[fazayal]

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

Nope. A general service usually takes around 2-3 hours at the max. And once or twice in a year I don't mind sitting through the video of my beloved car getting serviced. Imagine the time most of us spend on Youtube and Facebook daily. A few hours for my car on couple of occasions in a year is nothing at all.

Exactly!

Many manufacturers have mandated that shop floor should be visible from customer lounge. You can chose such a brand or workshop which has such facility and see your car serviced in front of your eyes. You can request the Service Advisor to put the car in the bay most visible from customer lounge. You can take a day off or get it serviced on a holiday (Saturday-Sunday). Most cars now have a service interval of one year and dedicating one or two days in a year for beloved car is worth it, isn't it? Much more practical than video recording.

[arun_josie]

As far I know, majority of the crowd is not even bothered to review the bill and check what is changed and what is not. So, even if you hand-over a video of the servicing, they won't even bother to check the video.

In my opinion, video recording of each and every task of the technician will just put him under more pressure.

However, I always have this question of "What if the servicing guy misses something?". So, I take a day off from work and make sure to be at the service center during servicing.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

However, I always have this question of "What if the servicing guy misses something?". So, I take a day off from work and make sure to be at the service center during servicing.

Same here. Its just once a year that the car needs servicing, and I usually be present throughout the process. Last saturday I got the first service done for my Celerio. Though this is nothing huge, I did not leave the car at the service center and stayed there. I sat in the lounge seeing the whole process. Contrary to my belief, they did a detailed inspection and tightened a lot of things around the vehicle, topped up stuff. The oil dipstick was checked six times to ensure that it is at the right level. Not sure if they do it for all cars, or just because my car had a 'Customer Waiting' sticker pasted on it.

Rather than spending time reviewing a video, I feel its always better to watch the whole process in person, so that we can point out a few things here and there which we would have missed while handing over the car. I had forgotten to indicate some greasing jobs on the seat which I did so later.

However, in case the service is done in closed areas where customers are not allowed, I will never leave a car there, and if its a manufacturer policy, I would not buy a car of theirs. From a safety point of view, this is agreeable however that makes sense to prevent people from loitering around in the work area. But there are some instances where it is necessary for customers to take a peek into any issues when necessary. If this isnt allowed, it is not a good practice.

[Moto_Hill]

Recently, my cousin left his car at a dent-paint workshop, for some paint job. The workshop also does mechanical job. The car was left in the morning along with the keys. He was told that the car would be ready by next day. On knowing about this in the evening, I advised him to go and check the progress, lock the car and bring the keys back for the night.

He went to the workshop and was shocked to see, two mechs surrounding the engine bay with open hood. On questioning, they gave silly excuses with wicked smiles. He locked the car and brought the keys with him. Next day we got the remaining work done in front of us. What were their intentions, we would never know. May be they were just checking engine out of curiosity, or worst they were planning some part replacement.

My question now is - Is there a way to restrict unwanted access to engine bay in unlocked cars ? I haven't searched online for a solution, there may be or may not be. Even if there is any, I doubt the practicality.

These solutions work best, if they come from manufacturers. I hope that companies give a thought about this. There could be key mechanism to make hood opening lever non-functional or something like that.

I know, there will still be many ways/areas to dupe customer, but atleast we can leave the car for work not requiring hood access, without worrying about the most important and critical area of our car.

[SmartCat]

Do a Google search for "car bonnet lock" or "car hood lock". A few options are available on eBay and Amazon.

But I think its best not to go to a particular workshop if you don't trust them.

[CliffHanger]

Around a year back I started the following thread coming up with an idea and concept of how the service black box experience can be changed and how this can have an huge impact in the industry. I also expressed that the top honchos should think on these lines to come up with out-of-the-box ideas to revolunize the market.

Here is the link -

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...-serviced.html

And here is the content -

I just gave my car for service a few days back and since then been wondering why the entire process has to be a black box experience. Every time we pay several thousand rupees after service, but there is always a suspicion whether the parts are really changed, the oils are really replaced, the filter are really replaced, the brakes are really cleaned, whether OEM parts are used, etc. Ask a mechanic who works in A.S.S for stories on malpractices and he will have plenty to tell. And also I think everyone understands that major malpractices are a common occurrence in service centers

So I thought why not record the entire service action as soon as the car is put on the ramp and deliver the video when the bill is given to the customer.

So this is how the system can work -

- Have a HD camera that is strategically placed in front of the service bay and hanging from the roof in such a way the entire bay area is covered.

-The entire process can be automated. Every time the car is moved to the bay, the mechanic has to enter the car number into the system and the camera starts recording.

- Every time a part is going to be replaced, the mechanic is going to pose the part in front of the camera and proceeds with the work.

- The car might move in and out of the service bay a lot of times. The automated system will take care of the video recording. All that has to be done is, the mechanic has to enter the car number whenever he moves the car into the service bay. The videos get auto edited based on the car number.

- When the service is over, the service personal hands over the bill along with your USB stick loaded with the video of what was done on your car.

- You pay the bill, extra pennies for the video, go home, see the video and get total satisfaction that you are not ripped off.

- You are now sure your car will not be abused while it is being repaired in the service centers.

What it does to the manufacturers?

Almost every manufacturer has many reliable and desirable cars in their portfolios, but After sales service experience has been one primary determinant why those cars are not moving off the shelf.

This system, if implemented by all the manufacturers, can change the entire Indian Auto market dramatically. I expects guys like Tata, Renault, Ford, etc. who have been associated with dreadful service since eternity, to take the lead and implement this system which can instantly change the mind of the car buying customers and ward off all their worries on ownership experience.

This system will dramatically reduce the A.S.S superiority(not considering the total number of service stations) of many a brands. This system will force many dealerships to get their acts right. It will be an involuntary pressure that will be exerted on the dealerships by the manufacturers. Adapt or Exit can be the diktat from the manufacturer.

What it does to the Customers?

Most cars are reasonably reliable nowadays and can easily run a lakh kilometer without any trouble. So all that I have to focus now is whether the car suits my needs and what is the total maintenance cost. Brand names become irrelevant.

Future

With data storage technology getting so advanced, I wish manufacturers such as Tata, Ford, Mahindra, etc to take the lead in implementing this system and revolutionize the industry. I am sure this can bring a dramatic change in the market of Auto Industry.

P.S: Things like these should be conceptualized by the CEOs, COOs, etc. But unfortunately most people who move up on the organizational ladder are those that know only to follow the system and not think anything differently. So anyone who is implementing this system, please pay me in millions!

--------

And now, a few days back when I was checking the news articles this is what I found -

Maruti launches Nexa service chain

If the customer wishes to leave the car at the outlet, they will be able to check the live feed of the vehicle being serviced via the My Nexa app on their smartphone.

Cameras installed around service bays will relay a live feed to customers' phone or tablet.

http://www.autocarindia.com/car-news...e-chain-405474

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...e-station.html

http://indianautosblog.com/2017/07/f...aunched-275713

------

I do not see this as a coincidence or two people coming up with the same idea at the same time, as things like these take a lot of time from the management for analysis and approval, and clearly my article dates back to exactly a year.

I'm pretty sure some MBA in Maruti lifted this idea and passed it on to the top management for further analysis and approval.

I know, in India Plagiarism is not uncommon. But I did not expect Maruti to be a Plagiarizer too!

Shouldn't Freeloading be stopped in India?

When these companies pay top dollars for MBB consultants to come up with ideas like these, shouldn't they compensate when they freely lift an idea that they found excellent for their business?

I demand credit/compensation from Maruti.

What do you guys think?

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

While this may be a new organised idea, it's been followed in many workshops in an informal manner already. To me, it's seems like a logical step forward.

Couple of years back, I was having a discussion with the CRM of the authorized service center I visit, when another customer walked in with a complaint that the engine oil in his car was never changed inspite of being charged for the same. The CRM proved themselves with the CCTV recording of the service. Once resolved, he commented to me that his life has become much easier after they started recording the service bay activities.

Now this happened atleast two years back. With the increase in bandwidth, apps and data plans, live streaming of the CCTV feed is the next logical step. Isn't it?

That said, this being India - there is all the possibility that the idea would have been lifted from your Team Bhp post. But then, I'm not sure how you would prove it, or claim rights and compensation for it. Afterall, this is a public forum.

[ajmat]

First it is very difficult to prove this

1: was there a similar system working elsewhere globally?
2: Have you patented this or created a formal white paper

Playing Devils advocate - Nexa could say, they created this in concept before you!

[sushantr5]

It is infact nice idea. But plagarism claim can not be established because this is big fast moving world where industry thrive for change. Many people come with ideas but few people register idea and market to sell it. You just expressed your idea but you did not intend to sell it. May be it was copied but it could also be evolved in others mind.

[freedom]

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

I know, in India Plagiarism is not uncommon. But I did not expect Maruti to be a Plagiarizer too!
Shouldn't Freeloading be stopped in India?
I demand credit/compensation from Maruti.
What do you guys think?

First and foremost take a bow for the idea!

I would look at this from a completely different perspective.

You put the idea in a public domain and someone liked it and implemented it (assuming only u came up with this idea)

You should be happy that you are the "inventor" and you gave away the idea for free for the betterment of the humankind. This is exactly what we do with Open Source Software or even Hardware these days.

You should write to Maruti and check if they indeed copied your idea and if they did they should atleast give you some credit for it.

I don't think you put up a case for IP violation etc. Its an idea and you don't have a patent for it.

If Tata or Toyota or whoever likes Nexa's idea they can copy the process as well. Its can't be classified as a trade secret.

If I was you, I would be happy to see the idea getting implemented. Don't fret over it. Put this on your CV and take intellectual credit for it. Don't bother about monetary compensation.

Originally Posted by sushantr5

But plagarism claim can not be established

I see sushantr5 posted similar views while I was composing my post. Thanks

[ksameer1234]

I don't think there is much that can be done here. One, the idea was to have video of service delivered to customer post-service while Nexa streams the feed live to customer. So there is a difference there. Two, while someone may or may not have gotten inspired from the Team-bhp post, one can't really claim credit since information was in public domain without any disclaimer prohibiting reproduction/replication.

Team-bhp is the most amazing community of automotive enthusiasts and everyone freely contributes to enrich knowledge of not just members but non-members as well. I have learnt more from Team-bhp than I could have through any paid-content.

If the idea was indeed inspired from your post, I think we all can take pride in the growing might of Team-bhp. And you deserve warm thanks for sharing knowledge and ideas for greater good making the world a better place to live!

[sandeepmdas]

Originally Posted by ajmat

First it is very difficult to prove this

1: was there a similar system working elsewhere globally?
2: Have you patented this or created a formal white paper

Playing Devils advocate - Nexa could say, they created this in concept before you!

Audi UK ("Audi Cam")
https://www.audi.co.uk/owners-area/a.../audi-cam.html

@CliffHanger, I am not flaming you, let me point out the fact that most CCTV solutions now come with "Watch your premises from anywhere" feature. In fact, this is now very much in demand in Kerala, by the NRI home owners and resort owners.

A relative of mine, who is a British citizen and lives in London actually watches coconut harvest in his household here in Varkala live from UK (4.30 - 5 am GMT ) via four external CP Plus cameras and directs the climbers where to put the plucked coconuts etc. through phone. The CCTV system was installed by my friend who's based in Trivandrum and the house has an unlimited BSNL landline broadband. My relative, who's 65+ is now wants to change that to GioFi in his next visit as he's not happy with BSNL. He even counts the coconuts via video feed, and the climbers were ROTFL...

[rsidd]

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

Shouldn't Freeloading be stopped in India?

I demand credit/compensation from Maruti.

Seriously? Compensation? Even credit is a stretch.

If you're looking for some easy money, you can try suing, but good luck with that. As other commenters have pointed out, video recording is hardly a revolutionary idea, and it's not at all clear the details are the same as what you laid out.

[landcruiser123]

You really can't do anything about it. You posted on a public forum where anybody with a capable device and internet connection can see it. Also, recording with a camera is nothing new. Car manufacturers would have thought about it at some stage (maybe even before you??) , but implementing this technology requires too much effort.

Also, if I'm a customer so concerned, I'd rather stay in the ASS and watch the servicing happen. I personally don't do it at Hyundai/Toyota/FNG, but I know some BHPians who do it.

Tweet this thread to them and ask for credit- they might acknowledge if they really did read your thread, discussions and then come up with the implementation. Don't be disappointed if they don't reply at all.

Remember we're a forum where knowledge from many individuals is aggregated and can be used to raise awareness among other BHPians, followers and the general public. If we can point out shortcomings (in a particular product) and influence the decisions of members, followers and manufacturers, it's a job well done.

[Captain Slow]

Your idea/concept and your post was nothing new or revolutionary, The same has been around for ages,
Don't we have the same thing in schools and kindergartens ? Where parents can see live stream of what their kids are doing? and how good/bad the teachers are?
We also have like feed to camera's placed in and around the housing socity complexes.
The same technology feature has been adopted for motorheads who see their cars/bikes as their kids!