In 1964, heavyweight boxer Cassius Clay converted to Islam and adopted the name Muhammad Ali. This change aligned with his newfound Muslim faith, marking a profound personal transformation—but not everyone accepted or respected it. One such person was longtime rival Joe Frazier.
In 1971, leading up to what was dubbed, "The Fight of the Century,” Ali felt disrespected by Frazier’s insistence on calling him by his former name despite repeated warnings. As Ali dominated the bout, he demanded with each punch that Frazier say his name. For Ali, it was about garnering respect, dignity, and recognition for his new identity and not being tethered to a previous identity that didn’t accurately reflect who he now was.
In the working world, as time and technology advance, job responsibilities and titles also evolve: secretaries are now administrative assistants, computer programmers are software developers, stewardesses are flight attendants, psychologists are now behavioral health specialists, and in automotive repair, mechanics are automotive technicians.
In “Putting Respect to the Name," automotive aftermarket influencer Carm Capriotto advocates for a forward-thinking view of technology’s impact on the industry, namely technicians. As technicians are now tasked with more than turning wrenches, Capriotto argues that the term auto technician should evolve into perhaps “mechanical and technology specialist” to better accurately reflect the relationship auto technicians have with the advanced nature of their work. This new identity, much like when Ali adopted his new name and faith, demonstrates the hard work and expertise that comes with learning and using the skill and builds confidence in technicians and consumers alike.
Similarly in this month’s Case Study, “Raising the Bar," Andrew Marcotte of American Pride Automotive talks about putting the American Pride name and standard on an acquired shop and how the team leveraged its existing reputation to overcome that shop’s poor reputation.
So, what’s in a name? Much. It’s how we present ourselves to the world and how we want to be perceived. As technology continues to descend upon the industry and change the nature of work, how many other roles, responsibilities, or forward-facing processes in the shop should be redefined to reflect higher professionalism happening within auto care? Think about it. It’s worth consideration.
