Do folks ask you if you work for Tesla?

[Cal1]

I've owned this car for about 4 months. Got the Tesla jacket with red lettering to wear instead of the common NorthFace jackets I see everywhere.

I've been asked on more than a few occasions "Do you work for Tesla or do you actually/really own one?" I've owned other relatively rare cars and never had this happen with my NSX or M5. And it's never happened when they see me get out of the car in a parking lot.
I wondered if anyone else has experienced this. I guess I probably don't look like the typical bleeding edge purchaser. :smile: Not sure if I should feel insulted or complimented.

 

[Pollux]

Happens to me frequently... and I don't even have the jacket. :biggrin: I dress casually.

I know why it happens to me: people ask me about the car, and if they have time (and if I have time), I answer every question they have and give them whatever information I can. Until the local store ran out of them, I also would hand out brochures.

So I wind up at some point saying that I don't work for Tesla, and don't even own any Tesla stock.

Alan

I've owned this car for about 4 months. Got the Tesla jacket with red lettering to wear instead of the common NorthFace jackets I see everywhere.

I've been asked on more than a few occasions "Do you work for Tesla or do you actually/really own one?" I've owned other relatively rare cars and never had this happen with my NSX or M5. And it's never happened when they see me get out of the car in a parking lot.
I wondered if anyone else has experienced this. I guess I probably don't look like the typical bleeding edge purchaser. :smile: Not sure if I should feel insulted or complimented.

 

[GlennAlanBerry]

I have found over the last eight months that my Tesla jacket generates lots of questions just like that. Once they understand that I actually own a Tesla, then I get lots of the typical "Tesla Time" questions. This is all fine with me, since spreading awareness and accurate knowledge about Tesla is a good thing in my opinion.

I have also noticed that younger guys (high-school to college age) quite often are already very knowledgeable about Tesla, and they are able to rattle off its key specifications pretty easily. It seems like the Model S is making some progress in making Tesla an aspirational brand for at least some younger people. They seem to "get it" more so than many older people.

Plus, I have never heard any cracks about that four-letter word that begins with "fi" from younger people. They just think Tesla is very cool.

 

[jerry33]

I get asked at car shows, otherwise not so much. I make a point to let people know that this is my car.

 

[stevezzzz]

Happens to me all the time, and I don't wear any logo clothing. It's just what happens when you appear knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the car: people assume you're a corporate shill. Time to start opening with, "This is my car and since you ask, let me tell you about it..."

 

[skdave]

Happens to me all the time. Tesla is really missing a marketing opp. They should make a small post card that we could hand out.
The theme should be from a happy owner. and very basic. Every company in the world would be so lucky to have this type of marketing.

 

[CatB]

Yes, which I expect when I show up at a test drive event or the store.
Maybe Tesla should give us special shirts that say "I don't work for Tesla I'm just HOT (Happy Owner of a Tesla)"
Ok, no more wine for me...

 

[lorih]

I have had the opposite experience. Not having the car or the jacket when I speak to people and they hear how much I know, and how excited I am they say, "you should work for Tesla".

Even happened in Tesla showroom. I took my friend. He and the sales women were in the front of the car and I was in the back seat leaning forward between them. I was pointing out the features, and my friend asked some questions and I answered before the sales person could. At one point my I mentioned something that Elon had said the day before in a live QA in Europe (I had watched talk online). It was new info to the sales woman and she said "you should work for Tesla" (in a nice way, not like she was put-off by me, more like she appreciated a fan when she saw one).

 

[Discoducky]

Not as much these days, but I still let them know I don't....yet

 

[Cal1]

I have also noticed that younger guys (high-school to college age) quite often are already very knowledgeable about Tesla, and they are able to rattle off its key specifications pretty easily. It seems like the Model S is making some progress in making Tesla an aspirational brand for at least some younger people. They seem to "get it" more so than many older people.

I'm surprised at how many folks know about it and the variety. Young folks and older non-car people. This is not the latest M3 or a McLaren. My NSX was a young person magnet but few people outside of the car nut world even knew what it was. This is quite the opposite. I feel like many are non car people, my car being the first they have ever seen in real life. Yea, I live in a small rural town.

Of course I love telling them about my "born again" obsession with the entire EV world and this car in particular. They seem especially surprised when (if I have the time) I offer a ride. Love their reactions! The young ones always have a strange laugh (kind of like a shrill cackle, must be some kind of expression of admiration or something). :smile:

 

[Doug_G]

It used to happen to me fairly regularly while driving the Roadster, but for some reason this hasn't happened since I got the Model S.

 

[ChadS]

I rarely get asked if I work for Tesla...but I often find people assuming I do. They'll say something like "When are you guys coming out with..." and sound surprised when I explicitly point out that I do not work for them.

I am not sure why. I don't generally wear any Tesla gear; sometimes I have a hat. I usually say things about how I use it personally.

It happened more often than not with the Roadster. It seems to be happening less with the Model S. Not sure why.

 

[brianman]

I rarely get asked if I work for Tesla...but I often find people assuming I do.

I think it's your Tesla tattoo, Chad.

 

[ecarfan]

I'm too old to look like I might work for Tesla but when I corral all my neighbors into driving my S and bend their ear reciting all the things I love about the car they all say "You should work for Tesla!"

 

[mlindner]

I have also noticed that younger guys (high-school to college age) quite often are already very knowledgeable about Tesla, and they are able to rattle off its key specifications pretty easily. It seems like the Model S is making some progress in making Tesla an aspirational brand for at least some younger people. They seem to "get it" more so than many older people.

I'm surprised at how many folks know about it and the variety. Young folks and older non-car people. This is not the latest M3 or a McLaren. My NSX was a young person magnet but few people outside of the car nut world even knew what it was. This is quite the opposite. I feel like many are non car people, my car being the first they have ever seen in real life. Yea, I live in a small rural town.

Of course I love telling them about my "born again" obsession with the entire EV world and this car in particular. They seem especially surprised when (if I have the time) I offer a ride. Love their reactions! The young ones always have a strange laugh (kind of like a shrill cackle, must be some kind of expression of admiration or something). :smile:

More so than you know. Among my college friends (we're computer/electrical/computer science engineers) no one has really not heard of Tesla or doesn't already know a decent amount about it. Tesla is very well known in pretty much every engineering university anywhere I would say. Notably, at the career fairs, their line is longer than any other company. I'm at University of Michigan which pulls the who's who of tech companies and car companies everywhere (Apple, Google, SpaceX, Amazon, Facebook, Ford, GM, etc) and Tesla's line beats them all.

- - - Updated - - -

I did drop my resume to them btw (graduating Computer Engineer), but the chance of getting a response is near nil. They have the top pick of the best engineers of the country, well them along with SpaceX.

 

[wiztecy]

Interesting thread and yes I've been asked many times if I work for Tesla when I'm near my Roadster or talking shop about it. Really fun when it comes from kids since they're already overwhelmed with joy about the car! Two years ago I was headhunted by Tesla to work for them in thier QA division, which I would love, but two things made me pass it by. One was that they didn't have a competitive salary in the Silicon Valley (confirmed with a friend who interviewed with them for a software dev position). And two, that my commute time would double, which already was dreadful at times.

 

[GDH]

Nope, never been asked that.

 

[kvietor]

I've been told so many times "you should work for Tesla" that now I do.:biggrin:

P.S. came out of retirement into my 3rd career.

 

[Mario Kadastik]

I did notice Tesla checking my LinkedIn profile But overall I think most people know me from the various TV appearances that occurred when I got the first Model S in Estonia so they don't ask me if I work for Tesla. Some do comment that I should or at least they jokingly say that it seems a customer has turned into a salesman

 

[Denarius]

I've had several assume I work for Tesla, or ask if it's really my car. I look pretty young so they probably assume it couldn't possibly be mine.