Your inappropriate car choice for customer visits.
Discussion
marine boy said:
My job is to help clients design the electrical hardware on some of the most advanced EV/Hybrid race cars
I turn up in my rust holed old Toyota 4x4 that doesn't even have an electric fuel pump or even an ECU
Not sure what they think as I not had any comments but the irony isn't lost on me!
Milk float for the win.I turn up in my rust holed old Toyota 4x4 that doesn't even have an electric fuel pump or even an ECU
Not sure what they think as I not had any comments but the irony isn't lost on me!
15 years visited a client in a track-prepped Elise (think harnesses & rock hard dampers) as I was going on to a track day afterwards - and he had booked lunch offsite without telling me and had no car so I had to drive him. It was an uncomfortable few moments when he sidled up his 6ft plus large frame to the diminutive car.
A decade back I picked a client up from the train station in my Vantage - she commented “its probably worth more than my house”. Most recently picked another client up from a train station in my i8 (wide sills with a tricky entry/exit).
A decade back I picked a client up from the train station in my Vantage - she commented “its probably worth more than my house”. Most recently picked another client up from a train station in my i8 (wide sills with a tricky entry/exit).
Haha funny enough I was just talking about this to my customer the other day.
3 or so years ago we were out in Mrs FB’s Porsche Cayenne Turbo when my phone rang. It was a customer who had broken down, I’m a oil fired heating engineer, and they lived about 2 miles from my house. I decided the best was to swing past on our way home and check it wasn’t a simple reset needed.
Pulled up on his drive (he’s a millionaire) and he strolls out before exclaiming ‘f
k me, I’m in the wrong job !’ 
He’s still a good customer and frequently asks what Mrs FB is driving now and how much has he contributed to it now ?
3 or so years ago we were out in Mrs FB’s Porsche Cayenne Turbo when my phone rang. It was a customer who had broken down, I’m a oil fired heating engineer, and they lived about 2 miles from my house. I decided the best was to swing past on our way home and check it wasn’t a simple reset needed.
Pulled up on his drive (he’s a millionaire) and he strolls out before exclaiming ‘f
k me, I’m in the wrong job !’ He’s still a good customer and frequently asks what Mrs FB is driving now and how much has he contributed to it now ?I am a freelance accountant.
Years ago I bought a 5 year old Lexus LS400, which caused the loss of a couple of clients, even though their brand new company cars cost considerably more than my Lexus. I guess it was because they couldn't have one themselves.
Like others above, my TVR just generates warm feelings and interest from clients.
Years ago I bought a 5 year old Lexus LS400, which caused the loss of a couple of clients, even though their brand new company cars cost considerably more than my Lexus. I guess it was because they couldn't have one themselves.
Like others above, my TVR just generates warm feelings and interest from clients.
fesuvious said:
Audi S1
'downrated' to 17" wheels , debadged and with zero of the external kit.
Ordered brand new. It was an absolute mission.
Audi B'ham made me sign a separate letter confirming the exterior look. This was after the original (and great) sales chappy had 'gone off to check with my manager'. The senior bod thought it was a wind up.
3 hours after walking in I finally had placed the order and deposit (no finance).
2 weeks or so later they call me to go back in. Audi in Germany now wanted a second authorisation from me on the spec.
Apparently nobody had yet ordered an S1 deliberately making it look from outside (all bar brake calipers) like a base TSFI.
Any pictures?'downrated' to 17" wheels , debadged and with zero of the external kit.
Ordered brand new. It was an absolute mission.
Audi B'ham made me sign a separate letter confirming the exterior look. This was after the original (and great) sales chappy had 'gone off to check with my manager'. The senior bod thought it was a wind up.
3 hours after walking in I finally had placed the order and deposit (no finance).
2 weeks or so later they call me to go back in. Audi in Germany now wanted a second authorisation from me on the spec.
Apparently nobody had yet ordered an S1 deliberately making it look from outside (all bar brake calipers) like a base TSFI.
The ex missus turned up to an interview in our Westfield. She said the interview was more about cars than the job, as they had her CV and just having a blond turn up in a smart outfit with a wooly hat on, parking in a sea of Vectra's was something very different. It was our only other car, as at the time we only had a company car, which I was working and there was no train station locally. She turned it down after she was offered the job, as cycling 40 odd miles a day round trip was too much. She stayed at her old place and rode just 20 miles work to home round trip instead.
Thankfully it wasn't me!
I was working for a general insurer in the mid 90s and we got a somewhat unusual claim for a stolen push-bike, so we sent an independent Loss Adjuster to investigate.
He was a partner in the firm and quite a petrolhead so he turned up in his current plate manual BMW 530i V8, but after hearing the story he he had to decline the claim for the push-bike - which didn't exactly go down too well!
I was working for a general insurer in the mid 90s and we got a somewhat unusual claim for a stolen push-bike, so we sent an independent Loss Adjuster to investigate.
He was a partner in the firm and quite a petrolhead so he turned up in his current plate manual BMW 530i V8, but after hearing the story he he had to decline the claim for the push-bike - which didn't exactly go down too well!
Perhaps I’ve being naive here (as a petrol head) but if someone turns up in an interesting car, it’s a good conversation point. Most of the cars on this thread I see on an almost regular basis and would think nothing of. Nevertheless, colleagues at work thought my MX5 was a flash car (completely ignoring an M4) although it’s worth much less than theirs but it had just been polished to an inch of its life. Guessing from comments it must be the appearance of a sports car or perceived flash car rather than its value.
Never had to do customer visits so drive what I like. However I have a mate who is a very successful tech salesman ,great cars,watches ,powerboat. All the toys. He also has a well-maintained but slightly shabby SAAB , ordinary watch and unremarkable clothes for customer visits. Never wants to be seen as making more money as the person making the buying decision.
I interviewed a guy for a fairly junior position in my team the other day who turned up in a fairly new 440i coupe, lovely looking car and far more expensive than my own that was parked next to it. A lesser person, one more jealous than I might consider that he was a bit flash and perhaps refuse him the job on that basis.
Not me though, loved the car, I was going to offer him the job anyway so he starts next month and now I’ve got a new petrol head colleague.
Might even buy it from him when he decides he’s finished with it!
Not me though, loved the car, I was going to offer him the job anyway so he starts next month and now I’ve got a new petrol head colleague.
Might even buy it from him when he decides he’s finished with it!
ive never understood the issues people seem to have when visiting clients because of the type or value of car you drive. the car you drive has zero relevance to your ability to do your job. also just because its a nice car doesnt mean you are too expensive for them. plenty of people own a nice expensive car but dont drink dont have sky and all thwt other ste to afford it.
shows other peoples lack of intelligence and judgemental attitudes.
te to afford it. shows other peoples lack of intelligence and judgemental attitudes.
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