[CLS_55_AMG]

I have just had the most harrowing experience with HMP, Mumbai. I have written to their customer care dept. If anyone has any contacts at HMIL, please do share as I would like to send it to anyone concerned. Here is a copy of the email I sent them:

Dear Customer Care team,

My name is Gautam Madnani and my family is a loyal Hyundai customer since 15 years now. We bought our first Hyundai (Santro DX – MH 01 V 9677 ) bought from Hyundai Motor Plaza in 1998 and were amongst the first 100 Santro owners in Mumbai. We vested our trust in the brand which back then was pretty much unheard of in India. After using the car without any problems, we replaced it with another Santro Zip Plus in 2005 ( MH 01 NA 7800 ) bought from Jayabharat Hyundai. Again, like the first car, it ran without any trouble and we sold the car in 2008 to replace it with an i10 ( MH 01 AE 7737 ) bought from Hyundai Motor plaza. The car is used by my mother and as her usage is low, it has barely clocked 15000 kms in 5 years. It goes without saying, that I have been a loyal ambassador for the brand and dozens of friends and family members have bought Hyundai’s after learning from my good experience with the brand. All through these years, we have religiously sent our car to Hyundai Motor plaza for service / repairs and NEVER had any problems what so ever.

However, it seems, with the growth of the market and an increased customer base, you’ll have not been able to keep up the quality of customer service.

Our i10 went for a regular paid service on Monday 1st of April. Along with a service, I had 2 issues ie, there was some noise coming from the front suspension and the A/C cooling was not effective. My driver took the car to the workshop and soon after, at 9:26 am ( I have the entire call records ) I got a call from the service advisor, Mr. K confirming that he has received the car and will look into the issue. I also asked him to change the wiper blades as they had worn out, but to my surprise, he said they are not in stock. ( incidentally, last year I had faced the same problem with wipers not being in stock and had to then put some non OEM wiper blades from outside which lasted me only a year ) Isnt it shocking that the company owned workshop doesn’t have wipers in stock one month before the monsoon is about to start?

The following day, 2nd April, I got a call again from Mr. K at 9:44 am telling me that the suspension noise was from the front lower arm and that the same would need to be replaced. Ok, no problem. I asked him to go ahead. I got a call again from him at 4:37 pm to confirm that the suspension work was done and so was the service. They would now start diagnosing the airconditioning problem. This was the last time he called me to give me an update.

There was no call from him the following day, 3rd April. I let it pass. Being from the automobile industry myself, I understand that A/C diagnosis can often take time since finding a leak and charging the gas etc is a time consuming process.

On 4th April there was still no call and finally at 5:10 pm, I called. I do not have his mobile number so all calls were made to the board line at the workshop. I was told that he is not on his seat and the message would be passed for him to call me back. However, there was no call back. I called again at 5:21 pm and was given the same answer.

On Friday 5th April, I called again at 10:57 am. This time, Mr. K came on the line. When I asked him why he hadn’t called me his reply was “main kal available nahin tha – I was not available yesterday” Of course, I am assuming that he has better things to do, rather than speak to customers, no? Anyway, I asked him for an update and he said they are still checking the A/C ( its been over 2 days since they’ve been checking my A/C now ) and that he would give me an update by 3:00 pm at the latest. Surely enough, there was no call from him, and I called again at 3:19 pm. This time he told me that they have found the fault. It seemed the cooling coil of the AC needed to be replaced. OK no problem. However, they do not have it in stock! ( I am not surprised now ) He said the part has been ordered, but doesn’t know when it will come. Also, as they have opened up the dashboard of my car, it would take a long time to put it back incase I needed the car back immediately. By now, I was furious. I asked him for a confirmed date of arrival for the cooling coil and he said he would be able to confirm that only the following week, by Monday.

On Monday, 8th Apriil, as usual there was no call from the workshop. I, too was busy with work so couldn’t follow up myself.

On Tuesday, 9th April, I called at 3:53 pm. However, no one answered. I called again at 5:34 pm. This time I got through and spoke with Mr. K. He said that they ‘expect’ to have the part with them by Friday, 12th April. When I asked him why it should take almost a week for a part to come, he replied that ‘It comes all the way from Chennai!!” I asked him if it has been ordered under a VOR ( Vehicle off road ) and he confirmed that has been done. He also said that even under a VOR, the parts are sent by road in a large consignment and hence take time.

On Friday, 12th April ( It has now been 12 days since the car has been at the workshop ), I called at 4:30 pm. Mr. K told me that the part has still not been received and they are still trying to figure out when it will come. He said he would call me back with a confirmed status shortly. At 5:14 pm he called me back to tell me that the part ‘should’ arrive the following day, ie. Saturday, 13th April. As this was now going out of control, I asked for the Workshop Managers number, and he promptly gave me a mobile number. I dialed the number and spoke to Mr. T ( who is NOT the workshop manager, but the Customer Care Manager ). I explained the entire story to him and he said he would call me back the next morning by 10:00 am with an update.

On Saturday, 13th April, there was no call in the morning from Mr. T or Mr. K. Finally, I called Mr. T at 12:48 pm. He apologized for not getting back to me and told me he will check and give me the status within 10 minutes. He did indeed call me back within 10 minutes only to tell me that the part had not been received. Finally, I was too frustrated so I called the Hyundai Customer Connect number (09873564645) to register a complaint. Making this call was another experience, as the call center executive had no idea of what I was talking about and probably had no clue about what to do. After explaining the entire issue to him, he asked me if I was disappointed with the service !!!?!!?!?!? ( Did he actually think I was calling to congratulate them for taking 2 weeks to fix my car? ) He couldn’t understand why I was upset, but after I raised my voice he just kept repeating ‘sorry for the inconvenience’. After explaining the issue to him twice, he registered a complaint. He said that within 48 hours I would receive a call back from them. I also received an email from them with a complaint number 1-275618618‏ and asking me bear with them for 3 days during which I would hear from their Dealer / Area office, failing which I should contact their western regional office. Even dealing with government run agencies is not so difficult! Soon after, I got a call from Mr. T, confirming that the part would definitely reach them by Monday, 15th April. I asked him to send this to me in writing via email which he did. He also mentioned that the approximate revised delivery date of my car would be Tuesday, 16th after fitting the parts and performing a test etc. [ however, no one has still gotten back to me regarding my complaint !!!!! ]

On Monday, 15th April, Mr. T called me at 4:14 pm to confirm that the part has arrived and the work was in progress. He also apologized once again and said that the service advisor, Mr. K would now be in touch with me regarding the delivery / bill etc. I thanked him for his efforts and explained to him that my problem was not with the technical faults in the car, but with the way it was handled. I understand that at the end of the day, machines and electronics can get spoilt, but the way it is handled is very important.

On Tuesday, 16th April, there was no call from Mr. K until 1pm and so I sent an SMS to Mr. K asking him to check and revert. Half an hour later, Mr. K called me to tell me that the work is complete and after taking a trial of the car he would get it washed and kept ready for delivery. He called me a little while later, to tell me that the AC is perfect and so is the suspension. However, they have now diagnosed a problem with the steering rack. This would need to be replaced as it has some play and is making noise. Why could this problem not have been checked earlier when the car was serviced and the suspension fixed? Or was this an excuse to keep the car for a few more days while they fixed my ac? Or does the workshop need to meet its monthly target of parts offtake? I don’t know! By now, I had lost all faith in anything they said so I just asked him to give me my car back without any further work. As my driver was busy that day, I told him that the car would be collected the following day.

Finally, the following day, 17th April, my driver went to collect the car. He paid the bill and proceeded to collect the car. To his shock, the car was standing in a corner with all 4 windows rolled down, and in a dusty state. There were oil stains on the seats. The joints of the dashboard and center console have signs of damage as they must have used a sharp tool to pry it open. (Photos below) Unfortunatley, he didn’t call me and took the car and drove home.

Honestly, I am shocked. Shocked at the high handedness of the workshop staff. Shocked at the way a customer is spoken to. Shocked at the way the car was treated. Shocked by the way the call center employee handled the call. Shocked at the response from him. Shocked at the lack of response from the company. Shocked at the way the car was returned to me. I also own a Volkswagen Jetta and a BMW 5 Series and have never had such pathetic customer service from either one. Hyundai is the second largest car manufacturer in India and while I do not doubt the quality or reliability of a Hyundai, your customer service is far from being No. 2. I have always sent the car to HMP because it is a company owned workshop and not a dealer owned one. However, the smaller, roadside mechanics offer better service than this!

I have not written this to you expecting any form of compensation or apology. I do not want it. I do not even expect it. I just want you to know the experience and want you to know that I will NEVER buy a Hyundai again in my life. It goes without saying that I will ensure that I tell everyone I know about this experience.

Thank you!

Gautam Madnani.

[carwatcher]

Gautam I really feel bad for what your car have gone through.
I would like to say only one thing that if the customers start up and write only few lines like these and sent it to the company rather then forgetting it as 'chalta hai' it would definitely make a big difference one day.
This is applicable to all the companies.

Originally Posted by CLS_55_AMG

I have not written this to you expecting any form of compensation or apology. I do not want it. I do not even expect it. I just want you to know the experience and want you to know that I will NEVER buy a Hyundai again in my life. It goes without saying that I will ensure that I tell everyone I know about this experience.

[mayankk]

Apart from the time lost, and the shoddy state you got car back in, doesnt it seem that youve been quoted the most labor intensive jobs that can be carried out in a workshop?
AKA, the one where they make the most money, kinda like the clutch overhaul scam.
Replace arm replace coil?

Anyhoo, shared.
I hope they take notice.

Just FYI, I called up a local mechanic here, and asked for a coil. "Tomorrow I can have it. leave the car in the morning, and take it in the evening.". Imagine. This, with an FNG.

[ghodlur]

Two options I can suggest:
1) Sit back and wait for someone from Hyundai to give a courtsey call or respond to your mail not for enquiring the harrowing experience you posted but to know the service feedback.
2) Take matter in your hands, visit the Hyundai workshop, talk sternly with the workshop Manager or whoever is the boss, blast Mr K threatening them to post the experience all over the internet.

My friend who owned an i10 used to be a frequent visitor to the workshop for the suspensions and AC. Finally tired of this he sold the i10 and brought a Dzire. With increasing sales going northwards for Hyundai, sadly the quality of service has gone southwards.

[nitinbose]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

:
1) Sit back and wait for someone from Hyundai to give a courtsey call or respond to your mail not for enquiring the harrowing experience you posted but to know the service feedback.
2) Take matter in your hands, visit the Hyundai workshop, talk sternly with the workshop Manager or whoever is the boss, blast Mr K threatening them to post the experience all over the internet.

I doubt whether either of the above would work as the dealers are "seasoned" in such situations. In fact, they must be putting this as a primary criteria when hiring staff for their dealerships.

Its sad to note this is quite true with most dealers and its due to the fact Indians only appreciate quantity and not quality. They're never bothered about after sales and if sales are affected they'd simply throw discounts to attract customers and they've been successful so far!

So dealers and manufacturers have developed a feeling that, "its enough for these people - that's only what they deserve" as if we're some inferior beings.

[motorguy]

The situation is pretty much what you see in many A.S.S. workshops. I had given my mother's Ford Ikon for service 2 weeks back to Kairali Ford, Kottayam, Kerala and the workshop claimed that the shock absorber bushings had to be changed. After about two hours, they came back to me and said the ball joint on one side had to be changed, and after another hour, they said the AC filter was changed. I asked them to align the wheels after changing the ball joint and they said they dont have the tools to remove the ball joint as it was taken on some customer call ( it finally took 1.5 hours to get the tools!)and their alignment setup was not working (need to escalate this to Ford). Finally, frustrated I took the car and had it aligned at a specialist shop - they said Ford should have changed both ball joints since the alignment would not be 100% perfect with just one ball joint changed. - This is the state of this Ford A.S.S. - I can imagine that Hyundai wont be very far from the above !

[vantheman5211]

Hyundai needs to get their act together with regards to giving their customers proper service. It takes only a few disgruntled customers to spread negativity like fire and cost a bunch of sales and before they know it, the Indian Automobile industry can pull you down very quickly.
Gautam, I feel for you buddy and hope you get some sort of a compensation and a full fledged apology from Hyundai regarding this.
Would definitely share this experience with a friend who is about to book a i20.

[k2max6]

Pity on you Hyundai.

Problem like this occurring at a dealer workshop can be expected but such a behaviour is not acceptable from hyundai motor plaza. Sick.

Hyundai is losing my trust as well primarily because of the service experience. Recently i took my getz for service to Professional Hyundai gurgaon ; after service and paying the bill i noticed that a plastic cover next to the orvm was missing. I immediately asked the SA about it, at first he denied that it must have been missing before as well, i strongly objected. He finally agreed to replace the piece but it was not in stock. So i was told that someone would visit my place and change it. So i took off. After dozens of calls , no followups from the SA,numerous excuses,i finally created a scene in there workshop in front of 10-20 people, finally they changed the part.Total time 2 months.

Parts for getz are difficult to procure from the market otherwise i wouldn't have bothered.

I appreciate hyundai for making good cars, but this is not acceptable.

Recently a small issue occurred with maruti Service. I called up the customer care. Within 1 hour the workshop SA called and apologised. All the people including the workers and the SA had received a strict scolding. Thats what makes trust.

[xuv2390]

Dear Gautam, I think you should not accept this unprofessional job from Hyundai specially after waiting so long and paying for whatever they demanded. You must speak to their regional head, Mr. Shyam Menon on 022 4096 9000.

Maybe I can try and help. Do let me know if you are unable to reach him.

In fact not only should they be replacing the entire dash board but they have to clean the seats or else replace them if the grease stains do not go!

Apart from this please demand a suitable compensation for the damage caused to you.

[Taronish_E]

After reading through your problem Gautam I have had quite a change of heart.

Was planning to purchase an i20 Diesel from their Ghatkopar showroom but if this is the shoddiness of their service network then I'd rather not go down that road!!

[hellmet]

This is pretty much the story with every service center. People attribute it to too many cars coming in for service, but one look at a Chevrolet service center and you know that is not always the case. I attribute this to the fact that none of those who actually work on the cars own any cars (or even 2 wheelers) and thus feel no value for it and then you have those that do not bother about others' property. Their sole aim is to finish their job, get cash and go home.

Please don't expect anything more from mass market manufacturers. The best thing to do in this country, as I learnt from experience, is to buy a cheap second hand car you wouldn't mind being dented, tampered and abused by: careless mechanics, crappy road users and arrogant children.

However, I would highly encourage you to take this up with Hyundai and try to reach a compromise otherwise you'll end up feeling a victim forever.

[sameerg001]

Hyundai is going worst now. Few days back, I took my car to Sikka Hyundai, Mayapuri for some issue with AC and washing. First of all, even after taking an appointment, I was made to wait for 30 mins at reception, only after 30 mins i shouted a bit, Then only the SA came.

Then he took another 30 mins to prepare the job sheet, I was already frustrated, I asked when will i get the car back. He says after 2 days. I literally got pissed off, What's the point of getting appointment then.

After giving him peace of mind, He promised to return it back in 3 hrs, To which i said okay and i started waiting at customer lounge. After 2 hours, i went to check my car in the workshop, Only to see that, still it's waiting in line and it was not even touched yet.

I get hold of my SA, Again after shouting, My car was taken into workshop for washing first. Okay, then after the car got washed, Time for AC check. The mechanic there says, he will take 3 days to inspect the problem, then only he will tell me the solution. By this time, I already had enough and asked them to give me gate pass and i am leaving.

Only to my horror, i saw that, when my car was out from the workshop. In the washing process for which they took 6 hours. In the washing process, My rear car logo were damaged, Dashboard had a thick layer of dust. Car have water marks all over. They cleaned the dashboard with same polish and cloth, with which they cleaned the tyres

And, I made in my mind to never ever visit a HASS workshop again, Never

The AC issue, for which the A.S.S asked 3 days, were done in 30 mins flat through an aftermarket mechanic. My car's condenser fan was not running, As a result, after using AC in hot afternoon, Compressor used to release the AC gas through the sidewall. Reason, fan relay was faulty. The AC mechanic at workshop were telling me, that he will open dashboard and blah blah.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by sameerg001

Hyundai is going worst now. Few days back, I took my car to Sikka Hyundai, Mayapuri for some issue with AC and washing. First of all, even after taking an appointment, I was made to wait for 30 mins ---------------------------------e done in 30 mins flat through an aftermarket mechanic. My car's condenser fan was not running, As a result, after using AC in hot afternoon, Compressor used to release the AC gas through the sidewall. Reason, fan relay was faulty. The AC mechanic at workshop were telling me, that he will open dashboard and blah blah.

Had you stuck around, you know what you'd have been saddled with?
"Sir, cooling coil needs to be replaced"

I think this should make an entry into the scam thread.

[Motored Mindset]

Originally Posted by CLS_55_AMG

I have just had the most harrowing experience with HMP, Mumbai. I have written to their customer care dept.

It would help your case to send a follow-up email with a link to this thread. This is very shoddy customer service by Hyundai, and I'm sorry that you had to bear the brunt of it.

Being in the industry, I'm sure you'd know how best to escalate the matter.

Edit: I tried PM'ing the link to Hyundai India's fb page but have just realised that its not possible to PM them as they've disabled that option, unlike most other car manufacturers like Honda and VW.

[tazmaan]

I really feel sorry for you. They have ruined the dashboard and being in India there is nothing you can do about it. What you can do and we at forum can help you with is spreading the word about your experience. Even if you manage to influence the decision making against hyundai of handful of people the jobs done.

With all companies becoming like this, I find the need to buy simple cars which can be service outside A.S.S post warranty.

Damn I see a business opportunity in having a Team-Bhp multi-brand garage service centers in all cities.