Ethicly questionable? Or pure genius?

Jngrbrdman · 03-05-03, 03:48

I was reading the paper durring lunch today and flipped back to the want ads. I like looking at what cars go for these days. I saw a '91 NSX for like 18,000 and my eyebrow went up. I wouldn't ever be able to afford the insurance on it, but I had an interesting thought... Would it be considered kind of shady to call the guy up to come see the car, even though I'm not interested really in buying it, and then maybe offer my detailing service for a way good deal just so I can touch an NSX without feeling guilty?

I started thinking about that as I looked at some of the other cars... I wonder what would happen if I called them up and set up a time to come out and see the car and offered to detail it after I'd seen it. I wouldn't charge my full price. I think it would be good for referals possibly in the future. Plus, they get their car detailed for a good price. Are there any problems with this do you think? Its an eager market that definitely has the need of a detailer. Who among us haven't seen a car for sale that just looks so dirty awful that you wouldn't consider paying the asking price based on its appearance?

Nagchampa · 03-05-03, 03:57

That is called selling your service. If you have to get your hands dirty on a NSX, that is just part of the job. Go for it!! The worst they can say is no.

DavidB · 03-05-03, 04:13

Why not just advertise in the local Auto Trader or want ads for your detailing services?

"Get 10% to 15% more for your car by having it detailed by a professional! For $125 to $250 we'll make your car sparkle like new. Our top-notch service will make your car look years younger. What are you wait for... call now!"

2wheelsx2 · 03-05-03, 04:37

I know I would be annoyed if I were to sell a car, and the guy who came had no intentions of wanting to buy the car, but instead wanted to sell me something. YMMV though.

Jngrbrdman · 03-05-03, 04:47

Quote:

Originally posted by 2wheelsx2
I know I would be annoyed if I were to sell a car, and the guy who came had no intentions of wanting to buy the car, but instead wanted to sell me something. YMMV though.

That is why I question the ethics of it. Is it right to annoy people just to make a buck? If they were to get annoyed at it then I can see it being wrong. I wonder if I just called them up and asked them... Is it any different than door to door sales people? I'm just hitting a target market that just happens to advertise in the paper.

Your idea is a good one too, David. I just fear that a little guy like myself wouldn't be able to handle the volume of that kind of advertisement. One or two cars a day is all I can handle. Of course, now that my schedule is all screwy, I don't know if I can even handle that anymore. I'll be lucky to see 4 cars a week this summer.

detailbarn · 03-05-03, 05:37

I wonder if I just called them up and asked them... Is it any different than door to door sales people? I'm just hitting a target market that just happens to advertise in the paper.

It's call telephone sales. I've done it in the past , I still do it every now and then. If you let them know why you're calling "to help them sell their car and get the most money for it" very few are annoyed by this , if they don't want your service they say no thanks and thats it. I use to get lot of work this way when I started out the only problem is you may get some real heap to clean so wait before you give discounts. Now if I do it I tend to look for the high end late models or classics.

Magellan498 · 03-05-03, 05:53

Haha thats a really great idea... *scribbles that down*

Jngrbrdman · 03-05-03, 05:58

Quote:

Originally posted by detailbarn
Now if I do it I tend to look for the high end late models or classics.

That is exactly what I was going to look for.

It would add nicely to my portfolio if I had some classics and higher end cars in there as well as the easy to find grocery getters that I've been doing in the past. I'm going to give it a shot this year and see how it works.

Scottwax · 03-05-03, 06:01

I saw an NSX parked at Alberston's one night and stuck one of my business cards on it. He called me the next day, asked for a few referrences (one of the people he called had an S500 at the time). Satisfied, he called back and I detailed it every 6 months until he sold it. Now he has a Suburban with the same personalized 'Seee Ya' plates on it!

Why don't you just call the owner and ask them if they have had it detailed? If not, then ask if he is interested in having it done.

Spilchy · 03-05-03, 06:19

I think you should call him and let your intentions be known. I'm sure your references and sales pitch would speak for themselves. I think the guy would appreciate that more than arriving on false pretenses. Why start a potential business relationship based on deception?

It reminds me of a time when I scrubbed up, slapped on a suit looking like a dapper dot com billionaire and walked into a Porsche dealer to test drive a 911 turbo. That was fun!

Could I afford one? NO! Just felt like trying one out.

HellrotCi · 03-05-03, 06:40

People don't know what you don't say. Over the phone, they know even less of what you don't say, no body language to judge from. There's nothing wrong with car shopping when you're not even interested or the car you're looking at is outside of your current budget. How else can you get a good handle on what's available and what you're really interested in if you don't car shop?

For as long as my wife an I keep cars, I car shop all the time. Don't feel guilty about looking at that guy's car knowing you really aren't ready to purchase his car now. Who knows, you check out this car, think about it a lot and sometime in the future you pickup a NSX because you looked at this one. You go look at his car and determine whether you can offer him a service that will enhance his ability to sell it because you can make it look even better than he was able to. Even better, show up at his doorstep with your car in pristine condition in case you need to demonstrate your abilities.

detailbarn · 03-05-03, 07:05

Quote:

It reminds me of a time when I scrubbed up, slapped on a suit looking like a dapper dot com billionaire and walked into a Porsche dealer to test drive a 911 turbo. That was fun!

That my favorite past time , I love going to the dealer and trying out the new models , two of the best I've tried are the WRX and the Honda S2000. Both sales guys where new and they said go ahead see what it's got!

I had the WRX in a full drift on a dirt road and I had the the S2000 doing 90 in a old warehouse district.