An informal survey conducted by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) asked its ASE-certified automotive technicians to describe the best and worst customers. Here are the results:

Best customers:

• respect technician's time (19%)
• are courteous and make referrals (16%)
• realize their vehicles are complex (16%)
• are loyal, repeat customers (15%)
• keep up with maintenance (13%)
• don't haggle over price (12%) and
• give gifts (9%)

Worst customers:

• do not respect technician's time (26%)
• do not trust technician's diagnosis (19%)
• do not disclose pre-existing conditions (18%)
• want freebies and haggle over price (17%)
• are unqualified do-it-yourselfers (13%) and
• neglect maintenance (7%)

The survey also revealed that motorists are taking worse care (or no better care) of their vehicles than they did five years ago and are lax in following suggested service schedules.

For more information on the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, visit www.asecert.org on the Web.