{"id":17838,"date":"2020-12-02T07:49:21","date_gmt":"2020-12-02T15:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/?p=17838"},"modified":"2022-06-27T20:02:44","modified_gmt":"2022-06-28T00:02:44","slug":"this-bc-host-wants-everyone-to-try-a-tesla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/canada\/community\/this-bc-host-wants-everyone-to-try-a-tesla\/","title":{"rendered":"This BC host wants everyone to try a Tesla"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When the pandemic hit, Darren D<\/a>.\u2019s commute shrank from half an hour to just a few steps.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur car was sitting in our parkade every day. So when Turo said they were launching in British Columbia<\/a>, we thought it was a great opportunity for it to pay for itself,\u201d said Darren. \u201cEveryone has to pull their weight, including our car.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost people see their vehicle as a liability, and it is in most cases. For us, we were looking at it and saying, \u2018How do we turn our vehicle into an asset?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darren and his partner, Kristen, were already familiar with Turo. They had a positive guest experience during a family trip to Hawaii, so when Turo expanded west, they listed their 2019 Tesla Model 3<\/a> and waited for the bookings to roll in. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For many hosts, sharing a Tesla already gives them a competitive advantage on Turo. Not for BC hosts. Even though BC is Turo\u2019s youngest Canadian market, there are already scores of Teslas available to book. So Darren focused on differentiating his service rather than his product, by creating the best Tesla experience for first-timers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople who were booking our car had never rented a Tesla or an electric vehicle, and they were super excited. So I changed our listing description to say that we specialize in helping first-time Tesla drivers, and I think that really puts people at ease. Every other Tesla listing is like, \u2018We have all these features!\u2019 and it can be overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought about what people really need to know about driving a Tesla, and it came down to three things: one, here\u2019s how you unlock the car and get in, two, here\u2019s how you put it in drive, and three, here\u2019s how you stop it. It seems silly, but those functionalities are really unique to this car, and I think this approach has helped us attract people who want to drive a Tesla, but don\u2019t feel comfortable. So we try to be welcoming that way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI see myself as an unofficial brand ambassador\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Darren and Kristen have taken added steps to make their listing appealing. Many hosts who book their car go out to Whistler, so they added features like a bike rack. They also throw in hand sanitizer and an umbrella for rainy days. By thinking about everything their guest\u2019s might need, these two hosts can differentiate on service instead of competing on cost.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focusing on a unique Tesla experience has been enriching both financially and personally, as illustrated by an experience Darren and Kristen had with one guest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy last booking was fantastic,\u201d recalls Darren. \u201cI met a family the other day, and the dad didn\u2019t tell the kids that he was getting a Tesla, and I guess they\u2019d been watching Tesla videos. The kids were asking, \u2018What kind of car, dad?\u2019 And he\u2019s like, \u2018Ah, some sort of Ford. Nothing special.\u2019 When his eldest son saw the car he was like, \u2018Oh my God, Dad, this is so exciting!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith the Tesla, you get like a credit card style key. So I hand the key to his oldest son, and I\u2019m like, \u2018Are you gonna be driving?\u2019 and he starts laughing and he takes the key, jumps in, and starts playing around. It was fun to experience that. If you were at a car rental center it would be like, \u2018Here\u2019s your key, sir. Car\u2019s out in the lot.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As one of the first hosts in BC, Darren considers it his responsibility to help new hosts and guests make the most of car sharing. “Almost everyone who has booked a trip with us is doing it for the first time, so I see myself as an unofficial brand ambassador,” he said. \u201cI know that if a guest has a great experience, they\u2019ll likely be back, and that pays it forward for everybody.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Covering car payments<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Darren’s 2019 Tesla Model S<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This commitment to customer experience has paid off. Since hosting their first trip in August, Darren and Kristen have covered nearly 100% of their car payment every month. They\u2019ve done so by offering great customer service and following Turo\u2019s sanitation guidelines<\/a>. While car sharing during a pandemic has its challenges, Darren says it\u2019s possible to offer a personable experience safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI show up in a mask, and I try to gauge the comfort of the guest when I meet them. A lot of times they don\u2019t know how to use the Tesla, so I ask permission to sit in the passenger seat with the door open to show them how to operate it. Some people are like, \u2018Yeah, whatever. Jump in. Let\u2019s just figure it out.\u2019 But you have to play to the most conservative in the room in a non-judgemental way. If people want to be extra safe, I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After three months, Darren calls his Turo phone notifications \u201cthe sound of money\u201d. He does what he can to make sure he hears it often by keeping his calendar up to date and shortening his lead times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe dropped our Advance notice down low to give ourselves a competitive advantage. We had one booking that came in at one in the morning for an 8:30am trip. We just happened to be up and said, \u2018Oh boy. We\u2019re gonna have an early morning.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, Darren credits this flexibility to their recent shift to remote work. Nevertheless, he recommends Turo to all of his friends and family with a car sitting unused in the lot. And he\u2019s got the perfect answer for those who are hesitant about sharing their vehicle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople say, \u2018You let other people drive your car?\u2019 and I say, \u2018No, I let other people make my car payment.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book with Darren and Kristen<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Get started on web<\/p>\n

Launch your car sharing business using your browser \u2014 you\u2019ll need some info about the car so make sure it\u2019s nearby.<\/p>\n List on web<\/a>\n <\/div>\n

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List on the go<\/p>\n

List a car in a few taps \u2014 download the Turo app to start building your business from your phone.<\/p>\n Download the app<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

Photos by Ian Kobylanksi. Check out his website here<\/a> or follow him on Instagram<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When the pandemic hit, Darren D.\u2019s commute shrank from half an hour to just a few steps. \u201cOur car was sitting in our parkade every day. So when Turo said…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":17841,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[19,51],"language":[2],"class_list":["post-17838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-canada","tag-member-profiles"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t