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Old 16th June 2011, 17:16   #1
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FIAT Pre-Sales Service FAIL

I was looking to get myself a small car to replace the Logan and decided to shortlist the i20, Punto, Ritz, Swift, Figo and Micra (all diesel)

The Nissan and Ford sales experiences were stunning. The guys were eager to inform (although the Nissan salesman was reading from a book), and followed up pretty regularly. Haven't gotten around to the Hyundai and Maruti dealerships as I saved that for this weekend.

Fiat, on the other hand, is pathetic. I put in a test drive request online on Saturday. I went around to their dealership (Concorde) on Sunday, but like their government counterparts, they were closed. Only the guys cleaning were around. What was shocking was on Monday evening, I got a call from some call center asking if I'd heard from Concorde. Nothing, so I told them. Tuesday morning, I got a call from a guy from Concorde saying ``Sir, aapko Punto test drive karna hai?" I said yes and the guy says ``Main aapko callback karrta hu." Ok, I thought. Then another guy calls me. ``Sir, aapne internet pe test drive booking kiya tha?" Again, I say yes. The guy says "Sir, aapko Gaadi teen baaje tak aajayga" (The car will come by 3 pm). Three hours later, I'm getting ready to leave the office and no sign of the car. Worried that the guy might come after I've left office, I ring the dealer.

``Sir, aapne kabhi booking kiya tha?" (Sir, when did you book the test drive). I pretty angry at this point and I've had a bad day at work. Still, I'm restrained, and explain the details. He says he'll check and call me back. About ten minutes later, he rings me and says the driver was busy and so didn't show up. Would I like a test drive tomorrow?

The next morning, the call center calls again and asks if I test drove the car. again I said no. they asked why and then said they'll call back.

This morning, again the call center called. I was furious and said that if they weren't interested in selling the car, they should stop calling me as well. They apologized and said they'll get in touch with the dealer.

The dealer later called me and said that, "I told you the driver was busy, why did you complain. We had many customers with the same name and so didn't call you. But since you're on the phone, if you want me to come collect the booking cheque, I'll send someone to your office to collect it. " I was so mad by this point I hung up. Whatever happened to customer first, the buyer is always right, customer is king, etc?????

Moral of the story: Even if you really want a Punto, Fiat won't sell it to you.
Postscript: Even as Fiat refused to sell cars, the guys from Nissan and Ford were calling every single day to follow up. Nissan is even offering a 50,000 rupee discount now for the diesel Micra and offered to throw in leather seats and some kind of sports kit in too.
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Old 16th June 2011, 17:41   #2
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Re: FIAT Pre-Sales Service FAIL

Thats a really bad experience djpeesh. Concorde motors should rank 2nd amongst the worst dealerships in the country. (TAFE Chennai must be the global leader in ineptitude and indifference to potential customers)

A salesman at a TATA showroom in Noida on the first day of Punto launch says, "Sir, aap Vista dekho! Punto FIAT ka hai" On refusing politely to look at anything else he gently muffles, "FIAT ka kya zamana aa gaya hai!!"
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Old 16th June 2011, 17:51   #3
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Re: FIAT Pre-Sales Service FAIL

I agree that the Fiat dealers are pathetic. The Punto is a wonderful car which is being undersold due to these clowns. I had the same experience here in Pune too and had put it up in the dealership experiences thread.I recommend that you search for the relevant dealer and post this experience there.

Alternatively, the mods could perhaps move this thread there too if you report this post
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Old 16th June 2011, 18:26   #4
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Re: FIAT Pre-Sales Service FAIL

Well exactly the same experience at KHT Bangalore. I went to test drive T Jet of Linea and was told it wasn't available for test drive. When asked why, he said they haven't received the test drive car yet. Asked him to arrange for a test drive once they have the car.

He calls up after 2 weeks and said, Sir normal Linea is available for test drive, i said i only want to test drive the T Get. He said it will take time as the car has met with an accident. Never called again. In between there were random calls from FIAT head office asking if i got the test drive few days later they also stopped. Wonder how they are able to sell the cars (if any).
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Old 16th June 2011, 23:30   #5
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Re: FIAT Pre-Sales Service FAIL

After such a poor marketing, Fiat still manage to sale around 1200 Punto and 900 Linea every month as per sales report, I think if Fiat seriously do the marketing like Maruti and Hyundai, the sales number should be - Linea 2000 and Punto 3000.
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Old 17th June 2011, 00:01   #6
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Re: FIAT Pre-Sales Service FAIL

Sad to hear the Pre Sales procedure of Fiat.Im gearing up to buy a Linea soon.Wonder what treatment will i be given.
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Old 17th June 2011, 09:31   #7
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Re: FIAT Pre-Sales Service FAIL

@Hillram: Don't buy a Fiat car. My friend's lamenting buying the Linea, and blames me for recommending it. The engine is sweet, but the plastic are horrendous. His power window fell right through while he was putting the window up. He had to drive with the windows down in the rain. The plastics are atrocious, the Bluetooth system spotty at best. And the A.S.S is world class. Don't do it sir
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Old 17th June 2011, 12:19   #8
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Re: FIAT Pre-Sales Service FAIL

Quote:
Originally Posted by hillram View Post
Sad to hear the Pre Sales procedure of Fiat.Im gearing up to buy a Linea soon.Wonder what treatment will i be given.
Quote:
Originally Posted by djpeesh View Post
@Hillram: Don't buy a Fiat car. My friend's lamenting buying the Linea, and blames me for recommending it. The engine is sweet, but the plastic are horrendous. His power window fell right through while he was putting the window up. He had to drive with the windows down in the rain. The plastics are atrocious, the Bluetooth system spotty at best. And the A.S.S is world class. Don't do it sir
While I understand djpeesh's sentiment, I know of other Linea customers who are happy with their purchase.
@hillram: I would still recommend that you TD the Linea and take a subjective decision based on your experience. There are also numerous ownership thread here that can be informative.
Agreed there is an example, but lemons are provided by every manufacturer. All I am saying is that you should try to base your perception on a broader sample.

If you want to avoid the issues altogether, try looking for a well maintained pre owned car. It will save you some money or you can get a higher segment car for your same budget. The plus point is that you will know beforehand how the car is. Do a thorough PDI before you buy any car; list is available here on tbhp

- I see you are in Paris. How long have you been there? I just returned from there a few weeks ago; feel free to PM me if you need any info/ tips
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Old 17th June 2011, 13:03   #9
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Re: FIAT Pre-Sales Service FAIL

The joke from a salesman at KHT motors, "The Tata-Jet Engine (T-Jet) comes with Indigo Manza" is still alive in my stomach.

Buy a Fiat car only at your own will and risk.
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Old 17th June 2011, 13:06   #10
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Re: FIAT Pre-Sales Service FAIL

Update: Got a call from Concorde. Same routine with the aapne online test drive booking kiya tha? When I explained the entire deal and the how I was put off, the guy actually said "Sir, ye aapke convenience pe thodi hota hai? (Sir, this doesn't work only on your convenience)". I was bowled over. Then came the next googly,"Abhi hum kaisay karengey. (Now, what will we do)?" I replied now, we'll do nothing. He said theek hai, aapki marzi and hung up. Really?????? Fiat, wake up ASAP.

Also, got two calls from the Ford guys and the Nissan guys. That's the other extreme but clearly they're really interested in selling cars asap.
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Old 17th June 2011, 13:12   #11
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Re: FIAT Pre-Sales Service FAIL

Haha ths reads like something out of a comedy farce. What's wrong with Fiat India? Awesome-looking cars, great engines and a sales/service network that is pathetic to say the least.

You should just go get the Micra or Figo. Stop wasting your time with these jokers.
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Old 6th March 2015, 10:43   #12
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Re: FIAT Pre-Sales Service FAIL

Before posting anything I would like to congratulate Fiat for building a tank-the Fiat Grande Punto. The car is undoubtedly far better than the Swift, Ritz, Figo or any other B2 segment hatchback. No other car has ever impressed me more. Great engine, good looks and typical European body. The doors close with a thud that will make you proud of your vehicle.

But after sales service is very bad. Restoring a car is my dream. I had selected a Palio D that was in a despicable condition. The engine had seized and the car had been involved in a terrible accident. Just perfect for my dream job. I even had a talk with the owner. I had planned to restore the vehicle myself. So, one fine day I made my way to the nearest TATA-Fiat showroom that is around 30 kms from my residence.

The moment I entered the showroom, the sales man(I will call him a salesman because he had no idea about cars, he only knew the prices) told me they were closing for the day as it was Saturday. Luckily the Service Centre was open and I found a guy who would listen to me! The moment I mentioned the idea of restoring a Palio he thought I was mad and told me that it was not possible, since I was not the first owner and they did not have the half-engine kit. He just said that and left. I left the showroom and vowed never to go to a TATA FIAT dealership again. Everyone seemed busy though they were doing nothing!!
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Old 6th March 2015, 11:34   #13
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Re: FIAT Pre-Sales Service FAIL

Fiat Dealers are still lamenting and procrastinating to push their sales beyond certain point. They are proactive and does not care for customers.
Every Fiat Service centre has some pathetic response. They are not sure what & why they have service procedures. It does not mean that all service centres are like that.

For anyone looking for Fiat Punto/Linea. These are great cars designed with lot of patience, good build quality, great engine etc. Take first 3 service from FCA and then look for your own custom service shop. 99rpm.com sells Fiat parts as needed.
Customers buy punto or linea due to its build/stability/handling. Maintain them on their own. And lately become fanboyish.
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