Hypothetically, if "The Mask’s"
Jim Carrey and Arnold "The Terminator" Schwarzenegger
met to duke it out, who do you think would win? Make it a battle
of brawn and there’s no doubt who’d be left standing. But, make
it a car-selling skirmish and the Fourth Annual Poll of the American
Mechanic says Carrey would be smokin’ (as his "Mask"
character would say), bringing home the title of Best Used Car
Salesman.

On the lighter side, the survey asked the
top techs whose car they would prefer to service or repair. Beating
out Princess Diana, Oprah Winfrey and Madonna, Demi Moore received
53 percent of the votes for mechanic’s dream customer.

Other service-provider secrets revealed by
the survey include:

• Forty percent of automotive technicians agree that electric
  cars aren’t likely to be mass produced for consumer use within
  the next 10 years. Despite the lack of sales support, 38 percent
  feel they’re somewhat prepared to service and maintain electric
  cars.

• When asked which items, if any, have they found inside or
  on a customer’s car while servicing it, 98 percent of technicians
  confess to finding partially eaten food and dirty clothes. Trailing
  close behind – but not unnoticed – are money, found by 95 percent;
  personal letters or bills, 91 percent; personal hygiene items,
  88 percent; a dead animal, 67 percent; and a live animal, 55 percent.

• Eleven percent of technicians strongly agree that new and
  recently trained technicians from technical schools are adequately
  prepared to work as professional automotive technicians. Forty-four
  percent somewhat agree; 24 percent somewhat disagree; and 18 percent
  strongly disagree.

• Not surprisingly, 99 percent of technicians feel that today’s
  automotive technology is increasing the need for qualified automotive
  technicians. Surprisingly, 1 percent reported a decreasing need
  for qualified technicians, while another 1 percent believe that
  today’s automotive technology is having no impact on the need
  for qualified technicians.

Writer Melissa Green is managing editor of BodyShop Business.