But is this the way we have been “conditioned” to accept this situation? Is quality in the eyes of the beholder, or is quality the result of some cost standard?
    Taking this concept to the next level, safety items like seat belts and structural repairs can greatly affect the cost of repair. Leave them off and the cost is certainly contained, but the shop’s exposure to liability is greater. The more intelligent, professional method is to thoroughly investigate each repair, and repair the vehicle accordingly.
    Explaining the true cost of the repair and the risk associated with not completing the repair fully and properly, the vehicle owner will normally make the right decision on which shop to choose.
    Regarding ‘safe and quality repairs’ here, we’re not talking about shops’ making the occasional mistake of too much sealer on a joint or forgetting to refinish a weld. Rather, we’re zeroing in on blatant negligence, such as not priming before caulking, or not using zinc-weld primer as a matter of practice.
    We’re talking about not repairing pinch weld clamp damage, using adhesives when the factory recommends welding, skinning a door which still has a bent intrusion beam, or splicing a panel in an un-approved, non factory-recommended manner. We’re speaking of not replacing a kinked unibody rail or hydro-formed damaged frame when it becomes obvious that this is necessary for a proper and safe repair.
    I did a post repair inspection recently in which the bottom of a new trunk floor was left unfinished, and welds missed the rail! Was this a mistake, or blatant negligence? Since someone in that shop had to assemble the attached components to that un-welded and unfinished floor, it was obviously a case of negligence, or incompetence, or both.
    From a financial aspect it would appear that the shop that performed that repair made a lot of money not repairing the car right. So, when asked how do such shops survive while giving their insurer-partners deep discounts, its easy  – they don’t do the work!