[dkaile]

Originally Posted by bblost

Why should you do anything at all in the first place.

If it sounds like utopia, welcome to the world of Maruti and Toyota.

Well my 25 years of experience tells me otherwise. That kind of utopia just doesn't exist, not even at Maruti and Toyota, least of all at Skoda, VW and BMW. I left my first Maruti 800 at the dealership here at Meerut and they changed the fuel pump with defective parts. I left my Honda City at Southend Honda, Delhi and they scratched the bumpers and charged me for stuff not even done. The mechanics at Toyota Meerut do not even know what propeller shaft greasing means and don't even have the appropriate grease gun for the job and I have seen them charging for the same from people who are ignorant. I could go on and on. So experience has taught me to rely on myself and my own knowledge and I learn a lot in the process. I know it may not be possible for everyone to be so finicky about their cars, but like I said, that's me naa!

[torquing_points]

I feel bad for the guys who work at these dealerships, including guys in Skoda dealerships who I have yelled at so many times. Poor guys - the problem is top down... but they bear the brunt of choicest words and harsh volumes.

I feel particularly bad for them because the processes at VW dont support this, it seems. Are they using the processes set by Skoda when they first entered India?

Even in the worst of my experiences, at Skoda in NCR, the guys at the workshop (Imran in Giriraj, and ive forgotten the name of the guy at Silvertone) are actually trying to help, but really, they're helpless!

Also, when the company / dealership engages in fraud, they immediately set the ethical tone of the dealership. So lying about car status etc becomes OK.

Touch wood, apart from a couple of Skoda experiences and one with Mitsu, I've had a great run with service guys. Chevy and Toyota are of specific note - I've only had great experience with them. Chevy, because I guess they arent as overloaded as your VW dealership. And Toyota, I guess because of process.

Anyway, I understand your frustration... but we have to get used to these long wait times with 'premium' brands... because whats the other option? With a City or even an Accord, you can take it to a MyTVS / Carnation type garage worst case... but i doubt if they can really do a VW well.

[bblost]

dkaile,

Call up Maruti customer care.
Complain about the dealer.
Watch them dance.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by bblost

dkaile,

Call up Maruti customer care.
Complain about the dealer.
Watch them dance.

Lolz bblost. That was 20 years ago. That dealership itself has closed by now. My point is that my experience taught me that such utopia is non-existent. It should be, but sadly it isn't. My friends 1 year old Swift Dzire regularly gets stuck in gear and the problem hasn't been sorted even after multiple visits to the local dealership. Yes, we can complain. And I have done so with many cars. And even got the MD's of the companies to answer back. But still even with their best of intentions, ground work is done by mechanics as Mr. Dhabhar rightly pointed out. Indian work ethics are not Japanese or European and neither are we willing to shell out that kind of cost either. As more electronics are coming in, complications are growing and the Indian mechanic at the ground level is not properly trained to handle that.

So I have taken a course which I feel is best for my vehicle. I wish the best to you for yours.

[bblost]

dkaile,

In this specific instance, all they had to do was change a wheel. It does not get simpler than that.
I am so angry at the shoddy way a customer was treated.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by bblost

In this specific instance, all they had to do was change a wheel. It does not get simpler than that.
I am so angry at the shoddy way a customer was treated.

I fully agree. This experience has shaken all trust. A simple job like that entailed just common sense which I feel is quite uncommon here. It also confirms my view of the uncaring attitude of the mechanics and drivers lower down in the chain whether its at a VW or a Maruti dealership, who eventually damaged his bumper.

Let me relate a similar incidence. The battery of my Skoda recently lost charge due to my infrequent driving. I eventually ended up at the workshop and they asked me to leave the car as they needed to charge the battery. I asked them to give me a replacement battery so I can drive my car back home and that I would come again tomorrow to replace the charged battery. They refused saying they did not have a spare battery and it was their policy that car had to be left there. I did NOT budge from my stance. I also related with them a shouting customer at the dealership whose Fabia's interiors had been soiled by them, which had been left for a minor job overnight. Then they had to budge. They also knew my reach was till the top as I had complained about them earlier and eventually a spare battery appeared magically from nowhere. And I did not have to leave my car with the nincompoops. Else, I would just have driven away from the dealership and got the battery charged outside. So, if you are right and you stick to your stance, the world gives way.

[mempheS.D]

Originally Posted by dkaile

I asked them to give me a replacement battery so I can drive my car back home and that I would come again tomorrow to replace the charged battery. They refused saying they did not have a spare battery and it was their policy that car had to be left there. I did NOT budge from my stance.
.
.
They also knew my reach was till the top as I had complained about them earlier
.
.
So, if you are right and you stick to your stance, the world gives way.

You were absolutely right, dkaile, in standing for your rights. Everyone should.

But, the sorry state of affairs is proven already in your case because if you did NOT have that "reach to the top", matters would have taken a different course altogether.

It's unfair that the service centers be partial towards customers to guard their own interests and I really wish this weren't true.

[torquing_points]

Originally Posted by dkaile

I fully agree. This experience has shaken all trust. A simple job like that entailed just common sense which I feel is quite uncommon here.
...
Let me relate a similar incidence. The battery of my Skoda recently lost charge due to my infrequent driving. I eventually ended up at the workshop and they asked me to leave the car as they needed to charge the battery.

The 'jugaad' is to not o to oem for things like battery. I now go to oem for only slightly major repairs or scheduled maintenance. Stuff like battery I get sorted from other sources. Not ideal - but hey, I've learned to live in a not-ideal world!

In the case of this thread if there was no under body damage and only tyre, id not bother with OEM. But because of extent of work and also because this is a Jetta, no option I guess!

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by mempheS.D

But, the sorry state of affairs is proven already in your case because if you did NOT have that "reach to the top", matters would have taken a different course altogether.

It's unfair that the service centers be partial towards customers to guard their own interests and I really wish this weren't true.

I am sorry if I rephrased that sentence wrong. I 'created' that reach to the top, I was not born with it. Each one of us can. We just need to be aware of our rights and be pro-active against any such nonsense.

As I said earlier this utopian ASC world does not exist. And it hurts more when its a 20L Jetta in question instead of say a 3L Alto. Service levels are nearly same but a 20L customer expects more, which is missing.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by dkaile

My friends 1 year old Swift Dzire regularly gets stuck in gear and the problem hasn't been sorted even after multiple visits to the local dealership.

Dear dkaile - as per Suzuki Japan who own the design, transmission is supposed to work, so if it is not working, the guy who understands it must look at it, find the root cause at micro level and confidently tell the management why it is not working. In 99.99% of the cases, the root cause is non-confirmance of vendor parts to design intent. If design is not correct, all transmissions will not work, which is certainly not the case here. In this case, as the customer is completely cheesed off, therefore, following things need to be actually done:

1. Replace customer car transmission assembly complete and deliver the car. That takes care of the customer. I expect the second transmission to work.
2. Give the complete assembly to the transmission section and micro level (real, not "meeting specific") conduct root cause analysis / corrective action.

Unfortunately, nobody takes such decisions. Also, the rigmorale of ensuring that the second transmission of the correct part number reaches the car at the dealership with all child parts to their respective correct part numbers becomes a project in itself because drawings get released and updated almost daily so nobody is really clear which part number is correct. In the end, nobody wants to bell the cat so the poor customer keeps on suffering. On top of that, the "meeting brigade" wants forms filled for almost everything, so who will do what? Do you know that most states in India need something called "permit" for a part to be brought to that state? Getting "permit" and sending messages that "permit permission" is obtained becomes a project in itself.

Want more? Next time! .

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by dkaile

I am sorry if I rephrased that sentence wrong. I 'created' that reach to the top, I was not born with it. Each one of us can. We just need to be aware of our rights and be pro-active against any such nonsense.

Agree that we should be aware of our rights, but isn't it a bit sad that the customer need to contact the top to have a satisfactory service experience?

[tazmaan]

Originally Posted by bblost

dkaile,

Call up Maruti customer care.
Complain about the dealer.
Watch them dance.

Not only that give them a feedback with less than 8/10 and see the number of calls you will get from their customer care department. I have even received an apology call from the service adviser after I gave a rating of 7 for 'delivery time' because the car was delayed by 1 day. Next time when My A star was accidentally damaged at the work shop on 1st service they gave me a Swift as a spare car till the time the car was repaired and delivered to my door step.

Toyota has always been routine and no forceful addition to service lists, its always done by the driver.

Honda always wants to sell you unwanted stuff once the service adviser said if I don't get my AC serviced on 1st service of the Accord they will void the warranty lol. I said I don't mind losing the warranty just give it to me in writing. Next time he said the same for filling Nitrogen in the tires and my younger brother fell for it.

But as said before we as customers after paying premium for so call premium vehicles have to pay a premium for service and parts and not be sure if the car returned to you would be better or worst than it previously was.

I always tell the adviser that I know a lot about cars and any hanky panky will land him in trouble.

Threads like these teaches us to be as safe as possible while choosing a car and if still things go wrong nothing can be done except feeling sorry for oneself.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by tazmaan

Honda service adviser said if I don't get my AC serviced on 1st service of the Accord they will void the warranty lol. I said I don't mind losing the warranty just give it to me in writing. Next time he said the same for filling Nitrogen in the tires and my younger brother fell for it. Threads like these teaches us to be as safe as possible while choosing a car and if still things go wrong nothing can be done except feeling sorry for oneself.

Dear Tazmaan - HaHaHa, this one is really hilarious! They say all this and make money from it, otherwise how are they going to keep the "tea boy with gloves" going when the "meeting brigade" comes in and pretends to do a lot of work, knowing fully well that they are wasting everybody's time, including their own?

However, there is also no need to feel sorry. I have seen customers throwing one day old cars back at dealerships and taking full refund including "RTO charges" for special registration number. After all, its your hard earned money, so it's your birthright to get the car performance as promised to you! Nobody is doing anybody a favor! For the company, they should view this as an opportunity and have the guts to convert each and every such customer from a liability to an asset of the highest order (read - Brand Ambassador). This is the "meeting brigade's" actual job. That's where the crux lies, that's when business comes, that's when products become brands and give volumes that the big bosses finally want to see! This is the only way! Alas! .

This is the ultimate incident - there was this doctor couple in Peddar Road in Mumbai, both quite aged and very very elegant. The dear lady just gave away the vehicle to me and said "Behram, I am gifting my car to you personally, not to the company. Take it, I'll sign the transfer papers". She also said - 8.5 lakhs means nothing to me. I just want to lump it", she said. I politely declined. The year was 2003. The car was blue in color. It was MH01GAXXXX. I am hiding the registration number as I want to protect the vehicle's identity. What further can I say? I know that somebody will read and quietly smile! Sir - I hope something happens!

Happy Customer - he uses the car.
Unhappy Customer - goes to dealership, dealer does something, he uses the car.
More Unhappy Customer - talks to service engineer, he tells dealer to do something, he uses the car.
Still More Unhappy Customer - he storms into the area office, fights with the area manager who tells dealership to do something, he uses the car.
Disgusted Customer - will send E mail to all the top Bosses whose secretary will promptly forward the E mail to the Head of Customer Care who will tell the area manager to do something, he uses the car.

What about The Completely Cheesed Off Customer - he will do nothing, he will lump it.

The deadliest customer is the one who does not even talk to you, let alone complain. Against this, all corrective actions are "based on field feedback". It is time manufacturers understood the "latent desires" of customers!

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by dkaile

It should be, but sadly it isn't. My friends 1 year old Swift Dzire regularly gets stuck in gear and the problem hasn't been sorted even after multiple visits to the local dealership. Yes, we can complain. And I have done so with many cars.

I would try other dealership if this one does not understand the issue.

And please complain if the issue is not sorted out and I will mention following 2 sayings to insist my point:
1. A noisy wheel gets the grease
2. Crying baby gets the milk.

[volkman10]

Volkswagen India plans to improve customer experience. The company now plans to re-structure its existing dealerships to improve customer confidence in the brand with an aim to take its market share beyond 3%.
Volkswagen lost momentum in India after a decent start due to service issues with its dealers. Sales dropped 20% to 30,476 units for the first six months of the current fiscal and its market share dropped to 2.38% after touching a peak of around 3.5% in early 2011.

We are looking at restructuring our operation and there is much scope in dealerships to improve customer interface and arrest dwindling sales. India plays an important role in Volkswagen's strategy to become world's largest carmaker by 2018. We will grow volumes irrespective of market conditions with some aggressive excitement in products and sharper focus on Indian customers

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/17041036.cms