Let’s Make a Deal

I’m sure you’ve heard from insurance companies, motor clubs or customers who want to “make a deal” when paying for your towing and recovery services.

My most recent request to let’s make a deal came from someone wanting to know if I would set the price quoted for two more days until they could come pick up their the vehicle. When I advised that wasn’t an option, the person on the phone said, “I tried.”

This is a summary of how the term came about:  The origins of the term let’s make a deal, can be traced back to the popular game show of the same name, which first aired in 1963. On the show, contestants were given the opportunity to choose between three doors, behind one of which was a valuable prize, while the other two doors contained less desirable prizes. After the contestant made their initial choice, the host, Monty Hall, would offer them the opportunity to switch their choice to one of the other doors, leading to the famous question “Do you want to stick with your original choice, or do you want to make a deal?”

Today, “let’s make a deal” is often used to describe a situation where negotiation or bargaining takes place anywhere from haggling over the price of a car to negotiating the terms of a business deal — both parties trying to get the best possible outcome for themselves.  This is true of the show that still airs today.

I don’t blame the person who tried to negotiate the price, but I sometimes want to tell them: I am not Monty Hall, and this is not Let’s Make a Deal.