The ten questions in the following table can be answered with a simple “Yes” or “No.” The proper answer—the one that will reduce your aggravation and save you money—is “Yes” for all but one question.  For that one (number 4) you want the answer to be “No.” Answers for Prestige Imports have been provided.

QUESTION	DISCUSSION	PRESTIGE ANSWER
1. Are all of your senior technicians fully ASE certified in all eight areas of specialization?	The non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) only certifies automotive technicians that pass rigorous testing. And they must re-test every five years to keep up with technology and remain certified. Yet few people know that ASE actually has eight specialty exams on the following topics:   1. Engine Repair 2. Engine Performance 3. Electrical/Electronic Systems 4. Brakes 5. Heating and Air Conditioning 6. Suspension and Steering 7. Manual Drive Train & Axles 8. Automatic Transmissions   That’s why looking for an ASE sign is not enough. If just one technician passes just one ASE test, a shop can display the ASE symbol in its ads. The most competent shops will make sure that all of its senior technicians get and remain fully certified. These shops will also have some uncertified junior technicians in training who are qualified to handle oil changes and other simple tasks under supervision.      But if someone is working on your car to diagnose and repair a problem, you want that individual to be highly trained and fully certified.	YES. Prestige Imports has four fully ASE certified technicians on staff, plus two junior technicians. In addition to ASE testing, Prestige sends technicians to a week-long Bosch-certified school every year for additional training.
2. Are more than 95% of repairs fixed right the first time?	Taking you vehicle in for service is, at best, an interruption in your schedule. What really burns you, however, is getting it back and discovering that a problem wasn’t fixed right.      Even if the shop doesn’t charge you for the second attempt, continuing to live with the problem and having to take the vehicle in again are major annoyances.      While this can happen to any shop occasionally (for a variety of valid reasons), it happens far too often at shops that are simply “average” in their ability to diagnose and solve problems.      You want to use a shop where failure is truly a rare occurrence. If the person you’re speaking with can’t give you a “Yes” answer to this question immediately and with conviction, find another shop.	YES. Prestige Imports excels in diagnosis and repair. In the rare cases where something isn’t fixed right the first time, the incident gets noted and analyzed to make sure it doesn’t happen again. That’s why they know their “fixed-right” percentage is definitely over 95%.
3. If my service takes less time than average, will you charge me less than the estimate?	Virtually all repair shops rely on industry guidebooks to estimate the time required for certain tasks. Yet dealers and many other repair shops work on a flat-rate system where actual customer charges are also set by the book.      For example, if the book says a repair should take two hours, you will be charged for two hours of labor even if it takes less. If a technician can, for example, squeeze in nine hours of flat-rate work in an 8-hour shift, the shop gets to bill all nine hours.     You might think this policy could work in your favor should your repair take longer than normal. But the guidebooks are conservative and that rarely happens. What’s more, most shops would still charge you for the extra time. Remember, the purpose of this system is not to help you get a lower price but to help the shop maximize its income.      The flat rate system guarantees that the customer will never get a break on labor costs. Even worse is the fact that the system pressures technicians to “beat the book” and some will cut corners to look good. That increases the chance that your vehicle will not be fixed properly.	YES. Prestige believes that a straight hourly system is the most fair to both the customer and the shop. Since its technicians are so highly trained and certified, they’ll do a thorough job and you’ll often pay for fewer hours of labor than you would at a flat-rate shop.
4. Are any of the people involved in servicing my car paid any kind of commission or incentive on parts they install?	One of the biggest secrets of car dealers (and some other shops) is that the people who write up your work are actually sales people working on a commission system. The bigger your service bill, the more money they take home. Worse yet, the compensation system for technicians will often include an incentive to push parts.      Even the best diagnostic equipment rarely points to a single failed part. Instead, it will often indicate several suspect parts. It takes experience and skill to come up with a more precise diagnosis. Yet under a commission program there’s more money for everybody to simply replace them all. When you think about it, you can see why industry insiders often refer to dealer technicians as “parts hangers.”	NO. At Prestige no one works on commission. Service writers and technicians share common goals. Get it fixed right and keep the customer’s bill to a minimum. This is one reason why Prestige has so many customers that have been depending on them for ten, fifteen, or even twenty years or more.
5. Can you offer me less expensive options on parts, e.g. aftermarket, remanufactured or even used parts, if that makes sense in a particular situation?	There are four price levels in automotive parts.   Original equipment (e.g. Volvo or Honda) Aftermarket (e.g. Bosch) Remanufactured Used If you take your car to a dealer, you’ll get only one option, the highest priced, original equipment (OEM) parts. It’s not because dealers are greedy. It’s a condition of their contract with the vehicle manufacturer. They’re not allowed to offer you anything else.      An independent shop will typically use aftermarket parts, which are functionally the same as OEM parts but often sold at a lower price. That alone can save you money.      When your vehicle needs a particularly expensive part, using a remanufactured part can cut the cost even more and still provide good service. If you’ve got an older vehicle that you don’t plan to keep much longer, it might make sense to consider used parts, if your service shop can locate a compatible part	YES. Prestige features quality Bosch aftermarket parts and marks them up less than industry standards. Plus, the people at Prestige are always happy to discuss your options, should you wish to consider remanufactured or used parts. With an active network of more than ten different parts suppliers, there’s a good chance Prestige can find the part you need.
6. Do you have and enforce a written policy that all employees must be truthful with customers?	Today, only a few auto repair shops are deliberately set up to rip you off. And many shops are members of the Better Business Bureau. But again, it’s a question of not settling for “average” shops that will be honest with you most of the time. How do you find one that is scrupulously honest in all situations? ASE certification doesn’t help. They test competence, not honesty.      The best indicator is how the owners stress honesty to the staff. The really first-class shops will have a written policy on being truthful with customers. And they’re willing to fire people who can’t live by their code	YES. Prestige Imports is, of course, a member of the Better Business Bureau. But beyond that, Prestige has a written policy that all employees will treat customers with honesty and respect. The owner, Joe Licari, demonstrates this policy every day in his dealings with customers. All staff members know—without a doubt—that the same truthful approach is a condition of their continued employment at Prestige.
7. Will you install tires or accessories that I purchase elsewhere?	Many people have discovered discount suppliers where you can order name brand tires online or by phone at a substantial savings. Even after paying to mount and balance the tires locally, you’ll likely come out ahead.      With the advent of high performance winter tires many people buy their tires already mounted and balanced on an extra set of wheels. That makes it easier and cheaper to switch between summer and winter tires as the season changes.      But how do you find someone who will provide mounting, balancing, and changeover services when you didn’t buy the tires from them? Ask your auto dealer or a local tire store and there’s a 99% chance they’ll tell you to get lost.      The same thing applies to performance accessories, audio equipment, alarms, remote car starters and other items you buy elsewhere because dealers don’t offer them or the prices are too steep	YES. Prestige Imports is a Recommended Installer for The Tire Rack. You can order tires and have them drop-shipped to Prestige. They will hold them until you bring your vehicle in for installation. As a favor to regular customers, Prestige will also install most accessories purchased elsewhere.
8. When my car is in for any type of service, do you automatically inspect it for other problems?	Most of us rarely open the hoods on our cars, let alone do any systematic review of things that commonly need attention. If a shop has your car on a hoist for an oil change or other service, that’s the perfect time for a knowledgeable technician to do a quick check of your vehicle’s condition.      If a hose or fan belt were wearing thin, for example, you might want it replaced in the shop instead of along the side of a road. Certain other parts, like a timing belt, will cause serious engine damage if not replaced before failure occurs.      That brings up another problem with the flat-rate system used by many dealers. With technicians in a hurry to beat standard repair times, very few of them will ever look at anything that isn’t on the work order.	YES. At Prestige Imports a 15-point safety and performance inspection is included with all oil changes.  Beyond that, technicians are trained to watch out for customer vehicles as if they were their own. Should they notice anything needing attention, someone will contact the customer, explain the situation and lay out the options.
9. Is more than 90% of customer work completed when promised?	If you’re in a waiting room while your car is being serviced—and a one-hour job ties you up for two hours—you’re not going to be happy. Likewise, if you drop your car off for the day and it’s not ready when you come to pick it up, that’s a problem.      The explanation is often reasonable. Something about this job made it especially difficult. Or a required part could not be obtained in time. Delays will happen occasionally, even at the best shops. Yet some shops deliberately overbook appointments. Or they won’t invest in an adequate parts inventory. So delays happen far more often than they should.      Again, your approach is a carefully worded question that sets a reasonable standard. Ask them if 90% of customer work is completed when promised. This is an easy one to fudge. So even if they say “Yes,” pay close attention to voice changes and body language (if you’re asking the question in person). Watch for signs that they’re not completely comfortable with the question or their answer.	YES. Prestige Imports carefully stocks the most commonly needed parts. And they deliberately leave some slack when scheduling appointments. This helps prevent delays and makes it easier to accommodate a customer emergency without delaying others.
10. If diagnosing my problem requires extensive test driving, will you do it—and do it without charge?	You know the situation. You have an intermittent problem with your vehicle that won’t show itself when you go in for service. The dealer will just tell you to come back later when the problem is more apparent. But that might be too late to avoid a breakdown or serious damage.      You could insist they keep the car for a few days and keep driving it. Even if they agree, you would pay hundreds of dollars for extensive test driving by an hourly-rate technician. The only way to solve this problem is with a shop that places an extremely high value on customer service.	YES. When a customer at Prestige Imports has this problem, it’s treated as a challenge to be met head on. If a problem occurs when the engine is cold, just leaving the vehicle overnight can be the answer. If it needs to be driven more extensively, the owner and service manager have taken customer cars home and lived with them a few days until the mystery can be solved. Such extraordinary diagnosis work is done at no charge.