[nitinbose]

When a vehicle is in good demand there's a long queue of customers waiting for their turn for delivery. Under such circumstances if a customer refuses an allotted vehicle, it would be left to the dealer to sell it to any of the customers in queue. That's the time when someone offers some 'extra' to get his/hers first.

So this is indeed an opportunity for the dealer(s) employee (s) to make some extra cash.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by nitinbose

Under such circumstances if a customer refuses an allotted vehicle, it would be left to the dealer to sell it to any of the customers in queue. That's the time when someone offers some 'extra' to get his/hers first.

I agree with you fully.

No one is stopping the dealer from selling the car to someone else who is in queue but the issue is "how to deal" with the customer.

If there is a customer, there is business and only then he gets his salary + bonus whereas a dull business with no sales will get him his firing letter.

'Respect the customer' in his views is all what Arya Honda has to know and learn. They are spoiling the name of the manufacturer (read Honda).

Anurag.

[latentpotential]

Any updates mate? What is the response from Honda and the dealer so far?

[ank.nsit]

Basically the Honda dealers have never ever seen such huge sales in their entire history (Amaze+City). These sales are getting into their heads.

This attitude is unacceptable. It is good that such information is put in public forum, so that any perspective buyer will not choose such stupid dealerships in future. If such is the sales attitude, I wonder what will be their servicing attitude where a lot of manpower would be involved to deal with such huge number of cars.

[sawnilrules]

An further update fellow motor-heads.

19th June 2014

Post my email to Customer Service Department at Honda, and to the owners of the Shaman Group, tables have turned overnight.

I replied to the email sent to me by the owners of the group with following reply

Dear XXX,

Thank you for understanding, I really expected similar levels of service from the front end team. What I simply expected from your team is delivering on commitments which they haven't done and on the top of everything didn't expect arrogance.

I tried to reach Mr. Sandeep Singhal yesterday, but no body from your team was ready to connect me through him. On the top of it, Girish says, "You can refund the money and go, I have other customers waiting. Unfortunately, this is when I had to take harsh course of action of getting Honda Car India into picture.

Thanks,


Minutes of me sending this mail, I get an immediate response from their VP Sales

Dear Mr XXXji ,
Thank you for your mail which I have read with a lot of concern & pain .
While extending my sincerest & personal apologies for this sad experience , I would like to meet up with you & sort out this issue to change your impression of our organization !

In the meantime , I did try and call you up to talk to you but unfortunately could not connect . I have also sent you an SMS in this regard .
If you could kindly let me know a convenient time for us to talk telephonically , and also fix up for a personal meeting .
Waiting for a confirmation .
Warm regards

XXX


This mail hits me at 14:00 hrs in the afternoon, I get a call from him at 14:30 once again. And out of no where, I get a car allotted to me, White Honda City SV-CVT. He requests me to get the car evaluated at showroom, and post my confirmation would proceed for further proceedings. Plus, I receive an confirmatory email for the same from his side.

Dear XXXji !
A pleasure to talk to you a while back !
Once again ,my sincere apologies for the “painful” (that is the most appropriate word which comes to my mind immediately) experience !
As discussed , we hope to correct this and have you change your mind about our organization ! Believe me , this is NOT the way we at Shaman deal with our valued customers !
In the meantime , as conveyed , we have arranged for a White colour City Sv-CVT against your order in the name of M/s Mahindra Retail . The car is being called to Mumbai and hopefully should be there at the Bhandup Showroom by tomorrow . No sooner does it come , we will inform you so that you can inspect the car personally , and then give the go ahead for the further process .
Hoping this meets up to your expectation .
Warm regards
XXX

20th June 2014

As confirmed today morning armed with PDI Checklist, I reach the Showroom at 10:45 in the morning. I am greeted by the receptionists. I ask for Girish, the main hero of our story. Well, he hasn't reached the store yet, so then I ask for Sushant, he comes within a minute and greets me. So I greet him with an interesting question "How was your last evening?" As I am discussing about the car further, Girish joins in. The first thing he blurts out, "Sir I am personally Very Sorry".

Between all this my colleague drops by, the car is ready outside the dealership, and we proceed to check the car.

We check the car thoroughly using the checklist, decode the VIN, and figure out that the car is June 2014 manufactured product. We ask him to put the car on ramp so that we can inspect under chassis for any visible damage. Don't find any and therefore pay the remaining balance of 1.44 lacs and not 1.66 lacs that we thought earlier and proceed to work.

Posting some snaps of the car.

Front View



Side View



More snaps probably at the time of delivery.


Further update,

As I type this, I get this response from Team Honda

Dear Mr. XXX,

This is in reference to your trailing mail received by us.

At the outset we sincerely regret to learn of your feedback. It is the true connoisseurs like your good self who take the time to tell us what they feel and give us and our dealerships an opportunity to improvise .

Sir, post receiving your feedback we have taken up the matter with the higher authority at the dealership and we sincerely apologize on their behalf, we wish to assure you that our dealership have taken counter measures to ensure that such incidence do not reoccur in future. Further Sr. official of our dealership are trying to get in touch with you for necessary resolution of your concern. We are sure your future interaction with our dealership would assure you of the same .

Please be assured that at Honda, any of our customer concern is resolved with utmost care.

Thanking you and assuring you of a joyous association with Honda.

Regards,
Axxx
Customer Relationship Management
Honda Cars India Ltd., Greater Noida


PS- Some questions still unanswered, from where did this car suddenly come overnight? Though the VP told me that he his transferring someone else's car to our name. And the doubt that I seriously have is, this car was always supposed to be car to be allotted to us and Girish was not allotting it to us due to his Ego Issues.

Second question, what if we didn't have access to owners of the dealership? The kind of silly reply I have received from Honda, I think I would have to be at the mercy at dealers.

[latentpotential]

Good to know that your travails have not come to a nought, and your colleagues car has finally arrived. Please give our congrats to him.

It is very much possible that this could be the same car that he should have got, since the demand for the CVT as not as much as the MT But they were holding it back in the yard, thinking that they may be able to get payment ahead of time.

Do edit your post and hide the VIN number to prevent any kind of unsolicited mischief.

[ad3952n]

Originally Posted by sawnilrules

An further update fellow motor-heads.


PS- Some questions still unanswered, from where did this car suddenly come overnight? Though the VP told me that he his transferring someone else's car to our name. And the doubt that I seriously have is, this car was always supposed to be car to be allotted to us and Girish was not allotting it to us due to his Ego Issues.

Second question, what if we didn't have access to owners of the dealership? The kind of silly reply I have received from Honda, I think I would have to be at the mercy at dealers.

Hey Sawnil! Your efforts paid up. This surely calls for a party. Coming to your questions, It could be possible that after getting your detailed email the car would have been immediately allotted to you as to avoid any further shame for the brand and dealer. As far as Girish is concerned, He would be on the look out for earning something extra on your car booking as it was a corporate one.

I don't think dealers can take us for a ride. Well informed customers like us will take them to task if in case they try to take us on a ride. A small suggestion if you may consider, Please keep a check on the car while it will be serviced at this dealer as this car has been allotted to you after a lot of efforts and probably did not go down well with the management of the dealership.

Congrats on the new car.

Thanks

[SDP]

Glad that this has ended on a happy note for you and your friend.

Couple of thoughts:
1. Although in this whole episode, Girish might look like a villian, somehow I believe its Arya Honda who is responsible for the mess-up. Although, Girish's arrogance is unpardonable, I don't believe the "company-policy" thing that he was insisting on was untrue. If he was insisting on a false company-policy, he would have been out of his job by now for integrity issues. The fact that he is still there means that the policy does exist and the dealership has just made an exception for you as you made noise beyond a particular threshold. (Try sending another friend there for booking a City and see if they mention 100% payment before allotment)

2. Just take a few deep breaths and let it go. A few words to Girish explaining him that his arrogance and rudeness would not take him too far would help. Life is too short to make enemies.

[Simple_car]

@sawnil, I agree with @SDP's line of thoughts. It's better to check them out after a while, when things cool down.

Also, it doesn't bode well to you rub Girish. Attitude of the employees are most often due to their management. Although Girish's attitude is unpardonable, try not to fight unless you don't know the entire story.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shaman group? I am not surprised. Their management isn't the best in the business, and the people who know the owners well themselves, tell me of their arrogant attitude.

I, personally don't know the owners per say, but I have had the misfortune to deal with almost all their dealerships (sales and service). While they have extended me great prices for repairs, I only came to know later on that I had been made a guinea pig.

I have been to their dealerships for buying cars, and always came out wishing I didn't have to go back again. The experience has been so consistent, that I have stopped even bothering to call them for any sort of business. Complains to the respective auto companies have never yielded any results (just standard automated reply, and a little mellow down from their side; but it just leaves a bad taste in one's mouth).

W.r.t. services, it's best to get only routine services done from their dealerships. For everything else, their competitors or an independent garage is better. This applies to all their dealerships: VW/Merc/Honda and any other I might have missed out.
They are extremely aggressive in their services, and will always give quote such ridiculous prices, I sometimes wonder whether they really are operating in bombay.

Thanks,
Simple_car

[noopster]

Sniff...I do like happy endings!

Credit where it's due: Honda really did step in and bring their arrogant dealer in line. It was good that the dealer SA apologised unreservedly and your friend got his car.

Regarding how the car got there, whether it was the same car earmarked for his earlier etc. my advice is nothing is going to come out of such speculation. They say never look a gift horse in the mouth; enjoy your car!

[a4anurag]

Good that the issue has been solved and good you got to meet the top guys. Just discuss about the company policy and get it clear if such policies exist or are they pressure building factors.

My opinion,

Since the issue is solved throw the anger out and accept it. Move forward with the car.

Convey congrats to your friend.

Anurag.

[prakash_ajp]

Looking at this kind of frequent incidents, I have a feeling that the root of the problem is the same as the one we find with labors in many other fields/industries. If someone has tried to find some plumber or electrician at home, you will know what I mean.

The sales people at dealers, unlike the ones at higher level in companies, don't stick to their companies for a long time, or at least they think they can always find another job without struggling much. And that brings out this kind of attitude and response. They don't care much about their long term career plans, but what they worry about is their short term sales records and for that, they will do anything.

Looks like the buyers have no other option than to be careful while buying a new car.

Anyway, happy to know it's all sorted out now.

[Shreyans_Jain]

To name and shame is the correct way to deal with exceptionally talented people like these.

The dealer and the company get a bad name because of such unprofessional fools.

OT: Classic Honda is the sole Honda dealer in a city as big as Faridabad. I am a repeat customer with them and have been dealing with them for over three years now. Despite having a virtual monopoly, they have always come aross as courteous, professional, straightforward and honest. Other dealers can learn a thing or two from them.

[anilagdr]

I feel the general attitude of the sales guys scream out the typical Indian business scenario. I doubt how far we can go on like this. I had a similar bitter experience with a Maruty dealer long back and I remember them coming to my home with apologies after I escalated the matter to the highest levels.

I wish things would change for the better in the interest of our Nation's credibility in the corporate circles around the Globe.

Anyway glad that the ending was positive - like they say - all is NOT well that ends well.

[avdhesh15]

Arya's attitude is only coming due to the new launch. But I don't think this is across dealerships.

I dealt with Solitaire Andheri for getting 2 new City's (1 diesel for my friend and 1 petrol for me) and was quite impressed with their transparency in dealing. They stressed that they wouldn't ask for payment (beyond the 51k pre-booking) until the car was allotted and they fulfilled this promise.

Overall was quite happy and would recommend them. The senior person there, Mr Parekh, is a decent fellow to deal with as well.