You may have seen the commercial on television where the customer calls the mechanic’s garage and asks whether his car is fixed yet. The response he gets is “I’ve got two of my best men on you car right now.†The camera then cuts to the back of the garage where two fat guys are sitting on the hood of the customer’s car eating hamburgers. Funny commercial; but not if you’re the customer.
As I mentioned in my last post, my son and I are certified with the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (or ASE). The ASE is a non-profit organization established in the early 1970’s to ensure the quality of vehicle repair and service by testing and certifying repair and service professionals. An ASE mechanic has experienced years of actual “hands-on†experience as a mechanic as well as classroom style schooling in his profession. A stark contrast to the mechanics in the commercial scenario above.
It goes without saying (although I’ll say it anyway) that I recommend you only take your vehicle to an ASE certified mechanic. Shops that have ASE certified mechanics usually post the ASE logo (a blue colored gear with the letters ASE in white in the middle of the gear). You can also ask at the shop if you do not see the logo. ASE certification shows that a mechanic has enough skill, knowledge and interest in his occupation to learn what is needed to complete the certification process. For more information on ASE Certification, check out this site.