[Nikhilb2008]

As many of you may have read, my Race Blue 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS was vandalised in a hotel parking lot last month.

I had to get it painted and after a lot of thought and deliberation, I decided to get it done at TAFE Access Limited, one of the two authorised dealers for Skoda in Bangalore.

This thread is a complete report of my experience with TAFE. The good, the bad and everything in between.

Skoda itself has a very bad reputation and initially I felt it was a well earned reputation: Read this:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...nsporting.html

Later on, once I experienced two services at TAFE, I felt that TAFE’s service levels had improved from what I had heard. Read below:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post4302413

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post4340469

Having said that, generally Skoda’s service reputation is among the worst in India if not THE WORST. A quick search here on Team BHP itself will reveal dozens of threads, hundreds of posts of how either Skoda or it’s dealer has cheated/scammed or given terrible service to their customers.

Given how much is spoken about when a dealership doesn’t do it’s job properly, I felt it’s fair to also speak loudly and heartily when a dealership does it’s duty and even more! So, this thread is my version of how TAFE repainted 3 panels on my car. No suspense or anything, I will just say I was very happy with the way they handled me.

If you are a busy doctor trying to choose between driving a 2-door and a fast BMW and have no patience to read further, this is for you. I am happy and would happily go back to TAFE. If you want details, please read further.

As mentioned in my ownership thread, I went last Friday, met Mr Sanjeev and Mr Shankara Narayan with my friend Sunny. They inspected the damage and decided that they can repaint the three panels (2 doors and the hood) and match the colour perfectly to the rest of the body.

What I liked was the speed of Mr Sanjeev’s replies. A couple of days before this when I requested a quote, he promptly emailed me. He never missed any of my calls and when I reached the workshop, he didn’t make me wait but left his work and came over immediately to inspect my car.

What I truly appreciated was that he didn’t over-promise. Many dealerships in their quest to assure customers, end up exaggerating their quality and this leads to disappointment at the end. In my case, Mr Sanjeev brought a rectangular piece of metal which was painted with a slightly different shade of blue, held it against my car and explained how the metal flakes could differ. He was very honest and clear in saying that while TAFE would do the best they could, he couldn’t give me a factory finish.

There are multiple reasons for why an aftermarket paint job can never be as good as factory. Starts with the prep and the base metal, encompasses the spraying pattern, speed, angle, time, etc… In the factory, the metal is bare and only treated with an anti-corrosion chemical. In the aftermarket, the paint has to be scraped off, putty filled in (if required, a very tiny amount in my case), and then paint sprayed over by a human hand. In the factory, robots spray the paint and they will be perfect every single time. Cant say the same thing about a human. The paint shade itself can vary.

Everyone says the paint shade is coded. Yes it is, but to get that exact shade, two or more different colours and pastes are mixed in a certain proportion to get the final paint. So, a miniscule change in the quantity of let’s say one shade can lead to a noticeable difference in the final paint shade.





Internationally, this paint mixing is done automatically by using computers in some dealerships. Here, we still rely on humans.

I explained my apprehensions to Mr Sanjeev and I told him that many people were suggesting I stay away from TAFE and get it done outside. I explained to him that while I was keen to get the car painted quickly, I wasn’t in a tearing hurry and I would explore other options. I also told him I have been happy with my past 2 experiences at TAFE and am willing to get the car done here but I want the best possible work done.

Later I even emailed the link to my ownership thread to Mr Sanjeev and a few other people at TAFE who were part of an email chain with regard to the estimate. I wanted them to know the true opinions of TBHP members and also to understand that if I am happy, a lot of good PR could be coming their way.

Mr Sanjeev told me that if I drop the car on Monday morning, he can get it ready by Tuesday and deliver it that evening. I finally took delivery of my car on Wednesday morning.

On Monday morning, as scheduled, Sunny and I went to TAFE and they started the job pretty quickly. Mr Sanjeev himself drove my car into the washing area. TAFE doesn’t do a full water wash. They only do a waterless wash. We were not too happy but asked them to go ahead anyway as there was no other option.

After the wash, the car was taken into the body shop and the hood was quickly uninstalled from the rest of the car. The technicians first started by analysing the damage. Then they ended up using plastic sheets to cover the entire interior of the car so that minimal dust gets inside the car.









They then used a sanding machine to scrape off paint in the affected areas. Initially they were quite gentle in this. As they kept going through the clear coat and then the paint, they realised that the scratches were very deep. Finally they hit bare metal and the psycho had even scratched the bare metal.











After this, the cleaned up the areas multiple times and applied multiple coats of primer. This was the end of Day One.








We were allowed to be in the service area with my car. I truly appreciate this gesture. I fell sick thanks to the dust, paint, etc which infected my throat but it was worth it.


TO BE CONTINUED

[Nikhilb2008]

Continued.....

Day Two was Tuesday and I simply couldn’t go to TAFE. I had some important work that I had to take care of. Sunny still carried on without me and stayed the whole day to ensure the painting was done perfectly.

They applied another layer of primer, allowed it to dry and then sanded it down again. A final round of cleaning was done.




After that, it was put into the paint booth. Mr Sanjeev inspected it a final time to ensure the panel was flat and the prep work had been done perfectly. After this, they started making the rest of the car, leaving only the damaged panels open. This was done to ensure the good panels dont attain a righ texture because of overspray.







First a coat of colour was sprayed, and then the second. The same procedure was followed for the cleat coat as well.




After the paint job was completed, before they turned on the burners to bake the car and the paint.











MR Sanjeev inspected the car and ensured that the car stays for some extra time in the paint booth for drying and curing.

After that, they covered the unpainted area of the car and left it in the workshop.



On Wednesday, I was very eager to see the car and left with Sunny to the workshop.

I saw the car in the workshop and instantly I was quite pleased. I wasn’t able to make out any major differences. We tried in various ways to figure out a difference but weren’t able to.

Today, after a week, I can say that I can find a reasonable difference when in the shade. The repainted hood clearly looks darker. But in the sun, the difference is negligible.

Also, this paint is a unique shade. Even a slight change to your viewing angle and the paint takes on a slightly different hue. This can also make two panels look different at times.

Overall, I am extremely happy with the way TAFE handled my requests/demands. I am very pleased that they didnt just throw the rule book in my face. "Sir, you arent allowed to enter the workshop. Please sit in the lounge".

They could have done it and frankly, they would have been right. But I am very comfortable in workshops(my line of work involves me visiting workshops day in and day out!) and I know enough not to get in their way. I think the guys at TAFE knew it, respected it and allowed me and Sunny to be with the car.

I can safely say that we didnt get in their way and didnt go on haranguing them on their jobs. Staying there, we didnt give much feedback or ask them for anything. It was more for our own peace of mind that we stayed with the car.

During this whole time, we also put in a word with Skoda directly. I got in touch with a gentleman who is the service head for Skoda for South India and handles TAFE directly. Frankly, the response from him was very generic. "Dont worry Sir, we will take care". I dont think he even bothered to come see the car, and there was definitely no follow up from him on whether I was happy or not.

Again, I am possibly expecting too much from him. He probably has other work to attend to and I'm just being selfish.

One observation Sunny and I made was that the overall quality of the work going on seemed to be high. I know they have a bad reputation and the work on my car might be an exception. However, many of the other cars being worked on were also looking good.

We observed a couple of Rapids, a Superb and the paint finish seemed to be quite good on them. The paint booth had a definite Positive pressure so, dust wouldnt enter. This is a big drawback of many paintbooths where they are not working at the level they should be.

If TAFE can really focus on quality work, I think they can certainly reverse their reputation in the market. It's not going to be easy, but it's possible.

Even when the car was being delivered and I was about to drive away, Mr Sanjeev kept inspecting the car and ensuring that I'm happy. He must have asked me half a dozen times if I am happy. Mr Naveen, the service manager also was there and assured me of good service in the future as well. Mr Sanjeev even spotted a bit of dust or dirt or something on the windshield and asked his technician to come and clean it.

To conclude, I am happy that Mr Sanjeev took so much time and effort to ensure I was happy.

As you can see from the below images, the paint difference is negligible(if it's noticeable).






A big thanks to Mr Sanjeev, Mr Naveen and Mr Jose Thomas (the VP who also assured me I was in good hands).

Last, but certainly not the least, a big thumbs up to my friend Sunny. True friends like him make me wonder what I did to deserve such people. He stayed with the car for the entire two days and on the second day, with work progressing quickly, he barely got any time to go back and sit in the lounge. He was on his feet the entire day.

I really dont know what I would have done without good old sunnyboi.

[gpa]

Thanks, for sharing this Nikhil. It is nice to see Skoda turn over a new leaf. We can just hope that things get better from here.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

A big thanks to Mr Sanjeev, Mr Naveen and Mr Jose Thomas (the VP who also assured me I was in good hands).

It is nice to see your car in good condition once again, the paint work looks very neat and better than what Trend does with all hype. I can see that finish is good at the edges which is difficult to achieve, were you able to trace the psycho?

[GTO]

Great to read about a positive dealer experience, especially of Skoda. But more than that, I'm happy to see your beast shining in its full glory again . Congrats man.

Did you claim insurance? Was the claim accepted easily? How much was the damage?

Some moron keyed my 530d's nose (around the logo), but it's rather mild and should be taken care of with some good rubbing. This is despite always parking her safely (as your car was when it was attacked).

[Nikhilb2008]

We didnt find the psycho. We didnt try to be honest as it wouldnt be feasible from Bangalore.

I didnt claim insurance. The hotel had compensated me. It wouldnt be fair for me to claim the full amount from the hotel and then claim insurance....

Originally Posted by GTO

Some moron keyed my 530d's nose (around the logo), but it's rather mild and should be taken care of with some good rubbing. This is despite always parking her safely (as your car was when it was attacked).

They probably tried to steal the logo?

[Nikhilb2008]

Another great experience at TAFE.

My brake pads were quite worn after 19,500 kms. When I got my wheel alignment and road force balancing done, I noticed that the front pads were quite badly worn.

I checked with Skoda(on Wednesday) and they said they didnt have front brake pads for the vRS in stock but it was expected on Friday or Saturday.

I had to drive on Saturday, so it was going to be a close thing. I found out that a friend of mine already had a set of original Skoda vRS brake pads in his house. So, I picked those up and scheduled an appointment for this morning at TAFE.

I was in touch with Shankara Narayan, the spare parts manager and he arranged for Mr Neethan to attend to me this morning.

As soon as I reached, Mr Neethan was busy with a couple of other customers who had booked their appointments before me. In spite of that, Mr Venkat met me, drove the car inside the workshop and the technicians started working on my car immediately.

They also confirmed that their own consignment of new brake pads has reached and they would bill it and hand it over to me.

Opened the brake fluid container cap, removed the wheels, opened the calipers and then used a tool to push the piston back all the way inside.

Since the spares department usually takes some time to issue spares once the job card is opened, they installed the new brake pads I had in my boot. The brand new set, they handed it to me and I will return it to my friend. Or keep it as a stand by at home in case a fellow vRS owner suddenly needs pads and the dealership doesnt have it.

They installed the new pads very quickly and once it was done, Mr Venkat asked me if he could take my car for a test drive. Nothing against him, but I refused. I decided I could bed the brakes on my way back to office on NICE road.

I reached the dealership at 10:05 am, the car was taken into the workshop at 10:19, the work was completed at 10:45.

Billing, again, took more time than it should have and I left the dealership at 11:11.

To be honest, billing always takes time. Even in other workshops. But I've never experienced this speed of service that makes billing looks slow! Usually the time taken to work on the car is substantially higher. That's why here at TAFE, I feel billing is slow!

I didnt mind at all. I was anyway busy with some phone calls and didnt feel like I was wasting time.

Once again, I cant believe that a Skoda dealership is giving me the best service experience I've had. It's right there on par with Trident Hyundai and Honda (who I still rate as number 1).

My experience with Trident was much longer and spread out over multiple cars and locations. So, before putting TAFE on the same pedestal as them, I will wait! However, the initial signs are good.

I really hope for their sake that more and more of their customers feel the way I do.

Images:

All 4 new brake pads:



Comparing my worn out pads with brand new ones


The small notch at the bottom is where the sensor is connected. A little more running and the "Worn Brake Pads" indicator would have flashed up on my dashboard.


My invoice for the parts and labour:

Brake Pad Invoice.pdf

[Hells Bells]

Keep these coming, Nikhil! We, Skoda owners, could do with these good reviews What would be interesting is if a non-vRS owner can relate to the same levels of service. Not that I mind it as long as they always give such service to vRS owners!

[SuhasManjunath]

Wow !
I actually pinched myself to check if I was in a dreamland or not .
The FIRST-EVER good or positive review that I have come across about a Skoda dealer . Especially in terms of hospitality and not hostility, personally being one of the victim to a Skoda dealer's malpractice, it's quite astonishing to read such a thread !
A commendable job has been achieved. Congo to Nikhil to get the beast roaring again ! Hopefully such good measures by all Skoda dealer's will restore faith of the customers in the brand .

[Nikhilb2008]

Originally Posted by SuhasManjunath

Wow !
I actually pinched myself to check if I was in a dreamland or not .
The FIRST-EVER good or positive review that I have come across about a Skoda dealer . Especially in terms of hospitality and not hostility, personally being one of the victim to a Skoda dealer's malpractice, it's quite astonishing to read such a thread !
A commendable job has been achieved. Congo to Nikhil to get the beast roaring again ! Hopefully such good measures by all Skoda dealer's will restore faith of the customers in the brand .

I have read your thread as well and it's appalling to see the company react in such a way. Many dealers make mistakes but then we expect the company to step in and take action and crack the whip.

It looks like Skoda really doesnt care. They want to protect their dealers over the customers. Which will result them in being fringe players in the Indian market.

[SuhasManjunath]

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

I have read your thread as well and it's appalling to see the company react in such a way. Many dealers make mistakes but then we expect the company to step in and take action and crack the whip.

It looks like Skoda really doesnt care. They want to protect their dealers over the customers. Which will result them in being fringe players in the Indian market.

True ! Skoda is scared to lose dealers and not customers, This can easily be understood when Skoda was not ready to make a statement about the action taken against Vinayak Skoda and simply said "there has been a very stern action taken internally and it cannot be stated publicly" but I feel Skoda fails to understand that running a dealership will only be successful once they have satisfied customers and not just a dealer.

Anyway let's keep that brute dealer away from this sweet thread where I finally got to read a positive view on a Skoda dealer and I personally now regret to not give business to Tafe Access even though they had offered a better deal on the regular Rapid as they had no stock of Black Package Rapids' and were honest enough to say the same unlike the rogue dealer who I bought it from.

[motorguy]

After reading the horror stories with Skoda, I would be extremely apprehensive in touching their cars.

@Suhas - I sympathize with you and commend you for your persistence in proceeding through legal means. Comparing the classic Skoda horror threads that Harishv posted years back it seems that Skoda has not learned any lesson at all to date.

Harish (who is known to me) has mentioned that it was so hard for him to pursue the legal case against Skoda and the dealer who cheated him by putting in spurious parts causing an accident. However the persistence paid off and Skoda came begging literally to him to sort out an amicable solution which was resolved in his favor. He always commends the Team-BHP community for standing by his side.

[skarthiksr]

Can someone share their latest experience on TAFE Skoda (Off Hosur road) service? The last update is more than one and half year old.

Also, as per the recent news, Skoda has setup a new dealership PPS Skoda in Bangalore (I think this was formerly Vinayak Skoda). Any recent feedback on this is also welcome.

[vredesbyrd]

Originally Posted by skarthiksr

Can someone share their latest experience on TAFE Skoda (Off Hosur road) service? The last update is more than one and half year old.

They were decent back in 2019 (got a lot of work done on my Superb). Now it is an absolute s*******. Got my last service done just before lockdown (March 2020). Overcharged like hell and pathetic work. They can't even align the damn headlights (not a biggie since had friends over, had a riot adjusting headlights and replacing bulbs but the ASC should be able to do that). To put more fuel into the fire, I had order a replacement wiper arm (3.8 grand) in March itself. So here I am, moved to another city, after 6 months and yet no word about the wiper or a refund. Both TA (Karthik Siva) and workshop manager (Naveen) never pick up calls or respond. It is not a about Rs. 3,800. It is about pure shamelessness. Also, kindly ask your driver or drop the vehicle yourself if you ever want to do it. The drivers are third-party and rip you off for fuel even if the tank has about 10L and the destination is 5.5km away. A friendly advice. Sell you Skoda. Buy a Toyota or a BMW instead.