In This Chapter
► Finding out how much training an installer has
► Asking about service after the sale
► Working with authorized dealers
It can be intimidating to walk into a car audio shop as a newbie. You don’t know a lot about car audio and you’re entering an environment where people (hopefully) know a lot more than you do. It may be tempting to act like you know more than you do, but put your ego aside and realize that you’re at the beginning of a steep learning curve. More importantly, realize that the shop and its employees are there to serve you and answer your questions. And if they don’t, find another shop.
In this chapter are ten questions you should ask a salesperson or an installer at the car audio shop you choose.
Can You Give Me References
Any successful shop has many happy customers, and the shop is usually happy to have you contact these customers so that they can tell you how happy they are. If they don’t want to give references, be suspicious: Be very suspicious. If they do give you references, ask the shop how recently these people were customers, what type of cars they drive, and what sort of sys¬tems they had installed. Look for someone who has a car similar to yours or had a system installed that’s similar to yours.
When you contact the references the shop provides, ask what they like about the system and what they don’t. Ask what they like about dealing with the shop and what they don’t. Ask if there’s anything they would have done differently and why. Also ask about service after the sale and how the shop handled it.
Can I See Systems you're Done?
As with giving references, most shops are very eager to show off their work. Most have an installation book in the shop that you can flip though to see examples of their work, or the shop may have a computer slideshow. Even better, ask if they have a demonstration system that they can show you and let you listen to, which most likely belongs to one of the salespeople or installers.
Examples of the shop’s work give you an idea of what type of systems the shop specializes in (sound quality, SPL, small systems, big systems) and the quality of their work. Pay close attention to the details, such as how wires are run. If the shop does a sloppy job of running wires, for example, they are probably sloppy with everything else.
Hour Are your Installers Trained ?
If the shop you’re considering will also be installing your car audio system, you’ll want to know how the installers have been trained. Many installers get on-the-job training, but some also receive training from car audio manufacturers, and the best have been through the Mobile Electronics Certification Professionals program. MECP tests installers on proper installation tech¬niques and knowledge, and MECP-certified installers are required to pass a written exam and meet experience criteria, and they must be recertified every two to four years, depending on their level.
Certification levels include
- Basic Installation Technician
- Advanced Installation Technician
- Master Installation Technician
Ask the shop if its installers are MECP-certified and look for certificates showing which installers have completed the program and at which level.
What's your Service Policy?
Although the rate of failure in high-quality car audio equipment is relatively low, if a component does malfunction, you should find out beforehand how a shop handles it. A shop usually has to send a bad component back to the manufacturer for repair. If the equipment is under warranty, some shops don’t charge for labor to take the equipment out and put it back into your car, but some do. Others simply take a new product from their stock and replace the faulty one on the spot. Ask how the shop handles such situations and find out how long the turnaround will be if a component does need to be returned for repair.
What’s your Installation Rate ?
Most shops charge by the hour for installation, so ask what the rate will be, but also get an estimate of how much time an installation will take. If the install takes longer than anticipated, ask who will pay for the extra labor time. If it’s a simple system, the shop should be able to give you an accurate estimate of how much time it will take and therefore what it will cost. If it’s an elaborate system or includes new equipment they’re not used to working with, the shop may need a little more flexibility time-wise.
While a shop usually has a flat labor rate, depending on how much you’re spending and how long you’ve been a customer, they may cut you a deal or give you an accommodation rate.
Are you an Authorized Dealer ?
Most specialty car audio brands are only sold through authorized dealers. This lets the manufacturer control who is selling their product as well as how it’s installed. Car audio manufacturers put significant resources into product training and installation training so that they can be assured that their prod¬ucts are used and installed properly. Sometimes an unscrupulous dealer obtains desirable brands through the gray market but can’t offer a warranty the way an authorized dealer can, and his installers may not be properly trained to install the equipment.
Do you Guarantee Your Work?
A reputable car audio shop stands behind its work by offering a guarantee.
Be sure to ask what the guarantee covers and for how long. Some shops may guarantee their work for only a short period, such as 30 days, whereas others guarantee it for up to a year or even a lifetime. The guarantee a shop offers says a lot about how willing it is to stand behind its work.
Do You Carry Insurance ?
You’re entrusting one of your most expensive and prized possessions — your vehicle — to a shop. The employees may be driving it in and out of the shop. They’ll be working on it with tools and tearing it apart to install car audio equipment. So you want to know that if something goes wrong — if the car is involved in an accident, if the car is damaged somehow, or even if the shop catches on fire — that you’re covered. Ask the shop what kind of insurance it carries and how long they’ve been in business. Also ask if they’ve ever had an accident or damaged a vehicle.
Do you Install Equipment you Don't Sell ?
Maybe you have equipment left over from a previous system, or you bought some used equipment, or perhaps you bought components from another shop or off the Internet. But if you want to have your system installed by a shop and didn’t buy everything from that shop, ask how they’ll handle it. Most shops only want to install what they sell because their installers are trained to work with that equipment and they have access to manufacturers’ technical support for it. Some shops, on the other hand, will work with you and install equipment that you didn’t buy at the shop.
Do you Help with Diy Installations?
Say that you’ve decided to go it on your own, but now you have a problem and need help. You have resources you can turn to, such as friends and the Internet. But you may also be able to get assistance from the shop that sold you the equipment. Some shops frown on DIY installations, whereas others will give you a hand with certain problems. Ask what the shop’s policy is when you buy your gear. But don’t expect them to take 20 calls a day from you with 20 questions. Also, be sure to find out if you’ll be able to bring the vehicle in if you really get stuck and can’t finish the installation.
No comments:
Post a Comment