Carnation,Sanathnagar,Hyderabad - Review

[Alton]

If I had read the review inputs by TBHP mate Setuniket just a few days before I would not have visited Carnation at all.
My MJD was due for service at 22500kms.There were no problems with it except some minor rattles in the door and a clutch play.I just wanted a normal service. Infact a Quick service so that I could utilize the rest of the day for my other minor errands.I knew TASS couldn’t do it unless booked in advance .
A casual call with my friend sprang up CARNATION – A Multi Brand Car service.He and his collegues had gone there with their WagonR, Santro, Scorpio and Accent. All of them MULTIBRAND and I immediately decided to give it a try for a normal service.But I was warned to go for ONLY General Service and no other technical issues.And they don’t do ‘Warranty’ Cars.Still I wanted to try it out.I also heard from them that the place had less cars coming in since it was new and I could expect early delivery.
Reached there at 10 AM sharp and mine was the first car to arrive for the day!!! A good start ,I thought. Next, walked in, met Mr. Prasad the SA and asked him about the MJD with Warranty. He then made a call to the Works Manager who hadn’t arrived yet , came up to me and said ‘YES SIR, but any issues Sir?’ I said ‘No, I need only general service with some clutch checkup’. He immediately began writing down the job card.I gradually came to know that all the mechanics had been sourced from different companies and Mr.Prasad was an Ex-Tata service guy.He was at ease with the MJD.I was relieved on the fact that my car wouldn’t end up training them instead!!
The ambience was good, neat and clean. An Indica and a Palio 1.9D were in the service bays with bonnets opened up.There were about 15 service bays,a lube room,Washing area,WA/WB bay,Canteen and Staff room.It was well sorted out. The guys were relaxed and going about their work without the urgency you find at TASS.Less cars,less tension.

They had tie up with only Castrol and the routine replacement spares would be brought from the respective car dealerships .My car would get its spares from Concorde motors.
After the initial entries in the job card,Prasad explained the work that would be done.
Castrol GTX diesel would be the oil used and the oil filter,air filter would be brought from TASS.Clutch check,door pad check and other routine checks would be done .
He promised me delivery in 4 hours!!.I decided to wait it out .
As time passed by other cars slowly began rolling in – Accent CRDI,Getz GVS,Maruti Omni,Scorpio DX,Innova G and Fiat Palio 1.6.

The Customer waiting lounge was small but good with some Auto mags like TopGear,Motoring India lying around.Time passed by as I flicked them through reading on Indigo Manza,M&M Customisation on Bolero,F1 news,Readers Queries etc.
They dint resist my occasional visits to the car during the work.In fact the mechanic explained the suspension setup when I asked him.
My car was ready by 2PM ,washed,wiped and vacuumed.
During the Test drive ,Prasad explained all the work done .Oil Change,Filters change,Brake pad scrub,Suspension bolt tightening,Fluid check and top up,Tyre check,All lights check etc. It was satisfactory.The car had that feel of being spruced up.
I need to assess the GTX Diesel on my engine since the last time TASS – Autofin Motors simply threw Castrol Magnatec into my engine.On asking they simply said it was Approved and suitable for Diesels too.!

The Final Bill was Rs.1972/ with Discount
General Service 480.00
Washing service 240.00
Castrol GTX Diesel oil,QTY: 3.6 litre = 686.16
Oil Filter 450.00
Air filter 270.00
Taxes 85.00
Discount 240.00
TOTAL 1972=00


An interesting part on the bill was that TAX was charged only on the OIL .
Oil and Air filters were filled in Manually and stamped on my copy.
Maybe they were avoiding tax on them!!!
Service charges seemed High for Rs.720/, TASS normally charge Rs.650/ including Wash.Dont know much about the spare prices though.I need to check them.
But I remember Oil filter in TASS for Rs.380 or so ,here it was Rs.450!!!

They could also have an inventory for the running spares instead of sending someone out every time to get them. I even heard of bulbs being not in stock! from the other customers during my visit.

The Final Verdict:
Would I visit again ?
YES but for Routine maintenance only. Particularly Quick Service.
Overall I would rate them 7/10 for service.

Thanks and Cheers.

[kcnetid]

Great review Alton. We now know that there is at least one reliable multibrand workshop in Hyderabad.
Do update with your friends' experiences too.

Regarding spares - it is standard practice to procure on demand. They cannot maintain spares for all the models available in India :-) Thats too much inventory and they will need a separate building just for the parts.
Usually they have very reliable wholesale suppliers and once this catches up, you might end up paying discounted rates for the parts too. The only flip side is that there is usually 1-2 days shipping delay for slightly rarer parts. We build the IT systems for a wholesaler in the US and came to know a bit about this.

There is a proposal on this site to start some kind of a rating/review system for workshops. Your review will be a big help.