you to evaluate what you do on a day to day basis based on your commitment to ethics in the marketplace. Earning the award wasn’t just an achievement but also an opportunity to evaluate what we do and improve where needed. It was a great experience for us. Thank you to the West Michigan Better Business Bureau for offering this award and the Grand Rapids Economic Club for hosting this event.