Your inappropriate car choice for customer visits.
Discussion
ChevronB19 said:
Some bloke turned up to our place as an environmental consultant to advise us on how we could be a zero carbon company. He was in a Range Rover V8, which apparently didn’t go down very well with the bosses.
Ha ha. I used to work for an environmental company. One of our Swiss clients arrived in this helicopter for a meeting. When I asked if he'd flown all the way from Zurich in the thing I was met with dumb stares. Apparently that's far too slow, so he used to send the heli ahead to London City. He'd sleep in, then hop in his Gulfstream, rendezvous with the heli in London and complete his trip in the Sikorsky.The meeting was to discuss reducing his carbon footprint.
People are idiots.
I now assume most people with cars less than 4yrs old are probably on lease so render it null and void anyway.
I work in automotive/motorsport so most people understand the value and importance of cars. I know a whole host of people who'd rather have nice cars than other s
t, I'm talking astons, ferarris, mclarens, AMG GTs, tuned nissan GTRs etc whilst being more than happy in a one bed flat. Its a great talking point and shows a real love for it.
For a true display of money though, you need to arrive in your helicopter. Which happened on the last project I was working on and the client popped in for a visit.
I now assume most people with cars less than 4yrs old are probably on lease so render it null and void anyway.
I work in automotive/motorsport so most people understand the value and importance of cars. I know a whole host of people who'd rather have nice cars than other s
t, I'm talking astons, ferarris, mclarens, AMG GTs, tuned nissan GTRs etc whilst being more than happy in a one bed flat. Its a great talking point and shows a real love for it.For a true display of money though, you need to arrive in your helicopter. Which happened on the last project I was working on and the client popped in for a visit.
I do weekend side jobs (I'm an electrician), mostly kitchen's for a kitchen fitter i know. I use my Mustang - as its my only car.
It usually gets a comment when they see my unloading my kit out of the boot
I did have one customer who suggested im not a "real" electrician as i wasn't using a van......
It usually gets a comment when they see my unloading my kit out of the boot
I did have one customer who suggested im not a "real" electrician as i wasn't using a van......
Get it all the time as we use hire cars in the UK/Abroad for visiting sites for service and installation work. In France the other week I got a lot of comments for arriving in a Swiss plated 2 series convertible with the m-sport kit.
Through lockdown my local Avis was shut so i used my own car, that seemed to really upset the engineers from the factories in the UK. Was a bit beyond me as it's nothing special ('19 leon cupra with a modified exhaust).
Through lockdown my local Avis was shut so i used my own car, that seemed to really upset the engineers from the factories in the UK. Was a bit beyond me as it's nothing special ('19 leon cupra with a modified exhaust).
Not customers exactly but bosses and colleagues.
As an enthusiast, I have always had cars that have outperformed my job title. I might have been living on crisps but the car was always good.
I haven’t thought much of it, but looking back I could see how this could have rankled with bosses over the years who had less disposable.
But when you ‘just like cars’ you don’t think about the resentment it might cause in people who don’t think like you do.
As an enthusiast, I have always had cars that have outperformed my job title. I might have been living on crisps but the car was always good.
I haven’t thought much of it, but looking back I could see how this could have rankled with bosses over the years who had less disposable.
But when you ‘just like cars’ you don’t think about the resentment it might cause in people who don’t think like you do.
Once turned up to a project meeting with my boss, both of us driving (his) new Ferrari’s with near identical number plates.
The building was a dance academy, came out to various young ladies taking selfies with the cars.
As a rule we use our normal cars for business visits but I did get stuck with a new Vantage V8 for a few weeks last year which was fun.
The building was a dance academy, came out to various young ladies taking selfies with the cars.
As a rule we use our normal cars for business visits but I did get stuck with a new Vantage V8 for a few weeks last year which was fun.
Google [bot] said:
Pre-COVID I’d visit clients semi-regularly in this. It actually surprised me how few commented on it.
Huggy Bear in da houseOnce I’ve got to know a client I’ll usually drive this around...
As it happens, one of my clients used to be the Maintenance Manager at a local Porsche dealer and got all misty eyed at it
I’ve also turned up for a site visit at a major landfill in my MX5 which drew a glance or two from the client, until he realised I was going to use his Hilux to actually get around the site.
As a genuine powerfully-built (not through choice) company director working in construction (engineering, mind) I'd take a new Fiesta van (smart enough, bland, small enough to park anywhere) but also like taking my own cars or else I'd never use them. The places I visit range from private properties, palaces, commercial buildings, universities, churches etc, and I'd often take one of the following;
Citroen DS (1972)
Citroen Dyane
A standard looking and fairly tidy 205 GTI
E38 740i - also standard and tidy
Mustard yellow Lotus Elise S1
Merc R129 SL500
Merc W126 560SEL
Almost everyone who sees them says something positive about the two old Citroen's.
People often remember fondly the 205 from their youth. Everyone wonders how I can fit in the Elise. People assume the SL was very expensive, despite it being the cheapest car (to me) on the list (bar the 205 that I've had for fifteen years) by a big margin. I constantly amazed, but not surprised, at peoples' misconceptions.
Citroen DS (1972)
Citroen Dyane
A standard looking and fairly tidy 205 GTI
E38 740i - also standard and tidy
Mustard yellow Lotus Elise S1
Merc R129 SL500
Merc W126 560SEL
Almost everyone who sees them says something positive about the two old Citroen's.
People often remember fondly the 205 from their youth. Everyone wonders how I can fit in the Elise. People assume the SL was very expensive, despite it being the cheapest car (to me) on the list (bar the 205 that I've had for fifteen years) by a big margin. I constantly amazed, but not surprised, at peoples' misconceptions.
I work in a dog shelter, I used to get a lot of strange looks doing pick ups. This one had just failed an MOT and was in for a leg removal.
Its not exactly the most practical option... but if I can get away with it for that specific job and the Peogot Partner and the Lambo are sitting there... easy choice
Its not exactly the most practical option... but if I can get away with it for that specific job and the Peogot Partner and the Lambo are sitting there... easy choice
For the first 18 months after going Permie used my 944 with Dansk exhaust. Customers either didn't care or on several occasions long conversations about it as they were interested or looking to buy one. My immediate manager was a bit sniffy about it but that was that. Did 38K miles in 18 months.
Previously had a Alfa 156 2.4 JTD SW which was in dock for one reason & another. Probably when the German injection pump threw a fit. Had a visit to do at Surrey Police HQ. Normal parking was miles up the road but this day was using my TR7V8 with pretty much straight through exhaust. The visitors space was clear, right outside reception. Coming in was fine but going out trying to be "discrete" wasn't so easy.
Previously had a Alfa 156 2.4 JTD SW which was in dock for one reason & another. Probably when the German injection pump threw a fit. Had a visit to do at Surrey Police HQ. Normal parking was miles up the road but this day was using my TR7V8 with pretty much straight through exhaust. The visitors space was clear, right outside reception. Coming in was fine but going out trying to be "discrete" wasn't so easy.
PomBstard said:
Google [bot] said:
Pre-COVID I’d visit clients semi-regularly in this. It actually surprised me how few commented on it.
Huggy Bear in da houseOnce I’ve got to know a client I’ll usually drive this around...
As it happens, one of my clients used to be the Maintenance Manager at a local Porsche dealer and got all misty eyed at it
I’ve also turned up for a site visit at a major landfill in my MX5 which drew a glance or two from the client, until he realised I was going to use his Hilux to actually get around the site.
Used everything from a black 928 with a dent in the back wing to various big bruising barges during my long career as a nightclub doorman, but I also used my various smart cars ans classic beetles/fiat Cinquecentos/beetle convertible/streetka for the same job...always raised a giggle
Bungleaio said:
My Abarth 595 attracted quite a few negative comments. There were a few positive ones from those that knew what it was but people mostly thought I'd stuck a noisy exhaust on a fiat 500.
I parked my Subaru WRX next to one and was more than slightly peeved when these lads (15 maybe) walked by and said “ nice car” to the owner but not to me.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff