Tata-Fiat; Is the salesman being arrogant here?

[Mp421b]

Having got inside information from our sources in TATA Motors, we got to know that the much awaited Fiat Linea had reached the dealerships. So we gave the Tata-Fiat dealership a call, inquired about having a look and we were told to come down anytime. Not wasting mush time, we went to Tata-Fiat to have a look at the Fiat Linea. What happened ahead is totally unexpected and shocking from a company of TATA’S repute.


Our photographer started to click pictures of the Fiat Linea and he was stopped from doing so. We were spoken to rudely and denied permission to click any pictures. However, we continued our job.


One salesman comes up saying - “This is my premise, you can’t take pictures. This is my car, you can’t take pictures”


Such arrogance and poor behaviour is not expected from a dealership, which is suposedly the best and only dealership in Navi Mumbai, and is selling products of a company as big as ther TATA’S. If the best dealer behaves this way, we can only imagine what the others will be like.
Reasons for pictures not to be taken - Fiat has not launched the car yet. So you cant take pictures.


My question to Fiat - If you have not launched the car just yet, then why do you deck it all up and park it in the showroom. Why does the salesman ask me to come down to check the car out when you are so hide hide about the car?


My advice to Fiat - If this is the attitude of your dealerships then trust me, not many would want to buy your car. Whats wrong with taking pictures? If i was the owner of Fiat i would write there, take as many pictures as you want. Reason is simple. Someone is taking pictures of my car, and spreading the word for free. What else does a company want. But its sad that Fiat India’s management has remained stale since the days of the Siena and will continue to be so. As for me, i wont buy a Fiat car. Don’t get me wrong, i love Fiat cars, they are extremely value for money, but they lack two things which is very very important. One is resale and the other is after sales service.


My advice to all of you - If your buying a Fiat car, think twice, maybe thrice but make sure you get service. Because a product without good service is like a car without fuel. You can’t drive it, you can just admire it.

Is int this such a wrong thing. Have any of you faced such issues while checking out cars. I don't post pics as such but i like clicking car pictures but never came across such a thing.

Did you guys ever face such a thing while checking out a car or taking pictures?

[diabloo]

This isn't good start for Linea.
Hopefully the 'attitude' changes after they officially launch it.

One salesman comes up saying - “This is my premise, you can’t take pictures. This is my car, you can’t take pictures”

My question to Fiat - If you have not launched the car just yet, then why do you deck it all up and park it in the showroom. Why does the salesman ask me to come down to check the car out when you are so hide hide about the car?

[kbalii]

There will be a lot of resistance from dealerships in having pictures in the magazines before the date of launch. FIAT would not like that at all, because they would have nothing else to launch.

The dealer calling you to have a test drive is in a sale interest and never to have media there. That might ruin their dealership. They might still allow you to take a picture in your mobile if you want but possibly not more than one.

I wouldnt blame the dealership on that. If you are media you will be shunned till the launch. Lets face it. Your media would have already received the invite for the launch.

I think T BHP believes in not creating any problems for anybody especially if dealerships have a problem, then definitely not.

You can take all the pictures you want after the launch, but doubt if you would have a story.

[HotChillyPepper]

Even after you purchase the car and go back to the dealer his attitude not going to be changed. Its the way they used to sell trucks. Still in the same mood they talk to the truck drivers who comes in with a mouth full of Gudka and spit it all over the showroom.

If anything which will affect negative for Fiat sales in India now, it will be this attitude. Grow up Tata.

[RX135]

********* who?

While I don't understand why should dealer avoid free publicity, I don't see a point in clicking pictures without his approval. If you are in a private premise and you are ask not to click pictures, you better obey it than going ahead clicking pictures. Such cribs don't hurt Tata or Fiat, it just shows your arrogance.

These guys try to click pictures paying no heed to the dealer and then to top it off, go on cribbing about dealer's arrogance on internet, expecting people to sympathize with them (which incidentally, some do). What has this world come to?

[Zappo]

Its very surprising that some people actually try to turn tables by projecting their own boorish behavior as a virtue and blame the opposite side that merely reacted to it.

Its a fact that dealership is a private premise. And if you are inside a private premise and try to click pictures of private property then you need owner's permission. The fact that you did not seek that and to top it all when the sales guys objected you still tried to go ahead and click some more shows that you yourself are crossing the line.

If Fiat wants publicity they will issue you a media invite pass for a drive session. You can not expect to barge into a private showroom and start clicking pics without any permissions.

So please...

EDIT: I have edited the thread title suitably since the earlier title was giving a very skewed view of the issue.

[diabloo]

Pardon my ignorance, all these years, I thought car showroom was a public place?

But legal definition says this:
"A public place is generally an indoor or outdoor area, whether privately or publicly owned, to which the public have access by right or by invitation, expressed or implied, whether by payment of money or not, but not a place when used exclusively by one or more individuals for a private gathering or other personal purpose."

[harry10]

IMO salesman was right in doing so. The showroom is premise of tata and so they hold the right not to let the pictures clicked and i think the true picture has not been given. Once you are told no to click and still you do offcourse anyone will get rude with you and terming that arrogance is wrong. In my view person who was clicking was arrogant(as he didn't bothered) and not the sales person.

Same time if Dealers and Fiat are so much bothered with Pictures being clicked why display the vehicle in showroom before launch date. Fiat and Tata need to learn this from Honda.

[HotChillyPepper]

The word "showroom" itself says that its a place designated for showing off their products to public. And I never taken anyone's permission to enter a car showroom. So in my opinion its a public place. Now if there was a board displayed telling photography prohibited what you have done is wrong. Otherwise I think clicking a snap there is not offensive.
Even Merc showroom allows public to capture shots.

[safari_lover]

I don't think the salesman was being arrogant there. He's just doing his job. This totally a baseless charge. If anyone is to be blamed it's the person who's taking pics despite being told not to!

Originally Posted by diabloo

But legal definition says this:
"A public place is generally an indoor or outdoor area, whether privately or publicly owned, to which the public have access by right or by invitation, expressed or implied, whether by payment of money or not, but not a place when used exclusively by one or more individuals for a private gathering or other personal purpose."

Pardon my ignorance here but if I invite some people to my home, will that make my home a public place?

[kbalii]

Originally Posted by diabloo

Pardon my ignorance, all these years, I thought car showroom was a public place?

But legal definition says this:
"A public place is generally an indoor or outdoor area, whether privately or publicly owned, to which the public have access by right or by invitation, expressed or implied, whether by payment of money or not, but not a place when used exclusively by one or more individuals for a private gathering or other personal purpose."

It is not a public place. It is not used for private or personal use. It is used for commercial use only.

I hope people dont intend to conduct personal parties in a car showroom.

Not a bad idea though

Originally Posted by HotChillyPepper

Even Merc showroom allows public to capture shots.

I hope you really see the point. They wouldnt stop you from taking the pictures of the indica or the safari or the indigo or the palio but a Linea, yes they would object to the media. The car has not been launched yet for gods sake. The camera lens of the media would not see car till it is launched PERIOD.

Now, the car is displayed for sales interests only(possibly from the dealer). They might allow you to take a pic on your phone and you might book a car for yourself, like many TBHPians have done, but media will have its share of the car during launch.

It would be very bad if a car is captured in the media before launch. Again Personal ains like buying the car and having it delivered soon might be encouraged. But commercial intention for writing / running a story on a car in media that is not launched yet will be a big no no. Fiat wouldnt want anything to go wrong with this car.

In short, the reason they stopped you from taking pictures is the same as somebody who wanted to take pictures: Write a story of the car before the launch.

Try taking pictures of any other cars there and see if you are being bothered.

[sammyboy]

Originally Posted by safari_lover

Pardon my ignorance here but if I invite some people to my home, will that make my home a public place?

Only for the people who have been invited to your private place . They will be the invited public and you will have a private public place

kiddin

Originally Posted by diabloo

, but not a place when used exclusively by one or more individuals for a private gathering or other personal purpose."

[SkyWalker]

I think the Salesman was a bit arrogant. But it was pretty obvious these guys were not customers. I dont see this as a customer service issue.

[m_upreti]

I have had only one "brush" with a Tata Dealership, at a time I was hunting for my first car. The hunt took me to a prominent S. Delhi dealer, the sales person spoke to me as if he was doing me a favour by showing me around the Indica.

I was just about making my mind up when I checked on the freebies , discounts etc., he looked at me as if I was begger, I can recall the exact words now over 6 years after the incident "Ye ghari lagi hai na isme, bas yahi free hai, koi discount nahin, mud flap bhi chaiye to paise lagenge" [This watch installed is free, thats it, no discount, you will have to pay even if you want the mud flaps].

Well the decision was made, never ever to enter another Tata dealership again. . I had a bad experience at a Hyundai dealership too, where the staff was not even willing to show the Santro.

Rest is history, I bought a Wagon R, got Mud Flaps, Floor Mats, Idol, & a cassette/radio player free, (no watch ), and 5 & a half years of mental peace until I sold it of at a good resale price.

My experience with the Mahindra Dealership too has been excellent.

[madan80]

th TASC sales person who showed me the car was very polite and knew a lot about the cr. they had initiated a lot of features - like the speed warning and automatic locking and i saw the features working first hand.

but if someone tells you not to take pictures, then you throw the whole press thing and continue taking pictures, anyone would get upset.