- 1). Check the yellow pages and select shops that carry brands you're familiar with.
- 2). Call the shops and ask if the shop is an authorized dealer of products from major manufacturers. Inquire as to how long it has been in business and how many years of experience its installers have.
- 3). Visit the most promising shops.
- 4). Look to see if there are any plaques from manufacturers on the walls; awards; trophies won at sound-off contests; or displays of magazine or newspaper articles published about the store.
- 5). Ask the salesperson to show you the shop's photo album. A good shop will have an album that showcases its work. Ask the salesperson to explain installation techniques exhibited by the photos.
- 6). Inspect the shop's sound room. A good shop has a sound room to demonstrate the products.
- 7). Ask to see demonstration vehicles. Hearing products perform in a sound room is good, but it's even better to hear them in a car. It also lets you inspect the shop's installation techniques.
- 8). Ask if the shop has a woodworking room. Wood is used to construct subwoofer enclosures. If the shop has a woodworking room, it's a good sign that the shop is precise in its work.
- 9). Ask if the installers have experience working with upholstery. A good shop has installers who are well-skilled in using upholstery to trim their installations to make them look stock.
- 10
Ask if the shop uses computer software to design and install the sound systems. A good shop will have state-of-the-art software that helps the staff do their job. - 11
Talk to the salesperson and try to determine if he or she has experience designing sound systems. In many of the good shops, the salespeople also have installation experience. - 12
Inspect the installation area. Is it clean? A dirty, unorganized installation bay is a sure sign that the installer may not take good care of your vehicle when he or she is working on it. - 13
Watch installers do their work. Are they careful when they take door or dash panels off the car? - 14
Ask an installer how he or she would install your system. - 15
Ask the salesperson what the shop's policy is on after-sale concerns. Ask about labor guarantees and how the shop works out manufacturers' warranties. - 16
Choose the shop that most impresses you.
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