[gaurav911]

Shortlisting the new Fiesta, ANHV and the Vento (all DIESEL) as the probables for my next car, I along with my dad made a visit to Concept Hyundai Dealership (supposedly the best hyundai dealership in town) in Ahmedabad Sunday evening (24 JUL)around 5 pm.
Firstly on entering i was a bit surprised to see that the ANHV was nowhere in sight. No sales executive came forward & bothered to ask what vehicle we were interested in.
Meanwhile i noticed the ANHV standing in an inner part (sort of extension) of the showroom. We both proceeded towards the purple display vehicle. Suddenly a young S.E.(Mr.X) appeared and asked me which vehicle i was looking for and on hearing about the ANHV just pointed casually in the direction.

I proceeded to check out the car on my own, explaining my dad the various features in the display variant(Sx). Now another SE (Mr.Y) came along with 2-3 customers towards the vehicle and started showing them the car.Mr.X also joined us now. When i asked about the test drive, he just shook his head. On inquiring , he said that 'Hum to booking lete hi nahi' (We are not taking any bookings.

Now, Mr Y joined and said that there is a waiting of 8 months and Hyundai has informed the dealership that there is shortage of diesel engines. I told him then does it mean that you don't intend to sell/book any vehicles? Are you closing the dealership? To this Mr. Y casually tells Mr.X " Take their booking, but don't commit any dates. Just close the matter."

I remember Mr. Y telling those other 2-3 customers who got restless hearing our arguments. He was telling them (in Hindi)that "I am just showing you this vehicle but you won't get it!

We were walking out- both the SE's didn't even bother to ask us if we needed a brochure or price list. On the way out we picked up a price list ourselves. Neither our contact numbers or any customer-visit form was filled.

I distinctly remember my dad commenting that it even a customer who goes to buy a Rs.10 potato chip packet is treated better than customers like us who have gone to buy a Rs. 10 Lakh car !

[gautamkhadse]

@gaurav911 : I can relate to what you are saying . Even when I bought my FIAT the staff was absolutely clueless about the features that the car offered . Even today when I hear from a lot of people about their experience at the TATA or FIAT dealership , the answer is the same , they dont know anything about the car . For heavens sake FIAT makes engines for half of the world at least use that for your sales pitch .

Customer service has now gone down the drain . Some how we are all being taken for granted . The major orgs have been taking us for granted . I have never heard such stories about Maruti . I wonder if the car doesnt have any features worth mentioning or people who buy these maruti cars are extra sensitive , extra cautious people who have studied features in detail and hence need no help with the feature list .

But like I said I completely agree with you on the customer service part . Absolutely no customer delight .

[Jammy28]

Same thing happened to me at Kun Hyundai, Chennai. This is more than a month ago and just a week or two after the car was launched. When we entered the showroom, there were 3 sales guys sitting in a table and chatting. Other SAs were talking to other customers in the showroom. But nobody asked what we were looking for. We ourselves went and checked the car, still nobody cared. We waited 15mins for someone to approach us. Finally, we went and told one of the SA that we are interested in a Verna Diesel and he casually pointed a notice board where it was written 6 months waiting period for Diesel verna. I asked for a TD and the SA said the TD car is not available (it has gone out) and he will give me a call once it is available. But he never took our number to call. Then we thought we should probably move out before the Hyndai guys humiliate and push us out for the sin of showing interest in buying their car.

[adidac369]

This is shocking! We at TBHP wait for the month on month sales figures as if it were the report card of our own child! And for the people to whom it must matter the most this callous attitude is so not accepted.

I had heard good reviews about the Hyundai guys whats hapenning?
And i understand how annoying it can be when a bunch of guys who can never afford a 10L car treat interested customers like "sheher ki dhool" and as if you will need to please them to be able to get an opportunity to drive one.

[skanchan95]

These high sales numbers are getting into Hyundai's head. No wonder they and their staff are getting so arrogant in treating the customer. Try taking it up with the RO in Ahmedabad, but knowing the chaps sitting over there, I am sure they won't bother at all.

First their service department were not bothered about the customer's concerns and they were reluctant to take action against a workshop poor quality of servicing , now their sales department is going the same way. By your experiecne, those Concept Hyundai chaps have no value for people's hard earned money and they think its a joke that people buy a Hyundai vehicle. Fools!!!!

[noopster]

In a way I am relieved. Thought it was just the European carmakers who suffered from this unseemly arrogance. I have faced it at VW (where I went ahead and bought the car because I liked it, despite the pathetic pre-sales) and Renault (check my report in the Fluence thread).

Hyundai used to rule the roost in terms of custoemr service once. Sad that they have come to this.

[supremeBaleno]

While definitely not becoming of them to behave in so unprofessional manner, I believe this was expected given the runaway success of the ANHV. Looks like they will be fill the place vacated by the once snooty Honda. And the fall will not be far behind either, like it happened for Honda.

[akhilesh]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

While definitely not becoming of them to behave in so unprofessional manner, I believe this was expected given the runaway success of the ANHV. Looks like they will be fill the place vacated by the once snooty Honda. And the fall will not be far behind either, like it happened for Honda.

I am sorry they wont until they have a diesel engine. Can you imagine how much the city would sell if it had a diesel engine?

[rohan_iitr]

I fail to understand what is the problem here.

You went to book the recently launched best selling model, for which further bookings have already stopped because of high demand.

Why are you getting offended if the sales executive told you that they are not taking any further bookings ?

When Swift Dzire and Toyota Fortuner became instant hits in their respective segments, the same thing happened - dealers were told by the company to stop taking further bookings. Nobody complained at that time. Nobody said that success has gone to their heads. But if a Hyundai car achieves a similar success, everyone starts bashing Hyundai. Double standards.

Rohan

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

I fail to understand what is the problem here.

You went to book the recently launched best selling model, for which further bookings have already stopped because of high demand.

Why are you getting offended if the sales executive told you that they are not taking any further bookings ?

When Swift Dzire and Toyota Fortuner became instant hits in their respective segments, the same thing happened - dealers were told by the company to stop taking further bookings. Nobody complained at that time. Nobody said that success has gone to their heads. But if a Hyundai car achieves a similar success, everyone starts bashing Hyundai. Double standards.

Rohan

Rohan,

Its not the way you think, nobody is bashing hyundai. The thread is talking about the way the Hyundai dealer is dealing with the potential customers. The way the dealer staff was interacting with the customers was incorrect. Even if the ANHV was an instant success (need to wait for the July month figures to really accept that) and the bookings are halted, this could have been communicated in a better way.

Is the dealer taking for granted that customers would still buy from them despite their un proffessional approach, I guess not.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by akhilesh

I am sorry they wont until they have a diesel engine. Can you imagine how much the city would sell if it had a diesel engine?

The previous Verna also had a diesel engine if you remember, but in most months it just about managed sales that was half of what the long-in-the-tooth & only-petrol Accent did. So, diesel is not the be-all and end-all.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by gaurav911

We were walking out- both the SE's didn't even bother to ask us if we needed a brochure or price list. On the way out we picked up a price list ourselves. Neither our contact numbers or any customer-visit form was filled.

I distinctly remember my dad commenting that it even a customer who goes to buy a Rs.10 potato chip packet is treated better than customers like us who have gone to buy a Rs. 10 Lakh car !

I completely agree with what your dad said. Hyundai is not the first manufacturer to close booking due to surplus demand, their dealers should know to handle this better.

Originally Posted by gautamkhadse

Even when I bought my FIAT the staff was absolutely clueless about the features that the car offered . Even today when I hear from a lot of people about their experience at the TATA or FIAT dealership , the answer is the same , they dont know anything about the car . For heavens sake FIAT makes engines for half of the world at least use that for your sales pitch .

I guess these are two different matters. Not knowing about your product is one thing, but here the issue is of arrogance and almost asking the customer to stay away.

Originally Posted by noopster

In a way I am relieved. Thought it was just the European carmakers who suffered from this unseemly arrogance. I have faced it at VW (where I went ahead and bought the car because I liked it, despite the pathetic pre-sales) and Renault (check my report in the Fluence thread).

Hyundai used to rule the roost in terms of custoemr service once. Sad that they have come to this.

Yes, with VW it’s not so alarming because they started with low volume cars like Passat / Jetta, and the sudden surge in volume could be something which they took time to get adjusted to. But this not expected from a volume player like Hyundai.

And the behavior from Renault could be out of pure boredom

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

While definitely not becoming of them to behave in so unprofessional manner, I believe this was expected given the runaway success of the ANHV. Looks like they will be fill the place vacated by the once snooty Honda. And the fall will not be far behind either, like it happened for Honda.

Well, I always felt that Hyundai have closed followed Honda (to success). That said, I have interacted with Honda dealers a few times, and always felt they are very professional.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

When Swift Dzire and Toyota Fortuner became instant hits in their respective segments, the same thing happened - dealers were told by the company to stop taking further bookings. Nobody complained at that time. Nobody said that success has gone to their heads. But if a Hyundai car achieves a similar success, everyone starts bashing Hyundai. Double standards.

Rohan

It is not a question of double standards. If you want to read about Hyundai's arrogance in action, read my thread on my i20. I have faced their arrogance first hand!!!!

Read bout the numerous i20 steering rattle & weak a/c cases, why do you think the issue has still not been solved by the great HMIL? So many people have been cheated by them in the name of "fixes" for the steering rattle. It is because the high sales numbers of the i20 that has led arrogance & carelessness and is consequently preventing them from fixing the steering rattle issue *permanently*. Had the issue caused decline in i20's sales, let me guarantee you, the issue would have been fixed within weeks.

Had it been Maruti in place of Hyundai in my case, they would have left no stone unturned to see that the customer is satisfied.

Tell me which responsible automobile company would sit quiet knowing that one of their customer's cars suffered from a critical steering malfunction in the middle of traffic? Won't you call it arrogance that they asked to me to drive the car as it is?

Had a third grade dealership/workshop like Om Hyundai been a Om Maruti, that dealership would have been thrown out of Maruti's A.S.S list, but with HMIL, I guess its too much to expect.


Coming to Gaurav's case, those Concept Hyundai chaps could have easily handled it far better. I guess they just don't understand the concept of "customer if God" . Had the Verna been low on sales, they would have coming licking gaurav's shoes for his money. In his this case, it was almost as if gaurav and his Dad were told to bugger off. Concept could have been far more polite in thier actions, but as I said earlier , the success has gone to their heads and made them arrogant.

[drmohitg]

See in India the market ethics are like that. If your product is selling then screw the mannerisms. Its a common problem across the car makers. Toyota SA mocked you at the time of fortuner, VW SA mock you for the Vento, Maruti SA mock you for swift/dzire, Hyundai for the ANHV, Honda previously for all its cars!

There is not much point pondering over this issue and expecting anything to change. The new trend in the industry is anyways that the longer the waiting periods, the more successful a product is considered. I seriously have a feeling that some of the waiting period is created just for the sake of it. For ex for Toyota altis diesel the SA says the waiting period is 4-6 weeks. The car is not even selling. But this fact is known only to T bhpians.

[gaurav911]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

While definitely not becoming of them to behave in so unprofessional manner, I believe this was expected given the runaway success of the ANHV. Looks like they will be fill the place vacated by the once snooty Honda. And the fall will not be far behind either, like it happened for Honda.

I totally agree. I really feel that Ford has let go of a serious opportunity here. If they had priced the product properly undercutting Verna, you would have seen a change of attitude at such dealerships.

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

I fail to understand what is the problem here.

You went to book the recently launched best selling model, for which further bookings have already stopped because of high demand.

Why are you getting offended if the sales executive told you that they are not taking any further bookings ?

When Swift Dzire and Toyota Fortuner became instant hits in their respective segments, the same thing happened - dealers were told by the company to stop taking further bookings. Nobody complained at that time. Nobody said that success has gone to their heads. But if a Hyundai car achieves a similar success, everyone starts bashing Hyundai. Double standards.

Rohan

Rohan, the idea here was never to bash Hyundai. Lets analyse the things gone wrong here:
1. Hyundai is not able to pre-empt the demand of its product and has not be able to produce sufficient engines.
2. Doesn't Hyundai set standards for customer handling at its dealerships?
3. Isn't the dealer interested in at least establishing a relationship with the customer? Do you think i will ever book a vehicle from this dealership or recommend it to anyone else? Simple answer-NO. I made up my mind that if its the Verna, then it wont be the same dealer at least !
4. Couldn't the SE show some concern and at least make an entry for the interest shown? Wasn't he supposed to schedule a test-drive and possibly say that a test-drive would be arranged at a later date(possibly bringing the vehicle to my house) in case of unavailability of the car?
5. Since you are mentioning Maruti with Dzire here, let me clarify one thing. A couple of dealerships of Maruti have been absolutely spot-on as far as customer handling is concerned. I remember last year when i had shown interest in the Dzire, the SE told me that there is a waiting of 4-5 months. However he noted the details, scheduled a test-drive immediately(at my home) and made follow up calls asking me about the booking.

OT:I managed to take a TD of the Verna from a personal source and went in with very high expectations (naturally with the huge waiting period). However, to be honest i was really disappointed and was asking myself the question whether the product deserves such an honour! More on that in another thread(in the Test Drive Section)