Afternoon all, I've been pondering ways to provide a service and make a few quid at the same time. A lot of non-car people have no idea how two-thirds of the features in their modern cars work; I reckon there are enough folk out there who'd pay £30-£50 for me to sit with them for an hour and explain what everything in their car does and how it can help them. Kind of like a handover, but for their existing vehicle.
I used to carry out handovers for new lease vehicles, a lot of which was just finding the relevant part in the handbook and running them through the procedures. I've dealt with the public for long enough that I can manage not to be condescending for several hours at a time. Do you think there's any mileage in it? I just need to come up with a snappy name and a concise description of what's being offered. All thoughts welcome.
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There could well be mileage in it. One of my ex’s is hopeless with suchlike, as is her partner, and an acquaintance of mine is yet to use the satnav in a Merc he’s owned for several years.
How about ‘features are really this simple’ as a tag line.
Could be abbreviated.
Last edited by: legacylad on Fri 11 Aug 23 at 18:57
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There maybe a an earner in it.
However the difficulty is getting people to know you exist and provide a service.
As well as those getting used to a new car there is also the car owner being made aware.
YouTube has many videos on a whole range of cars and the in/outs of what happens when yoy press buttons, choose items on menus.
When I retired from work I started tutoring Maths - charging £30/hour was deemed expensive by many - I said that every hour spent tutoring was generally 80/85 mins including travelling time and 5 to 10 miles petrol.
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I think the assumption that a lot of people don’t know how a lot of their car’s features may work is probably true. The same may be said for computers and mobile phones. The issue is whether or not those people actually want to know and, more importantly, actually be prepared to pay for someone to tell them.
Most people, I suspect, find out what they need to know with a bit of judicious button pressing and don’t want to know about stuff they will never use. Why bother about the rest of the mysteries of the infotainment system if you have worked out how to find your favourite radio stations and that’s all you want from it?
I may be wrong though! Best of luck.
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In theory a good idea.
Your issue is retention of the information. How many features can a person remember before it becomes a blur and will they retain that knowledge?
People have different learning styles. VARK - Visual. Auditory. Reading and Kinesthetic. Or a mixture of those.
I'm a Reading and Kinesthetic. So I play with the gadgets and then read the manual if I'm stuck.
I'm not a good Auditory learner unless the presentation captures me.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Fri 11 Aug 23 at 19:16
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Cars are like smartphones and laptops - massively capable, but once folk have the functionality they need, understand and use, they assume further capability is unnecessary.
I make use of ~10% of my laptop and smartphone. There are buttons I have never bothered to press. It is not fear of failure, I just don't want to waste my time.
Same with the car. It has a voice recognition function - I have never bothered even to try it. The same with the sat-nav - I know I can plan a complex journey with way points - but why.
The business opportunity identified should be aimed at those who want to know more but don't have the talent to work it out, not the "ignorant" who don't think they need/want to know.
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Thanks all. The idea came about after an evening with the in-laws (early 70s) and some of their friends. They’re all in newer cars and all profess to have no idea about most of the functions and features on them - simple things like what to do with the EPB switch, why the main beams won’t always turn on (adaptive lights set to Auto - main beam functionality only available above 35mph) and so on.
Fifty quid to pair their phones and set up a few favourites, program memory seats and help to remove some of their apprehensions around the beeps and bongs sounds reasonable. I’ve got a couple of potential jobs already, and word-of-mouth plus a post or two on Fbook should keep it going.
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I think you may be wasting your time. I've shown folk features on their cars that they've promptly forgotten about.
What I would like is a comprehensive guide as to what lights come up on the dashboard when you first turn on the ignition (I may be in the market soon for another car).
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Happy to help BT, I’m not a million miles from you either, if it comes to it.
It used to be easy; as long as the lights all went out by the time you drove off, you were ok.
Now with speed limiters, lanekeeping assist, hill-hold and so on, it’s not so clear-cut which lights should stay on and which should go off.
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I noticed the other day a number of cars driving in the dark with only front lights on. Presumably DRL - or whatever they are called - drivers can see the front lights are on, so assume the back lights are as well.
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Next weekend I pick up my new car, a CRV.
My current CRV is 11 years old and has some toys but essentially electronics limited to SatNav / CD, beepers, rear camera. It has voice recognition for altering temperature, phone dialling etc etc.
I carefully followed both the manual & Youtube.
The car understands a deep Southern US accent on YouTube but does not like my Scottish accent - I speak standard English but to no avail.
However, the 2023 model is a bit like moving into a different world with a myriad of possibilities.
My wife is convinced it will be hassle, my son says "nothing to worry about"
I manage my way around most things, but the first time for anything new to me takes time.
A new laptop is easy as it is just everything I have known 39 years of having a PC at home and adding the odd bit here & there.
57 years of car owning and for the first 40+ years very little changed but in the last 10 years or so the world has changed massively.
Off to watch more YouTube!
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The business idea might work, maybe offering smart phone and IPad options too.
What irritates me with cars is that the manuals now are so lengthy because they cover every model and option. When buying used it’s not always clear which if these options are actually on the car. Now that so many things are deep in menus it’s not just a question of pressing a button to see what it does. That of course is your business opportunity.
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>> 57 years of car owning and for the first 40+ years very little changed but
>> in the last 10 years or so the world has changed massively.
>>
>> Off to watch more YouTube!
>>
This is what I have found. Stuff has been changed because it could be changed.
It may be fine for an 18 year old, but for someone where the numbers are the other way round and then some on top, it's not easy.
Why can't I have a physical dipstick? What useful advantage is served by calling up the oil level on a screen display? That is just one tiny example.
The problem for me is that one walkthrough would never be enough. I would need reminding next week of something and then the week after for something else.
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As above, most just do the bare necessities.
With all my different car rentals I normally do 6 things before driving off….ensure language is set to English, lights to auto, pair the phone, tune in favourite radio presets, find lane assist ready to turn off, fuel filler LHS or RHS ?
Next day , where available, I’ll alter the digital display, stereo balance, colour of interior ambient lighting, scroll through all the menus and turn on or off. Most rentals are pretty basic so that takes me 30 minutes.
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The whole car thing is bizarre.
We typically spend a few minutes to a couple of hours a day in a car equipped with air-con, sat nav, stuffed full of other electronics (even base models), etc. Some folk think them obsolete and need changing after just a few years when a new gizmo is marketed.
We spend 10-24 hours a day in our homes which may have been built before we were born. May last have been decorated decades previously, with kitchens, furniture, beds, etc which a well past their prime. We take pride in the old and knacked.
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>We take pride in the old and knacked...
On doctor's orders in my case.
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Not check the tyres, lights, horn, like any self respecting IAM member would do? :-)
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Good point. Well made.
Tyres are part of my walk around. Drive rental to edge of multi storey all the better to check for damage. Turn front wheels 45 degrees to check inner tread & take 2 photos of each wheel…( bit anal). Front lights always come on in multi storey but must admit I never check rear or brake lights. Tut tut.
Always sound horn several times on way out..just like the rental company drivers !!
Memo to self. Check rear lights in future.
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'With all my different car rentals I normally do 6 things before driving off…'
You missed the most important one - take plenty of photos. Particularly mirrors, bumpers and alloys. Anything that looks like a scratch even if it's a bit of muck or tar. And the dashboard showing mileage and anything that might be relevant. Then repeat when you drop it off. It's saved me being scammed a couple of times over the years.
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Always do. And a video. Especially under front and rear bumpers, both sills, wing mirrors, even roof.
And I get my passengers to check..if I miss damage they aren’t the one with up to €1500 on their credit card and the hassle of reclaiming it from the CDW policy.
I have an OCD friend who takes a mirror on an extending stick to check for underbody damage.
I’m not that bad. Yet :-)
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.....who takes a mirror on an extending stick to check for underbody damage.....
Are you sure he is not on somebodies hit list and just taking sensible precautions?
Do you really wish to travel with him?
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He’s fine. I consider it a mild disability. Annoying at times when he prattles on & on and I/we have no interest, but he’s kind & thoughtful.
He doesn’t go on holiday with us…dislikes heat for a start !
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I ticked a lot of boxes when I bought the A4. Briefest of handovers from the dealer. I had the cruise control's various modes before I hit the Motorway. Some other gizmos had to be sorted with the manual (not specific to the various trim levels unlike BMW's excellent on board manual) - I eventually sussed that the electric load cover was easy to operate) - there's I read the manual and scrolled through various MMI screens to find stuff. Volvo were superb in their handover with a dedicated specialist person who guided one through the car's systems.
I reckon there's money in it.
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>> I reckon there's money in it.
So do I.
Would your initial costs should be advertising only? You can test the premise by advertising on nextdoor, the local free paper etc.
I would have loved a decent handover with the current car. I am sure that I don't use the Infotainment system properly.
Good luck!
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Saturday sideline idea - car feature walkthroughs - legacylad
