Team-BHP stands for the TRUTH. But Skoda wants to “instigate” Team-BHP and its users!

[jasher26]

Originally Posted by demonashes

Now this blog is featured on 'Google Staff Picks - What's hot in Google' section of Google reader. This sure is gonna get a lot of international attention.

my my, what coverage!

yesterday tejas had come to my office and went to smokin joes next door to buy a pizza. some guys were talking about which car to buy as one of the three guys was looking at a new car purchase. one of the guys said laura, the other said skoda has some issues with A.S.S and he has been told there is something going on online. Tejas gave them the team-bhp website address

Its amazing how this works

Again we only have to search for skoda india service on google to see what a mess A.S.S is in for Skoda India

[ms001]

Originally Posted by harishv

22nd April - Honourable District forum
27th April - Honourable State forum

Hey harishv, this is my first post on the thread, have been following it though.

Hats off to your courage man.

All the best for the case and hope it is resolved at the earliest.

I am doing my bit to spread the "word " about Skoda India.

[jasher26]

hey this just happened

a friends wife works for an ad agency, he just called me after talking to her saying that this has become a serious PR issue!

harish now this is not only for you but now what you have triggered off is a campaign for any present / future Skoda owner! Congratulations

[Tejas@perioimpl]

I was at Smoking Joe's yesterday ordering a pizza. A couple of guys were at a table discussing which car to buy. One guy suggests the laura but the other guy (prospective buyer) says that he has heard horrible stories about skoda and read it somewhere but can't remember which website.
So i chip in and briefly narrate Harish's incident and they promptly note down tbhp's web address and thank me profusely before i left.
Another one bites the dust...!

EDIT: Jai, if nothing, the ad agencies will make money out of this trying to clean skoda's mess at skoda's (& customer's) expense.

[jasher26]

tejas, cleaning up the mess is not possible now. they cannot do anything on the results that show up on google. google does not have and paid inclusions in organic search

[navin]

Originally Posted by jasher26

a friends wife works for an ad agency, he just called me after talking to her saying that this has become a serious PR issue!

Correction. They (Skoda) made it into a PR issue. Had they resolved or even attempted to resolve or even interacted with Harish and the TBHP community in some proactive and undertstaning manner this thread nor harish's thread would have needed.

On this thread and Harish's thread many TBHPIans (including GTO and myself) have been most accomodating with our time and knowledge in giving free advice to the Skoda; and what exactly has been their response?

We (the Mods) have no desire to kill Skoda or any other brand's image in India. We have no desire to see manufacturers shut shop and leave. We dnt even want the credit for our ideas/views/opinions/knowledge. All we want to see is ACTION.

After Harish made his post I posted my experience with Skoda's service. If you recollect the service itself was not bad at all. The followed up dillgently and seemed to be trying but...
a. the longevity of their parts (the timing belt and clutch for example)
b. cost of parts
left a lot to be desired.
These issues need to be solved for example, for a company that has been in India for over 10 years it is shocking to see the low level of indigenization.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by demonashes

Now this blog is featured on 'Google Staff Picks - What's hot in Google' section of Google reader. This sure is gonna get a lot of international attention.

Great to hear! A Google staff pick, no less. The unbiased medium will always stand up against errant organisations.

Originally Posted by jasher26

Again we only have to search for skoda india service on google to see what a mess A.S.S is in for Skoda India

The important thing to note is that, it is not only Team-BHP which has a plethora of Skoda service issues. The rest of India does. It is in Skoda's interest to set things right at the earliest. After all, it is a given for a premium car to be backed by consistently solid service. Skoda has less than 1% of the car market (0.8% market share to be precise), yet the number of fraud complaints outnumber that of ANY other brand. The writing is on the wall, Skoda. Improve or the market will have it's say. Fiat India is an angel compared to you, but look how a bad reputation is hard to pull off.

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

One guy suggests the laura but the other guy (prospective buyer) says that he has heard horrible stories about skoda and read it somewhere but can't remember which website.
So i chip in and briefly narrate Harish's incident and they promptly note down tbhp's web address and thank me profusely before i left.
Another one bites the dust...!

Earlier this week, at a family social event, a cousin of mine approaches me. She isn't a car girl at all....FAR from it. Her words "There is something brewing online about an expose on Skoda's horrendous service. You should check it out"

We (the Mods) have no desire to kill Skoda or any other brand's image in India. We have no desire to see manufacturers shut shop and leave. We dnt even want the credit for our ideas/views/opinions/knowledge. All we want to see is ACTION.

If only Skoda had the wisdom to realise this : Team-BHP & Skoda want the exact same thing = HAPPY customers / owners / enthusiasts!

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by jasher26

a friends wife works for an ad agency, he just called me after talking to her saying that this has become a serious PR issue!

harish now this is not only for you but now what you have triggered off is a campaign for any present / future Skoda owner! Congratulations

If Skoda is viewing this is as a PR issue, they are doomed. This is seriously an issue of what customers get in return for hard earned money paid as price of the car. Skoda have goofed up by covering up for the dealers / service stations. They goofed up further by threatening the sue customers who have a prima facie case (as shown by the order from the District forum - it does not matter if the that order is stayed by the National forum). Remember, the threat to sue has come after the orders from the consumer fora.

This is a consumer rights issue. If Skoda fixes this problem, its customers would be happy if they launch a PR campaign after the fact. But not before.

Skoda has to remember that not all dealerships have these issues. AFAICT, dealerships backed by ethical managements, managements which have a major stake in their goodwill (eg:- other businessess) take care not to give rise to complaints. Again, TAFE proves to be a sad execption.

[ajmat]

A major blogger friend who is no car nut sent me the link to this. So the news is spreading fast

[reppy]

Car firm to pay Rs 20,000 for harassment

Did anybody see this?

[navin]

Originally Posted by GTO

If only Skoda had the wisdom to realise this...

I dont know what to say to I'll quote people who say it better...

"Wisdom Came Only After You'd Gone.
So I'm Starting All Over With A Tear In My Eye
I Just Never Thought That You'd Disappear"
- Crosby, Still and Nash - Haven't We Lost Enough?

[jasher26]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

If Skoda is viewing this is as a PR issue, they are doomed. This is seriously an issue of what customers get in return for hard earned money paid as price of the car. Skoda have goofed up by covering up for the dealers / service stations. They goofed up further by threatening the sue customers who have a prima facie case (as shown by the order from the District forum - it does not matter if the that order is stayed by the National forum). Remember, the threat to sue has come after the orders from the consumer fora.

This is a consumer rights issue. If Skoda fixes this problem, its customers would be happy if they launch a PR campaign after the fact. But not before.

Skoda has to remember that not all dealerships have these issues. AFAICT, dealerships backed by ethical managements, managements which have a major stake in their goodwill (eg:- other businessess) take care not to give rise to complaints. Again, TAFE proves to be a sad execption.

What I meant was its become a great Social Media example

Whenever I find a consumer forum website with a complaint about Skoda A.S.S I put up the team-bhp link in the comments section

This will definitely help with Page Rank on google

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

If Skoda is viewing this is as a PR issue, they are doomed.

This sort of corporate sickness (the mania with the marketing jargon, the management jargon, what I tend to think of, with apologies to those genuine hard workers here with such a qualification, as the MBA culture) is at least mitigated by real consumer power in other countries.

Originally Posted by reppy

Car firm to pay Rs 20,000 for harassment

Did anybody see this?

As a result of your post, only

There is a concept (Sale of Goods Act) in British law that something has to be fit for the purpose for which it is sold. I have no idea whether this is formulated in Indian law (someone tell, please?), but, in this case, Skoda seem to be trying to evade that basic responsibility.


.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Little OT but worth mentioning:
I was getting a lot of promotional smses from Toyota. One simple email to them using the feedback form on their website regarding this and i got back an apology email as well as a couple of phone calls from the the head office and local dealer saying my name is taken off their mailer list. All this within 45 minutes of sending the feedback form!
This is what marketing is all about!
Skoda are you reading this?

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

... All this within 45 minutes of sending the feedback form!
This is what marketing is all about!
Skoda are you reading this?

that is really something!

First of all, they actually responded. Second surprise, the time within which they did it! Hats off to Toyota!!!

I do not know if any other company does this with so much efficiency!