| Friendly Neighbourhood Garage - World of Service (Sector 67, Noida)
World of Service to my Rescue
Dear BHPians,
I’m writing this heartfelt (slightly longish) post to vent my relief following a very bad car service experience and the subsequent positive turnaround. The contents below come with a ‘long-post’ warning – may not be suitable for readers with limited patience and time.
Let’s start - I very recently got my Maruti Ertiga serviced from (supposedly) one of the best MASSes in Delhi NCR. What should have ideally been a reasonably fuss-free annual service soon unfolded into a bad nightmare. Post-service and after taking delivery of my vehicle from the said MASS I experienced a very unpleasant and irritating creaking noise from the front side while applying brakes. The sound became progressively worse and I took it back to the same authorised service centre the next day. On preliminary diagnosis I was told that maybe the caliper pins were not installed properly during the service and they will redo the brake cleaning process as well. I was informed the same evening that the issue is resolved and I can collect the vehicle. But it was not to be – the noise surfaced immediately - within a couple of minutes of taking the car for a test run. It was again ushered into the service bay and the service personnel requested for more time to look into the issue. I took a cab back home, very disappointed on the wasted time and effort.
The entire next day was spent in diagnosing the issue and I was informed in the evening that the front left wheel and bearing would have to be replaced to get rid of the sound. I enquired as to why this was required since the vehicle was niggle-free when I had given it for service. They provided the same old script about wear and tear and that things can sometimes happen unpredictably with a running vehicle. Fast forward to the next day and I was informed in the afternoon that the necessary repairs have been done and the sound has gone for good. The bill amount was approx. Rs. 4000. The test run was okay and I was happy to see the vehicle in its former glory. But the happiness was short-lived. The creaking noise reappeared the next day and the sound seemed much more amplified than before. Along with it came a new ‘khat khat’ noise from the front whenever the vehicle went over bumps. Tired and frustrated I contacted a senior Maruti personnel who suggested that I get the vehicle to the MASS’ parent workshop in Delhi and the matter will be taken on priority by the best personnel on the floor. Half of the next morning was spent navigating the ruthless traffic of Delhi and when I finally reached the ‘God of MASSes’ I was pleasantly surprised to see that a service advisor was waiting for me at the gate with the entire history of my vehicle. I was courteously assured regarding quick resolution of the problem and that I should not worry. The journey from the MASS to my workplace was equally bad traffic-wise and I was exhausted when I finally reached my destination around lunch-time.
The next afternoon I received a call from my service advisor who indicated that the following jobs have to be performed to resolve the issues:
A) Replacement of front right wheel hub and bearing for the ‘creaking while braking’ sound
B) Replacement of the rear engine mount for the newly acquired ‘khat khat’ sound
I gave the go-ahead since I was assured that the problem(s) will be eliminated for good. The same evening I was told that while the hub and bearing have been replaced the engine mount is out of stock and it would take a couple of days to arrive. After two days I was informed by another service advisor (since the primary person was on leave due to sickness) that the part has been fixed and the vehicle is running smoothly and is perfectly noise-free. Happy and excited I left for MASS and took delivery of the vehicle after an uneventful test run of around 5 km and after settling the bill (slightly north of Rs. 6000 after loyalty discount). However, after driving further for 15 kms or so it became clear that fate had other plans for me and my Ertiga. Though the ‘khat khat’ sound had vanished the ‘creaking while braking’ returned with a vengeance. I had lost all mental and physical energy to turn back towards the service centre. I drove home and contemplated all possible (unreasonable) things that a frustrated and tired mind can cough up – sell the vehicle, replace the entire braking and suspension system, try to live with the sound, turn and pray to God, etc. etc. etc.
I also took Google’s assistance to help me with a place in Delhi NCR where people go when they have lost all hope for issues pertaining to their vehicles. It was then when I landed on Team-BHP’s ‘World of Service (WoS)’ thread and read through all the reviews, mostly highly positive. I had heard of the set-up in the past as well from some of my common contacts and had also spoken to Mr. Anupam, who owns WoS, a couple of years ago regarding some advice. Cut to the present – I quickly connected with Anupam and suddenly my hopes of ending my ordeal were revived. Without wasting time I immediately took the vehicle to WoS that very evening and handed the vehicle to one of their senior technicians, Joginder. During this while I noticed a lot of luxury brands occupying the floor space and I wondered if my modest Ertiga will get the required attention. It did. Joginder and his team, under close supervision of Anupam, started by skimming the front discs of my car and when the noise still didn’t completely go away they suggested checking both front wheel hubs and bearings. I told them about the recent replacements and they said that they will carefully reanalyse and assess to ensure that the problem is permanently resolved.
The next day they confirmed that both hubs appear to be new and they would require more time to understand and fix the issue. The subsequent day I received a call from WoS in the afternoon and was told that the brake noise is gone and I can take my vehicle. Instead of prolonging the telephonic conversation I immediately headed to WoS, elated but a with a bit of scepticism (following my earlier experience). On reaching I was received by another senior technician Virender who told me that they had to work on realigning and re-fitting the new front wheel hubs and related bits since it seems that wasn’t done properly by the MASSes earlier. I immediately went on a test run, accompanied by Joginder. During the longish drive I tried all possible ways to reproduce the ‘creaking while braking’ sound but it did not surface. Ditto during the 20 kms plus drive back home. During this time I also received a call from Anupam to check if everything was fine and I could not resist giving the thumbs up! The next day was uneventful as well. It seems that the ordeal which started after my car’s annual service is now put to rest. The sense of relief is overwhelming and a big thanks to Anupam and his team for restoring my car and my peace of mind.
Following are some of the things I noted about WoS:
1. The owner is highly informed, knowledgeable, and passionate about cars. He treats his customers with utmost courtesy and hospitality. He is genuinely satisfied when his customers are happy.
2. A lot of people trust WoS with their expensive luxury cars without second thought. Yet other modest car brands can also be seen occupying the work floor.
3. Staff members have been around for a while – they are highly competent and know their job well. I’m sure that the company takes good care of them.
4. The floor space is well equipped with basic and advanced tools & machinery as well as adequate number of lifts.
5. WoS does not add layers to what is required in one’s vehicle. They will just tell you what is needed and will not talk about other issues that might / might not be present in your car.
6. The processes starting from diagnosis to repair are transparent and timely updates are provided
7. The service costs seem to be reasonable and way lesser than what authorised centres charge (I was charged less than Rs. 3000 for the tasks performed on my car).
To conclude I can confidently state that WoS has wowed me with the recent experience and they have added another customer to their long list of loyalists. No way am I ever going to think of taking my steeds to any other place, forget authorised service centres. I would also like to highly recommend WoS’ services to fellow BHPians in Delhi NCR (and beyond if possible) so that they are also able to savour the attention and lavish treatment for their cars. Way to go WoS! | 
27th April 2023, 20:38
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Thanks
