The art of flattery

I accompany EE to the car showroom. She wants my opinion after test-driving some cars.

At the cosy showroom, a young and sweet salesgirl attends to us. Seeing how chummy the boss is with the staff, I venture, “Is he your father?”
She giggles, “No lah”, and calls out “Aye Boss! She thinks I’m your daughter!” before bursting into laughter.
Big Boss looks at me with a forced smile, obviously not very amused.
“But, but….this looks like a family business what!” I try to explain.

EE, obviously the one with the higher EQ, comes to the rescue. “Noooo. Not possible! Girlfriend more likely lah!”
Big Boss is now giving us a big smile, his head bobbing up and down in approval.
EE is ready to negotiate, “Now, let’s get down to business. I’m sure you can give me a better deal right?”
Big Boss' face lightens up. Grinning from ear to ear now, he says “Sure! Not only will I knock off $1,000, I’ll even throw in a FREE DVD player, GPS and leather upholstery.”
“Deal! Now, my friend here is also planning to change her car. What can you do for her?”
Big Boss looks at me with a grim expression, shaking his head, “Your car cannot sell lah. Nowadays, nobody wants to buy this kind of car.”

But why?! How can!? My car is only 2 years old. It’s sporty and so nice. I love my car!!

EE turns to me, “Go figure…”

Damn! I should learn some PR skills from her.