[honeybee]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

By putting all their eggs in one basket, the DSK one, Toyota has made owners in Pune, Satara, Kolhapur suffer for no fault of theirs and on top of that, is being very slow to take visible corrective action.

I get my Gypsy serviced by MASS down the road that does an excellent job, well regulated by Maruti. And there are many options if that shuts down.

I think this is an important observation. Toyota, I am sure, will learn this lesson to de risk their service centre business, and it's a good lesson for others too. Just look at the McDonald - Bakshi spat for another example in the food business where over reliance on a single franchisee partner has caused terrible loss to the brand.

[Sawyer]

It isn't just service, DSK also was the only sales outlet in many cities in W Maharashtra. Hyundai also doesn't do the MASS kind of model as well as Maruti does, but at least they have diversified sales and service dealerships in every city.

The DSK tragedy also is that overextending beyond financial and managerial bandwidth caused a world class car service operation to be suspended.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

The DSK tragedy also is that overextending beyond financial and managerial bandwidth caused a world class car service operation to be suspended.

This is what I regret the most.

No matter which car I buy next, the ASC will always be compared to what I consider my gold standard - DSK Toyota. I truly hope that one day this dealership is revived not just for the sake of Toyota owners in Pune & Western MH but TKM itself. One of the main reasons why I was a repeat customer is due to DSK-T's excellent after-sales service. Even mentioned this to the owner once.

Oh yes, it is now confirmed Sharayu Toyota is opening a branch in Tathawade. It will be operational in the next few months. There is no confirmed date yet. Hopefully, that should smooth things out a bit by reducing the overload on Sharayu's single workshop @ Bhosari.

[Sawyer]

What Toyota understands - supposedly - is that DSK service became a gold standard by virtue of trained and motivated people implementing best in class processes, with more stress on the former element. With salaries not being paid, people will move on and restarting operations isn't like turning on a switch; standards achieved will have to be earned all over again and that will take time even if all the other elements that led to they being achieved are present.

And yes, that was a very high standard that was set, truly world class. It was always a pleasure, the annual visit.

[R2D2]

Frankly, even if they were to restart they'd have an uphill climb to rise to the same standard they set in the past. They've probably lost their best people for good.

Once again, it I can't help but note with regret & contemplate how a man's blind ambition and misinformed business decisions brought a well-established and respected organisation to its knees and then from there to closure.

[pullikutty]

Any other good service centers for Toyota Corolla Altis in and around Wakad, Pimple Saudagar, Baner area. Any reviews about Carnation, Bosch Car service, Castrol Pitstop.

[vinit.merchant]

Now if I think about it, I can make sense of a very bad experience with DSK over a test drive. The fear of shut down must brewing since a long time now within the employees.

Posting my test drive experience from September 2016.

Originally Posted by vinit.merchant

With a plan to replace my Palio in the current year and the news of the refreshed Etios siblings around the corner (13th Sept?), decided to test drive the current gen in petrol version.
A call to DSK and an SA promptly calls back. This was a week back. Says has stock of Liva G/V in 3 colors, no problem at that.
3 days back, I call for a test drive. Says is out for new car delivery. Will arrange the next day. No call, no follow up, nothing.

Today I call him up and he arranges a test drive.

Distance between my office and home is ~2 kms.
As I drive towards my house, the guy starts asking me to take a turn. Had to explain that my family also needs to check the car and is not too far. The SA gets reluctant. He already brought the car to my office from his showroom, which was already like 10 kms, I did not understand why he was so finicky about the test drive. I have seen longer test drives offered multiple times by lesser brands.
After my better half checks the car, we head back for my office.

I enquire on the booking etc.
Guy says Liva is in very strong demand and that there is a waiting of 3-4 months. I was shocked at this information, because I remember them hardly managing any numbers and I was interested in the petrol variant.

Anyways, as I was nearing office, I asked him whether he would drop me inside the complex or outside and I walk. Says whats the need for taking it inside.

So I stop the car outside, and start walking. The guy did not even hand me over the brochure and the price list. I had to ask for it after stepping out of the car.

So much for Toyota experience.

Though I liked the car per se, and it meets most of my requirements, I was very disappointed at the way the SA dealt with a potential customer.

Seemed he was least interested in selling the car. After the way he treated me, I wonder why he even bothered to give me a test drive in the first place.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by pullikutty

Any other good service centers for Toyota Corolla Altis in and around Wakad, Pimple Saudagar, Baner area. Any reviews about Carnation, Bosch Car service, Castrol Pitstop.

Sharayu Toyota is inaugurating a branch at Tathawade, near Wakad, in the next few months. There is no timeline yet.

Originally Posted by vinit.merchant

Now if I think about it, I can make sense of a very bad experience with DSK over a test drive. The fear of shut down must brewing since a long time now within the employees.

Posting my test drive experience from September 2016.

Frankly I am quite surprised to hear that someone from DSK Toyota actually responded! They are/were reputed to have shut shop.

If someone is responding to your calls for a test drive maybe, just maybe, they're reviving operations. DSK Toyota is the reason I purchased 2 Toyota cars and have been very happy as have been many others. Search around on this forum for feedback on DSK-T. So, if they are restarting then it's a good thing for all Toyota owners in Pune and surrounding areas.

You also may want to contact Sharayu Toyota @ Bhosari for a proper test drive.

[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Frankly I am quite surprised to hear that someone from DSK Toyota actually responded! They are/were reputed to have shut shop.

If someone is responding to your calls for a test drive maybe, just maybe, they're reviving operations. DSK Toyota is the reason I purchased 2 Toyota cars and have been very happy as have been many others. Search around on this forum for feedback on DSK-T. So, if they are restarting then it's a good thing for all Toyota owners in Pune and surrounding areas.

You also may want to contact Sharayu Toyota @ Bhosari for a proper test drive.

My experience was a year back, in September 2016 as pointed out. Not recent. Their SA was least interested in selling the car.
My point being that employees must be aware of the boiling issues as early as September 2016.

I already went ahead and bought Elite i20 in January.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by vinit.merchant

My experience was a year back, in September 2016 as pointed out. Not recent. Their SA was least interested in selling the car. My point being that employees must be aware of the boiling issues as early as September 2016.

My bad, I somehow believed the month/year is Sept 2017.

And yes, looking back at my interactions with DSK-T employees and market buzz since mid 2016 year it seems many were already aware of the financial problems in the group and the impact on the dealership.

But much of what I heard was treated as only market buzz and I couldn't put too much credence on information from random sources. But yeah, where there's smoke there is a fire. I also wanted to TD a Camry Hybrid but they kept reneging on their promise to get the car to my residence for this purpose.

My car last went for a service in Dec '16 and as always they did a perfect job. However, when I visited their Bavdhan showroom in Apr this year for some minor electrical spares it seems the s*** had truly hit the fan. They shut down Ops just 2 or 3 months down the line.

[raghuvir]

Had a Getz rear end my Etios today. Called up Sharayu Toyota for appointment for insurance claim. The earliest appointment for Insurance claim is 17th October!
I have tried to search for Toyota Authorised Service centres in Pune, but apparently they don't have any! The rear bumper has come out on the sides and the trunk is stuck and does not open. I definitely need to claim, but would appreciate if anyone can suggest a good garage/mechanic who can handle insurance claim so that I can get it repaired faster.

[sukiwa]

Sharayu Toyota is going to start operations soon in Tathawade off NH4 bypass. Hope this outlet will be for spares & service and not just for sales.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Sharayu Toyota is going to start operations soon in Tathawade off NH4 bypass. Hope this outlet will be for spares & service and not just for sales.

What I've been told is the Tathawade branch is going to be a sales, service, spares (3S) centre.

Originally Posted by raghuvir

Had a Getz rear end my Etios today. Called up Sharayu Toyota for appointment for insurance claim. The earliest appointment for Insurance claim is 17th October!
I have tried to search for Toyota Authorised Service centres in Pune, but apparently they don't have any! The rear bumper has come out on the sides and the trunk is stuck and does not open. I definitely need to claim, but would appreciate if anyone can suggest a good garage/mechanic who can handle insurance claim so that I can get it repaired faster.

Sorry to hear about your car. Who is your insurer? Please check at their toll free # about a list of authorised generally cashless settlement garages in Pune. And maybe you can call those garages to check if they can do accident repair and related insurance claims for Toyota vehicles. Right now there's no other TKM dealer in Pune except Sharayu.

[ach1lles]

Originally Posted by GTO

Reckless expansion driven by loans has killed so many good groups.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

True.

Recently, Sai Sakshi Ford, Pune shut shop due to financial trouble. Viraaj Skoda (owned by the same group) might reportedly meet the same fate.

The common factor in these cases? Investments in real estate.

This is exactly what is happening with a lot of dealerships today. Banks fall over themselves to finance an automobile dealership (even bikes), there's relatively easy and less costly cash up front, and the dealer principal sees an opportunity to siphon off funds for another project which is totally unrelated.
Either this, or they take extra loans based on future sales projections.

Ergo, trouble.

[kotirajendra]

Here's an update-
http://punemirror.indiatimes.com/pun...w/60737187.cms

It states that DSK has agreed to sell the one hectare of land with a building spread over 32,753 sq ft situated at Bavdhan Budruk off Mumbai-Pune highway. People having any kind of objections are supposed to inform the person concerned within eight days since the date of publication.

If sources are to be believed, the buyer is a Toyota Dealer from Surat. While DSK Motors will continue running the showrooms, this service centre will be entirely owned by this dealer. The decision regarding the Model Colony showroom is still pending.