Hi Guys,
We just wanted to join in the conversation and confirm our take on this topic which has raised much debate in the industry.
As I am sure you can appreciate, journalists are free to investigate, question and report on a topic as they like, and will gain input and information from a number of different sources. The Daily Mail approached us and we provided a lot of input and comment on the importance of choosing properly qualified individuals who also have insurance, encouraging clients to ask questions and pick the best rather than the cheapest provider. We advised that BABTAC, among others, check qualifications and provide insurance which is a mark of confidence to the client in an unregulated industry, but not that we were the only mark; if you read the article, it is clear that our stance is about choosing a professional and we believe it is important to support articles like this, encouraging the population to take responsibility and pick the best providers our fantastic industry has to offer. In cases like these, the articles will run anyway and we believe it is better that we provide balance and input than leave it solely as a opinion based article; we appreciate not everyone will agree with that.
The fact is that the industry is unregulated, and whilst in the most part that doesn't affect quality, there are a few who choose not to qualify or insure properly and who offer a sub-standard service. The article focuses on this point, however reading the public comments and feedback below, it is clear that the majority have understood the thrust of the article, commenting on the poor choices made and the great service they themselves have received. We believe this and other articles like it are a great opportunity to educate clients and potential clients, highlighting the high quality services available in the industry, and driving demand to those who are professionals and not the cowboys. It is important to note however that we do not control the full content of an article or the stance taken by its author.
Scratch Editor Alex Fox has written an excellent response and includes many of the points we originally made; we agree that the media need to cover more of the positives, however in reality, good news isn't always a best-seller, much as we would all like it to be. We are proud to operate in the beauty industry and proud of how professional most therapists are, and we believe it is important to convey this message where we can. In conjunction with providing input, we also campaign on key issues, including regulation of the industry, and earlier this year, we also looked to campaign for MMA to be banned (as it is in Australia and the US), however the topic did not gain majority support from our members and as a not-for-profit, we had to direct resource elsewhere.
We're happy to answer any specific questions you may have or opinions you would like to express.
Kind regards
The BABTAC Team
