Information about the occupied portion of the surface density of states of materials can be derived from electron-excited Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), which is a standard experimental technique in most surface science laboratories. Surface sensitive experimental techniques that provide information regarding the unoccupied portion of the surface density of states are often not standard and are not so readily available. Here we explore the possibility of utilizing the same experimental equipment as in AES to derive information about the unoccupied portion of the surface density of states from a characteristic loss spectroscopy, in particular, from core-level inelastic electron-scattering spectroscopy (CLIESS). An important application of this technique is in comparative studies. CLIESS spectra from clean surfaces of aluminum, beryllium and nickel are presented. These data were taken in the first-derivative mode using the reflection of monoenergetic primary beams of 450 eV energy for Be, and 300 eV for Al and Ni. The Al and Be spectra had to be extracted from overlapping plasmon signals using synthesized plasmon spectra based on the behavior of these spectra between the elastic peak energy and the respective core level threshold energies. After applying loss-deconvolution techniques to remove secondary loss spectral distortions, integral spectra were obtained which compared well to corresponding experimental soft x-ray absorption and transmission electron-energy loss data as well as to theoretical calculations of the unoccupied density-of-states for these materials. Comparison similarities as well as some differences are discussed. Finally, in order to illustrate the potential these signals have in serving as ''fingerprints'' of surface chemistry, derivative metal-CLIESS curves for the three oxide surfaces of the metals are also presented.